A Modern Chronicle

At Highlawns, spring's beauty only sharpens Honora Chiltern's unease as she watches her husband drift into brooding restlessness and wonders whether she has failed him. A pair of Brazilian diamond earrings and a dinner set with treasured Lowestoft china briefly kindle hope, turning an evening of ceremony and intimacy into a fragile vision of renewal. But Hugh's charm is shadowed by mystery, and the promise of harmony collapses as his volatility resurfaces. When he insists on buying and riding a dangerous horse, Honora is forced to see the hard, predatory force beneath his confidence. The reckless ride, the farmer's bitter recognition, and Hugh's bloodied return confirm her deepest fears. Soon he leaves for New York, then reappears with guests, drawing Honora into a house-party filled with glittering ease, moral ambiguity, and humiliating social strain. Among Hugh's friends, the worldly Mrs. Kame, the dazzling Mrs. Eustace Rindge, and the sharp-eyed George Pembroke expose the looseness of Hugh's circle. As laughter, bridge, and late-night talk continue, Honora clings to her dignity, but the black horse called Oblivion seems to embody the ruin closing in on her marriage. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.