Can You Forgive Her?

by Anthony Trollope

Delicacy with many women is like their cleanliness. Nothing can be nicer than the whole outside get-up, but you wouldn't wish to answer for anything beneath."

Delicacy And cleanliness

close to the house. The ruins

The ruins close to the house. . . are our great lion. I do so love to wander around them at moonlight

for nothing being pretty; not even his wife, or he wouldn't have married

But can you forgive her, delicate reader? Or am I asking the question too early in my story?

Can you forgive her?

Between those lamps is the entrance to the House of Commons, and none but Members may go that way! It is the only gate before which I have ever stood filled with envy,—sorrowing to think that my steps might never pass under it. There are many portals forbidden to me, as there are many forbidden to all men; and forbidden fruit, they say, is sweet; but my lips have watered after no other fruit but that which grows so high, within the sweep of that great policeman's truncheon.

Trollope narrates his own failure: he spent £ 400 of his own money (~$$ 60,000.00 today) running on the Liberal ticket and came in last out of 4 candidates: the seat went to two Conservatives

it is a consolation to the ambition of the poor to know that the ambition of the rich can attain that glory by the strength of its riches alone.

The poor are consoled by knowing the rich buy their way to heaven

He twits at me because I don't understand Parliament and the British Constitution, but I know more of them than he does about a woman.

Men know more about the constitution then women

I do not know that she was at all points a lady, but had Fate so willed it she would have been a thorough gentleman.

Perhaps not a Lady but a Gentleman. This, actually, is Trollope’s greatest compliment given to Alice in the entire book. He means no irony; come up from the kiddie table

Let the living think of the dead, when their thoughts will travel that way whether the thinker wish it or no.

Let the living think of the dead— A good toast, it strikes me.

woman may forgive deceit, treachery, desertion,—even the preference given to a rival. She may forgive them and forget them; but I do not think that a woman can forget a blow.

A woman will forgive everything save being hit

But, before God, my first wish is to free you from the misfortune that I have brought on you."

I wish to free you of the misfortune having me as a wife

with a beaked nose,

Clear reference, confirmed later, to encounter with sharp-dealing Jewish banker

Now there is a spirit of wisdom about you that will do for him, and a spirit of folly that will suit me.

Alice: a spirit of wisdom to suit Mr Pallister; a spirit of folly to suit Glencora (law of excluded middle—women are not either prudes or whores)

If you lie under a tree, and open your mouth, a plum may fall into it.

If you lay under a tree, a plum may fall into your mouth—but more likely it won’t

In all the troubles of her love, of her engagements, and her broken promises, she had thought more of others than of herself,—and,

All Alice's troubles stemmed from caring more about others than herself

If you love me, Alice, I tell you that you dare not refuse me. If you do so, you will fail hereafter to reconcile it to your conscience before God."

If you love me, you dare not refuse me

He was so imperious in his tranquillity, he argued his question of love with such a manifest preponderance of right on his side, that she had always felt that to yield to him would be to confess the omnipotence of his power. She knew now that she must yield to him,—that his power over her was omnipotent.

Trollope never lets Alice SAVOR her love.

"You win everything,—always,"

This is no Jane Austin

wonder whether he was made happier when he knew that no other touch had profaned those lips since last he had pressed them?

Was he MADE happier that when he kissed him, no others had since his prior kiss? Implies she told him so, but never says it—though true.

She was happy, though she was slow to confess her happiness to herself. She was happy, and she was resolute in this,—that she would now do all she could to make him happy also. And there must now, she acknowledged, be an end to her pride,—to that pride which had hitherto taught her to think that she could more wisely follow her own guidance than that of any other who might claim to guide her.

She was happy to end the time of relying on her own guidance, but instead permitted to rely on the judgement of others

She had assumed the command of the ship, and had thrown it upon the rocks, and she felt that she never ought to take the captain's place again.

She had Captained the ship, thrown it on the rocks, and felt she never would have to Captain again (a metaphor that reminded me of “Rocks and Shoals”)

I was afraid to the last,—terribly afraid; you are so hard and so proud.

I was afraid to the last; you are so proud--and so hard. Not to me, but to yourself. Could have been straight from “Emma” or “Mansfield Park”.

"I feel that I ought to stand before him always as a penitent,—in a white sheet."

Alice feels as a penitent

Alice was happy, very happy; but she was still disposed to regard her lover as Fate, and her happiness as an enforced necessity.

Alice was happy, very happy, but still disposed to see her lover as fate or forced choice

you must be careful to find out all his likes and his dislikes. Dear me! I remember how hard I found it, but then I don't think I was so clever as you are."

You must be careful to find [Mr Grey's] likes and dislikes

Alice was becoming weary of so much forgiveness,

Alice was weary of so much forgiveness

you needn't be such a fool as to run away from your cousins, simply because they have handles to their names.

You needn't run away from your cousins just because they have handles on their names - - Alice (Kate too) are afraid of Lords and Ladies.