The Trial of Love

Faustina talked incessantly of his courage, his gallantry, his engaging manners. She was the heroine of the story. It was for her that the cavalier had risked his life; her he had saved. Angeline smiled a little at her egotism. “It would mortify her if I told her the truth,” she thought: so she remained silent.

Two friends, Angeline and Faustina, are reunited after a couple of years apart. A lot has happened during this time: Angeline has met a man, but the two have been forced to make a promise to keep their love secret and not meet for a whole year. However, when he suddenly turns up much earlier than planned, their love is put to the test once again.

British author Mary Shelley is best known for her novel Frankenstein. Her short story The Trial of Love from 1834 is considered by many to be the story of the love triangle between Shelley’s husband, her half-sister and Mary Shelley herself during their joint stay in Italy in 1818.