Notes Class 11 Chapter 1.5 Yuvakbharati English Maharashtra Board

Mrs. Adis

Introduction

1. Author and Background

• The author is Sheila Kaye-Smith, an English novelist and poet.
• Her novels often take place in the border areas of Sussex and Kent in England.
• One of her famous books is “The End of the House of Alard.”

2. Story Overview

• The story is about a peasant woman who helps a desperate young man.
• The man comes to her door, asking her to hide him from the police.
• He had been catching animals illegally on a nearby property and, in a panic, killed one of the gamekeepers (people who protect the land).

3. Setting

• The story takes place in Sussex, a county in the south of England.
• The area has woods, old “hammer woods” (forests), and ponds.
• The road near Mrs. Adis’s cottage gets dark early because the woods are very thick.
• One night, it was very dark with no moon, and only a few stars were visible in the sky.

4. The Man’s Arrival

• The night was very quiet, making every sound clear and loud.
• A man walking on the road could hear his own footsteps.
• He tried to walk quietly, but the thorny bushes made a lot of noise.
• When he reached Mrs. Adis’s cottage, he stopped and looked through the lighted window.
• He saw Mrs. Adis by the fire.
• The man looked poor.
• At first, he seemed like he might go in through the window, but then he went to the door.

5. The Conversation

• The man asks Mrs. Adis for help, mentioning Tom.
• Mrs. Adis says that the man hasn’t been a good friend to Tom.
• The man says Tom has been a good friend to him and would want Mrs. Adis to help.
• Mrs. Adis agrees to let him stay until Tom comes home.
• The man wants to get away out of the country.
• Mrs. Adis lets him hide in a shed behind the kitchen.

6. Peter Crouch Hides

• The man’s name is Peter Crouch.
• He sits down on sacks in the shed.
• He can smell food cooking and hopes Mrs. Adis will share some with him.
• He dozes off but is woken up by the sound of footsteps on the road.
• He thinks it’s the gamekeepers and gets very scared.
• But the footsteps pass by.

7. Mrs. Adis Helps

• Mrs. Adis tells Peter Crouch that the gamekeepers have gone by.
• She suggests he leave and go towards a town to catch a train to London.
• Peter Crouch says he doesn’t have money for the train ticket.
• Mrs. Adis gives him seven shillings for the ticket.
• Peter Crouch thanks her.
• Mrs. Adis says she’s doing it for Tom and doesn’t want to get into trouble.
• She wants him to leave before Tom comes home, in case Tom brings someone with him.
• As Peter Crouch is about to leave, they hear more footsteps.

8. The Keepers Arrive

• The footsteps get closer and sound heavy.
• The people stop at Mrs. Adis’s cottage and knock on the door.
• Peter Crouch is anxious and looks through a crack in the door.
• He sees Mrs. Adis answer the door.
• One of the gamekeepers, Vidler, comes in and shuts the door.
• Peter Crouch realizes they know he’s there and feels trapped.

9. The Bad News

• Vidler has trouble telling Mrs. Adis what he came to say.
• He finally tells her he has bad news.
• Mrs. Adis asks if it’s about Tom.
• Vidler says Tom is outside.
• He explains that there was an incident in the woods.
• Tom and the other gamekeepers heard someone catching rabbits illegally.
• It was too dark to see who it was, and when the person ran, they fired a gun.
• Mrs. Adis realizes that Tom has been killed.

10. The Aftermath

• Mrs. Adis opens the door, and the men bring in Tom’s body.
• Mrs. Adis asks if he is dead, and the men confirm.
• Peter Crouch is filled with despair and no longer wants to escape.
• He feels terrible because Tom, who was kind to him, was killed.
• He thinks about a woman he loves but knows he has to face the consequences.
• The men tell Mrs. Adis they will catch the person who did it.
• They found the gun, which they recognize as Peter Crouch’s.

11. Mrs. Adis’s Decision

• One of the men mentions that Peter Crouch and Tom were friends.
• Mrs. Adis looks at Tom’s body.
• Vidler asks if she has seen Peter Crouch.
• Mrs. Adis says she hasn’t seen him.
• The men offer to get Mrs. Gain to come and help Mrs. Adis.
• Mrs. Adis asks them to take Tom’s body into the bedroom.
• The men do this and then leave.
• Mrs. Adis goes to the shed and unlocks the door.
• Peter Crouch is scared, but Mrs. Adis doesn’t come in.
• She goes into the room where Tom is.
• Peter Crouch knows what he has to do.
• He leaves the shed silently.

Key Themes

• Friendship and Loyalty: The bond between Tom and Peter Crouch, and Mrs. Adis’s actions for Tom’s sake.
• Guilt and Responsibility: Peter Crouch’s feelings about his crime and his decision to accept the consequences.