The contrast, Volume 3 (of 3) by Marquess of Constantine Henry Phipps Normanby
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"The contrast, Volume 3 (of 3)" by Marquess of Constantine Henry Phipps Normanby is a novel written in the early 19th century. It follows the marriage of the fastidiously tasteful Lord Castleton and Lucy, a beautiful, innocent young woman raised far from society, as they navigate London’s grand world of balls, opera, and gossip. Through Lucy’s vulnerability and Lady Gayland’s brilliant poise, the story contrasts nature and artifice, love and pride, and
the costs of passing from rural obscurity to fashionable visibility. The opening of the book places Lucy in London, overwhelmed by crowds and loneliness until she glimpses the dazzling Lady Gayland, whose path soon crosses hers again. Castleton carefully manages Lucy’s debut via the kindly Mrs. Tudor; she charms at a dinner and ball, while Lady Gayland quietly urges her to conceal their earlier country encounter. At the opera, Castleton and Lady Gayland share rapt musical enthusiasm as Lucy, confused by the spectacle and shocked by the ballet, withdraws early, prompting a frank carriage talk about modesty and her “cousin George.” Lucy longs to learn how to please her husband and even to emulate Lady Gayland; the latter agrees to help, though cautiously. A tense dinner at Castleton’s house nearly exposes Lucy’s past when Peter Spencer recognizes echoes of an assize-town scandal, but Lady Gayland’s quick-witted diversion saves the moment. The couple then flee London for Somersby, where a wet week in the library exposes the gap between Castleton’s cultivated reading and Lucy’s untrained mind, while his memories of effortless literary talk with Lady Gayland subtly return. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Normanby, Constantine Henry Phipps, Marquess of, 1797-1863 |
|---|---|
| Title | The contrast, Volume 3 (of 3) |
| Original Publication | London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1832. |
| Credits | Carol Brown, MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | English fiction -- 19th century |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 78690 |
| Release Date | May 15, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 876 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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