Aurora Leigh

After some brief reflections on her correspondence and on society, Aurora resumes her tale. She has lived in her room in Kensington for three years after parting with Romney. In the interim, she has won poetic renown and receives letters from many admirers, though none from Romney. Writing late into the night, Aurora also works as a bookseller and writes for encyclopedias, magazines, and newspapers to earn a regular living. One day, a privileged young woman named Lady Waldemar visits Aurora and announces that she loves Romney Leigh. She also reports that Romney is engaged to Marian Erle, a woman whose social status is far below his level and whom he has helped in the course of his philanthropic social work. Lady Waldemar then asks Aurora to “break it up” (Line 686), but Aurora refuses to interfere in Romney’s current relationship, stating that she has no power to do so. 

Two hours later, Aurora arrives in Saint Margaret’s Court, where Marian Erle lives. Here, the beautiful and innocent Marian recounts her arduous life story to the listening Aurora. Marian was born in the Malvern Hills to impoverished farmers. Marian’s mother, a woman who experienced a physically abusive marriage, attempted to engage in the commercial sexual exploitation of her daughter.