Volume 1: Chapters 4–7 Summary
Chapter 4
Lionel meets Lord Raymond and finds that he admires him, though the two men quarrel about Adrian, whom Lionel loves and Raymond disdains. It soon becomes apparent that Perdita is in love with Raymond, though Lionel initially believes that Raymond will not return her love, as he intends to marry into the former royal family.
While visiting Perdita, Lionel meets Adrian’s sister, Idris, who tells him that Adrian is not mad, but has been betrayed and imprisoned. She asks Lionel to find her brother, wherever he is, and save him, a proposition to which Lionel instantly agrees. Shortly after this, Lionel learns from Lord Raymond that Adrian is with the duke of Athol at Dunkeld. At the same time as he tells him this, Raymond states that Adrian is “irrecoverably mad” and that he himself aspires to marry Idris and restore the monarchy, with him as the king. This awakens the jealousy of Lionel, who has fallen in love with Idris himself.
Lionel accompanies Raymond to a debate in parliament, where Raymond speaks in favor of restoring the monarchy. His eloquence wins the day, and Lionel sees that Raymond is closer than ever to achieving his ambitions and becoming king.
Chapter 4 (2)
The first edition of this book contains two chapters labeled “4” in the first volume.
The next day, Lionel accompanies Raymond to Windsor, where Raymond suddenly and unexpectedly declares his love for Perdita, who agrees to marry him. Lionel then makes the journey to Dunkeld and finds Adrian there, seriously ill and unconscious. He stays by his friend’s bedside until he opens his eyes and, to Lionel’s relief, recognizes him and appears to be entirely sane. On the evening of the day that this happens, Adrian’s mother and sister arrive. The countess is cold in her manner, but Idris thanks Lionel fervently for his kindness to Adrian.
After a few weeks, the countess and Idris return to Windsor, while Lionel and Adrian, who is still weak, take a leisurely trip through England in the same direction. One day, at sunset, Adrian feels himself returning to health and makes a passionate speech to Lionel about his happiness and his intentions for the future. He says that, as he has been so fortunate, from this day forth he intends to use all his gifts and talents to bestow blessings on his fellow human beings. As he says this, Lionel sees the fragility of his friend, who appears to him like “a dying flame on an altar.”
Chapter 5
When Lionel and Adrian return to Windsor, Lionel discovers that Perdita and Raymond have gone to Europe, and he takes up residence in Perdita’s cottage. He passes his time in reading and study, and is very poor, since he will not apply either to Raymond or to Adrian for money. Idris and Adrian come regularly to visit him, and Lionel finally tells Idris that he loves her, and enlists Adrian’s help in gaining her hand in marriage. Though Idris returns his love, they all understand that the countess will be implacably opposed to the match.
The countess reacts as predicted, doing all she can to separate Idris from Lionel. One night, Idris comes to Lionel in the middle of the night, obviously distraught and begging him to save her. She says that she has discovered that the countess intends to have her kidnapped and taken to Germany, where she will be imprisoned or married off to someone else. They flee to London together and meet Adrian there. Adrian writes to his mother, telling her that Idris is in his...
(This entire section contains 1001 words.)
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care, but the countess writes back, bitterly disowning both her children. Idris and Lionel are then married.
Chapter 6
Lionel and Idris set up their home in Windsor Castle, with Adrian, while Raymond and Perdita live in a house nearby at the edge of Windsor Great Park. This arrangement suits all of them, and they pass the time contentedly together, though Adrian is sometimes subject to fits of despondency. Raymond seems content to be Perdita’s husband and no longer talks of becoming king. The two couples both have children, which adds to their happiness.
Lionel, Idris, Adrian, Perdita, and Raymond all make the journey from Windsor to London, in order to be present when a lord protector is chosen for the kingdom. Once they are there, Raymond tells Lionel that he has a plan to nominate Adrian for this role. Adrian declines but proposes that Raymond should be lord protector instead, since he is a man of the world, better suited to political life than Adrian.
At first, it seems unlikely that Raymond will be chosen as lord protector. He is afraid of failure, and Perdita is particularly distraught to think of the effect that disappointment might have on him. However, the leading candidate withdraws from the contest, and Raymond is selected for the post.
Chapter 7
Raymond and Perdita move into the Protectoral Palace in London, while Lionel, Idris, and Adrian return to Windsor. Raymond throws himself into various schemes to improve the city and is particularly enthusiastic about building a new national art gallery. He receives hundreds of designs for this building but is best pleased by one that, for all its novelty and elegance, is full of technical errors.
This design is presented to Raymond by a Greek, who admits that he is not the designer. When he has the Greek followed, Raymond finds that the gallery building was designed by Princess Evadne, with whom Adrian had been in love and who is now living in squalor in one of the poorest parts of London. Evadne tells Raymond the tale of her misfortunes, how her father and then her husband were reduced to penury, after which her father died and her husband committed suicide. She is still in love with Raymond and makes him promise that he will tell no one about her or her current reduced circumstances. Raymond agrees and visits her every day without telling Perdita.