Splendors and Glooms Chapter 20 Summary

Of Purse Strings and Puppet Strings

  • While Lizzie Rose is out one day, Parsefall decides it's time to string up Clara like a proper puppet.
  • Instead of being afraid, Clara is thrilled—she'll finally be able to move, even if she's not the one controlling her own body.
  • Lizzie Rose comes back all excited because she found a bunch of treasures in Grisini's room and pawned a gold watch for money.
  • It upsets her that Grisini had so much money and never shared anything with the children, even choosing to let them starve sometimes.
  • Then, she asks Parsefall if he helped Grisini rob people, and Parsefall reluctantly admits that he did but only because Grisini forced him.
  • Parsefall is holding onto Clara as he talks to Lizzie Rose, and she can see some of his memories. She can actually see the workhouse where he grew up and all of the poor, dirty children.
  • That's when Grisini came to get Parsefall because he said that he wanted an apprentice. He showed the boy how to work the puppets, but while people were watching the show, Grisini had Parsefall pick their pockets.
  • As Lizzie Rose muses about what to do with the money she received from pawning Grisini's watch, Parsefall mentions that he's always wanted to go to The Egyptian Hall to see the Royal Marionettes perform.
  • It costs a lot of money to the two poor kids, but Lizzie Rose sees how much he wants to do it and says that they'll go see the show and go out for a nice dinner. Aw. How nice of her.