The Story of Brideshead Revisited

XV

The story returns to 1943 and the army camp at Brideshead. The Commanding Officer is dissatisfied with the amenities, but sends Ryder and his men to get the house in order.

The Quartering Commandant shows Ryder around the section of the house which has been commandeered by the army, not knowing that Ryder is already familiar with the building. Ryder does not tell him. He sees the Chinese Drawing-Room, which the officer thinks is like a bedroom in a brothel, and his own mural, which the soldiers have vandalised. To protect it from further damage, the fountain is covered over and barricaded.

Ryder leaves Hooper in charge of the work-party and goes to see Nanny Hawkins. She has news of Julia and Cordelia. They are serving as nurses, it seems in Palestine, which is where Bridey’s regiment is also based. We hear nothing about Sebastian. Rex has become a minister in the war-time government; Nanny has heard him making a speech on the radio. The new Lady Marchmain has been forced to take rooms in a seaside hotel for the duration of the war because her house in London has been blitzed.

When he returns to duty Ryder finds that the men have fooled Hooper again and cleared off. Ryder is strangely calm about an offence which would have annoyed him greatly only a day before; the castle has restored his balance. He merely tells Hooper to put things right during the afternoon.

Ryder goes to see the chapel, which is again in use. The deplorably designed lamp is burning brightly. Charles says a prayer, one he has learned as a new Catholic, and finds hope and strength in the realisation that God is always working out His plan of salvation, however weak and unexpected His vessels of grace.

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