Short Fiction · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Anthony Trollope.

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Chapter 1
Relics of General Chassé
The narrator recounts an adventure in Antwerp involving his friend Mr. Horne, who loses his trousers and is forced to borrow the innkeeper's ill-fitting clothes. Later, at a gathering hosted by his cousin Miss Macmanus, the narrator encounters a group of Englishwomen who boast of taking relics—including undergarments—from General Chassé's rooms at the castle. A quarrel erupts among the women over the spoils, and the narrator reflects on the absurdity and impropriety of the incident.
Chapter 2
The O'Conors of Castle Conor, County Mayo
The narrator, Archibald Green, recounts his first introduction to Irish country life through a hunting visit to the O'Conor family. After arriving in Ballyglass with no introductions, he eventually meets Tom O'Conor and his sons while foxhunting. Invited to Castle Conor, he enjoys generous hospitality, including a dance arranged by the O'Conor daughters, and stays for three weeks, forming a close bond with the family.
Chapter 3
The Courtship of Susan Bell
The chapter follows the Bell family—widow Mrs. Bell and her daughters Hetta and Susan—living quietly in Saratoga Springs. Susan catches the attention of Aaron Dunn, a young railroad engineer, but their budding romance is interrupted when Mrs. Bell, influenced by Hetta's fiancé Mr. Beckard, sends Aaron away. Susan falls into despair, but Aaron later writes that he has secured a permanent position and wishes to marry her. He returns, and after a tense reunion, the mother finally consents to their engagement.
Chapter 4
An Unprotected Female at the Pyramids
A party of English and American tourists, including the Damer family, Mr. Ingram, M. Delabordeau, and the determined spinster Miss Dawkins, travel to the Pyramids. Miss Dawkins, an 'unprotected female,' maneuvers for social inclusion and a Nile voyage invitation from the Damers. Meanwhile, Jefferson Ingram proposes to Fanny Damer atop the Great Pyramid, and she accepts, though she fears her father's disapproval. The chapter contrasts Miss Dawkins's assertive independence with Fanny's romantic anxieties and Mrs. Damer's frailty.
Chapter 5
The Château of Prince Polignac
Mrs. Thompson, a widow with a comfortable income from her late husband's East India service, has settled in Le Puy, France, where she enjoys the inexpensive Hôtel des Ambassadeurs and the attentions of the polished M. Lacordaire. During an excursion to the ruined Château of Polignac with her daughters Mimmy and Lilian, M. Lacordaire proposes marriage. Mrs. Thompson, practical and cautious, insists on discussing finances before romance, and learns that M. Lacordaire earns eight thousand francs a year from his business, though he hesitates to name it.

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Relics of General Chassé

The O'Conors of Castle Conor, County Mayo

The Courtship of Susan Bell

An Unprotected Female at the Pyramids

The Château of Prince Polignac