The Gilded Age, Part 5

In Short

Set in the political hothouse of Washington, D.C., this satirical novel follows Laura Hawkins and a cast of speculators, lobbyists, and lawmakers as they pursue the passage of the Knobs University bill—a measure designed to channel millions through federal funds and land appropriations under the guise of aiding the recently freed colored population. Driven by ambition, a desire for social dominance, and a turbulent romance with the evasive Colonel Selby, Laura masterminds the legislation by compromising prominent congressmen through secret favors, ghostwritten speeches, and strategic manipulation. The narrative exposes the intricate machinery of private legislation and political corruption, portraying a society where idealism is routinely bartered for influence and personal gain.

The Story

The narrative opens in Washington society, where Laura Hawkins occupies a prominent and dazzling position. Cultivating the favor of influential statesmen like the widowed Mr. Buckstone, Laura quickly draws a train of devoted captives whom she alternately encourages and torments. While attending receptions hosted by figures such as the sincere Mrs. Schoonmaker, Laura maneuvers within a microcosm where ultra-fashion, jobbery, and quiet domesticity exist side by side. Behind her social triumphs, however, lies an intense personal turmoil rooted in her turbulent relationship with Colonel Selby, a Southern officer who is married and bound to another. Laura is consumed by a fever of love, jealousy, and hatred toward Selby, demanding that he cast aside his wife and flee with her, while he offers only cowardly excuses and evasions.

Simultaneously, the political machinery of the capital hums with grand schemes. Senator Dilworthy champions the Knobs University bill, a massive enterprise ostensibly conceived out of religious devotion and benevolence toward the colored millions, but which relies upon the acquisition of seventy-five thousand acres from the Hawkins heirs. Col. Sellers and Washington Hawkins navigate the fringes of these vast projects, filled with rosy expectations of sudden wealth and government annexations. Meanwhile, young Henry Brierly, deeply and hopelessly in love with Laura, serves as an energetic lobbyist for the university scheme while writing descriptive letters about the capital's madness to his friend Philip Sterling, who is convalescing nearby and pondering the pure sanity of the Bolton household and Ruth.

Laura intensifies her campaign for the bill by directly targeting its opponents. She confronts the grave and respectable Mr. Trollop, dismantling his opposition by revealing that she authored his previous speech and reminding him of his compromised vote on the Steamship Subsidy bill. Rather than facing public ruin, Trollop and other congressmen agree to support the measure after Laura ingeniously structures the university incorporation to place relatives of key lawmakers into lucrative, salaried positions under the banner of philanthropy. Even the religious press, including Brother Balaam’s Daily Love-Feast, enthusiastically endorses the bill solely on the guaranty of Senator Dilworthy's righteous involvement, brushing aside skeptical dispatches from northern newspapers that arrive via notoriously sluggish trains.

As the legislative battle reaches its climax, the House floor erupts into a furious uproar. Mr. Buckstone moves to suspend the rules and force a vote, shouting down the opposition's attempts to delay. The previous question is carried by a surprising majority, and after a tense roll-call vote on adjournment, the enemies of the university flock angrily from the hall while its triumphant supporters celebrate. Col. Sellers joyfully proclaims to Washington Hawkins that they are millionaires and tells him to run home and share the magnificent news with Laura. Washington returns home, assumes Laura is merely cool and unimpressed by her sudden fortune, and retires to bed to write rapturous letters to his mother and Louise.

How It Unfolds

• The morning call — Laura receives the Hon. Mr. Buckstone at her home, flatters his intellect and loneliness, and successfully secures his allegiance while drawing him into her circle of devoted admirers.
• The Washington microcosm — Society receptions reveal stark contrasts between unpretentious homes like Mrs. Schoonmaker's and the feverish, job-seeking atmosphere frequented by lobbyists, speculators, and journalists.
• The midnight shadow — Following a brief seclusion for a nervous headache, Laura startles her household by imagining an intruder, prompting Washington Hawkins to provide her with a revolver and instructions on its use.
• The confrontation with Selby — Laura faces Colonel Selby in a tempest of rage over his married life, only to have her fury dissolve when he speaks to her with a low, remembered tenderness that rekindles her passionate attachment.
• The drafting of Trollop — Confronting the resistant Mr. Trollop, Laura exposes his past political compromises and negotiates his support by assigning his brother-in-law a salaried position within the university incorporation.
• The floor battle — Mr. Buckstone forces the issue in the House of Representatives amid a storm of angry shouting, parliamentary maneuvers, and a fiercely contested roll-call vote that ultimately passes the measure.

The People

• Laura Hawkins — A brilliant, dazzling woman of the world who dominates Washington society, she wants absolute love and power, using her charm and strategic blackmail to bend lawmakers to her will. Standing in her way are social ostracism and the cowardice of Colonel Selby, and she ends up consumed by a tempest of conflicting passions while her grand bill finally triumphs.
• Col. George Selby — A wounded, impoverished Southern officer who wants to enjoy the comforts of influence while avoiding definitive action, he is checked by his existing marriage and cowardice. He ends up stringing Laura along with false promises and cowardly evasions, trapped between his fear of her and his unwillingness to let her go.
• Senator Dilworthy — A pious, prominent statesman who champions the Knobs University bill, he wants to secure federal funds and uplift the colored race through elaborate patronage. He is hindered by growing public scrutiny and newspaper skepticism, and he ends up steering his massive legislative scheme through the House alongside his agents.
• Mr. Buckstone — A respected congressman who prides himself on his detachment from women, he wants to maintain his political dignity but is completely conquered by Laura's charm. He ends up serving as her chief champion on the House floor, leading the fight to pass her university bill.
• Henry Brierly — An enthusiastic, buoyant lobbyist and university promoter, he wants to win Laura's heart and achieve great things in Washington. He is impeded by her cold contempt for his devotion, and he ends up disillusioned, despondent, and heartbroken.
• Washington Hawkins — An heir to the Knobs property who is reluctant to sell his family land, he wants to preserve his holdings while dreaming of sudden fortune. He is guided by Col. Sellers through the capital's pageantry and ends up bewildered by his success, rushing home to write rapturous letters.

In Its Own Voice

• Observing the stark contrast between romantic fiction and the unceremonious realities of political life, the narrator notes: "Such disappointments seldom occur in novels, but are always happening in real life."
• Describing the unpretentious atmosphere of a prominent Washington household, the text observes: "Her house was one of the most popular in Washington."
• Confronting the harsh mechanics of legislative support, Laura tells a reluctant politician: "We know each other--disguises are nonsense."

What It's Really About

The novel explores the pervasive corruption underpinning American political and financial life during the Gilded Age, examining how noble rhetoric is systematically co-opted for personal enrichment. It dissects the machinery of private legislation, where lofty arguments about philanthropy and the uplift of the newly freed population serve as convenient covers for land speculation, jobbery, and backroom bribery. Beneath the satire of Washington lobbying lies a deeper inquiry into human motivation—specifically how passion, ambition, and moral compromise warp both public duty and private affection. The text argues that a society driven entirely by speculation and appearance breeds a pervasive cynicism, leaving individuals like Laura and her suitors trapped in relentless cycles of manipulation and emotional ruin.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate sharp social satire, rich period detail, and complex character studies will find much to admire in this nineteenth-century classic. Reading it feels like stepping directly into the feverish, high-stakes atmosphere of the post-war capital, where every conversation carries an ulterior motive and every drawing room doubles as a political battleground. What stays with you long after finishing is the haunting portrait of Laura Hawkins—a woman of formidable intellect and tragic emotional intensity whose desperate quest for love and power plays out against a backdrop of institutional decay. Modern readers should be prepared for the expansive, nineteenth-century prose style, occasional period dialects, and nineteenth-century racial attitudes reflected through its characters, yet these very elements provide an authentic window into the historical anxieties and systemic flaws that continue to resonate in contemporary political life.