Cirrus@Austlit

Corsican gentleman Donetti Baroni swears vengeance on the deathbed of his sister who has committed suicide after she has been seduced after a false marriage to a travelling getleman of English blood. Donetti travels to Australia and finds the villain in Vivien Ainsworth, son of a squatter suffering financial trouble and engaged to wealthy heiress and squatter's daughter Geraldine Mayne. Donetti falls in love with her too and is torn between his vow and his love. Vivien meanwhile fears Donetti and is jealous of the increasing attraction between him and Geraldine, attempting to prevent anything Donetti may tell her by telling her Donetti is jealous. Vivien's valet, his accomplice in the false marriage, is pressing Vivien for £500 to save his brother but Vivien can not get it. A fight between Donetti and Vivien at a ball and the discovery of Vivien's dead body the next day implicates Donetti who is found guilty of murder. Geraldine recovers from brain fever just in time to save him by a village boy's evidence. The valet was the guilty party. P. 326, narration through newspaper reports. P. 248, Mentions increased claims laid to masculinity by women, eg, smoking, clothing, cycling, swearing. P. 325, questions the position woman is left in if all vengeance is left to God. Includes scenes at Melbourne's Pentridge gaol. (PB)