The Story of Brideshead Revisited

XIV

Just as there are about to be changes at Brideshead, Lord Marchmain astounds everybody by deciding to come home after twenty-five years away. The international situation is worrying him. He and Cara arrive in January 1939, and his appearance shocks them all - he is clearly very ill. Cara tells them later that Lord Marchmain has a fatal heart complaint and that he has come home to die.

On arrival Lord Marchmain causes great trouble by deciding to sleep in the Queen’s Bed in the Chinese Drawing-Room. He uses the room to receive his family, though he hopes to gain strength enough to move around his estate when the weather improves.

He tells them that he had met his daughter-in-law Beryl in Rome when the Bridesheads arrived to have an audience with the Pope. He is appalled by her vulgarity. The experience has made him decide to change his will; after mock-hesitation he states he will leave Brideshead to Julia. Charles finds this a glorious prospect for them both.

Lord Marchmain gradually weakens, though he does once try to go out and look at his estate.

There is discussion in the family about how to treat Lord Marchmain’s approach to death. Bridey wants to send for the priest; Julia is uncertain about this. Charles is vehemently against the idea, and is not convinced in a long discussion about what the point of bringing a priest in is. When Bridey takes Father Mackay to meet Lord Marchmain, the priest gets a frosty response which makes it clear that Lord Marchmain does not welcome the intrusion. Lord Marchmain is displeased with Bridey’s action and a few days later carries out his intention of changing his will.

As he lies dying the marquis reflects on his family’s history and possessions. He finally gets round to considering his own actions. He asks Cordelia whether he did right in leaving her mother in order to seek his freedom abroad; she does not hesitate in telling him that she thinks it wrong. This reply seems to shock him.

Soon he is lying helpless, struggling for breath. Julia brings Father Mackay to Brideshead but cannot make the final decision to take him into the marquis’s room until after a long discussion with Cara, the doctor and Charles. Then she accepts the responsibility. Father Mackay quietly anoints Lord Marchmain, asking him to give a sign of acceptance. Charles kneels and prays to a God he hardly believes in that Julia will be vouchsafed a sign. Lord Marchmain then slowly makes the sign of the cross and Charles realises that an event of immense significance has just occurred : that God has intervened in the lives of His creatures.

Lord Marchmain dies late in the afternoon of the same day. Julia and Charles meet briefly. Julia has to tell Charles that she cannot marry him; she must now give God a sign that she is not beyond His grace. Charles, utterly changed by the experience of the day, fully understands that God must take first place. They part in love and sorrow.