Anthony Trollope

Christmas at Thompson Hall: Chapter 5, Mrs. Brown at Thompson Hall

December 21, 2018 By Anthony Trollope in Serials Tags: public domain stories, christmas, Anthony Trollope, christmas stories

“Please, sir, we were to ask for Mr. Jones,” said the servant, putting his head into the carriage after both Mr. and Mrs. Brown had seated themselves. “Mr. Jones!” exclaimed the husband. “Why ask for Mr. Jones?” demanded the wife. The servant was about to tender some explanation when Mr. Jones stepped up and said that he was Mr. Jones. “We are going to Thompson Hall,” said the lady with great vigor. The week with Anthony Trollope’s Christmas at Thompson Hall concludes as the Browns and Mr Jones (“Barnaby Jones?” Mrs Brown wonders) arrive at Thompson Hall Christmas morning. This [Read More]

Christmas at Thompson Hall: Chapter 4, Mrs. Brown Does Escape

December 20, 2018 By Anthony Trollope in Serials Tags: old stories, public domain stories, christmas, Anthony Trollope, travel, classic fiction

It had been visible to Mrs. Brown from the first moment of her arrival on the ground floor that “something was the matter,” if we may be allowed to use such a phrase; and she felt all but convinced that this something had reference to her. She fancied that the people of the hotel were looking at her as she swallowed, or tried to swallow, her coffee. When her husband was paying the bill there was something disagreeable in the eye of the man who was taking the money. Her sufferings were very great, and no one sympathized with her. [Read More]

Christmas at Thompson Hall: Chapter 3, Mrs. Brown Attempts to Escape

December 19, 2018 By Anthony Trollope in Serials Tags: public domain stories, christmas, Anthony Trollope, classic short fiction, christmas stories

But her husband was not sleeping. He was not even in bed, as she had left him. She found him sitting there before the fire-place, on which one half-burned log still retained a spark of what had once pretended to be a fire. Nothing more wretched than his appearance could be imagined. There was a single lighted candle on the table, on which he was leaning with his two elbows, while his head rested between his hands. He had on a dressing-gown over his night-shirt, but otherwise was not clothed. He shivered audibly, or rather shook himself with the cold, [Read More]

Christmas at Thompson Hall: Chapter 2, Mrs. Brown’s Failure

December 18, 2018 By Anthony Trollope in Serials Tags: Anthony Trollope, paris, mustard, public domain stories, christmas

With her eye still fixed upon her burden, she glanced up at the number of the door—333. She had been determined all through not to forget that. Then she turned the latch and crept in. The chamber also was dark after the gaslight on the stairs, but that was so much the better. She herself had put out the two candles on the dressing-table before she had left her husband. As she was closing the door behind her she paused, and could hear that he was sleeping. She was well aware that she had been long absent, quite long enough [Read More]

Christmas at Thompson Hall: Chapter 1, Mrs. Brown’s Success

December 17, 2018 By Anthony Trollope in Serial Pilots, Serials Tags: public domain stories, christmas, Anthony Trollope, travel, paris

Everyone remembers the severity of the Christmas of 187—. I will not designate the year more closely, lest I should enable those who are too curious to investigate the circumstances of this story, and inquire into details which I do not intend to make known. That winter, however, was especially severe, and the cold of the last ten days of December was more felt, I think, in Paris than in any part of England. It may, indeed, be doubted whether there is any town in any country in which thoroughly bad weather is more afflicting than in the French capital. [Read More]