"A Night at Greenway Court" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Nebraska Literary Magazine in June 1896. Four years later a revised version was published in the Library.

Plot summary

In 1752, Richard Morgan — a citizen of Winchester, Virginia — visits his friend Lord Fairfax at nearby Greenway Court. There, he meets Philip Maurepas, a Frenchman who tells them about his years in India. He expresses his disdain for the King, to Viscount Chillingham's dismay. They compare the political orders both in England and in France. Maurepas then attacks Fairfax because of the painting of a woman with a lily that he has. The next day, Fairfax acts regally and Fairfax pretends nothing happened. The narrator concludes that he acted in accordance with his Virginian duty. Of historical interest, but not the most celebrated of Cather's works.

Characters

References to actual history

Literary significance and criticism

The story has been deemed Poesque. It has also been said to be 'straight out of' William Makepeace Thackeray's Henry Esmond. Others have stressed the influence of John Esten Cooke, who wrote about Greenway Court, or Anthony Hope.