section one the mystery · 2020. 5. 29. · drood. edwin is an orphan, and jasper is his legal...

The Drood Inquiry Section One: The Mystery

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Section One

The Mystery

In a small cathedral town, a young man has disappeared, leaving local

authorities stumped. The people of the town have their suspicions, but no

evidence to support them.

Read the case file, see what happened, and then see if you can decide what

happens next…

MISSING: EDWIN DROOD

Last seen in Cloisterham

on Christmas Eve



Part One



The story starts in London, where a strange old woman called The Princess Puffer runs

a seedy opium den: a place where customers come to escape the outside world. One of her

customers wakes groggily and travels back to his home in Cloisterham, south of London. His

name is John Jasper, and he is the choirmaster of Cloisterham Catherdal. After the morning’s

service, he leaves the cathedral, watched by the Dean, the verger Mr Topes and the Revered

Septimus Crisparkle, who all notice Jasper’s ill state.

At his home, in the Cathedral’s gatehouse, Jasper is visited by his nephew Edwin

Drood. Edwin is an orphan, and Jasper is his legal guardian. Edwin has long been spoilt by

Jasper, as is noted by Jasper’s landlady Mrs Topes (the verger’s wife). However, the devotion

of the uncle faces a great test, for Jasper is in love with Edwin’s fiancée Rosa Bud. The

engagement is a loveless match, done at the request of Edwin and Rosa’s dead parents. While

Edwin dreams of travelling to Egypt to work as an engineer, Jasper feels trapped in his life in

Cloisterham.

The next day we see Edwin visit Rosa at Miss Twinkleton’s boarding school, where the

young pair quarrel, both frustrated by their forced engagement. As they walk, they approach

the cathedral, and can hear the choir singing. Edwin marks Jasper’s voice among those

singing, and when Rosa hears this she wishes to leave the area at once.

Finally, we meet Mr Sapsea. He is a pompous auctioneer, and is planning a grand

epitaph to his deceased wife (the epitaph praises Mr Sapsea more than it does Mrs Sapsea!).

He has invited Jasper to his house to read the epitaph and give his opinion of it. They are

joined by the Cathedral’s stonemason Durdles, who will be making the epitaph. Durdles has

keys and access to the tombs of Cloisterham Cathedral.

Durdles and Jasper leave Sapsea’s house and walk home, and as they walk, Jasper

learns of Durdles’ remarkable knack of tapping the walls of the crypt to determine the

location of bodies in the tombs. Their discussion is disturbed by the ragged rogue Deputy, a

small boy who throws stones at the pair. Jasper rages at the boy, but is surprised to learn that

Durdles has asked Deputy to throw stones at him. Deputy likes throwing stones, so Durdles

decided to give him a target, plus it helps Durdles to keep on track and not wander out too

late. Jasper leaves Durdles with a request to meet him again one night for a tour of the

Cathedral vaults.

Jasper arrives home once more, and watches his sleeping nephew ‘with a fixed and

deep attention.’



Part One Questions

Why do you think Jasper visits the

opium den?

How do you think Jasper feels about Edwin being

engaged to Rosa?

Why do you think Rosa wants to leave when she

hears Jasper singing?

Why is Jasper interested in Durdles?



Part Two



Reverend Crisparkle conducts his regular morning exercise then has breakfast with his

mother, Mrs Crisparkle, who lives with him. She has received a letter from Mr

Honeythunder, who claims to be a philanthropist and is sending them two young orphans

from Ceylon: the appropriately named Landless twins. The twins are being entrusted to the

Crisparkles’ care: the girl, Helena, will be enrolled at Miss Twinkelton’s school, and the boy,

Neville, will live with the Crisparkles.

Reverend Crisparkle and his mother arrange a welcome party for Neville and Helena,

and invite Jasper, Rosa, Edwin and Miss Twinkleton. Mr Honeythunder arrives with the

twins and invites himself to the party, where he dominates the conversation with his bullish

manner. When Honeythunder finally leaves, Neville confides to Crisparkle how much he

hates Honeythunder, and how he and his sister’s life has been one of woe and mistreatment.

Neville and Helena had planned to run away from Crisparkle, but have been impressed with

his manner and have chosen to stay.

Meanwhile at the party, Jasper is playing the piano and Rosa is asked to sing, as Jasper

has been tutoring her. However, while singing she becomes nervous under the gaze of her

music teacher and falters, whereupon Helena comes to her aid. At the end of the night Rosa

and Helena are escorted home to Miss Twinkleton’s, where Helena confronts Rosa about

Jasper’s obvious attraction to her, and vows to keep her safe.

Meanwhile, having escorting the ladies home, Edwin and Neville quarrel in the street;

Neville admires Rosa and thinks Edwin does not deserve her, while Edwin resents Neville’s

prying into his affairs. Jasper stops them and invites them to his lodgings to calm the

situation; however, after he prepares them a drink they become even more wild with a glass

smashed by Neville as he grows angrier with Edwin. Neville leaves without any more

violence, but Jasper rushes to Crisparkle’s house the next morning scandalised by the brutish

behaviour of young Neville to his beloved nephew. That same morning, there is gossip all

around Cloisterham about the beastly young Neville and his savage attack.

Rosa is visited by her guardian Mr Grewgious, who awkwardly asks after her wellbeing

and hints, for the first time, that the marriage need not go ahead if the couple wish it. Before

leaving Cloisterham, Grewgious visits Jasper, as Edwin’s guardian, and the conversation is

awkward. Jasper is all too aware of Rosa’s awkwardness around him, and his surly response

‘God save them both’ leaves Grewgious confused and anxious.



Part Two Questions

What happens in the story to show that Crisparkle

and his mother are kind people?

Why do Neville and Rosa choose to stay in Cloisterham?

Why is Rosa so nervous when she is singing?

Why do Neville and Edwin fight?



Part Three



Mrs Crisparkle is concerned about Neville Landless and tells Reverend Crisparkle that

Neville should go, but the Reverend defends his young ward. Reverend Crisparkle then sees

Neville and Helena while out on a walk and advises him to make peace with Edwin. Neville

confesses his love for Rosa to Crisparkle. The Reverend thinks this is wrong, and advises

Neville to keep secret. Helena expresses her gratitude for Crisparkle’s concern by kissing his

hand and he gets very bashful in response.

Crisparkle asks Jasper to help with the reconciliation by hosting a dinner for the two

young men, which Jasper begrudgingly agrees to organise. First though, Jasper shows

Crisparkle extracts from his diary in which he writes of his fears of Neville.

Edwin visits the offices of Mr Grewgious in Staples Inn, London. Mr Grewgious again

advises that the engagement is not binding. He gives Edwin the ring that Rosa’s mother wore,

to be used as the engagement ring for Rosa, and stresses to Edwin that the marriage should

not be entered into lightly.

Back in Cloisterham, Jasper is on a tour with Durdles around the cathedral tombs. On

the way, they spy Neville and Crisparkle at a distance. Jasper tells Durdle to wait in the

shadows, and Durdles notices that Jasper is staring intensely at the pair. Once in the

Cathedral crypt, Jasper plies Durdles with drink. Soon after Durdles feels mysteriously tired

and has a lie-down. Half-awake, half-dreaming, he senses Jasper taking his keys off him,

after which Jasper disappears for a length of time, before returning to wake him so they can

leave. Jasper is a little angered to find that Deputy is outside, and is worried as to how long

he has been watching.



Part Three Questions

Why is Mrs Crisparkle worried about Neville? Why does Reverend Crisparkle think Neville should

keep his feelings for Rosa secret?

What do you think Jasper has written in his diary

about Neville? Why does he show it to Crisparkle?

What do you think Jasper does with Durdle’s keys?



Part Four



It’s Christmas. At Miss Twinkleton’s school, all the girls are leaving for the holidays,

except for Rosa. Edwin comes to see her, and they both confess they do not love each other.

They agree to break off the engagement, and are much happier and relaxed with each other

than they have been before. At their parting, Rosa gives Edwin a kiss, immediately after

which Edwin notices Jasper watching them from afar.

On Christmas Eve, Edwin, Neville and Jasper each prepare for their meeting, where

Edwn and Neville are supposed to be reconciled. Neville is planning a long walk for the next

day, and has bought a large walking stick, which Crisparkle suggests is a very heavy stick.

While Neville is planning that, Edwin wanders around Cloisterham. First he goes to a

jewellers to have his watch fixed, only to be told that his uncle was in not so long ago and

knew exactly what jewellery Edwin carried: a watch, a chain and a shirtpin. Later that day

Edwin bumps into an old lady – none other than the Princess Puffer – who asks him for

money. After she learns that his name is Edwin, she warns him that Ned is a bad name, and

that there is a Ned who is in great trouble. Edwin is a little disconcerted at the suggestion that

his name is trouble, especially as the only person to call him Ned is his beloved uncle. Jasper

meanwhile seems in much happier spirits, as Crisparkle notes upon seeing him. Jasper, Edwin

and Neville all enter Jasper’s lodgings, and while we don’t know what happens inside, we are

told that a great storm hits Cloisterham that night.

The next morning, all the town’s residents are outside the cathedral look at the

Cathedral clock, which has been damaged by the storm. Jasper appears, raving, and banging

on Crisparkle’s door asking after his nephew: Edwin has disappeared! Neville has already

gone on his walk, and is followed by a group of men who promptly try to arrest him. He

fights them off with his heavy stick, and blood is spilt. He is immediately brought to

Crisparkle and Jasper who are nearby, and Jasper points at the blood on the stick.

Neville is brought in front of Mr Sapsea. Sapsea is now Mayor of Cloisterham, but still

great friends with Jasper. There is no evidence against Neville, but Sapsea and the town think

he is guilty of Edwin’s murder. He leaves Cloisterham in disgrace. Later that evening

Grewgious arrives at Jasper’s lodgings and tells him that the engagement had been called off

by Rosa and Edwin. On hearing this, Jasper collapses, unconscious, while Grewgious

maintains his position by the fireplace, looking on.



Part Four Questions

Why are Rosa and Edwin happy not to be

engaged?

Why does Sapsea thinks Neville is guilty? Why does Jasper collapse when Grewgious tells him that

Rosa and Edwin had broken their engagement?

Where might Princess Puffer have heard that someone

called Ned was in trouble?



Part Five



Jasper regains consciousness, and expresses his shock at the news. He tells Grewgious

this could be good news: perhaps, if Edwin broke off the engagement, then he is not dead.

Jasper wonders if Edwin ran away, being afraid to tell his Uncle the disappointing news.

While this discussion is taking place, Crisparkle is doing exercise again: this time he is

swimming in Cloisterham Weir, and he spots Edwin’s watch and shirt-pin discarded in the

water. He takes them immediately to Jasper, who is now afraid again that his nephew is dead.

Jasper appoints himself avenger of his dear boy, and says he will not rest until the murderer is

destroyed.

Some time later, Crisparkle goes to London. First he visits Honeythunder. Despite

being the guardian of the Landless twins, Honeythunder thinks Neville is guilty too, and

washes his hands of them. Crisparkle says he will continue to stand up for the Landless twins.

He goes straight to Staple Inn, where Neville is staying above Mr Grewgious’s office.

Grewgious tells Crisparkle that Jasper has been to London several times, spying on Neville,

and is outside the office at that very moment. Neville meets his neighbour, Tartar, a former

sailor, and they become friends.

In Cloisterham, a strange man called Datchery arrives. He has a conspicuous shock of

white hair. He asks lots of questions about the recent mystery. He wants a place to stay, and

asks to stay in the apartment below Jasper’s. He meets Sapsea and Jasper and asks if Jasper

recommends renting from Mr and Mrs Topes. After this, Datchery also meets Durdles and

Deputy.

Meanwhile, Rosa is shocked by the arrival of Jasper at her school. He talks to her in the

garden and confesses his passionate obsession with her. He vows that he will give up his

crusade of hounding Neville is she will have him, or destroy young Landless if she does not.

Horrified, Rosa flees Cloisterham to the safety of Mr Grewgious’s house in London.



Part Five Questions

How do you think Edwin’s watch and

shirt-pin ended up in Cloisterham Weir?

Why does Rosa run away?

Why do you think Mr Datchery has come to

Cloisterham?

Why does Jasper tell Rosa how he feels now?



Part Six



The morning after Rosa has arrived in London, she and Grewgious consider what to do

next. Rosa has sent a note to Reverend Crisparkle, who comes to meet them. They are

worried that Jasper may still be spying on the building. At that moment Tartar arrives, he

recognises Crisparkle because they went to school together. Tartar saved Crisparkle from

drowning as a boy. Grewgious decides Rosa will go into Tartar’s home, from which she can

go to the balcony and talk to Helena, who will be next door in Neville’s lodgings. That way,

Rosa can talk to Helena without leaving the building, and Jasper will not know. Rosa is

thrilled to see Tartar’s apartment, and Helena notes how excited her friend is.

Grewgious then takes Rosa to find somewhere to live. They go to a boarding house run

by a woman who calls herself the Billickin. Rosa is joined by Miss Twinkleton who is to be a

companion and guardian for her in London.

Tartar calls on Rosa, and takes her and Miss Twinkleton out for a lovely boat-trip,

accompanied by his friend Lobley, and Grewgious. Rosa enjoys her time with Tartar.

Jasper returns to the opium-den in London, much to the joy of Princess Puffer. After

Jasper has taken the opium, and is half-asleep, she questions him. He talks about a task he has

long thought of doing, and says that now that it is done, it is not as he imagined.

The next day Jasper returns to Cloisterham, and Princess Puffer follows him without

him knowing. She learns that he is a respectable choirmaster. Datchery notices her in

Clositerham and follows her in turn. He watches her in the Cathedral watching Jasper with

glee. Equally pleased by this revelation, Datchery returns to his lodgings and chalks up some

sort of tally mark, suggesting progress in his investigation, before beginning a lovely

breakfast prepared by Mrs Tope.

And that’s where it all ends – and a much bigger story begins…



Part Six Questions

What do you think Rosa thinks about Tartar? What task do you think Jasper is talking about, that

he has long thought of doing?

Why do you think the Princess Puffer is so interested

in John Jasper?

What is Datchery investigating?

section one the mystery · 2020. 5. 29. · drood. edwin is an orphan, and jasper is his legal...

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