Catharine Maria Sedgwick Plot Summary of Clarence (1830)

Frank Carrol is a sweet little boy who strikes up a friendship with an elderly stranger in New York City. Frank likes the man (Mr. Clarence), although he can't say why. The boy visits Mr. Clarence frequently at the boarding house, which happens to be across the street from his father's office. There is another, extremely miserly boarder at this boarding house, who the old man thinks he knows but can't quite place. On his deathbed, the miser tells Mr. Clarence to open the chest under his bed, which contains, along with all the money the miser has been able to save, a confession of what Mr. Clarence has begun to suspect: that this old miser was once a trusted employee of Mr. Clarence, in the West Indies. After Mr. Clarence's wife died, he sent his son back home to England with this employee and enough money to pay for his expenses for several years. Tempted by the money, the miser instead goes to America and places the boy in an orphanage. The miser has, however, kept track of the boy- in fact, the boy now has an office across the street from the boarding house. In extreme emotion, Mr. Clarence falls desperately ill. Frank convinces his father to take the man home to recuperate. Eventually Mr. Clarence recovers enough to explain that he's Mr. Carrol's father, and that his long-lost son will inherit his fortune when he dies, which is very shortly. Mr. Clarence the elder dies, and the younger sends away the necessary papers to change his name and get his fortune. The next of kin in England protest; a trial ensues. Little Frank dies of tetanus which could have been treated if his parents hadn't been so preoccupied with the trial. The family moves to the country. Mrs. Clarence dies. Their older daughter Gertrude is brought home from school. Gertrude's painting instructor, Seton, is in love with her; Gertrude tells him that she can only love him as a friend. He falls into a nervous illness. Mr. Clarence proposes a tour of upstate New York, where there are plenty of waterfalls for Seton to paint, to get his mind off Gertrude. Instead, Seton tries to throw himself into a waterfall. He's rescued by Gertrude with the aid of Gerald Roscoe, who, it turns out, Gertrude's father wants her to marry. Although Gertrude realizes who he is, and although the two are instantly attracted to one another, Gerald does not know who Gertrude is, and for most of the novel she manages to keep this secret from him. Another person who nearly throws herself into the waterfall but who is rescued by Gertrude is Emilie Layton. She's in love with Randolph Marion, but her father has promised her to the evil Pedrillo, to whom Mr. Layton is deeply in debt through gambling. What Mr. Layton doesn't realize is that Pedrillo, in addition to being a gambler, is also a womanizer: Roscoe witnesses Pedrillo trying to abduct another young innocent girl (he saves her from the attempt); but Layton stabs Roscoe with a trick cane that has a switchblade on the end when Roscoe tries to tell him what he's seen. Gertrude offers to pay off all of Mr. Layton's debts to Pedrillo if only he will let her marry Randolph Marion. Layton writes Pedrillo a note to this effect, but Pedrillo only says to meet him "there" that night. "There" turns out to be the gambling house, where Pedrillo once again exercises mind control over Layton, who ends up gambling half of Gertrude's money away. Pedrillo now has to get out of America fast: he's about to be arrested for a crime that he committed when he was 13, after which he fled to the West Indies. His plan to get Emilie before he goes involves a masquerade that's about to be held in New York. Layton is to bring the unsuspecting Emilie, dressed in a blue domino, to Pedrillo, who will be dressed as a Spanish cavalier, who will then take her away. However, Pedrillo's servant has let the plan to kidnap Emilie slip to one of Gertrude's maids, who promptly tells Gertrude. Therefore, Gertrude and Randolph Marion adopt a counter-plan. They arrange to have two Spanish cavalier outfits made, and to have the delivery of Pedrillo's delayed for an hour. Randolph is therefore able to be at the masquerade to receive Emilie from her father's hands. They take off in a carriage, accompanied by Gertrude. Thinking that they have made a clean get-away, they stop for the night at an inn. However, back at the Layton's house, Mrs. Layton has discovered Emily's note about where she and Marion have gone, and along what road. Pedrillo and his accomplices take off after them, swiftly followed by Layton, Roscoe, and two other men (who turn out to be Pedrillo's long-lost brother and father). Pedrillo discovers Emilie, but just then Roscoe and the others arrive, and a fight with pistols and knives ensues. Pedrillo is about to kill Roscoe, but then he suddenly sees his father about to be killed by one of his ruffians. Pedrillo shouts for the man to stop, and then he stabs himself. As he is dying, he slits the throat of his faithful dog-the only one, he says, who ever loved him. He asks that the dog be buried with him. Two letters to Miss Marion, Randolph's single sister, end the novel. The first is from Emilie, describing the happiness of her and Gertrude's double wedding (Roscoe finally discovers who Gertrude really is.) The second is from Gertrude, describing all of the furnishings of her house, and noting that even though Gertrude is happily married, she admires the justice Miss Marion does to the unmarried woman.