Publisher's Synopsis
The Touchstone is a novel written by Edith Wharton, published in 1900. The story is set in New York City during the late 19th century and follows the life of a wealthy young woman named Stephen Glennard. Stephen is in love with a woman named Margaret Aubyn, but he is too poor to marry her. In order to gain the necessary funds, he sells a collection of love letters that Margaret had written to him. The letters become a sensation and Stephen becomes wealthy, but he is haunted by guilt over his actions. As the story progresses, Stephen becomes involved with another woman, Alice, and he must confront his past and the consequences of his actions. The novel explores themes of love, wealth, morality, and the consequences of one's decisions. Wharton's writing style is characterized by her attention to detail and her exploration of the complexities of human relationships. The Touchstone is considered one of Wharton's most accomplished works and a classic of American literature.It pressed against him at every turn. He told himself that this was because there was no escape from the visible evidences of his act. The ""Letters"" confronted him everywhere. People who had never opened a book discussed them with critical reservations; to have read them had become a social obligation in circles to which literature never penetrates except in a personal guise.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
