Anna Maria Porter

Anna Maria Porter. The Lake of Killarney:  a Novel

London:  T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1804.

 

Synopsis of The Lake of Killarney

Volume I

The novel opens in October of 1793 at Castle-Connel in Killarney Ireland. Rose De Blaqueire is a twenty-something orphaned girl living with her guardian, Mr. O'Neil and his sister Mrs. Hester. Four years before the start of the novel, Felix Charlemont had spent a summer at Castle Connel. During that time he grew very close to Rose, but he has been gone for seven years. Rose has always had a love for Charlemont and was excited to see him. He has returned because his father, Lord Roscommon, has married a scandalous woman, Lady Emily M'Donald (Lady Roscommon) and Charlemont does not approve and his father disowns him. He and Rose take a boat ride around the lake and she confesses she is not Mr. O'Neil's niece, but an orphan who was left on his door step. Charlemont returns this confidence by telling the truth of his mother's death and how she threw herself in the way of a bullet to save his father. Captain Fitzpatrick comes to dinner with the widow, Mme. Gabrielle de Villemar. At this point Charlemont is convinced that Fitzpatrick and Rose are in love and he spends many days ignoring Rose because of this thought. One evening as Rose, Felix, and many others are on the archery field, a servant tells Rose that Mr. O'Neil is hurt and to come back to the house. Rose faints at the news and Felix rushes her to her room. He fears she is dead and confesses his admiration for her. She stirs awake and Charlemont runs away to his room.

A few weeks later, Lord Glenroy visits Charlemont. At this time Rose visits Gabrielle de Villemar and while waiting for her in the parlor comes across a tear-stained poem stuck into a book. She asks Mme. de Villemar who wrote it and Gabrielle confesses she wrote it four years ago when she had met and fallen in love with a Scotchman who wouldn't marry her because she already had a husband who turns out to be Lord Glenroy! The Countess of Dunallan and Miss Flora Bellingham come to visit and take Rose to Mount Randal to visit. Lady Dunallan accuses Rose of being in love with Charlemont and speaks out against his character and says that he is too good for Rose. Rose defends Charlemont but is confused at Dunallan's actions. Flora becomes one of Rose's closest friends along with Gabrielle. Meanwhile, during many encounters in the past months Charlemont has convinced himself that Rose and Fitzpatrick are in love and this torments him constantly. Rose is up reading late one night and thinking of her love for Charlemont when she sees him standing bloody in the parlor carrying a man. He faints and Rose screams for help - she fears Charlemont is dead, but he groans and she gets him to bed.

Volume II

Charlemont wakes up to see Fitzpatrick and is now more than ever convinced that he has lost Rose to this man but he still finds him worthy. Rose is worried about Charlemont and they both look at each other only when the other isn't looking. Finally, one evening it all comes out due to Mr. O'Neil and Mrs. Hester getting involved. Rose and Charlemont confess their love for each other. We find out that Flora and Fitzpatrick have eloped together and are extremely happy. Rose and Charlemont plan a wedding in six weeks. Charlemont keeps begging Rose to shorten the time but she will not relent. She receives a letter from Flora and takes it to the lake to read. On her walk she sees Charlemont emerge from a cabin and the next day goes to investigate. She sees Charlemont with a mysterious woman and a young boy. He kisses the child and leaves. The young boy runs to Rose. She asks who he is with and he says, "that's my mamma over there and my papa just left!" At this Rose faints and is eventually woken by Castle-Connel's servant Aleck.

Not surprisingly, Rose is extremely angered at Charlemont and refuses to speak to him. Charlemont has received his orders to fight in Holland in two days and wants to push the wedding up, but Rose now tells him she is tired of the engagement and doesn't want to go through with it anymore. Charlemont leaves early and sends a letter saying he will never return to Castle-Connel. Rose is upset but won't explain why. Flora invites her to stay in Dublin to help her forget all her heart's pain. During her days in Dublin, Fitzpatrick, Glenroy and Flora all discuss the situation between Rose and Charlemont. They decide to each get a side of the story and try to get them back together. During her time in Dublin, Rose meets many a man but can only compare them to Charlemont. At a masquerade ball a masked woman comes up to her and tells a story of how it is rumored that Lady Roscommon left a baby on a Castle's front door in Killarney and warns Rose not to marry until she knows her real parents. Rose is alarmed to think this awful woman could be her mother. Fitzpatrick has gotten his orders to meet Charlemont in Holland, breaking Flora's heart. Collville Barry and his friend Colonel Ormond become admirers of Rose and enjoy their time with her. Glenroy has sent word that he has married Gabrielle and that they are very happy. In Holland, during a particularly bloody battle, Charlemont sees Fitzpatrick fall under a horse and during his attempt to rescue him is himself hit by a bullet. Rose hears at a gathering that Fitzpatrick is dead and she believes her Charlemont to be dead by now as well, since he is rumored to have received a mortal wound. She decides not to tell Flora until she can be sure the state of Fitzpatrick. Collville Barry sends a letter that says both Fitzpatrick and Charlemont are alive and returning to Dublin.

Volume III

During Charlemont's recuperation in Holland he cries out for his Rose and Fitzpatrick. Once the two friends meet up again, they decide the service is something they don't want to do anymore and resign. Rose waits for Charlemont's return but hides when she knows he is around. Charlemont has to leave because his brother, Lord Tyrone, has been injured. Fitzpatrick and Flora continue to try to throw Rose and Charlemont in each other's way. Charlemont's brother has died and now he is the last of the family line and now has inherited the title of Lord Tyrone. The Fitzpatricks have a dinnerwhich many attend, including Lord Tyrone, Rose, Ormond, Barry, and Lady Gertrude. Lady Gertrude spends the entire dinner trying to get Lord Tyrone's attention and it annoys Rose terribly. Lord Tyrone works matters out so that he has to ride in a carriage with Ormond and Collville Barry. They have a big discussion about Rose. Barry praises her mind but says he enjoys her as a perfect woman and has no love for her. Ormond wants to marry Rose but she doesn't feel the same way. This infuriates Lord Tyrone. Rose has meanwhile returned to Killarney and Lord Tyrone visits Castle-Connel, where he throws himself at Rose's feet and explains the whole situation. His brother had set up a woman and child to act as if Charlemont had deserted them so that Rose would not marry him. Flora visits Castle-Connel and both she and O'Neil try to get Lord Tyrone to stay in Ireland. Rose and Lord Tyrone decide that they will split up their time between Ireland and the estates they watch over. The next year passes by quickly. Flora and Fitzpatrick have a baby girl they name Rose.

Soon after the first eight months of marriage, Glenroy comes to visit Lord and Lady Tyrone. Tyrone goes to meet his carriage in the town and Rose waits for them at home. When the men return Rose is not to be found. A servant says that he saw her read a letter and leave with the man who brought the letter. Lord Tyrone and Fitzpatrick spend three months searching all of Ireland, and Glenroy spends time searching in England, but there is no sign of Rose to be found. Lord Roscommon visits with a box of information after his wife has left him for an exotic prince. It is soon revealed through the letters in the box that it was all Lady Roscommon's jealousy of Felix Charlemont that has caused this anguish to Rose. Lady Roscommon dressed up as a man and took Rose out of her happy home. She tried to get her on board a ship, but Rose jumped overboard. Lord Tyrone is convinced Rose is dead and doesn't want to live again. O'Neil and Fitzpatrick decide to send Tyrone to stay with friends and one day Tyrone takes a walk. He sees a woman in a cabin and asks who lives there and turns around to see Rose! She is much altered, has vacant eyes, and does not recognize her love, Lord Tyrone. The husband and wife who own the cabin say they found her wandering and have taken care of her for a while now. She writes with charcoal on the walls and only murmurs. Flora comes to visit to try to help Rose but to no avail. When everyone is at the end of their collective ropes a scream issues from Rose's room and Flora walks out with Rose's new son, Felix. The birth of her son has restored Rose's memory and she can now understand that it ISN'T Lady Roscommon that is her mother, but Lady Dunallan whose maid used to be Lady Roscommon. Joy is all around them as the novel concludes with a happy ending.

-- Prepared by Kate Lottinville, University of Nebraska, April 2006
© Kate Lottinville, 2006.