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Another critical point is reached in the story.
The drought is broken. With the sudden rain, a flood of a different nature devastates Frances's life.
She, Helmina and Benedict come across the starving mother of Dorcas, abandoned by Kobus Pumani
and forced to live on roots and from food which Dorcas can pilfer from the mission.
Back at St Matthias, Emily Farborough appears unconcerned with this injustice because she has received
other desperate news, namely that Benedict has been "visiting" Dorcas Pumani.
Emily decides to send Dorcas away, and to punish Benedict. Frances is so angry that she confesses that
she and Victor have committed the identical sin of having had sexual intercourse.
WAS FRANCES IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE?
Was Frances at all responsible for her sexual encounter with Victor?
Many would answer with a glib "Yes!" After all, she admits she knew about sex.
It was all around her on the mission station, she said, and in the unwanted babies that were left
abandoned at the church door.
And, following Victor's lead, she had also ridiculed Helmina's prudish warnings on this subject.
Finally, she believed herself guilty. And there lies the problem! Frances HERSELF says she is guilty!
But are we to believe her? Think about it carefully.
Frances went to Victor's room for no other reason than to see whether or not his clothes were there. She
did NOT expect to find Victor in his room, and certainly did NOT intend to have sexual intercourse with
him.
Remember this: she felt guilty about the fact that she had allowed Victor to kiss her down at the stream!
Is it likely she would willingly consent to his going further?
And another thing -- she never allowed him to kiss her again.
Since that day when Walter had caught Victor and Frances together at the stream, Frances's affections
towards Victor had become distinctly icy.
Victor was beginning to treat her as a conquest, while she felt most guilty because she had allowed him
to kiss her.
On the day when Victor discovered Walter and Frances together at the piano, it was very clear to Victor
that a bond was growing between the two. He was about to leave for Johannesburg and he knew very
well that, within a very short time, he would lose her to his rival.
The only way he could prevent that was to trap her into having sexual intercourse with him. By Victorian
standards, such an action would constitute marriage in her mind.
Frances would therefore be his forever -- and he could go to Johannesburg knowing that she would wait
faithfully for him.
On the fateful day in question, Victor had to journey into King William's Town. Before leaving, he
attempted to win her affections but she was deliberately curt towards him.
He responded by suggesting that he might not come home but might rather proceed directly to
Grahamstown -- and then to Johannesburg. She might not see him again.
His reply intended to provoke a reaction from her but he received none -- just a cool, uncaring reply. No
outward reaction whatever.
Victor then played a game with her. He knew she would worry about him. He therefore deliberately
returned home very late that night, making sure that her emotions would be stretched to breaking point.
He guessed she would rush to welcome him back -- and he would have her alone to himself, late at night
and with no one to interrupt.
On his way back from King, he ran various scenarios over and over through his mind of what would
happen when they met. Each ended in the same way: with his taking her virginity and claiming her as
his possession.
Victor was quite correct. Frances was indeed very worried -- helped on by her mother who repeatedly
suggested the possibility of Hector having gone lame, or perhaps an accident.
It was now late at night. Frances was in her nightdress but could not sleep. Eventually she decided to
go to Victor's bedroom to check in his cupboard to see whether or not his clothes were there.
The point is that she wanted to settle in her own mind whether he had gone directly to Grahamstown, or
whether he was indeed late in returning home -- and therefore the possibility of an accident.
If his clothes were missing, it would mean he had packed and headed for Grahamstown and
Johannesburg.
If his clothing was still there, however, it meant he was supposed to be coming home and might be even
now lying in the dark somewhere -- injured, or even dying.
Victor caught her in his bedroom. He was correct. Her relief at seeing him sent her into his arms. For
her it meant no more than a huge sisterly hug of relief.
He, however, used the opportunity (as he has been mentally planning the whole way home) to help himself
to her virginity. Frances had no way of knowing the depths of depravity in Victor's scheming.
Did she willingly offer her body to him? Certainly not! "She neither thought nor feared,"
says Marguerite Poland.
Frances was NOT expecting sexual intercourse. The author points out that she quickly discovered his
embrace was "too urgent".
And then there was the sudden pain of UNEXPECTED intercourse - "too sharp and
unexpected," says the author.
It is true that she had a vague understanding of sex -- but this was theoretical and not at all practical.
She did not expect Victor to do that to her.
More importantly, she had certainly not give her consent -- and would NEVER have done so!
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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