Previously in Varney the Vampire: Varney tries to seduce Flora and fails.
The Admiral isn't even in Chapter 35 (THE EXPLANATION. -- MARCHDALE'S ADVICE. -- THE PROJECTED REMOVAL, AND THE ADMIRAL'S ANGER.). His offscreen presence is merely discussed by the other characters for a few paragraphs as they chase after the fleeing vampire. But how can one possibly ignore this line:
"It comes from the admiral's room," said Marchdale. "On my life, I think the old man must be mad. He has some six or eight pistols ranged in a row along the window-sill, and all loaded, so that by the aid of a match they can be pretty well discharged as a volley, which he considers the only proper means of firing upon the vampyre."I don't care how ineffective that is (as the characters themselves point out, rather calmly, in the next few lines of dialogue). It's f***ing awesome.
I don't have much else to say about this rather short chapter. Varney briefly visits Flora again after giving Henry and the others the slip, promising that she'll soon see Charles again, and Henry decides to do what he should have done from the very beginning, which is listen to Flora. Finally.
Chapter 36: In Which the Admiral is Clearly Rubbing Off on Flora
Honestly I don't find the bit about the Admiral all that interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me was Varney assuring Flora that Charles's Honor would not be tainted. This would be normal Victorian dialogue if the Genders of Flora and Charles were switched. The intended implication is that Varney is assuring Flora he isn't Raping Charles.