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The story is told in retrospect by Graham Hamilton to a fellow-passenger on a ship bound for the New World.
Graham Hamilton was born and brought up in an isolated, unnamed part of Scotland, away from the world and its progressive evils according to Graham's father. An uncle, Sir Malcolm Hamilton, after a visit to Scotland offers to take Graham back to London with him, educate him and make him his heir. Mr Hamilton, Graham's father, reluctantly lets him go and Graham himself has some reservations, equating the acquisition of wealth and status with the loss of liberty and happiness. He also is sad to leave his Scottish cousin Gertrude, with whom he has fallen in love.
On being shown around the city of London Graham immediately becomes homesick but Sir Malcolm wastes no time in beginning Graham's education as a gentleman. One night Graham comes across the home of Lady Orville, brightly lit for her son's birthday party. He sees her on the balcony and is smitten, longing to be part of her circle. He sees her again later at the opera with Moncrief, who Graham knows to be a good man. Thereby he equates beauty with virtue. Sir Malcolm, in his capacity as a moneylender, is able to furnish Graham with details about the marriage of Lord and Lady Orville. They are both broke: she is hopelessly extravagant and he is a gambler. He adds that there is no love lost between them.
Two years in London have passed, and Sir Malcolm proposes a return trip to Scotland. Sir Malcolm gives Graham's father a favourable report of progress and the relationship between Graham and Gertrude is established. Travelling back to London, Graham is reacquainted with Moncrief and meets Frederic Brandon. Frederic invites Graham to his country house, but is mortified when Graham accepts. Graham finds himself very much out of his social depth, but it is at this house party that Graham is formally introduced to Lady Orville and her family. On his return to London, Sir Malcolm warns Graham against getting involved with Lady Orville and the company that she keeps, and bids him to remember his informal engagement to Gertrude. Graham ignores the advice and the friendship between him and Lady Orville develops, amid rumours of an affair. Their friendship is put to the test at a party at Lady Orville's when an ex-convict comes to see Lady Orville; his imprisonment was a direct result in Lady Orville refusing to discharge her debts to him. Graham is stunned by this but sees Lady Orville as a victim of circumstance. Moncrief pays the debt and Graham later learns that Moncrief and Lady Orville were once to have been married but she chose Lord Orville and his money instead. Lord Orville wants a separation because of her compulsive extravagance. All of 'society' is gossiping about the relations between Lady Orville and Graham, and her former protector, Moncrief, has washed his hands of her as a result of her favourable treatment of Graham. As part of terms of separation Lady Orville is to leave for the country for a period of three years. Graham sees this separation from the shallow and false society of London as a good thing; whereas Lady Orville is horrified by the thought of losing her status as a leader of fashion. Lady Orville, incidentally, knows nothing of Graham's attachment to Gertrude.
When Sir Malcolm falls desperately ill Graham, filled with remorse at his shameful neglect of his family, stays by his bedside, and ignores letters from Lady Orville urging him to visit. But he decides to give up Gertrude and never again return to Scotland, as he feels he is now tainted by vice, and proceeds to immerse himself in all of the transient pleasures that society has to offer in an attempt to block out his sorrow. Much later, he learns that Gertrude, her father and her new fiance are to visit London, he decides to leave it up to fate whether he will see them or not. The day before they arrive, Graham encounters Lady Orville and she gives him a miniature of herself. When Graham does finally see Gertrude, he falls in love with her again, begs forgiveness and the engagement is re-established. They leave for Scotland, Graham is to follow soon after, and he goes round to Lady Orville's to return the miniature. On his arrival at Portland Place he discovers that the creditors have moved in and she is shut away with her lawyers. A day or so later, at the end of an extravagant ball she throws as her swan song, the bailffs arrive for Lady Orville. Distressed by her breakdown in front of him at the thought of losing her children, Graham writes a credit note for all of her belongings. This, however, is rejected by Sir Malcolm as he is furious at Graham's apparent disregard for Gertrude and Graham is subsequently arrested for non-payment.
In prison, Graham suffers from illness brought on by sorrow at the pain he has caused his family. When he comes round, his only visitors are Sir Malcolm and Moncrief who inform him that both Lady Orville and Gertrude are desperately ill. His innocence of the alleged affair established, he is forgiven by Sir Malcolm and as soon as he is able, Graham travels to Scotland just in time to witness Gertrude's death.
Years later, Graham has inherited Sir Malcolm's money and is due to leave England in self-imposed exile in an attempt to forget his past troubles. Before he leaves London, Graham sees Moncrief who tells him that Lady Orville is alive and doing charitable works and is finally happy. On board the boat to America, the New World symbolising a new start for Graham, he is encouraged to rally himself back to life by his fellow-passenger but Graham does not think he will ever be able to and wishes the end would come quickly.
Leigh Wetherall, Sheffield Hallam University
© 1999 Leigh Wetherall / Sheffield Hallam University
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