Gwendoline

"Gwendoline" by Agnes Giberne is a novel written in the late 19th century. It follows Gwendoline Halcombe, a gifted young artist and the eldest of a large, struggling family, whose proud and powerful kinswoman Lady Halcot has long cut them off. Set between foggy London and the austere seaside town of Riversmouth, the story blends domestic trials, questions of duty and faith, and the hope of reconciliation. Early episodes center on Gwendoline’s character, courage, and the social tensions that shape her future. The opening of the novel introduces Mr. Selwyn, a kindly London lawyer, as Gwendoline misses an appointment in a dense fog and the scene shifts to Riversmouth, where Lady Halcot rules the town with iron tradition. Gwendoline arrives there briefly with her friend Honora, ponders appealing to Lady Halcot, and receives an unexpected dinner invitation—only to miss it after leaping from the rocks to save a drowning child and collapsing from exhaustion; Dr. Fosbrook helps revive the boy. Back in London, Gwendoline’s crowded home life and practical sister Ruth frame the family’s crisis as their father is quietly dismissed from the bank, deepening Gwen’s longing for help she cannot ask. Meanwhile, Lady Halcot—hearing of the rescue from Dr. Fosbrook—becomes newly interested in the girl, and Mr. Selwyn, discussing the matter at home, is interrupted by Gwendoline herself arriving to seek his counsel.

Gwendoline, by Agnes Giberne. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #77349.