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Three incidents occur in this chapter.

• At a sports day hosted by the mission, Harold Stanbridge explains the philosophy behind recruitment for the goldmines;



• Walter Brownley gives Victor a dressing down for his insulting attitude towards Rev. Brompton;



• Finally, we learn a little more about that fateful night when Frances was trapped into having sex with Victor.

Was Frances at all responsible for her sexual encounter with Victor?

Many would answer with a glib "Yes!" After all, she admits she knew about sex. It was, she said, all around her on the mission station and in the unwanted babies that were left abandoned at the church door. And, following Victor's lead, she had also ridiculed Helmina's prudish warnings on this subject.

Finally, she believed herself guilty. And there lies the problem! Frances HERSELF says she is guilty!

But are we to believe her? Think about it carefully. Frances went to Victor's room for no other reason than to see whether or not his clothes were there. She did NOT expect to find Victor in his room, and certainly did NOT intend to have sexual intercourse with him.

Remember this: she felt guilty about the fact that she had allowed Victor to kiss her down at the stream! Is it likely she would willingly consent to his going further? And another thing — she never allowed him to kiss her again.

Since that day when Walter had caught Victor and Frances together at the stream, Frances's affections towards Victor had become distinctly icy. Victor was beginning to treat her as a conquest, while she felt most guilty because she had allowed him to kiss her.

On the day when Victor discovered Walter and Frances together at the piano, it was very clear to him that a bond was growing between the two. Victor was about to leave for Johannesburg and he knew very well that, within a very short time, he would lose her to his rival.

The only way he could prevent that was to trap her into having sexual intercourse with him. By Victorian standards, such a deed would constitute marriage in her mind. Frances would therefore be his forever — and he could go to Johannesburg knowing that she would wait for him.

On the fateful day in question, Victor had to journey into King William's Town. Before leaving, he attempted to win her affections but she was deliberately curt towards him.

He responded by suggesting that he might not come home but might rather proceed directly to Grahamstown — and then to Johannesburg. She might not see him again.

His reply intended to provoke a reaction from her but he received none — just a cool, uncaring reply. No outward reaction whatever.

Victor then played a game with her. He knew she would worry about him. He therefore deliberately returned home very late that night, making sure that her emotions would be stretched to breaking point.

He guessed she would rush to welcome him back — and he would have her alone to himself, late at night and with no one to interrupt.

On his way back from King, he ran various scenarios over and over through his mind of what would happen when they met. Each ended in the same way — with his taking her virginity and claiming her as his possession.

Victor was quite correct. Frances was indeed worried — helped on by her mother who repeatedly suggested the possibility of Hector having gone lame, or perhaps had an accident.

It was now late at night. Frances was in her nightdress but could not sleep. Eventually she decided to go to Victor's bedroom to check in his cupboard to see whether or not his clothes were there.

The point is that she wanted to settle in her own mind whether he had gone directly to Grahamstown, or whether he was late in returning home — and therefore the possibility of an accident.

If his clothes were indeed missing, it would mean he had packed and headed for Grahamstown and Johannesburg. If his clothing was still there, however, it meant he was supposed to be coming home and might be even now lying in the dark somewhere — injured, or even dead.

Victor caught her in his bedroom. He was correct. Her relief at seeing him sent her into his arms. For her it meant no more than a huge sisterly hug of relief — and the knowledge that she had won her game because he could not leave without saying goodbye to her.

He, however, used the opportunity (as he has been mentally planning the whole way home) to help himself to her virginity.

Frances had no way of knowing the depths of depravity that Victor's game was taking him.

Did she willingly offer her body to him? Certainly not! "She neither thought nor feared," says Marguerite Poland.

Frances was not expecting sexual intercourse. The author points out that she quickly discovered his embrace was "too urgent".

And then there was the sudden pain of "UNEXPECTED" intercourse - "too sharp and unexpected", says the author.

It is true that she had a vague understanding of sex — but this was theoretical and not at all practical. She did not expect Victor to do that to her.

More importantly, she had certainly not give her consent!

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

Read the notes in the left column before answering the questions below:

Explain carefully the philosophy behind recruitment for the goldmines. (5)

[Need help?]

The philosophy behind recruitment of labour to the mines was based upon exploitation of an ignorant and poverty stricken peasant class. Recruiters would pay cattle to family heads in return for their agreement to send their sons as labourers. They were given promises of lucrative wages and of wonderful working conditions. Once the recruits arrived at the mines, however, personnel there made it certain that they spent most of their money — and made it well nigh impossible for them to return home.

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Which of the following attributes BEST describes Harold Stanbridge? Explain your answer.

A. Colonialist

B. Racist

C. Capitalist (30)

[Need help?]

Harold Stanbridge was definitely not a typical colonialist. If you believe he was, then you need to read the meaning of colonialism again! It's certainly true, on the other hand, that Harold Stanbridge believed that the Black people were inferior. So, yes, he was definitely a racist. But does the word racist BEST describe him? He was also definitely a capitalist who was prepared to make his fortune through the exploitation of the Black people by recruiting them to the mines. Since this is an essay question that is worth 30 marks, you need to examine clearly the concepts of colonialism, racism and capitalism. Go to the main menu on Shades to find explanations of these three concepts.

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When Frances follows Walter into the church, it is clear that she intends to open her heart to him.

• What stops her from doing so? (4)



• How will this affect her future relationship with Walter? (5)

[Need help?]

Remember that it took a great deal of courage for Frances to speak to Walter but, as she was about to do so, Benedict and Helmina walked in and disrupted them. The moment had passed and Frances was not able to open up again. In a sense, it was an opportunity lost but it nevertheless brought Frances closer to Walter, and Walter knew that something was clearly troubling her soul. Up until now, Walter had been trying to avoid Frances, but the knowledge of how near she had come to confiding in him would push him inexorably towards her too.

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To what extent was Frances responsible for the loss of her virginity that fateful night? (30)

• NOTE: Be careful to analyse the text carefully and not jump to false conclusions. Indeed, if you place any blame on her whatever, you probably have not understood Victorian morality — or Frances for that matter. Make sure you have read the notes in the left column to find a further discussion on this topic.

[Need help?]

Please do not argue that Frances went into Victor's room in order to have sex - she didn't! Do not argue that she deserved what happened to her because she should not have been in Victor's room. A woman was allowed to enter a man's room if that man was not there. Frances had gone to Victor's room to check whether or not his clothing was still there, as a clue to whether he had had an accident or had gone to Grahamstown without telling her. Do not argue that she wanted sex - she didn't! The book states quite clearly that it happened "unexpectedly" and took her by surprise. It was "too sharp and unexpected", says the author. Your argument must take cognisance of the fact that Frances was a deeply moral person, a woman of her times reared on a mission station. She would never have consented to sex outside of marriage.

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