The Ordeal of Richard Feverel

"His ordeal is over. I have just come from his room and seen him bear the worst that could be. Return at once—he has asked for you. I can hardly write intelligibly, but I will tell you what we know. Two days after the dreadful night when he left us, his father heard from Ralph Morton. Richard had fought a duel in France with Lord Mountfalcon, and was lying wounded."

Ordeal named finished as duel aftermath and worse to bear — plot closes as System's catastrophic harvest — so plot scores 93.

Sir Austin Absworthy Bearne Feverel, Baronet, of Raynham Abbey, in a certain Western county folding Thames: a man of wealth and honour, and a somewhat lamentable history. The outline of the baronet's story was by no means new. He had a wife, and he had a friend.

Wealth-honour-lamentable in one crest; wife-and-friend triangle seeds the System father — cast as cause — so cast scores 91.

Night had come on as Richard entered the old elm-shaded, grass-bordered lane leading down from Raynham to Belthorpe. The pale eye of twilight was shut. The wind had tossed up the bank of Western cloud, which was now flying broad and unlighted across the sky.

Night lane to farm dilates heart-leap before crisis — lyric pause inside System plot — so pace scores 88.

Some years ago a book was published under the title of "The Pilgrim's Scrip." It consisted of a selection of original aphorisms by an anonymous gentleman, who in this bashful manner gave a bruised heart to the world.

Bruised heart as published aphorisms — System's style announced as wounded wisdom — so prose scores 94.

It was the month of July. The Solent ran up green waves before a full-blowing South-wester. Gay little yachts bounded out like foam, and flashed their sails, light as sea-nymphs. A crown of deep Summer blue topped the flying mountains of cloud.

Bridal breakfast framed by Solent foam — temporary paradise geography before ordeal's last act — so world scores 88.

He had a wife, and he had a friend. His marriage was for love; his wife was a beauty; his friend was a sort of poet. His wife had his whole heart, and his friend all his confidence.

Parallel clauses load betrayal before the son appears — System born of cuckold wound — so hook scores 92.

But if he has saved his son's body, he has given the death-blow to his heart. Richard will never be what he promised.

Education that saves body and kills heart — System novel as tragic theorem — so innov scores 95.

Have you noticed the expression in the eyes of blind men? That is just how Richard looks, as he lies there silent in his bed—striving to image her on his brain.

Blind-man stare imaging dead Lucy — ordeal ends as inner blindness, not reform — so ending scores 94.