The Works of George W. M. Reynolds

This volume contains "The Mysteries of the Court of Kunandt," a Gothic serial by G. W. M. Reynolds. The narrative, set in southern France near the Pyrenees, opens with Monsieur Volney, a reserved fifty-eight-year-old French gentleman, and his daughter Clarine establishing residence in an abandoned, supposedly haunted chateau. The elderly Volney, marked by evident sorrow and maintaining strict emotional distance even from his daughter, occupies himself with solitary walks and study of scientific and literary works. Clarine, twenty-two and refined despite modest appearance, has spent five years in isolated domestic life with only a loyal servant, Marguerite. The narrative suggests hidden connections between this reclusive household and London society—specifically relating to a character named Zoe, wife of Lord Octavian Meredith. Subsequent chapters introduce Monsieur Volney's surprising decision to secure female companionship for Clarine, implying dramatic complications to follow involving inheritance, disguise, and romantic entanglement.