Polly's Marriage Bargain

This flow traces Mrs Mooney's management of Polly's affair with Bob Doran until private intimacy becomes a public marriage crisis.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Boarding House Order

A House Governed Firmly Mrs Mooney's authority Mrs Mooney runs her boarding house with careful attention to credit, discipline, and reputation. Her experience of a failed marriage makes her decisive about household power. Polly's position Polly is allowed to mix with the young lodgers, while her mother quietly watches for signs of a serious attachment.

The Affair Takes Shape

A Relationship Under One Roof Growing intimacy Polly and Bob Doran become involved while he lives in the boarding house. Other lodgers begin to talk, and both lovers grow uneasy under Mrs Mooney’s silence. Deliberate waiting Mrs Mooney does not intervene immediately. She waits until she judges that the facts and social pressure favor her.

Doran's Sunday Fear

Respectability at Risk The man's predicament Bob Doran fears losing his job and standing if the affair becomes public. His employer, religion, and years of respectable service weigh heavily on him. Reluctant reasoning He considers escape but feels honor and religious pressure pulling him toward marriage. His private doubts do not erase his part in the affair.

Mrs Mooney's Terms

Reparation Defined A calculated case Mrs Mooney considers the affair an injury to her daughter’s honor. She rejects money as sufficient compensation and settles on marriage. Social leverage She expects Bob Doran to fear publicity and unemployment. The household’s gossip and his respectability become instruments in her negotiation.

The Call Downstairs

The Decision Approaches Polly summoned After crying and waiting, Polly hears her mother call her downstairs because Bob Doran wants to speak to her. Her anxiety gives way to anticipation. An open ending The story stops before the marriage decision is spoken. The power balance is clear, but Polly’s future remains formally unresolved.

Before the affair becomes known

During Polly and Bob Doran's secret courtship

Sunday morning after his confession

Late Sunday morning, before the meeting

At the close of the story