The Beetle · Chapter
The Rest of the Find explained
In the attic of the mysterious house, Champnell discovers a woman's clothing, which Lessingham and Atherton identify as belonging to Marjorie Lindon.
What happens
In the attic of the mysterious house, Champnell discovers a woman's clothing, which Lessingham and Atherton identify as belonging to Marjorie Lindon. They find her purse, keys, and a severed plait of hair with blood, leading them to fear murder. Champnell suggests a different theory and proposes investigating the house across the road. Atherton arms the cabman with a revolver to guard the premises.
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 Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the psychological peak of the protagonist’s confess…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Fear and Psychological Terror
The discovery of Marjorie's clothing and severed hair creates a scene of dread and uncertainty, with both Lessingham and Atherton gripped by fear of her fate.
- The Supernatural and the Unknown
The mysterious 'old gent' and the sense of an unseen presence watching from peepholes evoke the unknown, as the house remains a 'conjurer's den' with hidden secrets.
Characters to notice
- Augustus Champnell
Discovers Marjorie's clothing and hair; proposes a theory that murder may not have occurred and leads the investigation to the neighboring house.
- Paul Lessingham
Identifies the dress and hair as Marjorie's; vows vengeance and threatens Atherton, holding him responsible for the harm to Marjorie.
- Sydney Atherton
Identifies the dress as Marjorie's; accepts Lessingham's threat and arms the cabman with a revolver to guard the house.
- Marjorie Lindon
Her clothing, purse, keys, and severed hair are found in the attic, suggesting she was stripped and possibly harmed.
- Cabby
Guards the house and is given a revolver by Atherton; claims experience with firearms and jokes about earning a reward for shooting the 'old gent.'
Key passages
“It was a woman’s clothing, beyond a doubt, all thrown in anyhow—as if the person who had placed it there had been in a desperate hurry.”
The clothing was clearly a woman's, tossed carelessly as if someone had been in a frantic rush.
Champnell describes the state of the clothes found in the attic.
“My God! cried Sydney, it’s Marjorie’s!—she was wearing it when I saw her last!”
Sydney exclaims in shock that the dress belongs to Marjorie, recalling she wore it when he last saw her.
Atherton identifies the dress as Marjorie's.
“This points to murder—foul, cruel, causeless murder. As I live, I will devote my all—money, time, reputation!—to gaining vengeance on the wretch who did this deed.”
Lessingham declares the evidence suggests a brutal murder and vows to use everything he has to avenge her.
Lessingham reacts to the discovery of Marjorie's hair.
“It seems to me, gentlemen, that we move too fast—to my mind it does not by any means of necessity point to murder. On the contrary, I doubt if murder has been done.”
Champnell cautions against jumping to conclusions, suggesting the evidence does not necessarily indicate murder.
Champnell offers an alternative theory.
