The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

This section moves us into even more worrisome territory with the Trevelyans, when Louis and Bozzle engineer a kidnapping of young Louis and then hide themselves away from Emily and her family, refusing to reunite the boy with his mother until she confesses that she has sinned-and it is not clear in what way Louis feels that Emily has sinned.

What is clear, however, is that Trevelyan continues to decline in mental and physical health, and that even those who are currently working for him are starting to feel that there is something seriously wrong.

Hugh has come to visit Nora, but is clearly not welcome as a suitor by her family. Can he ever prove that he is able to support a wife well enough that they might marry?

For some relief, we see Miss Stanbury sending Martha with a package for Dorothy, and a clear message that she hopes she will return to live with her. She won't quite admit that she is wrong, but is hoping that Martha can somehow smooth the way for Dorothy's return.

Finally, all is not well at Heavitree Lane-is Camilla going to be thrown over? Could Arabella possibly steal her sister's fiancé?

Please share your thoughts on this section, and on our novel so far.

This is getting very dark where Trevelyan's state of mind is concerned. As Frances says, the child-snatching is extremely worrisome - quite apart from the underhand and pre-planned manner in which it's done, how safe is the child actually going to be with him?

When Lady Rowley visits Louis and he talks about how Emily 'must be crushed in spirit before she can again become a pure and happy woman,' it sounds like religious mania. No wonder Lady Rowley walks out. And it's clear that Sir Marmaduke will be of absolutely no use in any negotiations as he is himself dictatorial and obtuse.

Emily's approaches were, I think, bound to be unsuccessful, as even if they were to live together again Louis would be forever on the watch for the tiniest transgression of his rules, and Emily could not survive that for long. But the child's sobs when she visits are heart-breaking. And after she goes, Louis, instead of comforting his son, leaves him to his landlady and instead sits and obsesses for the rest of the day. The boy's welfare is not paramount for him; it is only the ownership of the boy that matters.

This is a horrible situation. Luckily things elsewhere are lighter, with Miss Stanbury wanting to make peace with Dorothy, and even Arabella's illness has its funny side as her sister storms around the house slamming doors. Mr Gibson's bible-reading to the bed-bound Arabella (in her best cap) is not actually that devious, for 'they both endeavoured to take (the reading) to their hearts.' However it's also obvious to us what they both are really thinking. The fact that Mr Gibson leaves hating himself for his infidelity makes him a little more likeable (but not much.)

Back to the mince pies now... to anyone celebrating Christmas, have a good one.

Emma wrote: "But the child's sobs when she visits are heart-breaking. And after she goes, Louis, instead of comforting his son, leaves him to his landlady and instead sits and obsesses for the rest of the day. The boy's welfare is not paramount for him; it is only the ownership of the boy that matters. ."

Good point-it is sad that Louis has so little regard for his child. The servants he has hired seem to wish the best for him, and clearly feel he should be with his mother, but it is worrying to think of the potential for mistreatment at the hands of 2 overworked servants who now have to contend with a child who will no doubt be unhappy and crying a lot on top of their regular work.

And a Merry Christmas to you as well, Emma, and to everyone else good wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season.

Louis’ kidnapping of his own child is not only a terrible humiliation for Emily but also an indication that his obsession has gone beyond the emotions of pure jealousy. The fact that Bozzle has helped him ( he couldn’t have achieved it on his own) makes it even more of a criminal act against his wife, who is surely his wife in name only from this time forward. Also his use of the word ‘sinned’ seems to indicate to me that he believes Bozzle’s conjecture that Emily has been meeting Osborne in secret. He is truly a sick man but who is now becoming dangerous to his child, himself and to the sanity of his wife.

With Hugh and Nora, I don’t think Hugh is going to change his ways or try to find another career but Nora has made up her mind to stand up for him. That will cause even more conflict in the Rowley household.

Miss Stanbury is coming to realise that in this ‘modern’ world she can’t have it all her own way. Having ‘cut off her nose’ and regretting the loss of Dorothy I can sense the enormous effort going on inside Miss Stanbury to bend towards reconciliation.

Occasionally I feel some (probably undeserved) sympathy for Mr Gibson. He really doesn’t want to marry either of the girls but has now put himself in a situation (which he himself created) where he must marry one of them. Of course he has made the wrong choice because Camilla would ‘have him for breakfast’ every day of his life, but is it too late to alter that? Although the Heavitree Lane interludes are amusing I think Trollope might be making a point about the way eligible men often ride roughshod over the hearts and minds of the women of the time, so he is backing one into a corner for a change.

Trev wrote: "I think Trollope might be making a point about the way eligible men often ride roughshod over the hearts and minds of the women of the time, so he is backing one into a corner for a change.."

I love this suggestion, and agree that Trollope often shows sympathy with the situation Victorian women would find themselves in, and despite how awful the French sisters are at times, there is an underlying sympathy for their lot.

I'd also be interested in seeing how society in general is interpreting Trevelyan's actions, what the gossip would be about his leaving the country with the child and the break up of the marriage. Would Trevelyan's actions lead people to believe that Emily had in fact "sinned" in some unpardonable way?

All I have in my notes for this section is "Trevelyan is completely nuts."

What a traumatic experience for the little boy. Even though he's with his father, it must have been terrifying to be taken from his mother in the night like that, and he must have been able to hear her screaming as he was driven off.

Lori wrote: "All I have in my notes for this section is "Trevelyan is completely nuts."

What a traumatic experience for the little boy. Even though he's with his father, it must have been terrifying to be tak..."

Unfortunately I don't think he has much of a relationship with his father by this time so he is now effectively with strangers. Yes, Trevelyan is now crazy, and even if Emily decided to completely abase herself, "confess and beg forgiveness" so she could go back to her child, I would fear for her safety.

Frances wrote: "I'd also be interested in seeing how society in general is interpreting Trevelyan's actions, what the gossip would be about his leaving the country with the child and the break up of the marriage. Would Trevelyan's actions lead people to believe that Emily had in fact "sinned" in some unpardonable way?."

I think you are right in being concerned about society’s view of Emily and interpretation of why Louis abducted the child. In chapter 67, Trollope makes a distinct reference to the fact that at least some of Osborne’s fellow members of the government committee believe that Emily is not innocent........

”Colonel Osborne sat by the while and asked no questions. He had been put on the Committee as a respectable dummy; but there was not a member sitting there who did not know that Sir Marmaduke had been brought home as his friend;—and some of them, no doubt, had whispered that this bringing home of Sir Marmaduke was part of the payment made by the Colonel for the smiles of the Governor's daughter.”

As well as fanning the flames of Louis’ jealousy, Colonel Osborne’s reputation regarding trifling with young women does Emily no good at all. No doubt she will see him again, but every meeting with him will make it harder for her to win back her good name.

I also think that Lady Rowley suspects that Colonel Osborne has not been as innocent as he claims, while Emily's father, who is a bit of an old buffer himself, won't believe that someone his own age would be flirting with a young woman as he can't imagine doing it himself.

Frances wrote: "I also think that Lady Rowley suspects that Colonel Osborne has not been as innocent as he claims, while Emily's father, who is a bit of an old buffer himself, won't believe that someone his own ag..."

What a pity that Emily did not have her mother close by to confide in when Colonel Osborne started paying his respects. Instead, the one person she seems to listen to was thousands of miles away in the Mandarin Islands. It is easy to forget the ages of Emily and Nora, both in their very early twenties and right at the beginning of adulthood. Their mother may prove to be very helpful for them both but I am not so sure about Sir Marmaduke.

Just started Chapter 60. The parents are almost back to England and I have a prediction... They will think Emily needs to return to husband, STAT! Not the cozy reunion she is daydreaming about:

But they to whom they were going now would receive her with joy;—would make her welcome with all her load of sorrows, would give to her a sympathy which it was impossible that she should receive from others. Though she might not be happy now,—for in truth how could she be ever really happy again,—there would be a joy to her in placing her child in her mother's arms, and in receiving her father's warm caresses.

BTW sometimes when I am reading this book and have little arguments in my own mind (or with my DH over meals, I give him updates) about who's more in the wrong or whether Emily should go back to Louis, I imagine contemporary readers having basically the same discussions. Did this come out serially, like a chapter every week in a newspaper or magazine?

So I picture e.g. the March sisters from Little Women in their parlour, by candlelight, reading the story aloud and then arguing about Emily and Louis, Nora and Mr. Glasscock vs. Hugh, whether Dorothy should accept BB'S proposal despite Aunt Stansbury 's disapproval.

People from the 1800s. They're just like us!
🤓😅

It did come out in serial form. The copy I am reading has a photograph of a stack of the pamphlets from the publication. Each section cost sixpence.

And I love your depiction of the family gathered around to discuss the novel as each section came out. We have nothing like that now. Even our book clubs only tend to meet once the novel is finished. But it must’ve been fun!