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The Belle's StratagemHannah Cowley

The Belle's Stratagem

by OpenStories

Original author: Hannah Cowley

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"The Belle's Stratagem" by Hannah Cowley is a romantic comedy written in 1780. When Letitia Hardy discovers her childhood betrothed Doricourt seems unmoved by her charms, she devises a bold deception to win his passionate devotion rather than settle for a loveless marriage. Meanwhile, newlyweds Sir George and Lady Frances Touchwood navigate jealousy and the corrupting influence of fashionable London society. Both plotlines converge at a climactic masquerade ball where wit, virtue, and romantic love challenge the era's social conventions about marriage and women's roles.

The Belle's Stratagem, by Hannah Cowley. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #47604.

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6 Chapters

  1. 1.Act I: SCENE I.--Lincoln's-Inn5,036 words
  2. 2.Act II: SCENE I. Sir George Touchwood's4,210 words
  3. 3.Act III: SCENE I. Mr. Hardy's3,796 words
  1. 4.Act IV: SCENE----A Masquerade3,492 words
  2. 5.Act V: SCENE I.----Hardy's4,974 words
  3. 6.Epilogue536 words