Plot
Agnes, a 33 year old widow, is staying in Venice with Lucas, to whom she is not married, though the servants and her friend Gertrude have assumed so. Lucas was a rising young Tory politician who abandoned his wife and career for Agnes. They met when she was sent to Italy to nurse him through a bout of malaria contracted in Rome. She had been married unhappily, and after her husband died became a prominent radical lecturer, and then a nurse to earn a living. Lucas was also unhappy in his marriage and they fell in love. Now they (or at least she) envision a future of writing passionate essays against marriage, lecturing and campaigning.
His relatives do not accept his decision. His uncle the Duke comes to Venice to "arrange" matters. He suggests a sham reconciliation between Lucas and his wife, and for Agnes, "The suburban villa, the little garden, a couple of discreet servants - everything à la mode." Agnes sneers at this, of course, but is horrified to discover that Lucas actually considers it. She reluctantly agrees.
Gertrude, though shocked by Agnes' open "immorality", has come to appreciate her philosophy. She now urges Agnes to reject this hypocritical arrangement, and instead to come with her and Amos to their home in Yorkshire. Amos also appeals to her, urging her to pray for guidance. Agnes agrees to go with them.
Lucas now rejects the Duke's proposal, and the Duke asks Gertrude and Amos to stop interfering.
Sybil Lucas now appears. She confronts Agnes, and - bizarrely - asks her to return to Lucas and get him to return to London. She despises Lucas, but she loved him once, and doesn't want to see him "uttterly wasted". Also (though this is unspoken) an apparent reconciliation would relieve her of a great humiliation. This even though he made her as miserable as Agnes' husband did her. Agnes breaks down and agrees. But then Gertrude intervenes: this path will corrupt and destroy Agnes.
Sybil now breaks down and repudiates the deal.
Lucas makes a last effort to join with Agnes, and resume their "free love" life, but Agnes has had it; she thought she was a leader, a moral example, who would show the world "how men and woman may live independent and noble lives without rule, guidance or sacrament", but she proved weak and corruptible. And she can't sit in judgment of Sybil any longer; she will go with Amos and Gertrude, and she urges Lucas to learn to pray.
Read more about this topic: The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith
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“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
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—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)