Payment Deferred · Chapter
V explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Marble, consumed by paranoia and guilt after burying a body in his garden, obsessively reads crime and toxicology books, particularly fixating on cyanide. He fears discovery by neighbors or children and is tormented by the possibility of the French franc falling, which would ruin his speculative investment and expose his crimes. Despite a brief temptation to sell for a small profit, he resolves to continue the risky venture, and the chapter ends with the franc rising, offering him a temporary reprieve.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Marble’s mo…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Guilt and Paranoia
Mr. Marble's obsessive reading of crime books, fear of discovery by neighbors and children, and physical symptoms of anxiety dominate the chapter.
- Debt and Financial Desperation
Mr. Marble's speculative gamble on the franc is driven by the need to pay off debts and avoid eviction, linking financial risk to his criminal secrets.
- Crime and Punishment
The chapter explores Mr. Marble's fear of detection and punishment, including references to famous criminals like Crippen and forensic methods of identifying bodies.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Marble
Suffers from paranoia and guilt, obsessively reads crime books, and anxiously monitors the franc's value.
- Annie Marble
Appeals to Mr. Marble as he sits up late; she is ignored and treated poorly.
- Saunders
The source of the investment money; Mr. Marble fears his complaints and potential exposure.
- Netley
A clerk who reports the franc's rise to 99, triggering Mr. Marble's decision to continue the speculation.
- Mr. Henderson
A bank colleague who informs Mr. Marble of a phone call from Saunders.
Key passages
“Mr. Marble was paying. He was paying by the feeling of weary misery from which he suffered as he walked that day across London Bridge...”
Mr. Marble's guilt manifests as a constant, weary misery that accompanies him everywhere.
Opens the chapter, establishing the psychological toll of his crime.
“He read all about the common domestic poisons... The first ones mentioned, perhaps given pride of place because of infinitely superior deadliness, were hydrocyanic acid and the cyanides.”
Mr. Marble becomes fixated on cyanide while reading a medical jurisprudence book, linking his research to his own dark intentions.
Highlights his morbid curiosity and potential planning.
“It all depended on the franc.”
Mr. Marble's entire future—financial and legal—hinges on the value of the French franc.
Summarizes the central tension of the chapter.
“No. He would stick it out now. He would carry the business through, cost what it might. He was sick of being afraid.”
Despite his fear, Mr. Marble resolves to continue his risky speculation rather than sell for a small profit.
Shows a moment of defiant resolve, though born of desperation.
