Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction, and the Drama, Vol. 2: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's HandbookBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham
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Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction, and the Drama, Vol. 2: A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook
Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham
Allusions; Fiction -- Dictionaries; Literature -- Dictionaries
=Headstone= (_Bradley_), a school-master of very determined character
and violent passion. He loves Lizzie Hexam with an irresistible, mad
love, and tries to kill Eugene Wrayburn out of jealousy. Grappling with
Rogue Riderhood on Plashwater Bridge, Riderhood falls backward into the
smooth pit, and Headstone over him. Both of them perish in the grasp of
a death-struggle.—C. Dickens, _Our Mutual Friend_ (1864).
=Hearn= (_Frank_), lieutenant in U.S.A., against whom a charge is
brought of refusing to pay just debts. He asserts that the account was
paid, and the tradesman produces a ledger to prove the opposite. Joined
to other evidence this seems conclusive, until _Georgia Marshall_, with
whom Hearn is in love, catches sight of the ledger, and scribbles a note
to her lover from the other side of the room. He raises a leaf of the
ledger between the light and himself and discovers a water-mark—a
date—that establishes the fact of perjury.—Charles King, _An Army
Portia_ (1890).
=Heart of Midlothian=, the old jail or tolbooth of Edinburgh, taken down
in 1817.
Sir Walter Scott has a novel so called (1818), the plot of which is as
follows:—Effie Deans, the daughter of a Scotch cow-feeder, is seduced by
George Staunton, son of the rector of Willingham; and Jeanie is cited as
a witness on the trial which ensues, by which Effie is sentenced to
death for child murder. Jeanie promises to go to London and ask the king
to pardon her half-sister, and after various perils, arrives at her
destination. She lays her case before the duke of Argyll, who takes her
in his carriage to Richmond, and obtains for her an interview with the
queen, who promises to intercede with his majesty (George II.) on her
sister’s behalf. In due time the royal pardon is sent to Edinburgh,
Effie is released, and marries her seducer, now Sir George Staunton; but
some years after the marriage Sir George is shot by a gypsy boy, who is
in reality his illegitimate son. On the death of her husband, Lady
Staunton retires to a convent on the continent. Jeanie marries Reuben
Butler, the Presbyterian minister. The novel opens with the Porteous
riots.
=Heartall= (_Governor_), an old bachelor, peppery in temper, but with a
generous heart and unbounded benevolence. He is as simple minded as a
child, and loves his young nephew almost to adoration.
_Frank Heartall_, the governor’s nephew, impulsive, free-handed and
free-hearted, benevolent and frank. He falls in love with the Widow
Cheerly, the daughter of Colonel Woodley, whom he sees first at the
opera. Ferret, a calumniating rascal, tries to do mischief, but is
utterly foiled.—Cherry, _The Soldier’s Daughter_ (1804).
=Heartfree= (_Jack_), a railer against women and against marriage. He
falls half in love with Lady Fanciful, on whom he rails, and marries
Belinda.—Vanbrugh, _The Provoked Wife_ (1693).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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