Dr Thorne - Anthony Trollope [303]
CHAPTER XLV
1 (p. 525) such, in fact, turned out to be the case: Much doubt has been expressed over Mary’s chances of inheriting under Sir Roger’s will. The Saturday Review had some sarcastic remarks to make in its review of Dr Thorne in June 1858. But the following is the opinion of a modern authority, Grace Derwent, barrister-at-law, who concedes that Trollope’s interpretation of the law may not have been too wide of the mark. She writes: ‘The position of illegitimate donees was only improved to a limited extent by the Legitimacy Act 1926, and more so by the Family Law Reform Act 1969. Previously, the traditional common law rules applied. These meant that any reference to relationship to the testator was presumed to refer only to legitimate relatives. The rule applied to all donees, including children or relatives generally.
‘This presumption, however, could be avoided if a contrary intention was indicated by the testator’s giving a description sufficient to identify an illegitimate donee, even if not by name.
‘An example of a gift by specific description would include a reference to the actual relationship to the testator. In the will of Sir Roger Scatcherd, in the event of his son not surviving to the age of twenty-five, his estate, after the payment of various bequests, was left to the eldest child of his sister. This was Mary Thornc, the daughter of his sister Mary and of Henry, the brother of Dr Thorne.
‘At the time of executing his will, Sir Roger did not know of his own relationship to Mary Thorne. Dr Thorne did know it and he begged Sir Roger to be more precise in identifying his heir. Later the identity of Mary was disclosed to him and opportunity given for clarification. On Sir Roger’s death, a codicil, correctly attested, stated that Dr Thorne, and he alone, knew the identity of Mary Scatcherd’s eldest child. Certainly, Dr Thorne did know Mary and had no specific information concerning any later legitimate issue.
‘Therefore, according to the traditional rules of inheritance, Mary should not have been the donee, but it can be argued that the knowledge in the possession of Dr Thorne, together with Sir Roger’s instructions, constituted adequate identification and Mary could inherit.’
CHAPTER XLVI
1 (p. 531) Our Pet Fox: The fox is, of course, Mary herself. In the Aesop fable the fox who lost his tail tried to persuade the other foxes that it was better to be without one but changed his mind when he regained it. It may be too far-fetched to suggest that Trollope is making a pun here and that ‘tail’ (see pp. 534, 535, 551) implies ‘entail’.
2 (p. 534) Mrs Radcliffe: Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823), novelist. She was the founder of a school of highly suspenseful romantic fiction and author of The Mysteries of Udolpho.
CHAPTER XLVII
1 (p. 553) Dr Thorne… was going to marry her. A hint at things to come (see Introduction)?
2 (p. 554) He will never know: Traditionally the wedding breakfast was held in the bride’s home, not the bridegroom’s.
3 (p. 555) Archdeacon Grantley: The archdeacon first makes his appearance in The Warden and figures in four other novels of the series. Elsewhere Trollope invariably spells his name Grantly.
4 (p. 555) Mrs Grantley’s sister; Eleanor Arabin, who appears in five of the chronicles of Barsetshire.
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Introduction
Chronology
Doctor Thorne
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter