Brideshead Revisited

Samgrass and Sebastian, having returned from their travels, tell tales of their journeys. Charles has the sense that there is something about their travels that they are not saying. Anthony Blanche appears briefly in their photographs. Though Sebastian claims he’s happy to be home, his mood is flat; both Nanny and Charles observe that he looks ill. Rather than prying, Charles regales him with stories of art school in Paris, where he has lived for the past few months. Brideshead tells Charles that no alcohol will be left out in front of Sebastian, who relapsed in his alcohol use disorder while abroad. Julia calls her brother’s struggles with dependency “boring” and accuses Samgrass of being “fishy.”

When Sebastian is served whiskey at dinner, everyone conspicuously ignores that he’s been given a decanter that is less full than is typical. Everyone is pleased that Sebastian shows interest in the following day’s hunt, but he confides to Charles that he plans to slip away to drink at a nearby pub. Sebastian resents being treated like a “dipsomaniac” (a contemporary word that referred to alcohol use disorder). His family closed his access to bank accounts, so he asks Charles for money.