"Ianthe's Soul"

The Eustace Diamonds

by Anthony TROLLOPE (1815 - 1882)

Lizzie Greystock, a fortune-hunter who ensnares the sickly, dissipated Sir Florian Eustace, is soon left a very wealthy widow and mother. While clever and beautiful, Lizzie has several character flaws; the greatest of these is an almost pathological delight in lying, even when it cannot benefit her. Before he dies, the disillusioned Sir Florian discovers all this, but does not think to change the generous terms of his will. The diamonds of the book's title are a necklace, a Eustace family heirloom that Sir Florian gave to Lizzie to wear. Lizzie attempts to hold onto them, much to the irritation of the longtime family lawyer, Mr Camperdown. The Eustaces find themselves in an awkward position. On the one hand, the diamonds are a valuable heirloom to which Lizzie may not have a legal claim, but on the other, they do not want to antagonize the mother of the heir to the family estate (Lizzie having only a life interest). Meanwhile, after a respectable period of mourning, Lizzie searches for another husband, and "the plot thickens". (Summary from Wikipedia)This is the third of Trollope’s six “Palliser” novels. LibriVox recordings of other novels in the series are available: 1-Can You Forgive Her? 2-Phineas Finn, the Irish Member 3-The Eustace Diamonds 4-Phineas Redux 5-The Prime Minister 6-The Duke’s Children

Listen next episodes of The Eustace Diamonds:
A Midnight Adventure , Alas! , Bunfit and Gager , Confidence , Frank Greystock's First Visit to Portray , Frank Greystock's Second Visit to Portray , Humpty Dumpty , "I Cannot Do It" , "I Had Better Go Away" , "I Suppose I May Say a Word" , In Hertford Street , "It Won't Be True" , Job's Comforters , Lady Eustace Procures a Pony for the Use of Her Cousin , Lady Linlithgow at Home , "Let It Be As Though It Had Never Been" , Life at Portray , "Likewise the Bears in Couples Agree" , Lizzie at the Police-Court , Lizzie Is Threatened with the Treadmill , Lizzie Returns to Scotland , Lizzie Triumphs , Lizzie's Condition , Lizzie's First Day , Lizzie's Great Friend , Lizzie's Guests , Lizzie's Last Lover , Lizzie's Last Scheme , Lizzie's Sick-Room , Lord George Gives His Reasons , Lucy Morris in Brook Street , Lucy Morris Misbehaves , Matching Priory , Mr. and Mrs. Hittaway in Scotland , Mr. Dove in His Chambers , Mr. Dove's Opinion , Mr. Gowran Is Very Funny , Mr. Gowran Up in London , Mr. Greystock's Troubles , Mrs. Carbuncle Goes to the Theatre , Nappie's Grey Horse , Once More at Portray , Quints or Semitenths , Showing What Frank Greystock Thought About Marriage , Sir Griffin Takes an Unfair Advantage , Sunday Morning , The Aspirations of Mr. Emilius , The Corsair Is Afraid , The Eye of the Public , "The Fiddle with One String" , The Journey to London , The Major , The Story of Lucy Morris Is Concluded , The Trial , Too Bad for Sympathy , Tribute , What Was Said About It All at Matching , "You Are Not Angry?" , "You Know Where My Heart Is"