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Chapter 40
Preparations for the Wedding

Contemptuous patronage
Lady De Courcy is said to give to Crosbie "contemptuous patronage."  A patron is one who gives support to a person with a lower social standing.  Lady De Courcy gives Crosbie contemptuous patronage because she knows that he is going to be her son-in-law and thus she has him in her power.  Therefore she can be contempuous if she would like.  [KD]

Crosbie used to shine on Lady De Courcy
Trollope states that Crosbie used to shine upon Lady De Courcy, but now that he is engaged he is no longer like the god Apollo.  [KD]

Plebeian husband and noble parent
This phase occurs when Lady De Courcy and Alexandrina are discussing Alexandrina's desire for clothes fit for herself as the earl's daughter.  Trollope tells us that Lady De Courcy tries to explain to her daughter that the preparations for the wedding should be accommodated to the "plebeian" husband rather than the noble parent.  "Plebeian" is a Roman term for the common people, like Crosbie.  [KD]

Chapter 41
Domestic Troubles

The divine Amelia Roper
Trollope again sarcastically refers to Amelia Roper as divine.  Trollope is really suggesting that Amelia is far from divine. See commentary for Chapter 4.  [KD]

Chapter 42
Lily's Bedside

Lily's throne
As Lily gets better, Trollope refers to her as a queen bossing around the Small House's occupants.  This is an interesting contrast to Lily as a wounded fawn in Chapter 31.  In Vergil's
Aeneid Dido goes from being the queen of Carthage to a wounded deer, while Lily goes from being a wounded fawn to the queen of the Small House.  Trollope refers to Lily as the queen of the Small House more extensively in Chapter 44.  See commentary for Chapter 31.  [KD]

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