Marmaduke Herbert, Or, the Fatal Error

The "fatal error" to which the title refers is Marmaduke Herbert's inadvertently occasioning the death of his wife's sister by causing her to fall off a cliff. This accident leads to misery, setting in motion a chain of events that will result in the deaths of nearly everyone Herbert loves, as well as an elaborate blackmail scheme and a trial for murder!

A bizarre novel, by turns sensational, psychological, and campy, Marmaduke Herbert; or, The Fatal Error (1847) is one of the best of the prolific Marguerite, Countess of Blessington's novels. This new edition features an introduction by Ross G. Arthur and a chronology of the Countess of Blessington's works.

About the Author

Marguerite, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849) is described by John Sutherland as "the most fashionable of fashionable novelists." Born into poverty in Ireland, she was forced into marriage with a brutal army officer at age fifteen. After fleeing from this marriage, Marguerite read widely and educated herself, and married the Earl of Blessington in 1818. She became a leading London hostess and consorted with Lord Byron. After her husband's death in 1829, she turned to writing, becoming one of the most important of the "silver fork" novelists.