The Story of Brideshead Revisited

III

Cousin Jasper realises that Charles is getting into a bad set and comes to warn him against them. He notices how the appearance of Charles’s room has changed and how Charles is leading a life of expensive luxury. But he is unable to influence Charles at all.

A more serious warning comes from Anthony Blanche who, to Charles’s discomfort, invites him to dinner and a private talk at a nearby hotel in Thame. Blanche has noticed that Charles is an artist and wants to warn him not to let simple English virtues and characteristics, like charm, wash away his talent. In particular he warns against letting Sebastian, a negligible companion for an artist, take over his life and guide his interests. The rest of the family, Blanche says, is quite as remarkable as Sebastian and must be avoided. Charles is thoroughly rattled by this monologue and is relieved to find out from Sebastian the following morning that a lot of Blanche’s facts are very dubious.