Rhoda Fleming by George Meredith (1865)

This seems to me to be what is commonly called a 'holiday novel'. For a start, it's quite a bit shorter than its recent predecessors. A holiday novel, though, like Orlando for example, is usually lighter in tone, contains sparks of silly fun or a playful attitude to concepts. Meredith here turns this idea on its head. As his usual mode is one of sophisticated comedy, his holiday comes in not being comic to any great extent; a holiday in tragedy. It's the story of two sisters from a farm, one of whom, Dahlia, falls for a well-to-do scion of a local family, the nephew of the squire at the big house. Edward Blancove seems a typical gent of his times and enjoys her, making all sorts of promises never intending to keep them. Dahlia travels to London to be maid to a relative, and lets her family know that she is married to Edward. This is not quite the case. Promises have been made but the actuality falls short. As she realises that Edward hasn't meant what he's said, she begins a withering, a falling away of spirit. Trying desperately to keep the reality from her gullible and simple farmer father, and all the rest of her family, she secretes herself away when Edward plans to leave for the continent having tired of her. Meanwhile her sister, the eponymous Rhoda, who is a more forthright and strong character, is frantic with worry at her peculiar evasions and silences. Then follows a complicated search for her: tussles between the farm manager, Robert, who is in love with Rhoda (she's not completely sure about him), and various members of the Blancove set, some of whom know a lot about what's going on, and who have intricate motivations of their own; fights between Robert and Edward, and Robert and Nic Sedgett, a nasty-piece-of-work local who is hired by Edward to give Robert a drubbing for interfering, and who also has plans of his own to get ahead by manipulation of all and sundry. Money also plays a part: it is determined by Rhoda, and then her father, once they know the truth, that Dahlia must marry to save her reputation. Sedgett offers himself for a price (Rhoda hasn't been party to his prior involvement), and she accepts, thinking that Sedgett's plan of emigrating will help Dahlia to avoid scrutiny, and he seems like a nice man. Their uncle, one of Meredith's few comic concessions, who is a long-term bank clerk, has finally succumbed and robbed his employers, and she catches him just at the right moment to unknowingly extricate some of the funds for Sedgett's payment. Dahlia is horrified instinctually by Sedgett, and still believes in Edward, but is so spiritually weakened by her disastrous situation that she limply agrees to go through with it. Sedgett reveals his true colours to Rhoda after the wedding in his impatience for the money and sudden change to a nasty tone. Dahlia collapses in horror at what she's done, pining for Edward, and needs to be taken away to the farm to recuperate. Meanwhile Edward has had a change of heart. His time away has acted as a tonic on his spirits, and he realises that he must right things with Dahlia and make her his wife in actuality. He is seen by the Flemings and their associates as the impersonation of evil, and his letters are stopped before they reach Dahlia. All comes to a head at the farm, with a recuperating Dahlia, a visit from Sedgett demanding to take his wife to the ship for emigration, a letter from Blancove who has arrived at the hall nearby, and a huge realisation on the part of Rhoda and her father that they haven't helped but rather made things worse. Coupled with that is the recognition that Edward has changed and wants to make things right. Initially, though, the stress of Sedgett's visit, strongly supported by their unaware father claiming that Dahlia should think herself lucky she has a saviour in her husband, pushes her over the edge. She takes a draught of something noxious while locked away in her room, and is only narrowly saved. The truth comes out that Sedgett is already married, thus nullifying his marriage to Dahlia, and Edward is forgiven. Sedgett scarpers. Robert and Rhoda have been through so much of this tragedy together, both in sympathy and at loggerheads, that their love is confirmed, and the scene is set for a double wedding. However, the last chapter reveals that Dahlia has endured so long in such a spiritual dampening that the idea of love is now beyond her - she dedicates her life to others, particularly "poor girls", in atonement for her original mistake. This entire piece is strung in Meredith's usual way, at high tension, and with great subtlety, where tiny developments of character's minds count for a lot. It may be a holiday for him, but it's still a fantastic trip for the reader.