Martial Barnard

Felise Goring

Felise and Martial share a deeply passionate and intense romantic connection, marked by frequent and emotionally charged interactions.

Robert Godwin

Martial and Robert are fierce rivals, competing for Felise's affection and clashing over personal and ideological differences.

Miller Bond

Martial Barnard and Miller Bond have a professional relationship, likely as employer and employee or business associates.

Mary Shaw

Martial Barnard and Mary Shaw are acquaintances, with their interactions often mediated by their connections to Felise and Abner.

Ruy

Martial and Ruy share a friendly bond, often cooperating and showing mutual support.

Mr. Goring

Martial Barnard and Mr. Goring have a tense social relationship, with Mr. Goring likely disapproving of Martial's involvement with Felise.

Abner Brown

Abner Brown and Martial Barnard are enemies, with Abner frequently plotting against Martial.

Felise Goring

Felise and Martial share a deeply passionate and intense romantic connection, marked by frequent and emotionally charged interactions.

Robert Godwin

Martial and Robert are fierce rivals, competing for Felise's affection and clashing over personal and ideological differences.

Robert Godwin

Martial and Robert are fierce rivals, competing for Felise's affection and clashing over personal and ideological differences.

Miller Bond

Martial Barnard and Miller Bond have a professional relationship, likely as employer and employee or business associates.

Abner Brown

Abner Brown and Martial Barnard are enemies, with Abner frequently plotting against Martial.

IV

Martial is the beloved object of Felise's devotion; though absent, his image fills her heart and drives her prayer.

V

Martial rides his horse around the grassy circus, deeply absorbed in thought. He passes Felise twice without seeing her, finally noticing her on the third circuit.

VI

Barnard is deeply affected by Felise's presence, his heart racing and face flushing, but he struggles to maintain composure and ultimately leaves abruptly, torn between desire and duty.

VII

Rides away from Felise, returns to the beech tree, completes the carved initial 'M', finds and kisses her handkerchief, and wrestles with his feelings.

VIII

Martial is the object of Felise's desire; she suspects he completed the mark on the beech tree but is uncertain of his feelings.

IX

Martial is the object of Felise's intense desire; she resolves to bring him into her society continually, to talk with him, sit by him, and make him feel her presence.

X

The object of Felise's desire; a farmer of good family but limited means, whom she has met only three times.

XII

Attempts to destroy all reminders of his meeting with Felise; reflects on his past courtship of Rosa Wood, which has faded into weariness and a sense of duty.

XIII

Wracked with guilt and self-contempt over his treatment of Rosa; he breaks off the engagement and becomes obsessed with Felise's image, though he denies loving her.

XIV

Struggles with his attraction to Felise, attempts to destroy reminders of her, and secretly watches her by the pool.

XV

The object of Felise's search; she haunts his fields hoping for an accidental meeting.

XVI

Observes Felise from hiding, follows her, and questions her intentions; resolves to avoid romantic folly.

XVIII

Mentioned as the seller of Ruy; his financial troubles are implied.

XXIII

His financial difficulties are implied by his sale of Ruy; Felise is anxious about him.

XXV

Rosa's former fiancé; he avoids the town, but Rosa watches for him at the window.

I

Martial is the object of Rosa's affections; Rosa believes he has been captivated by Felise's beauty and poetic ideals.

II

Receives Ruy back and struggles with the thought that Rosa might be the benefactor.

IV

Martial bribes Mary Shaw with silver to learn Felise's daily plans so he can study 'the Picture' (Felise). He is free with his money and not shy, but his motives are more aesthetic than romantic.

XII

Passionately discusses Shakespeare's plays and their ideal performance, then catches himself and shifts to mundane topics; expresses helplessness about the Squire's cruelty.

XIII

Martial tries to maintain emotional distance from Felise, recalling his past romantic 'extravagances,' but is captivated by her beauty, noting her shoulder, knee, and hand. He discusses his disillusionment with farming and the social system.

XIV

Rides Ruy; is watched by Godwin; unaware of Godwin's feelings or Felise's secret purchase.

XV

Receives Felise's love with indifference; agrees to assist Godwin with statistics and meets Felise at Beechknoll.

Chapter XVI

Martial reclines at Felise's knee, worshipping her beauty but internally acknowledging that he does not love her.

XVII

Stays away from Felise out of financial shame and a resolve to retain his freedom, but is drawn back by his worship of beauty.

Miller Bond

Rescues Mary from the pool but becomes trapped with her; tries to direct the miller and his man to get a rope or floating object to escape.

XIX

Rescues Mary Shaw from the well, nearly drowning; experiences a vision of Felise and a sunset cloud that renews his strength.

XX

Returns from shooting, walks with Felise, and has confessed his past love for Rosa, causing Felise pain.

XXII

On the platform at the meeting; Felise is anxious for his safety.

XXIII

Pressed to second a resolution praising the Cornleighs; speaks reluctantly amid heckling.

XXIV

Delivers a passionate, ruinous speech against landlords and the Church, revealing his own financial collapse.

XXV

Arrives in time to shoot Ruy, rescues Felise, and declares his love for her.

XXVI

Realizes his love for Felise during the crisis; rejects Cornleigh's offer to keep the farm.

XXVII

Defends himself against Godwin's accusations, protects Felise, and refuses Rosa's offer of money to stay at the old farm, preferring to work with his hands.

XXIX

Refuses Rosa Wood's offer and Cornleigh's reconciliation; receives a job offer from London friends and marries Felise.

The Dawn of Fulfillment

Sleeps while Felise watches the dawn; his presence is the source of her happiness.