receives little coddling and must struggle to hold her own against her numerous older brothers. Of these brothers, her favourite is the eldest, Frank, a rebellious young man who is unwillingly preparing himself for the blacksmith's trade. He is much shorter than his brothers, but very strong; also, unlike the other Clearys, he has black hair and eyes.
Paddy is poor, but has a wealthy sister, Mary Carson, who lives in Australia on an enormous sheep station called Drogheda. One day, Paddy receives a letter from Mary offering him a job on her estate. He accepts, and the whole family moves to the Outback.
Here Meggie meets Ralph de Bricassart, a young, capable, and ambitious priest who, as punishment for insulting a bishop, has been relegated to a remote parish in the town of Gillanbone, near Drogheda. Ralph has befriended Mary, hoping a hefty enough bequest from her to the Catholic Church might liberate him from his exile. Ralph is strikingly handsome, "a beautiful man"; Mary, who does not bother to conceal her desire for him, often goes to great lengths to see if he can be induced to break his vows. Ralph blandly shrugs off these attentions and continues his visits. Meanwhile, he cares for all the Clearys and soon learns to cherish beautiful but forlorn little Meggie. Meggie, in return, makes Ralph the centre of her life.
Frank's relationship with his father, Paddy, has never been peaceful. The two vie for Fee's attention, and Frank resents the many pregnancies Paddy makes her endure. One day, after Fee, now in her forties, reveals she is again pregnant, the two men quarrel violently and Paddy blurts out the truth about Frank: he is not Paddy's biological son. Long ago, Fee had been the adored only daughter of a prominent citizen. Then she had an affair with a married politician, and the result, Frank, was already eighteen months old when her mortified father married her off to Paddy. Because he resembles her lost love, Fee has always loved Frank more than her other children. To the sorrow of Meggie and Fee, when Frank learns that Paddy is only his stepfather, he runs away to become a prizefighter. Fee later gives birth to twin boys, James and Patrick (Jims and Patsy), but shows little interest in them. Shortly afterward, Meggie's beloved little brother, Hal, dies.
With Frank gone and Hal dead, Meggie clings to Ralph more than ever. This goes largely unnoticed because Ralph has now been her mentor for several years; however, as she ripens into womanhood, some begin to question their close relationship, including Ralph and Meggie themselves. Mary Carson has also noticed their changing relationship, and from motives of jealousy mingled with Machiavellian cruelty, she devises a plan to separate Ralph from Meggie by tempting him with his heart's desire: a high place in the Church hierarchy. Although her will of record leaves the bulk of her estate to Paddy, she quietly writes a new one, making the Roman Catholic Church the main beneficiary and Ralph the executor.
In the new will, the true magnitude of Mary's wealth is finally revealed. Drogheda is not the centre of her fortune as Ralph and Paddy have long believed but is merely a hobby, a diversion from her true financial interests. Mary's wealth is derived from a vast multi-national financial empire worth over thirteen million pounds (about A$200 million in modern terms). The sheer size of Mary's bequest will virtually guarantee Ralph's rapid rise in the church. She also makes sure that after she dies only Ralph, at first, will know of the new will – forcing him to choose between Meggie and his own ambition. She also provides for her disinherited brother, promising him and all his grandchildren a home on Drogheda as long as any of them live.
At Mary's seventy-fifth birthday party, Ralph goes to great lengths to avoid Meggie, now seventeen and dressed in a beautiful rose-pink evening gown; later, he explains that others might not see his attention as innocent. Mary dies in the night. Ralph duly learns of the new will. He sees at once the subtle genius of Mary's plan and, although he weeps and calls her "a disgusting old spider" he takes the new will to her lawyer without delay. The lawyer, scandalised, urges Ralph to destroy the will, but to no avail. The bequest of thirteen million pounds works its expected magic, and Ralph soon leaves to begin his rapid advance in the Church.
Before he leaves, Meggie confesses her love for him; after the birthday party, Ralph finds her crying in the family cemetery and they share a passionate kiss, but Ralph refuses her because of his duties as a priest and begs Meggie to find a suitable partner. The Clearys learn that Frank has been convicted of murder after killing someone in a fight. He spends three decades in prison.
Paddy and his son Stuart are killed; Paddy dies in a lightning fire, and Stu is killed by a wild boar shortly after finding his father's body. Meanwhile, Ralph, unaware of Paddy and Stu's deaths, is on
รับ coddling น้อย และต้องต่อสู้เพื่อพี่ชายของเธอเองกับเธอมากมาย ของพี่น้องเหล่านี้ ของเธอชื่นชอบเป็นคนโต Frank หนุ่มกระเดื่องที่มี unwillingly การเตรียมตัวเองสำหรับการค้าของช่างตีเหล็ก เขาจะสั้นกว่าพี่น้องของเขา แต่แข็งแรงมาก ซึ่งแตกต่างจาก Clearys อื่น ๆ เขามีผมสีดำและดวงตาข้าวเปลือกไม่ดี แต่มีน้องสาวที่ร่ำรวย Mary คาร์สัน ที่อาศัยอยู่ในออสเตรเลียสถานีแกะขนาดใหญ่เรียกว่า Drogheda วันหนึ่ง แพดดี้ได้รับจดหมายจากแมรี่เสนองานบนอสังหาริมทรัพย์ของเขา เขายอมรับ และครอบครัวย้ายไปผู้คนนี่ Meggie ตรงกับ Ralph de Bricassart พระสงฆ์หนุ่ม ความสามารถ และทะเยอทะยานที่ เป็นโทษรายโคน มีการไสให้แพริชระยะไกลในการเมืองของ Gillanbone ใกล้ Drogheda ราล์ฟมี befriended Mary หวังมรดกหนักพอจากเธอที่โบสถ์คาทอลิกอาจปลดปล่อยเขาจากพลัดถิ่นของเขา Ralph เป็นสะดุดตาหล่อ "สวยงามคน" Mary ใครรำคาญที่จะปกปิดความปรารถนาของเขา มักจะไปยาวมากเพื่อดูว่า เขาสามารถเกิดการสัตย์สาบานของเขา ราล์ฟ blandly เข้าปิดความสนใจป่านฉะนี้เหล่านี้ และต่อไปชมเขา ในขณะเดียวกัน เขาสำหรับ Clearys ทั้งหมด และก็ เรียนรู้ถนอม Meggie น้อย forlorn แต่สวยงาม Meggie กลับ ทำให้ราล์ฟของชีวิตของเธอความสัมพันธ์ของ Frank กับพ่อของเขา นา เคยสงบ สองวีสำหรับค่าของความสนใจ และ Frank resents ตั้งครรภ์หลายข้าวทำให้เธอทน หนึ่งวัน หลังจาก ค่าในเซี่ยงไฮ้ของเธอ เผยเธออีกตั้งครรภ์ ชายทั้งสองทะเลาะกันอย่างรุนแรง และนา blurts หาความจริงเกี่ยวกับแฟรงก์: เขาไม่สนทางชีวภาพของข้าว นานแล้ว ค่าธรรมเนียมได้รับลูกสาวเดียว adored เป็นคนเด่น แล้วเธอมีเรื่องนักการเมืองแต่งงาน และผล Frank ได้แล้วอายุสิบแปดเดือนเมื่อพ่อของเธอเสียใจแต่งงานของเธอออกไปนา เนื่องจากเขาคล้ายกับความรักของเธอหายไป ค่าธรรมเนียมมีรักเสมอแฟรงค์มากกว่าเธอเด็กอื่น ๆ การเสียใจ Meggie และค่าธรรมเนียม เมื่อแฟรงค์รู้ว่า ข้าวเป็นเพียงพ่อเลี้ยงของเขา เขาทำงานอยู่จะกลายเป็น prizefighter ที่ ค่าในภายหลังให้กำเนิดเด็กผู้ชายแฝด James และ Patrick (จิมส์และ Patsy), แต่แสดงความสนใจน้อยในพวกเขา ไม่นานหลังจากนั้น พี่ชายน้อยรักของ Meggie, Hal ตายWith Frank gone and Hal dead, Meggie clings to Ralph more than ever. This goes largely unnoticed because Ralph has now been her mentor for several years; however, as she ripens into womanhood, some begin to question their close relationship, including Ralph and Meggie themselves. Mary Carson has also noticed their changing relationship, and from motives of jealousy mingled with Machiavellian cruelty, she devises a plan to separate Ralph from Meggie by tempting him with his heart's desire: a high place in the Church hierarchy. Although her will of record leaves the bulk of her estate to Paddy, she quietly writes a new one, making the Roman Catholic Church the main beneficiary and Ralph the executor.In the new will, the true magnitude of Mary's wealth is finally revealed. Drogheda is not the centre of her fortune as Ralph and Paddy have long believed but is merely a hobby, a diversion from her true financial interests. Mary's wealth is derived from a vast multi-national financial empire worth over thirteen million pounds (about A$200 million in modern terms). The sheer size of Mary's bequest will virtually guarantee Ralph's rapid rise in the church. She also makes sure that after she dies only Ralph, at first, will know of the new will – forcing him to choose between Meggie and his own ambition. She also provides for her disinherited brother, promising him and all his grandchildren a home on Drogheda as long as any of them live.At Mary's seventy-fifth birthday party, Ralph goes to great lengths to avoid Meggie, now seventeen and dressed in a beautiful rose-pink evening gown; later, he explains that others might not see his attention as innocent. Mary dies in the night. Ralph duly learns of the new will. He sees at once the subtle genius of Mary's plan and, although he weeps and calls her "a disgusting old spider" he takes the new will to her lawyer without delay. The lawyer, scandalised, urges Ralph to destroy the will, but to no avail. The bequest of thirteen million pounds works its expected magic, and Ralph soon leaves to begin his rapid advance in the Church.Before he leaves, Meggie confesses her love for him; after the birthday party, Ralph finds her crying in the family cemetery and they share a passionate kiss, but Ralph refuses her because of his duties as a priest and begs Meggie to find a suitable partner. The Clearys learn that Frank has been convicted of murder after killing someone in a fight. He spends three decades in prison.Paddy and his son Stuart are killed; Paddy dies in a lightning fire, and Stu is killed by a wild boar shortly after finding his father's body. Meanwhile, Ralph, unaware of Paddy and Stu's deaths, is on
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