I rather liked to see Mrs Graham...

Fair Hermit

In these chapters, we see Gilbert's growing affection for Mrs Graham, whom he calls variously his "fair hermit" and his "wonderful stranger". Both these descriptions (almost oxymorons) capture her double-edged nature, and the fact that she is alluring and repellant, warm and cold - all at the same time. Indeed, Gilbert recognises "so changeable was she", and is constantly frustrated by the way her emotional thermometer changes so much. Nonetheless, he still prefers "mature" and "earnest" Mrs Graham to "frivolous" and "insipid" Eliza Millward: "I was too happy in the company of Mrs Graham, to regret the absence of Eliza Millward... after all, it would, perhaps, be better to spend one’s days with such a woman than with Eliza Millward".

Enchanted

He is now growing almost to hero-worship Mrs Graham - "she, in intellect, in purity and elevation of soul, was immeasurably superior to any of her detractors" - and, after most visits, "went home enchanted". He is certainly under her spell! And it is not just her personality which appeals to him so much; her physical appearance has an equally powerful effect on her. This is shown, for example, when he admits he "could not help stealing a glance… [at] the elegant white hand that held the pencil, and the graceful neck and glossy raven curls that drooped over the paper", and confesses "it was a pleasure to behold it so dextrously guided by those fair and graceful fingers". I think those of you eagerly wanting the two of them to have an affair certainly have Gilbert himself on your side!

Challenge

But we also see, in these chapters, Mrs Graham become increasingly mysterious: "I am not disposed to answer any more questions at present". The village reaches their own conclusions, but Gilbert decides it all has something to do with her previous husband - "she had had enough of him and the matrimonial state altogether" - and he assumes that this has made her determined to fall in love with nobody ever again, "relentlessly nipping off bud by bud as they ventured to appear". Perhaps this is why he becomes even stronger in her attempts to win her heart? Because he realises what a challenge it is going to be. He even uses military imagery to describe "another invasion of Wildfell Hall", and, at one point, even declares, "I thought my hour of victory was come".

If we thought their relationship was complicated at first, what is it like now?!