John Marchmont's Legacy, Volumes 1-3

"John Marchmont's Legacy, Volumes 1-3" by M. E. Braddon is a tale where youthful compassion collides with the hard edges of society in the mid-1800s. The story opens with Edward Arundel, a spirited schoolboy, stumbling upon his former tutor, John Marchmont, reduced to working as a stage extra. Moved by pity, Edward extends a hand to John and his young daughter, Mary, thus beginning a journey woven with threads of inherited destiny, class divides, and the yearning for contentment against a backdrop of misfortune. As Edward's bond with the Marchmonts deepens, the narrative teases at the friction between personal dreams and the stern realities of the era, suggesting future entanglements shaped by social expectations and concealed relationships.