Skip to main content

In Chains, what is the discussion at the Tea Water Pump?

In chapter five, Isabel is sent to the Tea Water Pump to get "special" water for the Locktons.  She doesn't know how to get there, so Curzon volunteers to show Isabel the way. 


Chapter six then begins with Curzon leading Isabel to the Tea Water Pump.  Curzon moves very quickly, and Isabel can barely keep up.  Curzon eventually slows down once he realizes that Isabel is struggling to stay with him.  Curzon explains that the Tea Water Pump is where all of the rich people get their water from, because it supposedly tastes better.  He also explains that he must pick up a package along the way.


He picks up the package and some rolls for Isabel to eat.  She is deeply grateful.  While Isabel eats, Curzon asks her if Ruth is Isabel's sister.  Isabel confirms that fact, and Curzon then understands why Isabel willingly took the slap from Madam Lockton even though Ruth was guilty.  


Curzon sees that Isabel doesn't have a deep loyalty to Madam Lockton, so he asks Isabel if she would be willing to spy on the Locktons.  The Locktons are Loyalists.  Curzon and his master are Patriots.  Curzon would like Isabel to report to him anything that might be of interest to the Patriots about what she sees and hears in the Lockton household.  He also tells Isabel that she can earn her freedom back by being a spy. 



"Keep your voice down. You just have to listen and alert me if you hear anything important.  You won't be in any danger." 



Isabel doesn't believe that the Locktons would say anything in front of her anyway.  Curzon replies that the Locktons don't consider Isabel a person, so they won't guard their talk at all.  Isabel briefly considers Curzon's proposal and logic, but she turns him down at the close of the chapter. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

etymology - Origin of the greeting "Sweet dreams".

Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...

What are the similarities between the relationships of the characters in The Outsiders and Romeo and Juliet?

At first glance, it might appear as if the characters in  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton and  Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare do not have much in common; however, when one isolates the core of the conflicts, it becomes clear that the relationships in both stories are rooted in rivalry and secrecy.  In both  The Outsiders  and  Romeo and Juliet , an overarching theme is rivalry. While   socioeconomic status separates the greasers from the Socs in The Outsiders , last names separates the Montagues from the Capulets, who appear to be relatively equal in terms of socioeconomic status. Due to these rivalries, there are instances of deadly interactions in both stories. In  The Outsiders , Johnny kills Bob (whether his actions were justified or not is debatable). In  Romeo and Juliet , Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris, and Tybalt kills Mercutio. These deaths have profound effects on the main characters. In Ponyboy's case, the Johnny's death and other events in the novel inspire h...