Felix Holt, the Radical, Volume 1When the young nobleman Harold Transome returns to England from the colonies with a self-made fortune, he scandalizes the town of Treby Magna with his decision to stand for Parliament as a Radical. But after the idealistic Felix Holt also returns to the town, the difference between Harold's opportunistic values and Holt's profound beliefs becomes apparent. Forthright, brusque and driven by a firm desire to educate the working-class, Felix is at first viewed with suspicion by many, including the elegant but vain Esther Lyon, the daughter of the local clergyman. As she discovers, however, his blunt words conceal both passion and deep integrity. Soon the romantic and over-refined Esther finds herself overwhelmed by a heart-wrenching decision: whether to choose the wealthy Transome as a husband, or the impoverished but honest Felix Holt. |
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Page 8
... dwellings scattered among the woody pits , the rattle of hand - looms to be heard in ham - flats and the plowed uplands , under the low gray • sky which overhung them with an unchanging | stories 8 FELIX HOLT , THE RADICAL .
... dwellings scattered among the woody pits , the rattle of hand - looms to be heard in ham - flats and the plowed uplands , under the low gray • sky which overhung them with an unchanging | stories 8 FELIX HOLT , THE RADICAL .
Page 10
... heard louder than a sleepy hum , and the soft monotony of running water hurry- ing on to the river that divided the park . Stand- ing on the south or east side of the house , you would never have guessed that an arrival was ex- pected ...
... heard louder than a sleepy hum , and the soft monotony of running water hurry- ing on to the river that divided the park . Stand- ing on the south or east side of the house , you would never have guessed that an arrival was ex- pected ...
Page 12
... heard herself called " Mother ! " and felt a light kiss on each cheek ; but stronger than all that sensation was the consciousness which no pre- vious thought could prepare her for , that this son who had come back to her was a stranger ...
... heard herself called " Mother ! " and felt a light kiss on each cheek ; but stronger than all that sensation was the consciousness which no pre- vious thought could prepare her for , that this son who had come back to her was a stranger ...
Page 26
... heard ? But this is what you do : when the servant of God stands up to deliver his message , do you lay your souls beneath the Word as you set out your plants beneath the falling rain ? No ; one of you sends his eyes to all corners , he ...
... heard ? But this is what you do : when the servant of God stands up to deliver his message , do you lay your souls beneath the Word as you set out your plants beneath the falling rain ? No ; one of you sends his eyes to all corners , he ...
Page 30
... heard most of the preachers once , but I never wanted to hear them twice . " The good Rufus was not without a slight ris- ing of resentment at this young man's want of reverence . It was not yet plain whether he wanted to hear twice the ...
... heard most of the preachers once , but I never wanted to hear them twice . " The good Rufus was not without a slight ris- ing of resentment at this young man's want of reverence . It was not yet plain whether he wanted to hear twice the ...
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Common terms and phrases
believe better Bycliffe called chair Christian Chubb Church dear Debarry Debarry's Denner Dissenters door Duffield Esther eyes face father feeling Felix Holt fellow felt Garstin gentleman give Good-morning hand Harold Transome HARPER'S WEEKLY head hear heard Holt's James Clement Jermyn Johnson knew lady light Lingon live look Lyddy Malthouse Yard marry mind minister Miss Lyon morning mother Muscat navvies ness never North Loamshire once orphin paused person Philip political poor question Radical Rector round seated seemed sense side Sir Maximus smile Smyrna sort speak Spratt Sproxton Sugar Loaf suppose sure talk tell ther there's thing thought tion Tommy tone took Tory Tran Transome Court Transome's Trebian Treby Magna Trounsem truth turned understrapper Vesoul voice vote Wace walk Whig wish woman words young
Popular passages
Page 31 - For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool : for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
Page 121 - Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall stand Henceforward in thy shadow. Nevermore Alone upon the threshold of my door Of individual life, I shall command The uses of my soul, nor lift my hand Serenely in the sunshine as before, Without the sense of that which I forbore — Thy touch upon the palm. The widest land Doom takes to part us, leaves thy heart in mine With pulses that beat double.
Page 53 - ... je cherche seulement un bien inconnu dont l'instinct me poursuit. Est-ce ma faute si je trouve partout des bornes, si ce qui est fini n'a pour moi aucune valeur? Cependant je sens que j'aime la monotonie des sentiments de la vie, et si j'avais encore la folie de croire au bonheur, je le chercherais dans l'habitude.
Page 29 - said Felix, bluntly. " He knew neither the complication of the human system, nor the way in which drugs counteract each other. Ignorance is not so damnable as humbug, but when it prescribes pills it may happen to do more harm. I know something about these things. I was 'prentice for five miserable years to a stupid brute of a country apothecary — my poor father left money for that — he thought nothing could be finer for me. No matter : I know that the Cathartic Pills are a drastic compound which...
Page 166 - I've seen behind it. The only failure a man ought to fear is failure in cleaving to the purpose he sees to be best.
Page 25 - Holt as a basic statement of what this book is about: . . . there is no private life which has not been determined by a wider public life, from the time when the primeval milkmaid had to wander with the wanderings of her clan, because the cow she milked was one of a herd which had made the pasture bare.
Page 10 - ... beggared of peace and joy, yet kept secret by the sufferer — committed to no sound except that of low moans in the night, seen in no writing except that made on the face by the slow months of suppressed anguish and early morning tears. Many an inherited sorrow that has marred a life has been breathed into no human ear.
Page 113 - And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart...
Page 73 - Comprehensive talkers are apt to be tiresome when we are not athirst for information, but, to be quite fair, we must admit that superior reticence is a good deal due to the lack of matter. Speech is often barren ; but silence also does not necessarily brood over a full nest. Your still fowl, blinking at you without remark, may all the while be sitting on one addled nestegg ; and when it takes to cackling, will have nothing to announce but that addled delusion.
Page 89 - For a moment he was fully back in those distant years when he and another brighteyed person had seen no reason why they should not indulge their passion and their vanity, and determine for themselves how their lives should be made delightful in spite of unalterable external conditions. The reasons had been unfolding themselves gradually ever since through all the years which had converted the handsome, soft-eyed, slim young Jermyn (with a touch of sentiment) into a portly lawyer of sixty, for whom...