The Anthony Trollope Library

In which Lady Carbury seeks refuge with her daughter at Carbury, hoping the pastoral quiet might shield them from the harsh scrutiny of London society, only to find herself embroiled in uneasy tensions surrounding her son’s improvident prospects and the questionable company he keeps. Meanwhile, Roger Carbury wrestles with his personal convictions and hospitality, navigating the delicate balance be...

In which Mr. Fisker and Paul Montague grapple with the uneasy realities of their railway enterprise amid high society’s gambling and social manoeuvres at the Beargarden club, where fortunes and friendships are both at stake. The company’s directors navigate the delicate balance of honour, debt, and conviviality, culminating in a spirited farewell dinner for Fisker that belies the undercurrents of...

In which Lady Carbury anxiously awaits news of her son's prospects with the heiress, torn between hope for his advancement and despair over his reckless habits. Meanwhile, an invitation to Carbury Manor signals the intertwining of social ambitions and family manoeuvres as Whitsuntide approaches.

In which Lady Carbury endures the bitter pangs of literary criticism amidst fleeting triumphs, all the while nurturing extravagant hopes for her son’s future prosperity and societal ascendancy. Meanwhile, the intricacies of social manoeuvring unfold at her drawing-room gathering, where wealth, ambition, and uncertain affection intertwine around the young heiress Marie Melmotte and Sir Felix Carbur...

In which the noble Roger Carbury finds himself at odds with Lady Carbury's eager approval of a wealthy yet disreputable match for her son, while he counsels caution and honour in social connections. Amidst familial anxieties and delicate declarations of love, Roger battles his own despair upon contemplating the likelihood that the affections of his beloved cousin may be pledged to another.

In which a young Englishman named Paul Montague is reluctantly drawn into a grandiose American scheme to promote a vast South Central Pacific and Mexican railway, led by the audacious and garrulous Mr. Fisker, whose ambitions seem more directed at speculation than construction. The enterprise soon takes shape in London with the involvement of several notable figures, including the influential yet...

In which Lady Carbury wrestles with hopes and fears for her wayward son Felix, whose reckless expenses and gambling strain her resources and patience, while her cousin Roger Carbury confronts the young man with a stern resolve to curb his ruinous conduct. Meanwhile, the prospect of an advantageous marriage and literary success occupies Lady Carbury’s thoughts, even as difficult truths about family...

In which Sir Felix Carbury returns late from an evening's entertainment, his mother and sister harbouring worries about his gambling habits and disregard for family propriety, while Henrietta navigates the social complexities of the gathering. Meanwhile, the morning finds Sir Felix and his companions embroiled in high-stakes card games at the Beargarden, their rivalries and debts casting a shadow...

In which a grand ball of unprecedented splendour is held in Grosvenor Square, bringing together a mixture of society’s most exalted and newly wealthy, particularly the enigmatic Melmotte family, whose fortunes and alliances arouse much speculation and subtle intrigue. Amidst the glittering festivities and deft manoeuvres, young Marie Melmotte experiences the stirring of hopeful affection with Sir...

In which we become acquainted with Roger Carbury, an honourable but financially strained squire of ancient lineage who cherishes his Suffolk estate amidst wealthier neighbours, and learn of his heartfelt but unrequited proposal to his young cousin Henrietta, whose affections are complicated by the presence of a devoted friend, Paul Montague, returned from California with uncertain prospects. The d...

In which Lady Carbury struggles to maintain respectability and economy while her son Felix navigates the precarious social labyrinth of London, borrowing money and indulging in the expensive pursuits of hunting and gambling. Their discourse and subsequent outings reveal the delicate balance of pride, debt, and youthful recklessness that colour their days and the nights at a club aptly named the Be...

In which the somewhat embattled Lady Carbury, a woman of considerable cleverness and complexity, resolves to carve out a literary career to support her family amid the vexations brought by her prodigal son and the heavy burdens of her past. Her daughter Henrietta, sweet in nature and face, stands in hopeful contrast to her brother Sir Felix, whose handsome exterior barely conceals a failing heart,...

In which the resolute and graceful Lady Carbury, a woman devoted to the art of literature, dispatches a series of earnest letters to influential editors in the hopes of securing recognition and remuneration for her latest work, "Criminal Queens." Through these epistles, we catch a glimpse of her keen wit, social navigation, and the subtle compromises she negotiates within the literary and societal...