How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The witch burned. She tossed in a sea of blankets, dizzy with heat. It was fever, not fire, that tormented her, fever and the nightmares that came with it. (P.1)
There's a price to be paid for hanging onto something as powerful and dangerous as the phoenix-stone. Cassandra is starting to understand that it's not all fun and games—the stone is going to kill her if she's not careful.
Quote #2
Lizzie Rose was hungry. As she pushed the puppet stage through the streets, her nostrils drew in savory odors from the street vendors: roasted chestnuts, baked potatoes, and coffee. Her stomach growled, complaining that she had eaten nothing since breakfast. At noontime, Grisini had bought his usual sausage roll—she could smell the garlic on his breath—but he hadn't brought anything home. (2.1)
Grisini is completely indifferent to the suffering of the children, hoarding all of the food for himself and leaving nothing for Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. They have to go work for him without anything in their stomachs. How cruel.
Quote #3
She bent her head and brought up one hand as if to cover her face. "Of course, it was dreadful for Mamma. For Papa, too, but Mamma nearly died of grief." She cleared her throat. "It was seven years ago. I'm twelve years old today." (3.34)
Poor Clara has grown up in a pretty bleak household, especially when it comes to her parents. She has to tiptoe around her mother, who is always in mourning and is easily upset.
Quote #4
His fingers were clever enough, but there were only nine of them. The little finger on his right hand was missing. There was no scar, nothing ugly to see. It was just that the little finger was not there. Parsefall didn't know what had become of it. He was almost certain he had once had ten fingers, and it tormented him that he couldn't remember what had become of the one he lost. (3.56)
Although Parsefall has no idea what happened to his missing finger, he's sure that it was something terrible. Does he want to remember what happened, or is he better off just forgetting the whole violent incident?
Quote #5
Dear God, if the child was ill … He told himself there could be nothing wrong. If Clara had been anyone else's daughter, he would have said she was as strong as a little pony. But the nightmare of the past would be with him till the day he died. When the cholera struck, the children had been taken ill very suddenly. He remembered his wife's face as she wept over the bodies of the children he had been unable to save. (6.7)
The Wintermutes have been through some serious trauma with the deaths of four children, and now, whenever Clara looks even the slightest bit off, Dr. Wintermute has to check her health. He's terrified of losing yet another child and going through that pain all over again.
Quote #6
That night Parsefall had a nightmare. It was Ruby who sounded the alarm, sniffing at her mistress's face and whining softly. Lizzie Rose heard Parsefall's labored breathing and climbed out of bed. She drew a blanket around her shoulders, tiptoed out of her room, and knelt beside the sleeping boy. She wanted to rouse him before he screamed; Grisini did not like being awakened. (10.1)
Parsefall acts like a tough guy during the day and pretends he doesn't need anyone else—especially not Lizzie Rose—but at night, he's plagued by terrible nightmares. That's when he needs someone to comfort and care for him, to make him feel safe again.
Quote #7
Parsefall couldn't sleep. He was plagued by two powerful enemies of slumber: hurt pride and an upset stomach. His stomach muscles jerked and strained, trying to subdue the half-digested mess inside: oysters, mashed turnips, eel pie, sausages, and a pudding compounded from treacle and suet. A wave of nausea passed over him, and he wondered if he was going to be sick. (22.1)
This kid never catches a break. The one time that he has enough money to go to a puppet show and eat whatever he wants, he ends up feeling awful afterward. He's not used to all of that rich food.
Quote #8
He had seen her shabby lodgings and sat by her meager fire. He remembered the darns and patches on her frock, and the way the sole of her boot parted from the upper. How could he, who had lived in comfort all his life, condemn her for stealing? The girl had no one to provide for her, no one to protect her. (28.18)
Now that Dr. Wintermute has had time to reflect, he feels bad about yelling at Lizzie Rose. Even if the girl is a thief, how can he hold it against her? It's obvious that she's been through a lot of struggle and strife in her life.
Quote #9
Parsefall's face was unreadable, but Clara seemed to feel his thoughts. They were like splinters of glass when a mirror breaks: jagged, brittle, darting in all directions. He knew he was going to be hurt, but he didn't know how, or how much. He fastened his eyes on Grisini's face, desperate to anticipate what might happen next. (33.32)
When Parsefall realizes that Grisini is at Strachan's Ghyll, he is totally terrified. He knows what Grisini is capable of, and he has been subjected to his violent whims before. He doesn't want to be hurt by the sadistic magician now.
Quote #10
"And he shall go on bleeding until I choose to stop it." Cassandra looked from Lizzie Rose to Parsefall. "You see how I avenge you, my children? You see how great my power is? This man will never harm you again. He is my puppet." She raised her arms, spreading her fingers as if manipulating strings. "See? I can make him bleed, and I can make him dance." (44.38)
The kids might hate Grisini and want him gone, but that doesn't mean that they want to watch him cruelly tortured before their eyes. Cassandra thinks she's doing them a favor, but Lizzie Rose steps in to stop her—she doesn't want to be responsible for this bloody scene.