The Last Chronicle of Barset

The final novel of the popular Barset series contains one of Trollope's strongest characters, as well as affectionate farewells to many of those readers have come to know in earlier novels. The major character is Mr. Crawley, who is a minor character in Framley Parsonage; he is the extremely poor and inflexible curate who points Mr. Robarts on the right way. In The Last Chronicle, Mr. Crawley is accused of stealing when a cheque belonging to the Duke of Omnium, dropped by the Duke's steward during or after a visit to Mr. Crawley, is cashed by a tradesman to whom Mr. Crawley owes money at his bank. Mr. Crawley is unable to account for the money, and so is brought before the magistrates and committed for trial. The scandal this creates brings down upon him the redoubtable anger of Mrs. Proudie, the bishop's wife. The important thing about Mr. Crawley, which makes him by far the most interesting character in the novel sequence, is that he has a tendency toward madness, which starts small—his absent-mindedness about money which makes it impossible to remember where the cheque came from—and grows, tormenting him and his family and friends.