What Will He Do with It?

In Short

This novel is a dense, multi-layered Victorian drama that follows the lives of Guy Darrell, a disillusioned statesman, and Waife, a mysterious, impoverished wanderer who protects his granddaughter, Sophy. As their paths converge through a series of coincidences and shifting social circles, the narrative examines the weight of ancestry, the morality of secrets, and the struggle to find purpose in a world that often rewards the loudest rather than the most deserving. It remains a testament to the Victorian preoccupation with social class, legacy, and the potential for moral restoration.

The Story

Guy Darrell, a man of immense talent and former oratorical success, retreats to his ancestral home of Fawley in a state of profound bitterness. He views his life as a failure; despite his wealth and reputation, he is childless and believes his name will perish with him. He attempts to lose himself in scientific study, but his temperament—built for the heat of political action—finds no solace in isolated contemplation. His life is defined by a rigid sense of pride and a desire to preserve his family’s honor, yet he is secretly haunted by the estrangement of his past.

Meanwhile, the reader meets Waife, a humble, eccentric basket-maker living a nomadic life with his beloved granddaughter, Sophy. Their life is one of quiet, precarious survival, defined by Waife’s deep affection for the girl and his desperate efforts to shield her from the knowledge of her origins. Waife is a man of hidden refinement, hiding behind a facade of harmless poverty. He eventually crosses paths with the young, idealistic Lionel Haughton, who becomes a protégé of sorts to Darrell. Through a series of chance encounters and the intervention of the compassionate Lady Montfort, Sophy’s life begins to improve, as she is eventually taken under Lady Montfort's wing.

As Sophy grows into a refined young woman, the plot thickens with the threat of Jasper Losely, Waife’s dissolute, dangerous son. Losely acts as a dark shadow, haunting the edges of the story and threatening to drag Sophy back into a life of misery to suit his own selfish ends. The narrative builds toward a tense confrontation between these disparate social worlds. Darrell, initially refusing to acknowledge any connection to Sophy, finds his carefully constructed isolation collapsing as the truth of her parentage and his own responsibility comes to the fore. Arabella Crane, a woman intertwined with Losely’s dark history, works behind the scenes, acting as a strange, manipulative force that seeks to control Losely while attempting to steer the unfolding drama toward a final, often painful, resolution. In the end, the rigid pride of the elder generation is forced to reckon with the sacrifices and genuine love of the younger, leading to a conclusion that balances personal sacrifice with the elusive promise of a future.

How It Unfolds

The solitude of the statesman Guy Darrell, having retired from a life of public acclaim, struggles to find meaning in his seclusion at Fawley. He feels the crushing weight of his childless state and the inevitable fading of his political contributions into oblivion.

The wandering protector The narrative shifts to the precarious, nomadic existence of the basket-maker Waife and his granddaughter, Sophy. As they struggle to survive on the fringes of society, their lives are marked by a deep, protective bond that masks a troubled, hidden history.

The intercession of the nobility Lady Montfort, moved by pity and intuition, takes an interest in Sophy, providing her with the education and security she has lacked. This act of charity inadvertently sets in motion the events that will later force a confrontation with the powerful Darrell.

The return of the predator Jasper Losely, a man of violence and dissipation, reappears, posing a direct threat to Sophy’s safety and the relative peace her grandfather has fought to maintain. His presence brings the darker, more desperate elements of the city into the carefully managed world of the upper class.

The ultimate reckoning The secrets of Sophy’s birth and Waife’s past are finally brought to light, forcing Darrell to face the consequences of his long-held prejudices. The story concludes with the necessary sacrifice of personal desires to secure the future of the next generation.

The People

Guy Darrell is the book’s central, brooding figure, a man of immense intellectual power whose life is defined by his obsession with legacy. He is cold and imposing, yet capable of profound, if misplaced, sentiment. Waife, by contrast, is a figure of warmth and resilience; he is a man of "arch smile" and hidden wisdom who sacrifices his own peace and identity for the sake of his granddaughter. Sophy is the heart of the story, a character whose simple, noble grace serves as the catalyst for the moral awakening of those around her. Lady Montfort acts as a bridge between these worlds, defined by her "all-pervading" capacity for pity, while the malevolent Jasper Losely serves as the antagonist, a man whose descent into corruption highlights the fragility of the social order the others strive to protect.

In Its Own Voice

The experiment of return to the social world had failed.

Darrell realizes that his attempt to re-engage with society after his initial retirement has brought him no closer to finding peace.

The learned compute that seven hundred and seven millions of millions of vibrations have penetrated the eye before the eye can distinguish the tints of a violet.

The narrator reflects on the inability of cold science to account for the mysterious and complex origins of human love.

There are times when a man who has passed his life in cultivating his mind finds that the more he can make the physical existence predominate, the more he can harden his nerves to support the weight of his reflections.

Darrell attempts to suppress his intellectual torment by embracing a life of manual toil and physical exertion.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book investigates the tension between individual ambition and the requirements of moral duty. It asks whether a man’s worth is truly found in his public achievements or in the private sacrifices he makes for those he loves. The narrative probes the concept of heritage—both the tangible legacy of wealth and the intangible burden of ancestral reputation. It questions how much one’s past should dictate their present, particularly when faced with the "vibrations of the heart." Ultimately, it is a study of how pride can blind even the most brilliant minds and how true nobility is often found in those who, like the aging basket-maker, remain patient and "reverentially aloof" despite life's profound injustices.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy the slow-burn, atmospheric complexity of Victorian literature. It feels like stepping into a gallery of deeply etched portraits; the prose is precise, rhythmic, and unafraid of philosophical digression. You will find yourself immersed in a world where every action is weighed against a sense of historical consequence, and where the line between the "starry procession of those sons of light" and the desperate, shadow-filled streets of London is razor-thin.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for its pacing. It is a long, deliberate work that spends as much time on internal monologue and sociological observation as it does on its central mystery. The period-specific attitudes toward class, gender, and filial duty are baked into the foundations of the plot, which can occasionally feel rigid or overly moralistic to a contemporary ear. Yet, for those who value a story that treats the human heart with the same analytical gravity as a legal case or a scientific discovery, the payoff is substantial. It is a book that lingers, leaving the reader with the image of a "shadow of an angel's wing" over a life that the world has otherwise forgotten.