A Story of Contemporary Life, Virago, 1974, 497 p, plus xiii p Introduction by Jenny Uglow. First published 1883.

Vernon’s bank is an institution in the town of Redborough. Its stability threatened once by the injudicious conduct – and subsequent flight – of the founder’s grandson, John Vernon, it was saved by the injection of cousin Catherine Vernon’s cash, as a result of which she is held in reverence. The never married Catherine dispenses largesse in the form of grace and favour houses to her relatives but has turned over the bank into the care of her nephews, Harry and Edward Vernon, the first of whom she considers almost as a son. He in turn sees her interest in him as unwarranted surveillance.

After the death of her husband, Mrs John Vernon has returned from abroad with their fourteen-year-old daughter Hester, who knows nothing of her father’s reprehensible conduct, to take up residence in what is referred to as the Vernonry. On their first meeting Hester and Catherine do not hit it off and the two remain more or less antipathetic for the rest of the book.

As the years go by Hester slowly integrates into the life of the town and strikes up a friendship with near neighbours Captain and Mrs Morgan, relatives of Catherine on the non-Vernon side. Their grandson Roland comes to visit and it looks as if he may be a romantic interest for Hester but the plot is to be a little more complicated. Harry and Edward Vernon’s married sister, Ellen Merridew, starts up a series of thé dansants, which are set to be the hub of Redborough’s social life. On Hester’s first attendance, her mother’s pearls (which her mother insisted she wear,) incite some comment. On a later visit to the Morgans, Roland’s sister, Emma, procures an invitation to these events and throws herself into the fray in her search for a husband.

Harry falls for Hester but she isn’t charmed, finding Edward more interesting, if also more annoying. The sustaining of her continuing ignorance of her father’s conduct throughout the book begins to seem unlikely the more things progress but it is tied up with the book’s main thrust as inevitably the bank is threatened once more, Edward succumbing to the excitement of speculative investments. The resolution, though, has at least one aspect not foreshadowed.

The above is only a brief summary – the whole thing is as wordy as to be expected of a Victorian novel – but there is at times a subtle feminism to Oliphant’s prose – there are strong women here and the men can be weak – though the subtlety is at one point betrayed by Catherine’s remark to Captain Morgan, “‘You are only a man, which is a great drawback, but it is not to be helped.’”

Oliphant’s novels are solid pieces of fiction though her prolificity means that perhaps they don’t reach the heights other Victorian authors did.

Pedant’s corner:- a few old usages – inuendo (innuendo,) dulness (dullness,) grumphy (grumpy,) vulgarer (more vulgar,) sha’n’t, secresy. Otherwise; missing commas before pieces of direct speech, “the Miss Vernon Ridgways” (the Misses Vernon Ridgway,) ditto the Miss Ridgways (Misses Ridgway) and “the Miss Bradleys” (Misses Bradley,) “‘a step further that I saw him’” (than I saw him,) wont (won’t,) “‘and she, was far more disposed” (no need for that comma,) “thé dansante” (dansant,) “getting under weigh” (it wasn’t a ship, ‘under way’.)

Virago, 1986, 461 p plus ix p Introduction by Penelope Fitzgerald. First published

Salem Chapel is the only dissenting place of worship in Carlingford. New Minister Arthur Vincent has come from Lonsdale to take over from old Mr Tufton. The congregation has been largely approving. One day, though, Vincent sees Lady Western – a dowager who is younger than her step-daughter-in-law – on a visit to Mrs Hilyard, and his head is turned, despite her being an adherent of the Church of England. His parishioners would much prefer he has nothing to do with such people, though the Chapel’s senior deacon’s daughter, Phoebe Tozer, is also thought to be a bit above herself in setting her cap at him.

Mrs Hilyard is living in reduced circumstances and on a pastoral visit to her Vincent finds her background convoluted, not to mention melodramatic. She prevails on him to put her daughter into the care of Vincent’s mother and sister in Lonsdale, without quite explaining the need. In the meantime Vincent’s sister, Susan, is being wooed by a Mr Fordham. The reader senses immediately there is something awry about the relationship. This gentleman is indeed the villain of the piece, and has used Fordham’s name to disguise himself. His connection to Mrs Hilyard and abduction of her daughter from Lonsdale when Vincent’s mother is visiting her son in Carlingford provide the motor for a rather lurid sub-plot.

Oliphant was obviously a keen observer of the politics of a parish and congregation. Vincent’s lack of enthusiasm for visiting and cups of tea had already been looked on askance but his distraction by the plight of his sister (which has to be kept as secret as possible) and the necessity of seeking her whereabouts lead to dissatisfaction in his congregation at his regular absences and eventually a call for his resignation. A resounding speech by Mr Tozer at the meeting to decide on this rouses all but a few in his defence.

It’s a perfectly respectable example of the nineteenth century novelist’s art but, overall, has that era’s tendency to wordiness, exacerbated here by descriptions like “the Nonconformist,” “the young Dowager” and “the worthy deacon” instead of the character’s name, not to mention a tendency to end a clause – or even a sentence – with a preposition. It might make a decent televisual alternative to the usual Austen remakes, however.

Pedant’s corner:- the Miss Hemmings (the Misses Hemming,) the Miss Wodehouses (the Misses Wodehouse,) “and stanch to her chapel” (staunch,) syren (siren,) stupified (stupefied,) “if there are Squire Thornhills” (strictly, Squires Thornhill,) sen- sations (in the middle of a line? sensations,) “were worthy the occasion” (usually ‘were worthy of the occasion,) “ a mistake unworthy a philosophic observer” (usually ‘unworthy of a’,) “in his behalf” (usually ‘on his behalf’,) villany (usually villainy,) “when the gray morning began to drawn” (dawn.) “‘Where you not afraid, Susan?’” (Were you not,) “‘These sort of people’” (ought to be ‘sorts of people’ but it was in dialogue,) rung the bell (rang,) a missing quotation mark at the resumption of a piece of direct speech. “‘The doctor is is very good.’” (only one ‘is’ required.) “Vincent had rising hurriedly” (had risen hurriedly,) hooping-cough (whooping cough.)