Short Fiction · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Mary Shelley.

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Chapter 1
A Tale of the Passions
In 1268 Florence, during the Guelph triumph, the Ghibelline cobbler Cincolo and his Guelph wife Monna Gegia argue over their divided loyalties. A mysterious young stranger, Ricciardo de' Rossini, arrives seeking refuge, revealing himself as a Ghibelline agent connected to Corradino's cause. Meanwhile, a woman (Despina) pleads with the Guelph leader Lostendardo to support Corradino over Charles d'Anjou, appealing to his former love for her and the Swabian cause.
Chapter 2
Ferdinando Eboli
The chapter recounts the story of Count Ferdinando Eboli, a young noble who returns to Naples during the Napoleonic era to reclaim his patrimony and is betrothed to Adalinda, daughter of the Marchese Spina. After departing for a campaign, his identity is usurped by his elder half-brother, a natural son of the old Count, who impersonates him, has him imprisoned and condemned to hard labor, and then attempts to marry Adalinda. Adalinda eventually suspects the deception, confronts the impostor, and resolves to escape.
Chapter 3
The Sisters of Albano
During an excursion to Lake Albano, the narrator's companion, Countess Atanasia, recounts the tragic story of Anina, a peasant girl whose love for Domenico Baldi, a bandit, leads to sorrow and separation. The tale unfolds against the backdrop of the French military presence and the bandit gang at Rocca Giovane, intertwining themes of love, crime, and inevitable misery.
Chapter 4
The Evil Eye
Zella, a mother, is consumed by fear and superstition after her son Constans is kidnapped by Dmitri of the Evil Eye, an Arnaoot klepht. Her husband Cyril, along with her father Old Camaraz, embarks on a perilous journey across the Morea and Epirus to rescue the child, uncovering clues that implicate Cyril's own brother Katusthius in the abduction. The chapter explores themes of maternal anxiety, betrayal, and the supernatural influence of the Evil Eye.
Chapter 5
The False Rhyme
On a rainy July day, Queen Margaret of Navarre challenges her brother King Francis I after finding his cynical couplet about women's inconstancy. She bets she can prove a woman's fidelity within a month, citing the case of Emilie de Lagny, who disappeared after her husband's imprisonment. As the deadline approaches, the jailor brings a message from the imprisoned Sire de Lagny. The king, in good humor after a military victory, agrees to see the prisoner. The prisoner reveals herself to be Emilie, who had exchanged places with her husband to save him. She explains that her husband, disguised as her page, escaped, joined the army, and delivered the victory dispatches. Francis pardons de Lagny, breaks the window with the false rhyme, and celebrates the triumph of women's fidelity.

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A Tale of the Passions

Ferdinando Eboli

The Sisters of Albano

The Evil Eye

The False Rhyme