The Corvey Novels Project at the University of Nebraska
Studies in British Literature of the Romantic Period
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.