The Last Man

Lionel Verney, the protagonist and narrator of the story, describes his parents and childhood. His father was once a good friend of the king, but his spendthrift ways eventually strained their relations. The elder Verney moved to Cumberland, where his sadness brought on a fever. He married a cottage girl who tended to him during his sickness, and they had two children, Lionel (the narrator) and Perdita. Lionel’s mother was left penniless after his father’s final letter to the king received no reply, and she soon died shortly afterward too.

Lionel works as a shepherd boy as he grows older, becoming daring and reckless. He is devoted to his younger sister, Perdita. Though she is intelligent and fearless, Lionel notes how poverty has made Perdita reclusive and quiet. Lionel longs for a better life, convinced he was born for something great, though he knows his early life has not prepared him for it.

In the year 2073, the king (Lionel’s father’s former friend) abdicates, and England becomes a republic. The former queen, however, wishes to see her son, Adrian, Earl of Windsor, retake the throne once he comes of age. One day, the queen—now the Countess of Windsor—sends Adrian to Cumberland, and Lionel wants to seek revenge upon him for their fathers’ strained relationship. Perdita, however, is excited to see the last of England’s nobility and their town celebrates his arrival.

Lionel trespasses on Adrian’s ground and is repeatedly arrested by the gamekeepers, but freed on Adrian’s orders. Adrian comes outside when Lionel tries to attack him one night. He recognizes Lionel, mentioning that they were destined to be friends. Adrian tells him about how his father always thought of Lionel’s father, revealing how the former king urged Adrian to seek him out. Adrian had planned to befriend the Verneys and attempt to repay them for their father’s friendship to his father. Lionel decides to throw off his jealousy, befriending Adrian instead.

Adrian helps Lionel cultivate his intellect. Lionel soon develops a great thirst for knowledge and studying. Though the Countess tried to encourage her son’s ambition, Adrian is a republican and advocate for freedom. Adrian tells Lionel how he fell in love with a Greek princess named Evadne, but Lionel is convinced she does not love him back. Adrian was sent to Cumberland by the Countess because she discovered this relationship.

Adrian stays in Cumberland for a year, and his friendship with Lionel grows. Adrian arranges for Lionel to get a job in Vienna and for Perdita to be Evadne’s companion at Windsor Castle.

During this time, a man named Lord Raymond becomes famous in England for leading the Greek army to victory in war and gaining a fortune. Rumors reach Lionel that Adrian’s perception has broken from reality and that Raymond has become the favorite of the Countess, who intends for him to marry her daughter, Idris, and become the king of England.

After two years away, Lionel returns to England and immediately goes to see Perdita. She tells him how Adrian became greatly interested in radical political reform just before Raymond returned to England. After Evadne fell in love with Lord Raymond, Adrian quickly grew miserable and sick and moved to an unknown location, where only his mother now attends to him.

Lionel meets Lord Raymond when he comes to Perdita’s cottage at Windsor. Despite his initial prejudices, Lionel comes to like Raymond and sees that he and Perdita have feelings for one another. Raymond introduces him to the political circles of London, where a civil war appears to be brewing between royalists and republicans. One day Lionel meets Adrian’s sister, Idris, and immediately falls in love with her. Idris tells him and Perdita that Adrian is not “mad,” but wrongfully imprisoned by their mother. She asks for their help to save him.

On their way to London, Raymond tells Lionel he has just come from seeing Adrian in Scotland. He talks with him about his plans to become king and marry Idris. Lionel is bewildered by his ambitious plans, which include expanding England as an empire.

In Parliament, Mr. Ryland, the republican leader and one of Raymond’s political foes, discusses the issues that came with the monarchy and how the current republic of England is thriving. Ryland makes a motion to make all attempts to change the current political state of England an act of treason. Raymond attempts to make an amendment to this motion: that the descendants of the former king can attempt to claim the throne. This causes an intended commotion within the house, and the motion is eventually withdrawn.

Raymond comes to visit Lionel. Raymond surprises Lionel by mentioning that, though he is likely soon to be king, he does not have the one thing he wants most. The two plan to go to Windsor the following day, where Raymond proposes to Perdita, throwing away his chance to marry Idris and become king.

Lionel decides to go to Adrian in Scotland immediately, as Adrian is rumored to be on his deathbed. Lionel reaches Adrian and nurses him for three days before he returns to consciousness. Idris and her mother arrive. The Countess tries to separate Lionel from her children, but fails. Adrian improves and he soliloquizes to Lionel about his luck as the two return to England.

Lionel settles in Perdita’s cottage—his sister having gone to Europe with Raymond—near Adrian and Idris at Windsor Castle. After spending more time together, Lionel confesses his love to Idris and later tells Adrian about it. Though the three of them are happy about the attachment, the Countess, who hated Lionel’s father and hopes Idris will marry a king, thinks Lionel is not fit to be with her.

One night, Idris comes to Lionel’s cottage begging him to save her from her mother, who is attempting to abduct and imprison her. The two flee to London to meet with Adrian, who writes a letter to the Countess telling her of the circumstances. The Countess’s response is to disown her children, and Lionel and Idris marry.

Lionel, Adrian, Raymond, Idris, and Perdita are happy together and spend time traveling, studying, and philosophizing with one another. The two couples have children and years pass in this happy manner.

The group goes to London at the time a new Lord Protector of England is to be elected, and Perdita worries for their future. Once there, Raymond tells Lionel and Idris his plan to nominate Adrian for England’s leader. However, Adrian believes Raymond should be nominated for this role, as he is the one who wants power.

They nominate Raymond, but they miscalculate his current popularity. Perdita fears Raymond will never return to Windsor now that he has reverted to his past ambitions. Without telling anyone but Perdita, Raymond plans to leave for Greece and never return to England if he loses the election. However, Raymond wins the election. Perdita goes to Dartford with her daughter, Clara, and Raymond goes alone to find her and tell her of his victory.

Raymond and Perdita stay in London while the others return to Windsor with Clara. Adrian’s health begins to fail, but no one knows why. Raymond abandons his dreams of being an emperor and instead embarks on several projects to eradicate poverty and promote art. He commissions a work of architecture and meets the architect, an old Greek man, but when the two meet the man confesses that he is not the real architect.

Raymond discovers where the real architect lives and finds that it is Evadne, who is now impoverished. Raymond wants to help, but Evadne refuses and makes him promise that he will not tell anyone she is in England. Evadne is still in love with Raymond, who continues to visit her without the others knowing.

Perdita is nearly perfectly happy, aside from the suspicion that Raymond might not be. Raymond is pained by the one secret he keeps from his wife, causing her to worry as well. He fears that Perdita will somehow learn the truth and resolves that, if she does, he will leave England.

One day, Perdita opens a letter from Evadne to Raymond, and Perdita assumes he has been unfaithful. The two argue. Raymond admits his guilt regarding his secrecy, but is offended that she would think him unfaithful. The more they talk, the more Raymond feels guilty for keeping secrets from Perdita and nearly parting from her. He turns his anger onto Evadne and determines to see her one last time.

On the first anniversary of his election, Perdita determines to make Raymond choose between her and the protectorate. Raymond visits Evadne and finds her nearly dead; he sends a letter to Perdita telling her he cannot come to the festival that is being thrown in his honor. While Perdita must play a courteous host, she feels her world crumbling around her and knows she will not recover. Once her guests are gone, Perdita reflects on her miseries.

Perdita is heartbroken and appears changed when Adrian comes to visit her. She and Raymond go to Windsor, where she confesses her miseries and how she is forced to hide her grief to Lionel. She tells him how she wrote a letter to Raymond explaining her feelings once he started to try to win her back, telling him how her heart cannot be unbroken. Lionel thinks that their relationship can be saved, but knows both are reluctant to make the first move in either fixing or ending their marriage.

Meanwhile, Raymond tells Idris and Adrian everything, even the truth about Evadne, including how she had recently suggested that they should stop seeing one another. Raymond is afraid of causing the death of either Perdita or Evadne, as he loves them both. He returns to London without Perdita. In the following weeks, Raymond gives up all hope of reconciling with either woman, ignores his duties as Protector, and turns to “new pursuits of pleasure” (165).

Lionel and Adrian go to London to try and persuade him to return to his old life. The men fight and Raymond abdicates his power, telling the others that he is going back to fight in the war in Greece. He invites Adrian to join him. Raymond asks Lionel to remember him to Perdita, but thinks she is too cold to recognize that he still loves her.