The Last Chronicle of Barset · Character

Emily Dunstable

A pretty, good-humoured heiress whose fortune makes Bernard Dale's courtship a family matter, and whose London invitation draws Lily Dale out of her Allington fortress.

supporting

Also known as Miss Emily Dunstable, Miss Dunstable, Emily

First appearance: Lily Dale Goes to London

As a supporting figure in The Last Chronicle of Barset, Emily Dunstable is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A wealthy heiress and cousin of Mrs.

In the storyBy Heavens He Had Better Not!Open this moment free

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Emily Dunstable enters the Barsetshire world as the wealthy young woman Bernard Dale is expected to marry, her money as welcome to the Allington estate as her photograph is pleasing to the squire. She is eager to meet Lily Dale and becomes the occasion for Lily's first London visit in years, a trip that puts Lily uncomfortably near both Crosbie and John Eames. Cheerful and well-liked, Emily matters less for what she does than for the social machinery she sets in motion.

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See Emily Dunstable in Lily Dale Goes to London

Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Emily Dunstable sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

London social circle
Central plot characters
Extended cast and minor characters
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this chapter, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when John Eames, after years of unrequited love f…

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In the story

Emily Dunstable appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

By Heavens He Had Better Not!
A wealthy heiress and cousin of Mrs. Thorne, she was previously considered a suitable match for Major Grantly by his mother.
Lily Dale Goes to London
Emily is Bernard Dale's fiancée, an heiress with twenty thousand pounds; she is the niece of Mrs. Thorne (formerly Miss Dunstable) and is to marry Bernard in May.
Why Don’t You Have an “It” for Yourself?
Betrothed to Bernard Dale, becomes close friends with Lily, and enjoys ante-nuptial happiness.
Rotten Row
Rides with Bernard and Lily; later listens to Lily's confidences about Crosbie.
A Lady Presents Her Compliments to Miss L. D.
Accompanies Lily and Mrs. Thorne; Lily confides in her about the letter and the encounter.
The Shattered Tree
Lily Dale confides in her about her settled decision not to marry John Eames.

Chapter companion notes

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See Emily Dunstable in Lily Dale Goes to London

See Emily Dunstable in By Heavens He Had Better Not!