The Remains of the Day - Prologue · July 1956 - Darlington Hall

Aug 25, 2026

The Remains of the Day opens with Stevens at Darlington Hall in July 1956, recounting an invitation from his employer, Mr Farraday, to take a brief drive through England’s west country while he is away. Stevens hesitates at first, but a letter from Miss Kenton reawakens professional concerns tied to his role at the house. As small mistakes accumulate, he links them to a faulty staff plan, and the narrative frames duty, discretion, and inner discipline as competing forces shaping his choices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages221

Reading Time5 h 40 min

AccessFree to download

Prologue · July 1956: Darlington Hall

Chapter 1-Day One · Evening: Salisbury

Chapter 2-Day Two · Morning: Salisbury

Chapter 3-Day Two · Afternoon: Mortimer’s Pond, Dorset

Chapter 4-Day Three · Morning: Taunton, Somerset

Chapter 5-Day Three · Evening: Moscombe, near Tavistock, Devon

Chapter 6-Day Four · Afternoon: Little Compton, Cornwall

Chapter 7-Day Six · Evening: Weymouth

Other Books By This Author

About the Author

Table of Contents Cover Title Page Dedication Prologue · July 1956: Darlington Hall Chapter 1-Day One · Evening: Salisbury Chapter 2-Day Two · Morning: Salisbury Chapter 3-Day Two · Afternoon: Mortimer’s Pond, Dorset Chapter 4-Day Three · Morning: Taunton, Somerset Chapter 5-Day Three · Evening: Moscombe, near Tavistock, Devon Chapter 6-Day Four · Afternoon: Little Compton, Cornwall Chapter 7-Day Six · Evening: Weymouth Other Books By This Author About the Author Copyright In memory of Mrs Lenore Marshall PROLOGUE · JULY 1956 Darlington Hall It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expedition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. An expedition, I should say, which I will undertake alone, in the comfort of Mr Farraday’s Ford; an expedition which, as I foresee it, will take me through much of the ɹnest countryside of England to the West Country, and may keep me away from Darlington Hall for as much as ɹve or six days. The idea of such a journey came about, I should point out, from a most kind suggestion put to me by Mr Farraday himself one afternoon almost a fortnight ago, when I had been dusting the portraits in the library. In fact, as I recall, I was up on the step-ladder dusting the portrait of Viscount Wetherby when my employer had entered carrying a few volumes which he presumably wished returned to the shelves. On seeing my person, he took the opportunity to inform me that he had just that moment ɹnalized plans to return to the United States for a period of ɹve weeks between August and September. Having made this announcement, my employer put his volumes down on a table, seated himself on the chaise-longue, and stretched out his legs. It was then, gazing up at me, that he said: ‘You realize, Stevens, I don’t expect you to be locked up here in this house all the time I’m away. Why don’t you take the car and drive oʃ somewhere for a few days? You look like you could make good use of a break.’ Coming out of the blue as it did, I did not quite know how to reply to such a suggestion. I recall thanking him for his consideration, but quite probably I said nothing very deɹnite, for my employer went on: ‘I’m serious, Stevens. I really think you should take a break. I’ll foot the bill for the gas. You fellows, you’re always locked up in these big houses helping out, how do you ever get to see around this beautiful country of yours?’ This was not the ɹrst time my employer had raised such a question; indeed, it seems to be something which genuinely troubles him. On this occasion, in fact, a reply of sorts did occur to me as I stood up there on the ladder; a reply to the eʃect that those of our profession, although we did not see a great deal of the country in the sense of touring the countryside and visiting picturesque sites, did actually ‘see’ more of England than most, placed as we were in houses where the greatest ladies and gentlemen of the land gathered. Of course, I could not have expressed this view to Mr Farraday without embarking upon what might have seemed a presumptuous speech. I thus contented myself by saying simply: ‘It has been my privilege to see the best of England over the years, sir, within these very walls.’ Mr Farraday did not seem to understand this statement, for he merely went on:‘I mean it, Stevens. It’s wrong that a man can’t get to see around his own country. Take my advice, get out of the house for a few days.’ As you might expect, I did not take Mr Farraday’s suggestion at all seriously that afternoon, regarding it as just another instance of an American gentleman’s unfamiliarity with what was and what was not commonly done in England. The fact that my attitude to this same suggestion underwent a change over the following days – indeed, that the notion of a trip to the West Country took an everincreasing hold on my thoughts – is no doubt substantially attributable to – and why should I hide it?– the arrival

FAQs

Who is the narrator in the prologue, and where does the story begin?

Stevens narrates the prologue, beginning at Darlington Hall in July 1956.

What does Mr Farraday suggest Stevens should do?

Mr Farraday urges Stevens to take the car and drive somewhere for a few days while he is away.

Why does Stevens reconsider the idea of the trip?

Stevens’ change comes after receiving Miss Kenton’s letter, which sets off a chain of professional concerns related to errors in his duties.

Aug 25, 2026

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