Description

Barton Hall rises like a genteel jewel beneath the brooding Berne Hills, its white‑stone façade and Italian towers framed by manicured lawns, exotic conservatories, and a shimmering lake teeming with water‑fowl. The estate is a study in contrast: a sanctuary of southern light and fragrant mist set against the stark, coal‑black rivers and forging furnaces of the northern industrial heartland. Here, the air is thick with the perfume of blossoms and the promise of wealth, inviting listeners to wander through a world where elegance meets ambition.

At the centre of this landscape stands Christopher Tallant, a self‑made man whose modest beginnings in a northern counting‑house have forged a relentless drive for success. The narrative follows his ascent through the bustling world of finance, painting a portrait of a generation hardened by industry yet yearning for refinement. As the first act unfolds, the story weaves together the grandeur of Barton Hall, the gritty vigor of the north, and Tallant’s quest to turn fortune into legacy.

Details

Language

Duration

~4 hours (259K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Original publisher

United Kingdom: Tinsley Brothers, 1867.

Credits

Sonya Schermann, Debrah Thompson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Release date

2023-05-02

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

Source

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70686