Crome Yellow

This chapter begins with a description of the beds at Crome, all of which are ancient, beautiful pieces of furniture. The most magnificent bed, which belongs to Anne, was built by Sir Julius, the son of Crome’s founder. Sir Julius had the bed designed in and shipped from Venice for the birth of his first child. It is decorated with roses, cherubs, and gilded reliefs and includes a wooden canopy with more flower carvings.

That night, Anne lies in bed reading by candlelight. Mary knocks on the door softly, telling Anne she came to say goodnight. She sits on the edge of the bed and says Anne’s book is “second-rate” (32). Living in London has accustomed Mary to appreciating only first-rate things, and she believes that of the very few first-rate things in the world, most are French. Anne says she is enjoying the book, and an uncomfortable silence descends. Mary suddenly says she is very afraid of repressions. Anne mistakes this for “depressions,” but Mary corrects her and says she is afraid of her sexual instincts being repressed. She says she has started to recognize symptoms of sexual repression in herself, including frequent dreams about climbing up ladders or falling down wells, and has become afraid of becoming a nymphomaniac if she does not free herself.