Quote:

Chapter 43, pg. 294

“I confess that you disappoint me, Mr. Lessingham. I have always understood that you were a man of unusual strength; you appear instead, to be a man of extraordinary weakness; with an imagination so ill-governed that its ebullitions remind me of nothing so much as feminine hysterics. Your wild language is not warranted by circumstances. I repeat that I think it quite possible that by to-morrow morning she will be returned to you.” (Marsh)

Comment:

I immediately was intrigued by this quote because up to this point there was no emotional side really to Lessinghams character. He was this strong tough statesmen. Now he was being reduced in his status by Champnell to be a weak person with hysterics that only a female would have. There definitely is a change in Lessingham’s demeanor when he discovers that Marjorie is missing but I honestly did not except to see him become this overwhelmed and emotional. Though it could be said that this is due to his suppression of the emotions for 20 plus years after the events that occurred in Egypt. What made him break down so much? I know it had to do with him did not wanting Marjorie to suffer the same fate as the girl that he saw sacrificed in Egypt but could also be that it just became so real all at once to him? Also what gave Champnell the right to say those things to Lessingham, was he trying to be the good friend and set him straight, or was there more to him like actually being disappointed that a man of Lessingham’s status would stoop so low as to become hysterical about the whole process. 

Question:

What factors could have and did actually play into this moment of Lessingham having this emotional breakdown? Did Champnell have the right to say that he was disappointed in Lessingham or again was he just trying to say that to make Lessingham think rationally?