The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

We have one happy outcome in this section-Aunt Stanbury gives her consent to Dorothy and Brooke's marriage, and there is a reconciliation between her and her niece. Does this outcome surprise you?

Mr Gibson has come to a decision about Camilla, and has written to break off their engagement. What do you think of his actions, and what is his likely future course of action?

Trevelyan has fled the country with little Louey, and the Rowleys are following him to Italy. On their arrival in Florence, Lady Rowley learns that Mr Glascock is all in town. What do you foresee as the outcome of this situation?

Please share your thoughts on our story so far.

One quick aside-in Hugh Stanbury's letter to Nora in ch 71, when speaking of her father's disapproval of their engagement and alluding to eloping, he writes ...and you, dear, have nothing of the Lydia about you. which I am assuming is an allusion to Pride and Prejudice written some 50 years earlier. Does anyone know of anything else he could be alluding to? Would P&P be so well known that everyone would understand this reference?

Wasn't Lydia the younger sister in Pride and Prejudice who ran away with a man? I suppose her father is saying she wasn't the type to disregard her family in that way.

This being Trollope, the outcome between Aunt Stanbury, Dorothy, and Brooke was fully expected.

I left my notes back home, so maybe I'll write more in a couple of days.

Frances wrote: "Mr Gibson has come to a decision about Camilla, and has written to break off their engagement. What do you think of his actions, and what is his likely future course of action?..."

Mr Gibson's actions are a semi-amusing contrast to the other courtships in the book. He is as determined to end his engagement as Hugh is to carry his on; and the letter he writes to Camilla, while not a bad letter in the dreadful circumstances, states his inflexibility in promise-breaking just as Hugh and Nora have stated their own inflexibility in promise-keeping.

Much of this is Camilla's fault - her aggression has filled Mr Gibson with "a holy horror". This courtship, which was always based on strategy and calculation, now looks ready to erupt into full-blown war. Meanwhile Camilla's been greedily spending the family money on her trousseau - and almost her first reaction on getting Mr Gibson's letter is "what about the wedding presents?"

It's interesting that in buying her trousseau Camilla is assuming a pre-eminent position in the family because of her engagement; just as Dorothy, on becoming engaged, has achieved a higher status in her mother's eyes. But the way Dorothy talks to her fiance makes it clear that her engagement is based on an openness and affection which is entirely missing from that of Camilla and Mr Gibson. Let's hope that if he manages to escape being murdered by Camilla, Mr Gibson will at least be able to find some genuine affection for Arabella. It seemed that initially he did have some feelings for her, but not strong enough to survive an unbecoming hairpiece. Maybe sheer relief will have to do.

Despite Aunt Stanbury’s bluster she is really quite taken with Dorothy. It is probably the quiet but purposeful determination which Dorothy displays that her aunt admires most of all. She may remind her of herself in her youth. Whatever it is, Aunt Stanbury knows she can’t ruin Dorothy’s happiness and must give way.

Whilst the situation with Mr Gibson is farcical, I find it hard to be amused by the way he treats both the sisters. If he could get out of marrying either of them he would, so I don’t see much devotion in him for his future wife whichever one of them it is.

Louis’ ‘escape’ to Italy is yet another desperate attempt to run away from his problems. The fact that the only man he now trusts is so fickle as to readily give away information about his whereabouts provides insights both into the character of the dubious private detective and Louis’ own rapidly diminishing lack of judgement. Lady Rowley’s discovery of Mr. Glascock is bound to rekindle her ambitions for Nora to become his future wife.

I cannot think of anyone other than Lydia Bennet that Hugh is referring to when suggesting that Nora elopes with him. It made me think that his proposal was not altogether serious, or if it was, he knew that Nora would never agree to it. However, he has been rejected out of hand by Nora’s father so rather than win him over, like Dorothy with Aunt Stanbury, he is willing to risk everything with desperate measures.

There was a young Irish understudy mentioned. Do we know him?

I wondered if it might be Phineas Finn but wasn't sure!

Every once in a while Trollope refers to someone from the Palliser or Barchester novels, so I thought it might be Phineas (or one of his Irish colleagues, as I didn't remember Phineas's title).

Trev wrote: "Despite Aunt Stanbury’s bluster she is really quite taken with Dorothy. It is probably the quiet but purposeful determination which Dorothy displays that her aunt admires most of all. She may remin..."

I don't know if everyone has read David Copperfield but she certainly reminds me of Aunt Betsey Trotwood more and more (hope I have the name right!). I suspect that, more and more, she has come to respect Dorothy's judgement (she was certainly right about Mr Gibson) and to miss her very much. Also, at heart, I think we are meant to believe that Miss Stanbury has a heart of gold, so I expect good things will come to all the family in time.

While I don't think that Hugh considers Nora to be a Lydia (nor himself to be a George Wickham) I think they are left with either an impossibly long engagement or taking matters into their own hands and quietly marrying without her parents blessing and living on Hugh's earnings. This would be a gamble, but not an unreasonable one if Nora is willing to live simply.

I find it noteworthy that when trying to convince her parents that Hugh Stanbury was worthy to be her husband, she never brought up his education. He went to Harrow, then Oxford, then law school (or enough of an equivalent to become a barrister), but that wasn't even worth mentioning. Neither did the Rowley address it when discussing or considering him. Do you think that was a British thing? Would American parents find good education was a point in his favor, but in Britain it was whether he was a Gentleman combined with his living/income?

The scene where Lord Marmaduke visited Hugh at the Daily Record was very descriptive, how he compared the dark dingy office with his bright spacious workplace on the islands.

I was glad to see Aunt Stanbury reunited with Dorothy. They are both likely to be happier with Brooke than Mr. Gibson.

Camilla is an interesting character. I am trying to think of a situation in which she might be truly happy. She does seem to be motivated by competition, with little opportunity to vent that drive other than to beat her sister to engagement. She’s horrible but also kinda sad.

Bonnie wrote: "I find it noteworthy that when trying to convince her parents that Hugh Stanbury was worthy to be her husband, she never brought up his education. He went to Harrow, then Oxford, then law school (o..."

Good point, Bonnie, I can only think that perhaps education alone wouldn't be enough to get you a well-paying job to support a wife and family. It does all seem to boil down to money, but perhaps that was the reality that had to be addressed when "choosing" a suitable husband for your daughter-that he could support her in society.