The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

The lands of Dalcastle belonged to the Colwan family for at least a hundred years by the time Laird Colwan marries Rabina. The lands are extensive, a physical symbol of the wealth and power of Laird Colwan. In spite of her husband’s immense power, Rabina refuses to acquiesce to his demands. She views Colwan as a sinful man and, eventually, their lives are divided up within the house. They take separate parts of the home as their own, a division of power that speaks to Rabina’s religious certainty: She will not alter her beliefs, even for such a powerful patriarch. Colwan, in turn, provides room for Rabina in his household but shames her by moving his mistress into the house. In turn, Rabina invites her priest to the house before decamping to a different family property in a different city. Since they are so different, they cannot envision a way to live together. At the same time, however, they are too proud to back down. The way in which the unhappy couple occupies the Dalcastle Estate symbolizes the inherent problems in their marriage: They are very different people and very stubborn. Rather than change or accommodate their partner, both Rabina and Colwan concoct an elaborate and unhappy power-sharing arrangement that mirrors the situation in Scottish politics at the time.