Beatrice Boville and Other Stories

A narrator who insists he will never marry finds himself defending Beatrice Boville against his family's suspicions. She is nineteen, frank and impetuous, and engaged to his cousin Earlscourt, whose attention is fixed on political life. Her admiration began with his intellect and a speech on the Austrian question. In the drawing rooms of Lemongenseidlitz, the narrator weighs her love against the rigid pride that both she and Earlscourt possess.

Ouida's collection places romance among people whose choices are shaped by reputation, money and social position. In Silver Chimes and Golden Fetters, a dance at Mrs Eden's leads to a difficult conversation: Waldemar Falkenstein tells Valerie L'Estrange that he must leave England with debts and an uncertain future. Her response gives the story its question of shared responsibility. Other pieces include Holly Wreaths and Rose Chains, Slander and Sillery, and Our Country Quarters, giving readers a range of shorter tales about affection and social life.