← The Sword of Damocles

The Sword of Damocles · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Sword of Damocles by Anna Katharine Green.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Dedication

    The author dedicates the book to their father, acknowledging the principles of justice and mercy instilled in them from childhood.

  2. Chapter 2

    Epigraph

    The epigraph recounts the ancient tale of Damocles, a courtier of Dionysius, who is invited to experience the tyrant's felicity. He is surrounded by luxury and abundance, but upon looking up, he sees a sword suspended over his head by a single horsehair, symbolizing the precarious nature of power and happiness.

  3. Chapter 3

    The Sword of Damocles

    The chapter explores the precarious nature of life and fortune, drawing a parallel between the ancient story of Damocles and the lives of the characters in New York. It reflects on how wealth and power are often accompanied by constant fear and anxiety, and how the characters' actions and secrets hang over them like a sword, threatening to bring ruin at any moment.

  4. Chapter 4

    Book I: Two Men

    The novel opens by introducing two men, Bertram Sylvester and Bertram Mandeville, who are both in love with the same woman, Paula. Sylvester is a wealthy, reserved man who has recently returned from Europe, while Mandeville is a passionate musician. The chapter establishes their contrasting characters and their shared interest in Paula, setting the stage for a romantic rivalry.

  5. Chapter 5

    I: A Wanderer

    In the opening chapter, a bitter wind sweeps through the city's East Side, where a tall, fearful woman pauses before a cathedral. She listens to the preacher's words about love but reacts with a horrible laugh, declaring that there is no love in heaven or on earth, before being swallowed by the darkness.

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  1. Chapter 6II: A Discussion
  2. Chapter 7III: A Mysterious Summons
  3. Chapter 8IV: Searchings
  4. Chapter 9The Rubicon
  5. Chapter 10A Hand Clasp
  6. Chapter 11Mrs. Sylvester
  7. Chapter 12Shadows of the Past
  8. Chapter 13IX: Paula
  9. Chapter 14X: The Barred Door
  10. Chapter 15XI: Miss Stuyvesant
  11. Chapter 16XII: Miss Belinda Makes Conditions
  12. Chapter 17XIII: The End of My Lady's Picture
  13. Chapter 18Life and Death
  14. Chapter 19Miss Belinda Has a Question to Decide
  15. Chapter 20XV: An Adventure—Or Something More
  16. Chapter 21XVI: The Sword of Damocles
  17. Chapter 22XVII: Grave and Gay
  18. Chapter 23XVIII: In the Night Watches
  19. Chapter 24A Day at the Bank
  20. Chapter 25The Dregs in the Cup
  21. Chapter 26XXI: Departure
  22. Chapter 27XXII: Hopgood
  23. Chapter 28Book III: The Japha Mystery
  24. Chapter 29XXIII: The Poem
  25. Chapter 30The Japha Mansion
  26. Chapter 31XXV: Jacqueline
  27. Chapter 32XXVI: A Man’s Justice and a Woman’s Mercy
  28. Chapter 33XXVII: The Lone Watcher
  29. Chapter 34XXVIII: Sunshine on the Hills
  30. Chapter 35XXIX: Mist in the Valley
  31. Chapter 36Book IV: From A. To Z.
  32. Chapter 37XXX: Miss Belinda Presents Mr. Sylvester with a Christmas Gift
  33. Chapter 38A Question
  34. Chapter 39Full Tide
  35. Chapter 40XXXIII: Two Letters
  36. Chapter 41XXXIV: Paula Makes Her Choice
  37. Chapter 42Miss Belinda Makes Conditions
  38. Chapter 43Morning
  39. Chapter 44XXXVII: The Opinion of a Certain Noted Detective
  40. Chapter 45Blue-Beard's Chamber
  41. Chapter 46XXXIX: From A. To Z.
  42. Chapter 47Half-Past Seven
  43. Chapter 48Woman's Love
  44. Chapter 49XLI: The Work of an Hour
  45. Chapter 50XLII: Paula Relates a Story She Has Heard
  46. Chapter 51XLIII: Determination
  47. Chapter 52In Mr. Stuyvesant’s Parlors
  48. Chapter 53The Hour of Six Is Sacred
  49. Chapter 54The Man Cummins
  50. Chapter 55Endnotes