Simon · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Simon by J. Storer Clouston.

Read with companions Book page

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

Chapter 1
The Solitary Passenger
A mysterious, secretive man travels by train to a small northern town, avoiding fellow passengers and sneaking off the train without a ticket. He wanders the streets until nightfall, then stealthily approaches a house through a dark drive, hiding in the shrubbery as two women hurry past and men's voices are heard in the road.
Chapter 2
II: The Procurator Fiscal
Mr. Simon Rattar, the procurator fiscal, is introduced as a man of rigid habits and high respectability. His morning routine is disturbed when his housemaid, Mary MacLean, reports a mysterious man lurking in the garden the previous night. Rattar's unusual behavior—cutting himself shaving, upsetting the toast rack, and his tense reaction to the news—hints at inner turmoil. He warns Mary not to gossip, but she confides in the cook that the master seems afraid, suggesting he knows more than he admits.
Chapter 3
III: The Heir
Simon Rattar arrives at his office and behaves unusually, requesting the letter book and ledger. Malcolm Cromarty, the heir to the baronetcy, visits Rattar to discuss his debts. He reveals his financial troubles and his fear that Sir Reginald will discover them, but Rattar agrees not to press for repayment. After Malcolm leaves, Rattar continues examining the books, and his clerk notes his strange demeanor. Then Ned Cromarty of Stanesland is announced.
Chapter 4
IV: The Man from the West
Ned Cromarty visits Simon Rattar to discuss his financial situation and a loan from Sir Reginald. He reveals his past as a cowboy in the American West and his struggle to adapt to life as a Scottish laird. After the meeting, he encounters Cicely Farmond leaving Rattar's office and offers to drive her home.
Chapter 5
V: The Third Visitor
Cicely Farmond visits Simon Rattar to demand the truth about her identity, suspecting she is Sir Reginald's illegitimate niece. Rattar is evasive and insists on consulting Sir Reginald before revealing anything. After she leaves, Rattar appears agitated and watchful.

Free preview

35 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.

35 more companions → free preview

The Solitary Passenger

II: The Procurator Fiscal

III: The Heir

IV: The Man from the West

V: The Third Visitor