Basil
'Basil' Summary
Basil, son of a father who values the family pedigree and who would not let him marry below his station, falls in love at first sight with a girl he sees on a bus. He follows her and discovers she is Margaret Sherwin, only daughter of a linen draper. He persuades her father to let him marry her secretly. He agrees on the condition, that, as his daughter is only seventeen, they live apart for the first year. At first the secret works, but then the mysterious Mannion, whose emotions cannot be read in his face, returns from abroad. On the last night of the year Basil follows Margaret and Mannion and discovers them in flagrante delicto. Basil attacks Mannion in the street and tries to murder him, but succeeds only in mutilating his face by pushing it into the fresh tarmacadam in the road. Mannion survives, recovers and swears revenge, and it is revealed that Basil's father indirectly caused Mannion's father to be hanged for forgery.
Basil repudiates Margaret, but Sherwin threatens him with exposure unless he holds to his marriage. Basil confesses to his father, who disowns him, but his sister Clara stands by him. Basil's brother Ralph undertakes to buy Sherwin off, but meanwhile Margaret flees to Mannion, thereby acknowledging her guilt. Visiting Mannion in hospital, she catches typhus and dies. Basil, having been put on her track by Ralph, visits her on her deathbed.
Basil flees from Mannion to Cornwall. The dénouement is worthy of Conan Doyle, set among whirlpools and cliffs near Lands End.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1852Authors
Wilkie Collins
London
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright known for The Woman in White (1859), and for The Moonstone (1868), which has been called the first modern English detective novel. B...
Books by Wilkie CollinsDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is the first collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc recounting the adventures of Arsène Lupin, released on 10 June 1...
Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Part 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This collection of Sherlock Holmes stories is regarded as the darkest of the Holmes canon, with some unusual villains. The stories are not all narrate...
Datchet Diamonds by Richard Marsh
In the captivating world of Victorian England, a hapless gambler named Mr. Paxton finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue and danger after discov...
The Millionaire Mystery by Fergus Hume
It is a classic mystery novel that follows the investigation of a wealthy man's murder. The story is set in 19th century England and is full of twists...
Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry by Mary Roberts Rinehart
The 'Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry' follows the escapades of Letitia and her two friends, Aggie and Lizzie, as they navigate a world filled w...
Doom Castle by Neil Munro
In the aftermath of the Jacobite Rebellion, young Count Victor embarks on a perilous journey to Scotland, seeking vengeance against a traitor to the J...
Lovels of Arden by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Clarissa Lovel returns to England after years of education abroad, only to discover her family's fortunes have dwindled and her father is emotionally...
Delftsche Wonderdokter by A. L. G. Bosboom-Toussaint
Set against the backdrop of the Eighty Years' War and the Reformation, "The Miracle Doctor of Delft" tells the story of Juliaan, a young man who has f...
Mystery of the Hidden Room by Marion Harvey
In Marion Harvey's "Mystery of the Hidden Room," the seemingly straightforward murder of a wealthy man takes a thrilling turn when his wife, who was s...
Black Star by Johnston McCulley
Black Star, a mysterious and elusive master criminal, has the police baffled. With elaborate disguises and a penchant for leaving cryptic black stars...
Reviews for Basil
No reviews posted or approved, yet...