The Cloven Foot · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Cloven Foot by M. E. Braddon.

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Chapter 1
I: The Heir Presumptive
John Treverton travels by train to the Devonshire estate of his dying kinsman, Jasper Treverton, whom he hopes to inherit from. Upon arrival, he meets Laura Malcolm, Jasper's adopted daughter, whom he initially distrusts. Jasper reveals that he has left his fortune to John on the condition that he marry Laura, a condition John accepts after seeing her beauty.
Chapter 2
Jasper Treverton's Will
Jasper Treverton dies after a lingering illness, and his will is read, revealing that John Treverton inherits the estate only if he marries Laura Malcolm within a year. The awkward condition unsettles both John and Laura. John accepts an invitation to stay with the lawyer, Thomas Sampson, and his sister Eliza, while Laura is left to consider her position.
Chapter 3
III: A Mysterious Visitor
John Treverton tours the Hazlehurst estate with Mr. Sampson, learning the full extent of Jasper Treverton's wealth and the condition of his inheritance. He meets Laura Malcolm on the common and walks with her, finding her charming but remains troubled. Later, while smoking near the Manor House, he witnesses a mysterious man being secretly admitted into the garden by Laura, leading him to suspect a secret lover. He attempts to identify the man but fails, and resolves to question Laura before leaving.
Chapter 4
La Chicot
This chapter details the bohemian life of La Chicot and her husband Jack Chicot in Paris, focusing on their extravagant, pleasure-driven existence, La Chicot's declining popularity as a dancer, and their eventual move to London where they take lodgings in a street favored by actors, with a landlady who describes the other lodgers.
Chapter 5
A Disappointed Lover
Laura Malcolm remains at the Manor House after Jasper Treverton's death, persuaded by Mr. Clare. She reflects on her constrained future with John Treverton, feeling she will always be an obstacle to his freedom. Mr. Clare discusses John's past and Laura's independence. Edward Clare, the vicar's son, is disappointed that Laura now restricts his visits, having long hoped to marry her and inherit Jasper's fortune.

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I: The Heir Presumptive

Jasper Treverton's Will

III: A Mysterious Visitor

La Chicot

A Disappointed Lover