So I have thought about it and considered the polls and have decided that I will combine both options and I will just the posts with more chapters at a time hopefully a part at a time. For this post we’re just going to quickly finish off Part II Book I, which gets us through these English Court Shenanigans, well at least the 12 chapter set-up.
To be honest I really don’t recall much of these chapters. Our old pal Barkiphedro, I’m going to call him Barky from now on, plots more against Lady Josiana. The book seems to indicate that he loves her so we have a Frollo-Esmeralda thing and considering deformed supposed main character it very Hunchback-y.
Then I think there is a dual or something, I read or skimmed these chapters a week ago. Okay I re-read the last chapter (a little) and it was boxing match, I mean of course yes, boxing lovely.
Most of chapter 12 describes the boxing match and there is some dialogue and it whatever one guy wins, yay. And at the end of the chapter this is said;
As she left, Josiana took the arm of Lord David, an act which was tolerated amongst people “engaged.” She said to him,–
“It is very fine, but–“
“But what?”
“I thought it would have driven away my spleen. It has not.”
Lord David stopped, looked at Josiana, shut his mouth, and inflated his cheeks, whilst he nodded his head, which signified attention, and said to the duchess,–
“For spleen there is but one remedy.”
“What is it?”
“Gwynplaine.”
The duchess asked,–
“And who is Gwynplaine?”
Ok, I thought she meant spleen as in her organ which could have been some weird 1860’s slang or something but silly me, she meant as bad temper or spite which makes more sense. I won’t lie this confused me for a while.