Short Fiction · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Mary Shelley.
Chapter 1
A Tale of the Passions
In 1268 Florence, during the Guelph triumph, the Ghibelline cobbler Cincolo and his Guelph wife Monna Gegia argue over their divided loyalties. A mysterious young stranger, Ricciardo de' Rossini, arrives seeking refuge, revealing himself as a Ghibelline agent connected to Corradino's cause. Meanwhile, a woman (Despina) pleads with the Guelph leader Lostendardo to support Corradino over Charles d'Anjou, appealing to his former love for her and the Swabian cause.
Chapter 2
Ferdinando Eboli
The chapter recounts the story of Count Ferdinando Eboli, a young noble who returns to Naples during the Napoleonic era to reclaim his patrimony and is betrothed to Adalinda, daughter of the Marchese Spina. After departing for a campaign, his identity is usurped by his elder half-brother, a natural son of the old Count, who impersonates him, has him imprisoned and condemned to hard labor, and then attempts to marry Adalinda. Adalinda eventually suspects the deception, confronts the impostor, and resolves to escape.
Chapter 3
The Sisters of Albano
During an excursion to Lake Albano, the narrator's companion, Countess Atanasia, recounts the tragic story of Anina, a peasant girl whose love for Domenico Baldi, a bandit, leads to sorrow and separation. The tale unfolds against the backdrop of the French military presence and the bandit gang at Rocca Giovane, intertwining themes of love, crime, and inevitable misery.
Chapter 4
The Evil Eye
Zella, a mother, is consumed by fear and superstition after her son Constans is kidnapped by Dmitri of the Evil Eye, an Arnaoot klepht. Her husband Cyril, along with her father Old Camaraz, embarks on a perilous journey across the Morea and Epirus to rescue the child, uncovering clues that implicate Cyril's own brother Katusthius in the abduction. The chapter explores themes of maternal anxiety, betrayal, and the supernatural influence of the Evil Eye.
Chapter 5
The False Rhyme
On a rainy July day, Queen Margaret of Navarre challenges her brother King Francis I after finding his cynical couplet about women's inconstancy. She bets she can prove a woman's fidelity within a month, citing the case of Emilie de Lagny, who disappeared after her husband's imprisonment. As the deadline approaches, the jailor brings a message from the imprisoned Sire de Lagny. The king, in good humor after a military victory, agrees to see the prisoner. The prisoner reveals herself to be Emilie, who had exchanged places with her husband to save him. She explains that her husband, disguised as her page, escaped, joined the army, and delivered the victory dispatches. Francis pardons de Lagny, breaks the window with the false rhyme, and celebrates the triumph of women's fidelity.
Chapter 6
The Mourner
Horace Neville recounts the tragic story of Ellen Burnet (Clarice), a deeply sorrowful woman he befriended. After finding her cottage abandoned, he learns of her death and receives a farewell letter. The chapter explores her despair, her struggle with suicidal thoughts, and her final peaceful resignation, as Neville and his cousin Lewis mourn her loss.
Chapter 7
The Swiss Peasant
The narrator, rain-bound in Switzerland, reflects on the paradox of solitude and recounts a tale told by Fanny Chaumont. The story follows Fanny's romance with Louis Chaumont, a passionate revolutionary whose violent jealousy and political radicalism drive them apart. Louis, consumed by revenge against the aristocratic Marville family, eventually reforms through his enduring love for Fanny, leading to their reunion and happiness.
Chapter 8
Transformation
Guido, a proud and haughty Genoese noble, recounts his youthful arrogance, his bond with Juliet, and his descent into ruin after selling his inheritance in Paris. Returning to Genoa as a prodigal, he faces shame and self-loathing, leading to a supernatural encounter where he exchanges bodies with a demonic dwarf. After a violent struggle, he regains his body but is left physically and spiritually transformed, ultimately learning humility and becoming known as 'Guido il Cortese.'
Chapter 9
The Dream
Constance recounts a prophetic dream that transforms her understanding of love and duty, leading her to reconsider her vow to enter a cloister. Gaspar pleads with her to abandon her plans, but she remains torn between familial loyalty and her love for him. She resolves to sleep on St. Catherine's couch to seek divine guidance.
Chapter 10
The Brother and Sister
In medieval Siena, Ugo Mancini is exiled after a Guelph victory, leaving his children Lorenzo and Flora as beggars. After Ugo's death, Lorenzo is banished, and Flora is placed under the protection of the Countess Tolomei. At a secluded villa, Flora nurses the Countess's son Fabian, who falls in love with her. Flora rejects him due to family feuds and her promise to Lorenzo. The Countess returns and supports Fabian's suit, but Flora remains steadfast.
Chapter 11
The Invisible Girl
A traveler takes shelter in a seemingly ruined tower on the Welsh coast, only to discover it has been elegantly furnished inside, with a portrait of a young woman labeled 'The Invisible Girl.' The old caretaker's garbled tale, later clarified by the traveler's own inquiries, reveals the story of Rosina, a young orphan persecuted by her guardian Sir Peter Vernon and his cruel sister Mrs. Bainbridge for loving Sir Peter's son, Henry. Forced out of the house, Rosina hides in the desolate tower, surviving in secret until Henry, after a long search, finds her by following a mysterious beacon. They reunite, marry after Sir Peter relents, and Henry later restores the tower as a memorial of their trials.
Chapter 12
The Pole
Marietta, torn by a secret that endangers both Ladislas and her brother Giorgio, reveals the location of a band of bravi plotting Ladislas's assassination for the Russian Princess Dashkhoff. Meanwhile, Ladislas confronts the Princess at her salon, secures her aid, and meets the enchanting Idalie, with whom he spends a blissful day exploring the Bay of Baia. Upon returning, they find a desperate warning from Marietta urging immediate flight.
Chapter 13
The Mortal Immortal
The narrator, Winzy, reflects on his three-century-long immortal life after drinking an elixir created by Cornelius Agrippa. He recounts his relationship with his aging wife Bertha, their emigration to France, and the circumstances leading to his consumption of the potion, which he mistakenly believed would cure his love for Bertha. The chapter explores his weariness with eternal life, his desire for death, and the torment of unrequited love.
Chapter 14
The Elder Son
The narrator reflects on her childhood, her father's death, and her inheritance. She becomes entangled in a strained engagement to her cousin Vernon, whose jealousy and tyranny grow. When her other cousin Clinton returns, a tender but restrained bond forms between them. On the day of Clinton's departure, Vernon confronts them in a jealous rage, brandishing a pistol.
Chapter 15
The Parvenue
The narrator, a woman who married above her station to Lord Reginald Desborough, recounts her melancholy story. She describes her humble childhood, her mother's gentle influence, and the fire that destroyed their home and crippled her father. After her marriage, she struggles with the expectations of wealth and her own charitable impulses, leading to conflict with her husband. Upon returning to England, she faces overwhelming financial demands from her family, which threaten her mother's fragile health and her own happiness.
Chapter 16
The Pilgrims
Burkhardt of Unspunnen, a sorrowful old noble, is visited by two young pilgrims who persuade him to share the story of his grief. He reveals that his beloved wife Agnes died young, leaving him a daughter, Ida, whom he adored. Ida secretly married Conrad of Wädischwyl, the son of his sworn enemy, and fled. Burkhardt cursed her, and she later died repentant, leaving a letter and her two children, Hermann and Ida, who are the pilgrims. They deliver her deathbed plea for forgiveness, which Burkhardt grants, embracing his grandchildren.
Chapter 17
Euphrasia
Harry Valency, a young Englishman, travels to Greece during the Greek Revolution and joins a band of Greek soldiers led by a melancholy chief, Constantine. Constantine's story unfolds: he and his sister Euphrasia were orphaned and raised by a wise guardian who taught them patriotism and learning. When the revolution began, Constantine left to fight, but Euphrasia was captured by the son of a Turkish pasha and imprisoned in his harem. Constantine led a daring rescue, burning the palace and saving her, but she was fatally shot. Constantine now carries the grief of her loss.
Chapter 18
The Heir of Mondolfo
Ludovico, the neglected and mistreated heir of Prince Mondolfo, struggles under his father's tyranny after his mother's death. A chance encounter with a poor peasant girl stirs his sympathy and softens his heart, but his father's constant surveillance and public humiliations drive him deeper into solitude and bitterness. Meanwhile, Viola, a peasant woman, escapes from prison with her child and journeys through the wilderness, sustained by hope and love, seeking to reunite with Ludovico.
Chapter 19
Mathilda 9
The narrator reflects on her solitude and the weight of her past, grappling with the memory of her father's death and the emotional aftermath that has left her isolated and melancholic.
Chapter 20
I
The narrator recounts the early life of their father, a man of wealth and privilege who falls deeply in love with Diana, a woman of superior wisdom and virtue. They marry despite societal expectations, but their happiness is shattered when Diana dies shortly after giving birth to the narrator. The father, overcome with grief, abandons his child and becomes a wanderer, leaving the narrator in the care of an aunt.
Chapter 21
II
The narrator recounts her solitary childhood in Scotland under the care of a cold, unloving aunt after her father's departure. She finds solace in nature, books, music, and vivid daydreams about reuniting with her father, whom she idealizes as her only hope for future love and companionship.
Chapter 22
III
The narrator reflects on a period of intense happiness following her father's return, describing their idyllic life together in London and the Scottish Highlands. She recalls her aunt's death, her father's vivid memories of her mother, and the deep bond they formed. The chapter ends with a foreboding sense of impending doom, as she foreshadows a catastrophic fall from bliss into despair.
Chapter 23
IV
The narrator describes the deepening sorrow and mysterious anguish of her father after their return to the family home. She recounts his melancholy, his silent suffering, and his violent passions, which she tries to soothe but cannot understand. She speculates on the cause—perhaps a forbidden love or some hidden guilt—and resolves to uncover his secret, believing that sympathy will heal him. But her intervention leads to disaster: she learns his secret and both are lost forever.
Chapter 24
V
Mathilda attempts to draw out her father's secret grief during a walk in a beech wood. Despite her pleas, he confesses an unnatural love for her, precipitating mutual horror and despair.
Chapter 25
VI
Mathilda, in deep emotional turmoil after her father's confession, spends hours weeping in solitude. She resolves to flee from him and considers becoming a nun. She curses her father to wander until age purifies him, then prepares to write him a letter. She hears footsteps at her door but does not respond. After a nightmare of her father leaping off a cliff, she wakes to learn he has already left the house before dawn, leaving a letter and instructions for her to be mistress until his return.
Chapter 26
VII
Mathilda reads a long, agonizing letter from her father in which he confesses his unnatural love for her, explains his past struggles, and announces their permanent separation. He begs her forgiveness and commands her to be happy, but she resolves to follow him despite his warnings.
Chapter 27
VIII
The narrator, recovering from a near-fatal illness after her father's suicide, resolves to escape society and live in solitude. She describes her journey to a remote heath, where she finds a fragile peace in nature, though she remains haunted by grief, guilt, and a longing for death. She reflects on the necessity of deceit to secure her freedom and maintain her secret.
Chapter 28
IX
The narrator reflects on two years of solitude, gradually becoming more human through study and reading, yet feeling unfit for society. They desire pure sympathy and friendship but remain emotionally numb due to past grief. The arrival of Woodville, a poet of transcendent genius and beauty, offers a gentle but ultimately ineffective consolation, as the narrator is hardened by misery. Woodville's own tragic loss of his beloved Elinor is recounted, highlighting his natural grief and the narrator's inability to reciprocate deep connection.
Chapter 29
X
The narrator describes her deepening relationship with Woodville, a fellow mourner who has lost his beloved Elinor. Despite his efforts to console her, she remains trapped in her own grief and guilt, feeling isolated from humanity. Woodville shares his own story of love and loss, and the narrator reflects on the impossibility of escaping her past.
Chapter 30
Chapter XI
The narrator reflects on how blessings can turn to curses, describing her growing suspicion and despair. She plans a suicide pact with Woodville, procuring laudanum and decorating her room for the act. When Woodville arrives, she passionately pleads with him to die with her, but he gently refuses, offering instead a philosophical argument for living and hoping, urging her to find purpose in helping others and enduring suffering.
Chapter 31
XII
The narrator reflects on Woodville's departure and her own despair, wandering in a reverie of reunion with her father in a Dantean paradise. She writes her final farewell to Woodville, describing her approaching death as a peaceful release from grief, and expresses hope for an eternal union with her father beyond the grave.
Chapter 32
Abbreviations
This chapter lists abbreviations used for various manuscripts and notebooks related to Mary Shelley's works, including references to The Fields of Fancy in Lord Abinger's notebook, the Bodleian Library notebook, and fragments among the papers of Sir John Shelley-Rolls.
Chapter 33
Endnotes
This chapter provides editorial notes and textual variants for Mary Shelley's Mathilda, comparing drafts in The Fields of Fancy (F. of F.) and other manuscripts, highlighting revisions, omissions, and thematic emphases such as loneliness, nature, and the author's personal grief.
