The Eustace Diamonds

The Eustace Diamonds is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in 1871 as a serial in the Fortnightly Review. It is the third in The Pallisers series of novels. In this novel, the characters of Plantagenet Palliser and his wife, Lady Glencora, are in the background. The central plot concerns Lizzie Greystock, a fortune-hunter who marries Sir Florian Eustace and is soon left a wealthy widow. The diamonds of the book's title are a necklace, a Eustace family heirloom. Lizzie attempts to hold on to them, while searching for another suitable husband. After falling out with a potential suitor, Lord Fawn, over the diamonds, she marries the disreputable Mr. Emilius, a foreign clergyman who is already married. Her hopes of retaining the Eustace diamonds are eventually dashed.