The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Ezra leads Hal to his sports car. He complains of the magpies’ defecation on his car and insists on cleaning it before they leave. As they drive to Penzance, Ezra notices Hal’s relief at leaving the house. He agrees with her that it is “a horrible place” (119) and explains that all of Hester’s children left as soon as they could. Like Abel, he assures Hal that he does not want the house and that he bears no ill will toward her. Hal asks about Ezra’s life and he explains that he owns a small photographic gallery in the south of France, where he has lived for 20 years. Given that Ezra speaks French, Hal asks him about the phrase Hester used at the end of her odd letter to Harding (but does not disclose where she heard the phrase). He explains that the phrase means “after me comes the flood” (120) and that it is associated with the last king of France before the Revolution removed the royal family. The phrase implies that, after the speaker of the phrase departs, everything will collapse into chaos.