Barry Lyndon Plot Summary, Chapters 10, 11 and 12

Chapter 10

• Barry and his uncle leaves Mannheim for the Duchy of X__ where everyone gambles. He describes the Duke, his son Prince Victor and his wife Princess Olivia and moves on to the subject of marriage.
• He sets his sights on (the estate of) Countess Ida. She wants to marry a sub-lieutenant but the princess does not allow it. It is thought that the young Chevalier de Magny is her intended husband.
• In order to secure her hand, Barry amasses a considerable gambling credit from Magny. He then threatens to tell the Duke and Magny's grandfather, a respectable general whom he is to inherit. He also threatens to reveal that the princess has given him an heirloom, a famous emerald. He uses their liaison to break off the affair of Magny and Ida and effectively silences both the princess and Magny, using the latter as a pawn.

Chapter 11

• Barry ingratiates himself with the Duke and the Prince and gets betrothed to the Countess, much against her will.
• Meanwhile, the affair between the Princess and Magny continues. Barry gives Magny the emerald and he pawns it to a Jew who blackmails the lovers for money. Later, Magny is arrested for the attempted murder of this Jew.
• Being held in house arrest for six weeks, Barry and his Uncle learns of the events as they unfold.

Chapter 12

• The story changes setting, to London 1790 where Barry meets the mistress of the old Duke who tells him how said events unfolded.
• Monsieur de Geldern, the police minister, frames Magny for the attempted murder of the Jew. He is forced to commit suicide by poison in prison by Prince Victor, who has discovered the love affair.
• The old general de Magny dies from paralysis and grief, the old Duke dies from apoplexy and a pie and the princess is removed to another castle where the Prince has her secretly beheaded. The Prince then recalls all military companies from foreign service. Countess Ida marries the sub-lieutenant and gambling, opera and ballet is forbidden.