A Hazard of New Fortunes · Character

Mrs. Leighton

A practical widow who keeps a boardinghouse and her dignity, watching her daughter Alma parry a painter's attentions with a mother's worried, unsentimental love.

supporting

Also known as Mrs. ¬ÝLeighton

First appearance: a hazard of new fortunes

As a supporting figure in A Hazard of New Fortunes, Mrs. Leighton is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

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She runs the household where the Woodburns and the Marches cross paths, and she measures every new lodger by whether they will do her daughters good. She is no sentimentalist, but she feels for Beaton even as she sees Alma freeze him out, and she cannot quite approve of her daughter's tactics. Her steady, slightly anxious presence anchors the novel's domestic comedy and gives the social climbing around her a moral baseline.

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, the dramatic climax occurs as Beaton confronts the psychological peak of his internal conflic…

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In the story

Mrs. Leighton appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Mrs. Leighton worries about Mr. Beaton's absence and discusses the family's move to New York and their financial risks.
II
Anxiously shows the rooms to the Woodburns and worries about their ability to pay.
IV
Receives Beaton with a welcome marked by resentment for his delayed visit.
V
Observes the interaction between Beaton and Alma with bewilderment; later expresses concern that Beaton may not return.
Chapter X
Feels hurt on Alma's behalf when Beaton leaves for a reception, and listens to Colonel Woodburn's arguments.
XV
Defends Beaton and expresses lingering resentment toward the Marches for not renting her rooms.
III
Rents out her St. Barnaby house for summer; hosts evenings with the group.
XV
Mrs. Leighton expresses conventional worries about Alma's future marriage prospects, reflecting the societal pressure on women to marry. She is skeptical that Alma's rejection of Beaton is truly final.

Chapter companion notes

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