Can You Forgive Her?

Anthony Trollope

Description

A woman forced to choose between two suitors is one of the world's oldest dilemmas. In the skilled hands of Anthony Trollope, this conundrum becomes an engrossing examination of the subtle family tics and preferences that can influence love relationships and marriage decisions. The novel follows three women as they puzzle through the choices that will determine the course of their lives.

Sujets

• Romance

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775451136
• Langue: English

Extrait

CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?
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ANTHONY TROLLOPE
 
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Can You Forgive Her? First published in 1864 ISBN 978-1-775451-13-6 © 2011 The Floating Press While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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VOLUME I Chapter I - Mr Vavasor and His Daughter Chapter II - Lady Macleod Chapter III - John Grey, the Worthy Man Chapter IV - George Vavasor, the Wild Man Chapter V - The Balcony at Basle Chapter VI - The Bridge Over the Rhine Chapter VII - Aunt Greenow Chapter VIII - Mr Cheesacre Chapter IX - The Rivals Chapter X - Nethercoats Chapter XI - John Grey Goes to London Chapter XII - Mr George Vavasor at Home Chapter XIII - Mr Grimes Gets His Odd Money Chapter XIV - Alice Vavasor Becomes Troubled Chapter XV - Paramount Crescent Chapter XVI - The Roebury Club Chapter XVII - Edgehill Chapter XVIII - Alice Vavasor's Great Relations Chapter XIX - Tribute from Oileymead Chapter XX - Which Shall it Be? Chapter XXI - Alice is Taught to Grow Upwards, Towards the Light Chapter XXII - Dandy and Flirt Chapter XXIII - Dinner at Matching Priory Chapter XXIV - Three Politicians Chapter XXV - In Which Much of the History of the Pallisers is Told Chapter XXVI - Lady Midlothian Chapter XXVII - The Priory Ruins Chapter XXVIII - Alice Leaves the Priory Chapter XXIX - Burgo Fitzgerald Chapter XXX - Containing a Love Letter Chapter XXXI - Among the Fells Chapter XXXII - Containing an Answer to the Love Letter Chapter XXXIII - Monkshade Chapter XXXIV - Mr Vavasor Speaks to His Daughter Chapter XXXV - Passion Versus Prudence Chapter XXXVI - John Grey Goes a Second Time to London Chapter XXXVII - Mr Tombe's Advice Chapter XXXVIII - The Inn at Shap Chapter XXXIX - Mr Cheesacre's Hospitality Chapter XL - Mrs Greenow's Little Dinner in the Close VOLUME II Chapter XLI - A Noble Lord Dies Chapter XLII - Parliament Meets Chapter XLIII - Mrs Marsham Chapter XLIV - The Election for the Chelsea Districts Chapter XLV - George Vavasor Takes His Seat Chapter XLVI - A Love Gift Chapter XLVII - Mr Cheesacre's Disappointment Chapter XLVIII - Preparations for Lady Monk's Party Chapter XLIX - How Lady Glencora Went to Lady Monk's Party Chapter L - How Lady Glencora Came Back from Lady Monk's Party Chapter LI - Bold Speculations on Murder Chapter LII - What Occurred in Suffolk Street, Pall Mall Chapter LIII - The Last Will of the Old Squire Chapter LIV - Showing How Alice was Punished Chapter LV - The Will Chapter LVI - Another Walk on the Fells Chapter LVII - Showing How the Wild Beast Got Himself Back from the Mountains Chapter LVIII - The Pallisers at Breakfast Chapter LIX - The Duke of St Bungay in Search of a Minister Chapter LX - Alice Vavasor's Name Gets into the Money Market Chapter LXI - The Bills Are Made All Right Chapter LXII - Going Abroad Chapter LXIII - Mr John Grey in Queen Anne Street Chapter LXIV - The Rocks and Valleys Chapter LXV - The First Kiss Chapter LXVI - Lady Monk's Plan Chapter LXVII - The Last Kiss Chapter LXVIII - From London to Baden Chapter LXIX - From Baden to Lucerne Chapter LXX - At Lucerne Chapter LXXI - Showing How George Vavasor Received a Visit Chapter LXXII - Showing How George Vavasor Paid a Visit Chapter LXXIII - In Which Come Tidings of Great Moment to All Pallisers Chapter LXXIV - Showing What Happened in the Churchyard Chapter LXXV - Rouge et Noir Chapter LXXVI - The Landlord's Bill Chapter LXXVII - The Travellers Return Home Chapter LXXVIII - Mr Cheesacre's Fate Chapter LXXIX - Diamonds Are Diamonds Chapter LXXX - The Story is Finished Within the Halls of the Duke of Omnium Endnotes
VOLUME I
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Chapter I - Mr Vavasor and His Daughter
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Whether or no, she, whom you are to forgive, if you can, did or didnot belong to the Upper Ten Thousand of this our English world, I amnot prepared to say with any strength of affirmation. By blood shewas connected with big people,—distantly connected with some verybig people indeed, people who belonged to the Upper Ten Hundred ifthere be any such division; but of these very big relations she hadknown and seen little, and they had cared as little for her. Hergrandfather, Squire Vavasor of Vavasor Hall, in Westmoreland, was acountry gentleman, possessing some thousand a year at the outside,and he therefore never came up to London, and had no ambition to havehimself numbered as one in any exclusive set. A hot-headed, ignorant,honest old gentleman, he lived ever at Vavasor Hall, declaring to anywho would listen to him, that the country was going to the mischief,and congratulating himself that at any rate, in his county,parliamentary reform had been powerless to alter the old politicalarrangements. Alice Vavasor, whose offence against the world I am totell you, and if possible to excuse, was the daughter of his youngerson; and as her father, John Vavasor, had done nothing to raisethe family name to eminence, Alice could not lay claim to any highposition from her birth as a Vavasor. John Vavasor had come up toLondon early in life as a barrister, and had failed. He had failed atleast in attaining either much wealth or much repute, though he hadsucceeded in earning, or perhaps I might better say, in obtaining,a livelihood. He had married a lady somewhat older than himself,who was in possession of four hundred a year, and who was relatedto those big people to whom I have alluded. Who these were and thespecial nature of the relationship, I shall be called upon to explainhereafter, but at present it will suffice to say that Alice Macleodgave great offence to all her friends by her marriage. She did not,however, give them much time for the indulgence of their anger.Having given birth to a daughter within twelve months of hermarriage, she died, leaving in abeyance that question as to whetherthe fault of her marriage should or should not be pardoned by herfamily.
When a man marries an heiress for her money, if that money be withinher own control, as was the case with Miss Macleod's fortune, it isgenerally well for the speculating lover that the lady's friendsshould quarrel with him and with her. She is thereby driven to throwherself entirely into the gentleman's arms, and he thus becomespossessed of the wife and the money without the abominable nuisanceof stringent settlements. But the Macleods, though they quarrelledwith Alice, did not quarrel with her à l'outrance . They snubbedherself and her chosen husband; but they did not so far separatethemselves from her and her affairs as to give up the charge of herpossessions. Her four hundred a year was settled very closely onherself and on her children, without even a life interest havingbeen given to Mr Vavasor, and therefore when she died the mother'sfortune became the property of the little baby. But, under thesecircumstances, the big people did not refuse to interest themselvesto some extent on behalf of the father. I do not suppose that anyactual agreement or compact was made between Mr Vavasor and theMacleods; but it came to be understood between them that if he madeno demand upon them for his daughter's money, and allowed them tohave charge of her education, they would do something for him. He wasa practising barrister, though his practice had never amounted tomuch; and a practising barrister is always supposed to be capable offilling any situation which may come his way. Two years after hiswife's death Mr Vavasor was appointed assistant commissioner in someoffice which had to do with insolvents, and which was abolished threeyears after his appointment. It was at first thought that he wouldkeep his eight hundred a year for life and be required to do nothingfor it; but a wretched cheeseparing Whig government, as John Vavasorcalled it when describing the circumstances of the arrangement to hisfather, down in Westmoreland, would not permit this; it gave him theoption of taking four hundred a year for doing nothing, or of keepinghis whole income and attending three days a week for three hoursa day during term time, at a miserable dingy little office nearChancery Lane, where his duty would consist in signing his name toaccounts which he never read, and at which he was never supposed evento look. He had sulkily elected to keep the money, and this signinghad been now for nearly twenty years the business of his life. Ofcourse he considered himself to be a very hardly-used man. One LordChancellor after another he petitioned, begging that he might berelieved from the cruelty of his position, and allowed to take hissalary without doing anything in return for it. The amount of workwhich he did perform was certainly a minimum of labour. Term time, asterms were counted in Mr Vavasor's office, hardly comprised half theyear, and the hours of weekly attendance did not do more than makeone day's work a week for a working man; but Mr Vavasor had beenappointed an assistant commissioner, and with every Lord Chancellorhe argued that all Westminster Hall, and Lincoln's Inn to boot, hadno right to call upon him to degrade himself by signing his name toaccounts. In answer to every memorial he was offered the alternativeof freedom with half his income; and so the thing went on.
There can, however, be no doubt that Mr Vavasor was better off andhappier with his almost nominal employment than he would have beenwithout it. He always argued that it kept him in London; but hewould undoubtedly have lived in London with or without his officialoccupation. He had become so habituated to London life in a smallway, before the choice of leaving London was open to hi