Can You Forgive Her? (1864) (edit title/settings)

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• Alice Vavasor: "In person she was tall and well made, rather large in her neck and shoulders, as were all the Vavasors, but by no means fat. Her hair was brown, but very dark, and she wore it rather lower upon her forehead than is customary at the present day. Her eyes, too, were dark, though they were not black, and her complexion, though not quite that of a brunette, was far away from being fair. Her nose was somewhat broad, and retrouss~, too, but...it was a charming nose, full of character and giving to her whole face at times a look of pleasant humour, which it would otherwise have lacked. Her mouth was large and full of character, and her chin oval, dimpled ' and finely chiselled.... a fine, handsome, high-spirited young woman".
• Jeffrey Palliser: Cousin of Plantagenet Palliser, who would have been his heir had no son been born to Lady Glencora.
• Kate Vavasor: George's adoring sister, who lived with the old Squire at Vavasor Hall. George persuaded her that, after breaking her engagement with him, Alice Vavasor still owed him her financial aid in contesting a seat in Parliament, and Kate arranged the trip to Switzerland on which they succeeded in inducing Alice to furnish the necessary money.
• Mrs. Greenow: Add a description of this character.
• George Vavasor: Cousin of Alice Vavasor, to whom he was twice engaged. Disinherited by his grandfather, he forced Alice to lend him money to contest a seat in Parliament, which, being won, had to he contested a second time, with more demands for funds, When he lost his seat and the respect of all his friends, quarreled with Alice and tried to kill her fiancee John Grey, he emigrated to America.
• Duchess Of Omnium, Lady Glencora Palliser (Maccluskie): "She was a fair girl, with bright blue eyes and short wavy flaxen hair, very soft to the eye. Lady Glencora was short in stature, and her happy round face lacked, perhaps, the highest grace of female beauty. But there was ever a smile upon it which it was very pleasant to look at; and the intense interest with which she would dance, and talk, and follow up every amusement that was offered her, was very charming"
• Mr. Cheesacre
• Mr. John Grey: "A man of high character, of good though moderate means; he was, too, well educated, of good birth, a gentleman, and a man of talent ...He was tall and very handsome, with brown hair, and bright blue eyes, and a mouth like a god."
• Mr. Bott: "He was a tall, wiry, strong man, with a bald head and bristly red beard, which, however, was cut off from his upper and lower lip. This was unfortunate, as had he hidden his mouth he would not have been in so marked a degree an ugly man. His upper lip was long, and his mouth was mean"
• Calder Jones
• Bellfield
• Mr. Scruby
• Mrs. Marsham: "<She> had many good points. She was poor, and bore her poverty without complaint. She was connected by blood and friendship with people rich and titled; but she paid to none of them egregious respect on account of their wealth or titles.... She was a little woman, with small sharp eyes, with a permanent colour in her face, and two short, crisp, grey curls at each side of her face; always well dressed, always in good health ... altogether incapable of fatigue"
• Jeannette: The maid of Mrs. Greenow, and an expert in assisting her mistress in her affairs of the heart.
• Lady Macleod: The widow of Sir Archibald Macleod, with whom Alice Vavasor lived in her youth. She was a pathetic hanger-on of the wealthy and titled members of her family, and tried to teach Alice reverence for them.
• Mr. Tombe: "Mr. Tombe was a remarkable man in his way. He wore powder to his hair - was very polite in his bearing - was somewhat asthmatic, and wheezed in his talking, - and was, moreover, the most obedient of men, though it was said of him that he managed the whole income of the Ely Chapter just as he pleased"
• John Vavasor: "...a handsome man, with a fine forehead, round which the hair and beard was only beginning to show itself to be grey. He stood well, with a large person, only now beginning to become corpulent. His eyes were bright and grey, and his mouth and chin were sharply cut, and told of gentle birth"
• Duke Of Omnium (Plantagenet Palliser): "He was a tall thin man ...with nothing in his appearance that was remarkable. It was a face that you might see and forget ...<but> showing intellect in the forehead, and much character in the mouth. The eyes too, though not to be called bright, had always something to say for themselves, looking as though they had real meaning.... He was horn in the purple, noble himself, and heir to the highest rank as well as one of the greatest fortunes in the country ... and yet he devoted himself to work with the grinding energy of a young penniless barrister labouring for a penniless wife, and did so without any motive more selfish than that of being counted in the roll of the public servants of England"
• Burgo Fitzgerald: &quot;...a terribly handsome man about town, who had spent every shilling that anybody would give him, who was very fond of brandy, who was known, but not trusted, at Newmarket, who was said to be deep in every vice ...&quot; &quot;...a young man born in the purple of the English aristocracy. He was related to half the dukes in the kingdom, and had three countesses for his aunts.... He was one of those young men with dark hair and blue eyes,-who wear no beard, and are certainly among the handsomest of God's creatures&quot;
• Duke Of Omnium, (The Old Duke): Uncle of Plantagenet Palliser, who was his heir. Haughty and unapproachable, he was the embodiment of the ducal tradition
• Maxwell
• Charlie Fairstairs
• Anne Street
• William
• Grindley
• Mr. Grimes
• Lady Monk: "...now about fifty years of age, who had been a great beauty, and who was still handsome in her advanced age. Her figure was very good. She was tall and of fine proportion.... She was a comely, handsome, upright dame,- one of whom, as regards her outward appearance, England might be proud.... She had come of the family of the Worcestershire Fitzgeralds, of whom it used to be said that there never was one who was not beautiful and worthless"
• Mrs. Conway Sparkes: "...a literary lady, who had been very handsome, who was still very clever, who was not perhaps very good-natured," and who feuded with the Duchess of St. Bungay at Lady Glencora's house party at Matching Priory.
• Scruby
• Mrs. Arabella Greenow: Aunt of Alice, George and Kate Vavasor. She had married an old man when she was twenty-four and, when he died shortly after, was left with a fortune of £40,000. Although her grief for him was uncontrolled, she was not too discouraging to her suitors, and married Captain Bellfield.
• Samuel Cheesacre: Mrs. Greenow's unsuccessful suitor, whom she induced to marry Charlie Fairstairs.
• Capt. Gustavus Bellfield: "He was a well-made man, nearly six feet high, with dark hair, but of that suspicious hue which to the observant beholder seems always to tell a tale of the hairdresser's shop. He was handsome, too, with well-arranged features,- but carrying, perhaps, in his nose some first symptoms of the effects of midnight amusements ..."
• Lady Margaret Midlothian: One of Alice Vavasor's wealthy relatives, who most officiously and persistently interfered in Alice's love affairs. When Alice was taken up by Lady Glencora and her marriage to Mr. Grey was planned to take place at Matching Priory, Lady Margaret showed her forgiveness to her erring niece by allowing her daughters Lady Jane and Lady Mary to he in the wedding party.
• Mr.Travers: The candidate in opposition to George Vavasor for the Chelsea seat in Parliament.
• Squire Vavasor: Grandfather of Alice, Kate and George.
• Mr. Gogram: "...an attorney who lived at Penrith, and who was never summoned to Vavasor Hall unless the Squire had something to say about his will"
• Sir Cosmo Monk: A Liberal M P earlier at the Treasury. In Chapter 76 incorrectly called Sir Charles. He did not agree with his wife in her fondness for her nephew Burgo Fitzgerald.
• Mr. Round: Alice Vavasor's London lawyer.
• Duchess Of St. Bungay: An aunt of Lady Laura Standish, so convinced of her own importance that she bitterly resented those who did not bow down to her, and embarrassed her distinguished husband with constant complaints of fancied slights.
• Duke Of St. Bungay: One of the most distinguished of the top-flight political personages, appearing in each of the six novels in the Parliamentary series. He was most successful as President of the Council, where his broad knowledge of events and personalities made him the ideal mediator. His youngest son was Lord James Fitz Howard
• Palliser, Euphemia And Iphigenia Theodata: Two elderly cousins of Plantagenet Palliser, very proud of their relationship, and of their annual invitation to visit at Matching Priory. In Chapters 69 and 79 Euphemia is called Sophy.
• Dandy And Flirt: Lady Glencora Palliser's horses, which she drove when she was at Matching Priory.
• Charlotte,Fanny And Joe Fairstairs: Mrs. Greenow's protegees at Yarmouth. Through her management Mr. Cheesacre was induced to propose to Charlotte.
• Jacob Grimes: The proprietor of the public house, the Handsome Man, which, in George Vavasor's first election, served as his headquarters.
• Hartletop, Marchioness Of Griselda (Grantly): Daughter of Archdeacon Grantly of Barchester. Her mother and Lady Lufton desired to marry her to Lord Lufton, but she married, instead, Lord Dumbello, who later became the Marquis of Hartletop. Plantagenet Palliser once made tentative love to her.
• Lord Kilfenora: Defeated George Vavasor for the seat representing Chelsea in the Commons. At the death of his father, the Marquis of Bunratty, he was moved up to the House of Lords, leaving George to contest the seat with Mr. Travers for only part of a session.
• Mr. Levy: George Vavasor's clerk, who was sent to Alice to demand additional money for election expenses.
• Mr. Magruin: A moneylender with whom both Burgo Fitzgerald and George Vavasor had unfortunate dealings.
• Marchioness Of Auld Reekie: Helped to make the Melmottes socially accepted by attending Marie Melmotte's great coming-out ball.
• Marquis Of Auld Reekie: Uncle and guardian of Lady Glencora MacCluskie who arranged her marriage to Plantagenet Palliser. He insisted that his son Lord Nidderdale should try to marry Marie Melmotte for her money.
• Lord Brock: The Prime Minister who was succeeded by Lord de Terrier.
• Marquis Of Bunratty: Father of Lord Kilfenora.

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• London
• Lady Midlothian
• Norwich
• England
• Lucerne
• Yarmouth
• Oileymead
• Westmoreland
• Nethercoats
• Switzerland
• Cheltenham
• Basle
• Vavasor Hall
• Monkshade
• Norfolk
• Park Lane
• Cambridgeshire
• Penrith
• St. Bungay
• Paris
• Roebury
• Cecil Street
• Baden
• Silverbridge
• Italy
• Scotland
• Rome
• Matching Priory
• Edgehill
• Providence
• Manchester
• Longroyston
• Suffolk Street
• Chancery Lane
• Strasbourg
• Grimsby
• Shap

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Phineas Finn.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Anthony Trollope (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 823.8

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › World Literature › British › Classics › Trollope, Anthony
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Authors, A-Z › ( T ) › Trollope, Anthony
• Books › Literature & Fiction › History & Criticism › Criticism & Theory
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics