The Well of Loneliness

The Well of Loneliness

By Radclyffe Hall.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Dedication
4. Author’s Note
5. The Well of Loneliness
   1. Book I
      1. I
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      2. II
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
         6. VI
      3. III
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      4. IV
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
         6. VI
      5. V
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      6. VI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      7. VII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      8. VIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      9. IX
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      10. X
          1. I
          2. II
      11. XI
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      12. XII
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      13. XIII
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      14. XIV
          1. I
          2. II
   2. Book II
      1. XV
         1. I
         2. II
      2. XVI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      3. XVII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      4. XVIII
         1. I
      5. XIX
         1. I
         2. II
      6. XX
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      7. XXI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      8. XXII
         1. I
      9. XXIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      10. XXIV
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
          4. IV
          5. V
          6. VI
      11. XXV
          1. I
          2. II
      12. XXVI
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
          4. IV
          5. V
      13. XXVII
          1. I
          2. II
   3. Book III
      1. XVIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      2. XXIX
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      3. XXX
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      4. XXXI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
         6. VI
      5. XXXII
         1. I
         2. II
      6. XXXIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      7. XXXIV
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
   4. Book IV
      1. XXXV
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      2. XXXVI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      3. XXXVII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
      4. XXXVIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
         6. VI
      5. XXXIX
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
   5. Book V
      1. XL
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      2. XLI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      3. XLII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      4. XLIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
         6. VI
         7. VII
      5. XLIV
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      6. XLV
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
      7. XLVI
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      8. XLVII
         1. I
         2. II
      9. XLVIII
         1. I
         2. II
         3. III
         4. IV
         5. V
      10. XLIX
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      11. L
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
          4. IV
          5. V
          6. VI
          7. VII
          8. VIII
      12. LI
          1. I
          2. II
      13. LII
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
          4. IV
      14. LIII
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      15. LIV
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      16. LV
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
      17. LVI
          1. I
          2. II
          3. III
6. Colophon
7. Uncopyright

Imprint

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Dedicated to
our three selves

Author’s Note

All the characters in this book are purely imaginary, and if the author in any instance has used names that may suggest a reference to living persons, she has done so inadvertently.

A motor ambulance unit of British women drivers did very fine service upon the Allied front in France during the later months of the war, but although the unit mentioned in this book, of which Stephen Gordon becomes a member, operates in much the same area, it has never had any existence save in the author’s imagination.

The Well of Loneliness

Book I

I

I

Not very far from Upton-on-Severn⁠—between it, in fact, and the Malvern Hills⁠—stands the country seat of the Gordons of Bramley; well-timbered, well-cottaged, well-fenced and well-watered, having, in this latter respect, a stream that forks in exactly the right position to feed two large lakes in the grounds.

The house itself is of Georgian red brick, with charming circular windows near the roof. It has dignity and pride without ostentation, self-assurance without arrogance, repose without inertia; and a gentle aloofness that, to those who know its spirit, but adds to its value as a home. It is indeed like certain