Herman Melville

Pierre Herman Melville

Pierre Glendinning is a young man who lives amid luxury and ease, the heir to vast estates that form the larger portion of two counties in New York State. His time is taken up with outdoor recreation, reading, and the courting of beautiful and well-to-do Lucy Tartan, a woman of whom Pierre's mother approves completely. Mrs. Glendinning, who is jealous of her influence over her son, sees nothing to fear in quiet, nonaggressive Lucy Tartan. One evening, however, a strange incident occurs when Mrs. Glendinning and Pierre visit a sewing bee in a nearby home. One of the women there shrieks and faints when she sees Pierre. The incident bothers the young man, but he is totally unprepared for a note he receives from the young woman a short time later. In the note, she requests that Pierre visit her in the evening at the farm where she is employed.