The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

Our story moves to Florence, where the paths of Nora and Mr Glascock meet again. This time, however, both are engaged to another, and while Nora regrets her poverty and wonders what her life would have been had Hugh never entered her life, both appear settled with their choices. Poor Lady Rowley is much distressed by her loss of a noble son-in-law, and there is an amusing episode of mistaken identity around the new fiancée.

On a more sombre note is the continued deterioration of Mr Trevelyan, and a real concern about the welfare of young Louey. Finally, there is his strange offer through Mr Glascock to return the boy to his mother. Do you trust in a safe return of the boy, and what do you think Emily will choose to do at this point? Do you think that either Louis or Emily will ever admit or acknowledge their own part in this tragedy?

Finally, we learn that Mr Gibson has escaped the clutches of Camilla French to return to the arms of Arabella. While I found this part of the saga initially somewhat dull, I must admit it has increased in interest! I particularly liked Dorothy and Aunt Stanbury's discussion:

'And so Bella French is to be the fortunate one after all,' said Miss Stanbury to her niece.
'It does seem to me to be so odd,' said Dorothy. 'I wonder how he looked when he proposed it.'
'Like a fool,--as he always does.'
Dorothy refrained from remarking that Miss Stanbury had not always thought that Mr. Gibson looked like a fool, but the idea occurred to her mind. 'I hope they shall will be happy at last,' she said.
'Pshaw! Such people can't be happy, and can't be unhappy. I don't suppose it much matters which he marries, or whether he marries them both, or neither. '

Fortunately, Aunt Stanbury is going to welcome Hugh to the wedding, which makes Dorothy's happiness complete.

Please share your thoughts on this section as we approach the end of our tale and our threads start to wind up.

Caroline Spalding has second thoughts about the marriage, and Mr Glascock convinces her that "he is right." I wonder if Trollope is presenting us a contrast here. Trevelyan does not succeed in convincing his wife that he is right, and Glascock does. There are a lot of differences in the way they do this, of course. And Trevelyan is coming from a place of jealousy and fear, and Glascock from one of love.

Mrs. Rowley thinking Miss Petrie was Mr Glascock's fiancee was funny.

Lori wrote: "Caroline Spalding has second thoughts about the marriage, and Mr Glascock convinces her that "he is right." I wonder if Trollope is presenting us a contrast here. Trevelyan does not succeed in conv..."

I felt that the difference was that Mr Glascock WAS right in what he said to Caroline, and I think that he is thinking of both of their happiness.

Lori wrote: "Mrs. Rowley thinking Miss Petrie was Mr Glascock's fiancee was funny...."

Poor Lady Rowley! She can't get over her disappointment at Nora's refusing Mr Glascock, and although she's quite a sensible woman, she can't stop her regrets. It would have been better if she had never learnt about it. And her horror at Miss Petrie was indeed rather funny.

I feel Miss Petrie is a bit like the female equivalent of Louis Trevelyan; she has the same self-conviction and self-importance, though it is more ludicrous than dangerous. Like Louis she twists everything to her own beliefs - eg when she says she hates "that word, woman, uttered with the half-hidden sneer which always accompanies its expression from the mouth of a man." Luckily she doesn't mange to sabotage Caroline's marriage.

For once I agree with Aunt Stanbury on her summing up of the Gibson marriage shenanigans. Was it an entirely satisfactory solution for any of them? Arabella might be happy for now having caught her ‘big fish’ but will she ever entirely trust him in the future?

Trollope seems to enjoy describing life in Italy, particularly Florence, which was probably where he had his meetings with Kate Field, the American journalist he admired so much. Nora has passed the test by remaining committed to Hugh, much to her mother’s disapproval, but also Mr. Glascock has demonstrated how he has moved on from Nora and is now firmly committed to Caroline.

The chapters relating to Emily and Louis this week seem to me to reach a climax of despair. Two illustrations in my book evoke the hopeless situation that has been created.
1. Emily clinging to an unresponsive Louis whilst their bewildered child looks on. (Chapter 79)
2. The bedraggled Louis looking at Louey realising that he cannot look after himself let alone his son and that his son needs his mother. (Chapter 84)

Louis’ insanity makes him so suspicious he can no longer appreciate his wife’s devotion. He also recognises that he has no future with his son. He is a pathetic, broken man who has rejected everyone. But it has all come out of misunderstanding as well as misplaced pride. Trollope sums up Louis’ failure in these quotes:-
“When he was alone his reflections respecting his wife were much juster than were his words when he spoke either with her, or to others, of her conduct. He would declare to himself not only that he did not believe her to have been false to him, but that he had never accused her of such crime. He had demanded from her obedience, and she had been disobedient.”

(If he believed Emily had been unfaithful) “He would have hated her, have distrusted her altogether, and have believed her to be an evil thing. He had no such belief. But in his desire to achieve empire, and in the sorrows which had come upon him in his unsuccessful struggle, his mind had wavered so frequently, that his spoken words were no true indicators of his thoughts; and in all his arguments he failed to express either his convictions or his desires.”

Trev wrote: "Arabella might be happy for now having caught her ‘big fish’ but will she ever entirely trust him in the future?..."

I think once Mr Gibson is caught he will stay caught - he must be thoroughly sick of 'love' affairs by now. Even if he does manage to persuade himself he's a man of romantic intrigue, I suspect any future intrigues will stay entirely in his head.

He must also be sick of having his affairs made the talk of the city: "Throughout Exeter the great wonder arising from the crisis was the amount of spirit which had been displayed by Mr Gibson". However, his spirit only extends to rejecting Camilla and he knows that he's now stuck with Arabella. His view of her in Chapter 82 gives a very dispiriting picture of his future marriage - "Bella French was not very nice in his eyes; but she was quiet, he thought, and it might be possible to live with her." Talk about damning with faint praise.

And contrast this with Dorothy, to whom the story immediately jumps, and who is now "living in a seventh heaven of happiness" which the Gibsons have no chance of attaining. We can only hope that they will manage to be civil to each other at least.