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Believing he has killed his wife's lover in a duel, Sir Henry Cavendish, calling himself Mr. Manners, sets off abroad in 1782. In Switzerland, he is set upon by bandits. Lost, he comes upon a small romantic house by a lake where he sees a young woman, Christina, sitting reading a book. Her father, who introduces himself as Mr. Hervey, invites Manners in. He too is an English gentleman, though he has seen no-one but the mountain peasants for over twenty years.
Manners tells his story, and Hervey agrees there has been provocation, but feels that Manners should atone for his crime. He invites him to stay for a time, and the young man falls in love with Christina. Hervey, though, tells him her 'destiny is fixed'. He gives Manners his memoirs to read which he says will explain all.
In the memoirs, Manners learns Hervey's real name (James Dunford) and the story of his love for a young girl he met on the Grand Tour. His grandfather had offered to make him his heir if he married well. Hervey's mother, brother and sister were all jealous of him for this reason. His tutor, Belmont, was a good man, but when Hervey's grandfather heard that Hervey had met with his mother, whom his grandfather had disowned, he wrote to him accusing him of duplicity, and also dismissed Belmont whom he said was a bad influence. In his place he appointed Mr. Murray, a malicious and calculating man who boasted of his intrigues with woman.
At a party, Hervey had met Christina, a young girl who was beautiful but despondent. He found that an uncle had rescued the girl's mother from financial ruin, but in return, had insisted that her two sons should inherit his money while her three daughters must take the veil. The two elder ones had done so and Christina was now about to enter a convent. Though she had the right to refuse, she seemed resigned.
Hervey and the tutor Murray left for Lucerne. On their arrival, two men arrived to attend them through the city. The younger, De Bude, seemed to pity Hervey, whom he recognised was in love. He interested himself in his young friend's case, but counselled him against showing any opposition, though he agreed that Christina had been cruelly treated. He went to see Christina and told her of the young man's love, persuading her to agree to receive his letters. Eventually, the two managed to release her from the convent, though by Murray's intervention, Hervey's grandfather hears of his impending marriage, and disinherits him. Not daring to call a priest, the pair married with De Bude conducting the ceremony, and Christina begging God to forgive her broken vows. The couple set up house and De Bude moved close by. Hervey and Christina took in a young orphan goatherd, Alexis, for whose education De Bude made himself responsible. Christina had a baby who was named after her, but she became depressed, guilt-ridden at the though that her vows had been broken and her child was illegitimate. She fell into fits and when she was calmer, forced Hervey to agree to send the girl to a convent to atone for her mother's sin. When she was old enough for education, Alexis must be sent away so that the girl would see no man. Hervey was reluctant but eventually agreed, before his wife died.
De Bude decided not to marry and made Alexis his heir. They set off for Europe. Two years before Manners had arrived, De Bude had died, leaving Alexis his money and his name, charging him to comfort Hervey in his stead.
Manners is distressed at this story. He receives a letter from the former friend whom he believed he had killed in the duel. He had recovered and was repentant. Now Manners is no longer in exile, but wants to stay here, near to Christina. He meets a gentlewoman who has been cheated by Hervey's elder brother Dunford and his former tutor Murray. Dunford had married her privately but later told her it was not legal as they were both under age and the priest was Catholic. He accused her of an affair with Murray, who had offered her marriage to save her reputation. She realised it had been a plot between the two of them so both could have her. She dies, leaving her story as a warning to the young. Manners now begins to realise the full extent of Murray's evil nature and history, but we are told there is no doubt he will die an ignominious death.
Manners now reveals his true name and he and Christina are reintroduced to one another as Sir Henry Cavendish and Lady Christina Dunford. She reads her father's memoirs for the first time and is overwhelmed by the responsibility her mother has laid on her. She asks to be taken straight to the convent to get it over with. However, the priest who heard her mother's death bed wish says that though a vow is irrevocable, no vow has been taken by Christina, only by her father, who promised to send her to a convent. She has a free choice. The whole case is put before the Archbishop of Paris who condemns her parents for such a harsh decision, but declares Christina free to choose her own future. Sir Henry and Lady Christina marry, and Alexis, the former Swiss goatherd, marries the daughter of a liberal-minded English lord who cares nothing for high birth in a son-in-law.
Karen Morton, Sheffield Hallam University
© 1999 Karen Morton / Sheffield Hallam University
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