The Anthony Trollope Library

In which Lady Carbury, having completed a historical work and now a new novel entitled *The Wheel of Fortune*, seeks the favour of a former editor to secure praise and literary success amidst the trials besetting her household. Despite encounters marked by hope, refusal, and gentle friendship, she perseveres in the hopes that kindness and diligence may yet bring her struggling efforts the recognit...

In which Lord Nidderdale wrestles with the tarnished reputation of the Melmotte family and the collapse of his engagement, whilst contending with his father’s blunt pragmatism about his future prospects. The narrative delicately captures the somber mood following a public disgrace and a tragic event, guiding Nidderdale towards a reluctant but compassionate act of kindness.

In which the sudden and tragic death of Madame Melmotte's husband casts a sombre pall over the household, revealing the complex and often strained bonds within the family as well as the grim realities of their precarious financial situation. As friends and officials gather, young Marie Melmotte, though overwhelmed, meets adversity with quiet strength, setting the stage for decisions about their un...

In which Roger Carbury returns to Suffolk burdened by the complexities of love and honour, torn between his loyalty to his cousin Paul Montague and his own unrequited affection for Hetta, while contending with the harsh judgments of those around him and his uneasy conscience. Amidst the quiet labours of farm and neighbourly duties, he faces the delicate task of truth and falsehood, duty and desire...

In which the shadow of ruin falls unmistakably upon the affairs of Augustus Melmotte, whose brazen presence in the House of Commons belies the grave accusations and inevitable disgrace that surround him. With a mien both defiant and despairing, he endures the silent scorn of his peers until the weight of his undoing is laid bare in the stillness of his last hours.

In which Mr. Melmotte faces the arrival of his loyal clerk bearing the incriminating forged documents, compelling him to confront the precarious state of his affairs with a resigned dignity; and his daughter, Marie, seeking both forgiveness and a future, visits Lady Carbury with hopes that stir uneasy reflections on loyalty, love, and the fortunes that bind them all. The shadows of downfall gather...

In which Hetta Carbury, overcome with wounded pride and a sense of betrayal, resolves to sever her connection with Paul Montague upon learning of his continued association with an American woman from his past, despite the earnestness of his subsequent explanation. Meanwhile, her mother, preoccupied with practical concerns for the future, presses upon Hetta the necessity of marriage to secure their...

In which the steadfast and simple-hearted John Crumb endures temporary imprisonment following a public altercation, while the wayward Ruby Ruggles faces the sobering consequences of her broken engagements and dwindling prospects under the watchful care of Mrs. Pipkin and Mrs. Hurtle. Amidst reflections on love, duty, and societal station, plans are cautiously set in motion to secure Ruby’s future,...

In which Mr. Dolly Longestaffe finds himself reluctantly embroiled in the tangled business concerning his family property and Mr. Melmotte’s impending financial reckoning, with doubts and manoeuvres clouding the approaching meeting of creditors. Meanwhile, Mr. Melmotte wrestles alone with the heavy burden of his fortunes and misdeeds, contemplating his decline with a mingling of pride, despair, an...

In which Georgiana Longestaffe wrestles with the uncertainties and social disquiet attendant upon her entanglement with Mr. Brehgert, whose candid and forthright letter lays bare familial objections, financial troubles, and the strain of differing religious convictions. The correspondence between them, marked by honest grievances and unmet expectations, culminates in a poignant and unceremonious c...

In which the astute Mr. Melmotte endeavours to recover control of a valuable property conveyed in his daughter's name, seeking her reluctant signature amidst the tensions of familial duty and financial peril. Despite his affectionate pleadings and the presence of his wife and clerk, Marie resists his demands, prompting Melmotte to contemplate and ultimately execute a deceitful course to secure the...

In which Georgiana Longestaffe returns home burdened by the scandal of a proposed marriage deemed disgraceful by her family, facing coldness and estrangement within her once-respectable household. Her conversations with her mother and sister reveal the social prejudices and familial divisions that now isolate her, leaving her uncertain whether to persevere or yield to the pressures around her.

In which Lady Carbury’s anxieties about her family’s entanglements bring Mr. Broune into frequent council, as Hetta Carbury grapples with troubling news of her lover’s past and the shadow cast by Mrs. Hurtle. The delicate exchange between Hetta and Paul Montague reveals the complexities of love and honour in the face of social scandal, leading to a tender yet painful resolution between them.

In which Mr. Squercum pursues his investigation into a questionable letter and its bearing on the fortunes of the Longestaffe family, leading to a tense meeting where suspicions and accusations are delicately exchanged. The unexpected arrival of Mr. Melmotte introduces a precarious offer that causes even the most resolute parties to reconsider their positions amidst doubts and uneasy truces.

In which Mr. Melmotte contemplates the precarious state of his finances and the complexities surrounding his daughter's fortune, while wrestling with the consequences of forged documents and fading credit. Meanwhile, tensions arise as Marie resists her father’s demands, and Mr. Melmotte seeks to secure a marriage alliance that might restore his standing amid the swirling doubts of creditors and le...

In which Lord Nidderdale and Marie Melmotte discuss their uncertain engagement with a frankness born of mutual resignation, while Mr. Melmotte confides in Nidderdale the strains and vicissitudes of his precarious financial dealings. Meanwhile, Dolly Longestaffe’s bitter accusations against Melmotte and the unease at the Beargarden club reveal a wider atmosphere of suspicion and anxious expectation...

In which the devoted and slow-spoken John Crumb faces the bitter anguish of lost love and a violent confrontation in the shadowed streets of London, while Mrs. Pipkin and Mrs. Hurtle bear witness to the trials and tribulations of the young Ruby Ruggles. The night unfolds with an unfortunate mêlée involving her aristocratic suitor, the arrival of the police, and a delicate interplay of emotions tha...

In which the duties of brotherly defence in matters of love and honour are beset with modern complexities, leading Sir Felix Carbury into delicate confrontations over his sister's suitor and his own doubtful engagement with Ruby Ruggles. Meanwhile, Ruby ventures out into an evening of fleeting triumph amidst grim warnings, while the shadows of past promises and present intrigues deepen around the...

In which Roger Carbury finds himself torn between loyalty and love as he grapples with the delicate task of conveying troubling truths to Lady Carbury and Hetta, while contending with his own conflicted feelings towards Paul Montague. Amidst the shadow cast by Sir Felix’s violent encounter and the family’s distress, Roger seeks to navigate the complexities of honour, affection, and the burdens of...

In which Mr. Melmotte navigates his newly acquired seat in the House of Commons amidst lingering suspicions and the uneasy politics of his Conservative allies, whilst the affairs of debt and social standing weigh heavily on those around him. The scene further unfolds with whispered scandals at the Beargarden club and the hesitant advance of a proposed marriage, all set against the curious spectacl...

In which Sir Felix Carbury, having squandered his fortune and lost the respect of his acquaintances, confronts the grim realities of his reduced circumstances and the complications of his fractured engagement; meanwhile, Hetta Carbury grapples with troubling revelations about her own romantic attachment that threaten her peace of mind. The narrative delicately unfolds the tensions between love, tr...

In which poor Hetta Carbury, troubled by grievous revelations, undertakes the difficult task of ending all hope between her brother and Miss Melmotte, a young lady caught in the turmoil of her father's mistrust and her own passionate despair. The cruel complexities of love, honour, and family discord are laid bare, painting a somber picture of disappointed affections and thwarted intentions in the...

In which the industrious and ambitious Mr. Melmotte faces a hotly contested election for Westminster, with his character and fortune the subject of keen public and political scrutiny, whilst his rival Mr. Alf employs sharp rhetoric to sway the voters without revealing his own principles. Amidst the trials of public opinion and private anxieties, Melmotte’s triumph in the poll brings him a bittersw...

In which Paul Montague, burdened by his past entanglements and the scandal surrounding Mr. Melmotte, unexpectedly declares his love to Hetta Carbury, leading to a poignant and fraught recognition of their mutual affection amidst loyal friendships turned sore. Meanwhile, the social atmosphere is thick with tension and whispered rumours, as the ramifications of these personal and public upheavals be...

In which Lady Monogram’s failure to impress at Madame Melmotte’s soirée leaves her and Miss Longestaffe ill at ease, whilst the latter wrestles with the social chasm revealed by her engagement to the wealthy Mr. Brehgert, a fact that ignites severe disapproval from her father. With a reluctant spirit, Miss Longestaffe retreats from fashionable society back to her family’s country home, amid whispe...