Atdtda26: Mistaking confusion for depth, 730-731

[Paul Nightingale]

>From Hunter-Ruperta to Hunter-the Princess, Dally speculating about "some
kind of a history". In her husband's absence, the Princess' visitors--who
might or might not be sexual partners--include "a dapper English individual
named Derrick Theign" (731): the text therefore offers the reader a revision
of earlier chapters featuring Theign, his relationship with the Princess now
becoming part of that history. In the same way, Hunter's relationship with
Ruperta intrigued Dally as their meeting transformed his demeanour: on two
separate occasions ("taking her hand it seemed emotionally", 729; and "more
anxious than Dally had seen him lately", 730) she reads his behaviour in the
light of Ruperta's appearance.

Speaking to Ruperta she claims to be "researching a role" (729), ie learning
how to reproduce/represent appropriate behaviour; this is in line with her
earlier observation regarding "the same American mask with the same American
eyes" (728). From seeing herself in the mirror she becomes rather more
interested in whatever lies behind the mask presented by others, eg the
back-story of Hunter-Ruperta on 729-730. In the current section she is
trying to read the Princess, a figure who remains elusive. Given that Dally
organises the narrative in these pages, we see the action from her point of
view, occasionally offered the opportunity to feel superior because we know
something of Theign's role in recent chapters. Indeed, the current section
opens by taking us back to the moment Dally first went to stay with the
Princess on 582, ie before any of the action featuring Cyprian and Theign.
The appearance of Theign, then, should be juxtaposed to Dally's shifting
perspective. Here, she attempts unsuccessfully to get close enough to read
the Princess, who is always seen from a distance; Theign's re- or second
'introduction' merely underlines Dally's lack of authority, after her close
reading of  Hunter's behaviour had characterised the narrative of the
previous section.