An Eye for an Eye by Anthony Trollope

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Editorial note

This book is about the seduction of a young girl by the heir to an earldom, the resulting illegitimate pregnancy, and the young nobleman's struggle to decide whether to marry or to abandon the girl--certainly not the usual content of Victorian novels.

Trollope is believed to have written _An Eye for an Eye_ in 1870, but he did not publish it until the fall of 1878, when it appeared in serial form in the _Whitehall Review_, followed by publication of the entire book in 1879. The reason for delaying publication is unknown, although Trollope might have been concerned about the book's reception by the public, given its subject matter and the hostile reception in 1853 of Elizabeth Gaskell's _Ruth_, which dealt with the same subject.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

ANTHONY TROLLOPE

1879

CONTENTS

VOLUME I.

INTRODUCTION I. SCROOPE MANOR II. FRED NEVILLE III. SOPHIE MELLERBY IV. JACK NEVILLE V. ARDKILL COTTAGE VI. I'LL GO BAIL SHE LIKES IT VII. FATHER MARTY'S HOSPITALITY VIII. I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO GO IX. FRED NEVILLE RETURNS TO SCROOPE X. FRED NEVILLE'S SCHEME XI. THE WISDOM OF JACK NEVILLE XII. FRED NEVILLE MAKES A PROMISE

VOLUME II.

I. FROM BAD TO WORSE II. IS SHE TO BE YOUR WIFE? III. FRED NEVILLE RECEIVES A VISITOR AT ENNIS IV. NEVILLE'S SUCCESS V. FRED NEVILLE IS AGAIN CALLED HOME TO SCROOPE VI. THE EARL OF SCROOPE IS IN TROUBLE VII. SANS REPROCHE VIII. LOOSE ABOUT THE WORLD IX. AT LISCANNOR X. AT ARDKILL XI. ON THE CLIFFS XII. CONCLUSION

VOLUME I.

INTRODUCTION.

At a private asylum in the west of England there lives, and has lived for some years past, an unfortunate lady, as to whom there has long since ceased to be any hope that she should ever live elsewhere. Indeed, there is no one left belonging to her by whom the indulgence of such a hope on her behalf could be cherished. Friends she has none; and her own condition is such, that she recks nothing of confinement and does not even sigh for release. And yet her mind is ever at work,--as is doubtless always the case with the insane. She has present to her, apparently in every waking moment of her existence, an object of intense interest, and at that she works with a constancy which never wearies herself, however fatiguing it may be to those who are near her. She is ever justifying some past action of her life. "An eye for an eye," she says, "and a tooth for a tooth. Is it not the law?" And these words she will repeat daily, almost from morn till night.

It has been said that this poor lady has no friends. Friends who would be anxious for her recovery, who would care to see her even in her wretched condition, who might try to soothe her harassed heart with words of love, she has none. Such is her condition now, and her temperament, that it may be doubted whether any words of love, however tender, could be efficacious with her. She is always demanding justification, and as those who are around her never thwart her she has probably all the solace which kindness could give her.

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