- Prologue
- Chapter I. The Burtons
- Chapter II. Baxendale Hall
- Chapter III. Laurence Baxendale
- Chapter IV. Mrs. Candy
- Chapter V. Anthony's suggestion
- Chapter VI. Rufus Webb
- Chapter VII. A woman tempts
- Chapter VIII. The course of true love
- Chapter IX. Another woman tempts
- Chapter X. Mrs. Candy's holiday
- Chapter XI. The burning of Baxendale
- Chapter XII. Suspicion
- Chapter XIII. The losing of the keys
- Chapter XIV. The finding of the keys
- Chapter XV. In the lanes
- Chapter XVI. Mrs. Candy's opinion
- Chapter XVII. Vain oblations
- Chapter XVIII. Wedding bells
- Chapter XIX. Winter days
- Chapter XX. To what purpose ?
- Chapter XXI. Lady Alicia
- Chapter XXII. The lanes again
- Chapter XXIII. The professor's visit
"Then was there war in the house of Baxendale. Guy had made up his mind to wed the fair daughter of the forester; while Sir Stephen and Dame Alice his wife had made up their minds — with equal firmness — that no son of their noble name should mate with a daughter of the people". A rumor started that the girl was a witch and so she was burned. However before she was burned she cursed the family who condemned her:
"First by the King, and then by the State,
And thirdly by that which is thrice as great
As these, and a thousandfold stronger and higher
Shall Baxendale Hall be made fuel of fire".
Ever since, the Baxendales cannot be truly happy, for they cannot have true love. What is life without love? They do their duty, rule over the land, but cannot be happy. Can the curse be lifted? Can a Baxendale experience true love?
This book is a protest against the prominent view of marriage at the time. Against the values of ambition and duty, and of course against social class. It offers a new way to look at marriage, the modern way of true love. A year after publishing this novel, the author, a daughter of a viscount, would marry a senior teacher at a navy school. Not someone from her own class. However the marriage was described as very happy. - Summary from the book's prolog with additions by Stav Nisser.
"First by the King, and then by the State,
And thirdly by that which is thrice as great
As these, and a thousandfold stronger and higher
Shall Baxendale Hall be made fuel of fire".
Ever since, the Baxendales cannot be truly happy, for they cannot have true love. What is life without love? They do their duty, rule over the land, but cannot be happy. Can the curse be lifted? Can a Baxendale experience true love?
This book is a protest against the prominent view of marriage at the time. Against the values of ambition and duty, and of course against social class. It offers a new way to look at marriage, the modern way of true love. A year after publishing this novel, the author, a daughter of a viscount, would marry a senior teacher at a navy school. Not someone from her own class. However the marriage was described as very happy. - Summary from the book's prolog with additions by Stav Nisser.
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