The Trials of Triona by Christopher Ward

Olivia Gale grows up puzzled that her family is excluded from county society, and on her deathbed her mother reveals the shame: Olivia's father, Stephen Gale, made his fortune dealing in pigs. After her mother dies, Olivia rents out the family home and flees to London to escape the stigma. There she marries Alexis Triona, celebrated author of Rushing Through Russia. Triona is actually a chauffeur named John Briggs, who faked his famous book from a stolen diary. Finding him drunk one night, Olivia discovers his notes and realizes he is in fact a brilliant imaginative storyteller, not a mere reporter of fact. But she also learns his true name is Briggs, and the word's likeness to "pigs" horrifies her: it revives the very shame she fled. She keeps a vigil to confront him, but he flees to Victoria station, pretends to be a traffic policeman directing cars, and is struck by a motor lorry and hospitalized. Olivia returns to her old home, where her tenant Blaise Olifant, a one-armed man who has long loved her, shelters her with his sister as chaperone. He eventually kisses her passionately, but his long nose makes it impossible for her to respond, and she resolves to stay true to Alexis instead. Myra Stebbings, Olivia's gaunt maid, had once married a man who turned out to be insane. She visits Briggs in hospital, causing him to faint. Once recovered, Briggs becomes a chauffeur again and encounters Olivia on the road; fleeing her, he runs off a precipice, and she follows him down. She learns he is working as a chauffeur and leaves him, but reconsiders: exposure of "John Briggs" would ruin her standing among the gentry as Mrs. Alexis Triona. She goes to him in the garage where he sleeps and reconciles with him, insisting he keep whatever name suits him. In their talk she inadvertently reveals the secret of the pigs. Alexis proposes they leave this snob-ridden island, populated by porcophobes, for a country where pigs signify ancestry, honor, and wealth: Chicago.

By Christopher Ward · Genre: Satire, Comedy, Farce · 10 chapters · 1,864 words

First lines

"Why is it, mother? " asked Olivia, "that we have never associated with the county families? Why has the Squire never invited us to dinner? Why is informal tea at the vicarage the summit of our social attainment? Tell me, mother, tell me!"

Had Mrs. Gale lived the normal life of women -- not only speaking, but being spoken to -- she might have gone to her grave with her secret unrevealed. But infinite sorrow had weakened her and, in this, the last poignant intimacy of her deathbed, she disclosed it to her daughter.

• Open reader

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Genres

• Satire — The entire narrative satirizes English class pretensions and the arbitrary basis of social status. The central irony of 'Alexis Triona' versus 'John Briggs' and the connection between 'Briggs' and 'pigs' expose the absurdity of a social system based on names and professions rather than character or merit.
• Comedy — Humor is the dominant mode throughout, achieved through witty dialogue ('pigs is pigs'), absurd situations (pretending to be a traffic policeman), verbal irony, and the comic treatment of otherwise distressing circumstances. The tone remains light and playful despite the protagonist's genuine distress.
• Farce — The work exhibits classic farcical elements: escalating absurdity, slapstick moments (struck by a motor lorry, running off a precipice), physical obstacles (Blaise's long nose), misunderstandings, and rapid complications that intensify the chaos and confusion.
• Romantic Comedy — A love story between Olivia and Alexis/John drives the plot, with romantic subplots involving Blaise Olifant's pursuit. Though it subverts romantic comedy conventions by ending with escape to Chicago rather than social acceptance, the romantic element remains central and treated with comic irony.

Tags

satirical fiction · social class satire · British fiction · Edwardian period · England · London · class prejudice · class anxiety · snobbery · false identity · literary imposture · marriage and deception

What this Textopian page supports

The Trials of Triona is listed on Textopian as a short story by Christopher Ward, dated Date unknown.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Short story
• Author: Christopher Ward
• Date: Date unknown
• Language: English
• Genres: Satire, Comedy, Farce, Romantic Comedy, Literature of Manners
• Length: 1,864 words
• Structure: 10 chapters, 50 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Trials of Triona by Christopher Ward
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII
• CHAPTER VIII
• CHAPTER IX
• CHAPTER X

More by Christopher Ward

• THE TRIUMPH OF THE NUT or TOO MANY MARRIAGES
• The Flame that Failed
• Glimpsing the Moon
• The Vanishing Point
• Babbitt (1922)
• Joseph and the Bright Shawl
• THE JUDGE or TURNING THE TEA TABLES
• The Perils of Peregrine
• All works by Christopher Ward