
A chance encounter at a secluded villa sets the stage for a tense, emotionally charged dialogue between Captain Almbach and the enigmatic Ella. When the captain confesses a hidden past and a lingering affection, the air crackles with both yearning and resentment, hinting at long‑forgotten promises and unspoken duties. Their exchange, laced with polite formality and sudden, startling gestures, pulls listeners into a world where pride and vulnerability clash beneath the quiet beauty of the Italian countryside.
Beyond the charged conversation, the captain’s solitary walk back to Mirando reveals a mind unsettled by lingering doubts and a growing sense of romantic fatalism. As he reflects on the villa’s melancholic atmosphere, listeners sense the looming stakes of a love that may yet demand sacrifice. The opening promises a richly layered tale of honor, longing, and the fragile bridges we build between past and present.
Full title
Riven Bonds. Vol. II. A Novel, in Two Volumes
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (251K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Charles Bowen, from page scans provided by Google Books.
Release date
2011-02-14
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1918
A bestselling German novelist of the late 19th century, she wrote popular serial fiction filled with romance, family conflict, and dramatic turns. Publishing under the name E. Werner, she reached a wide audience through magazines before many of her stories appeared as books.
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