ABSTRACT
WhenYeatsfirstmetMnudGonnein1889hedescribed
hertoafriendas•akindofDianaoftheCrossways.•1
PresumablyhemeanttoindicatethatshewasIrish,strikingly
beautiful,articulate,passionatelyinvolvedinpolitics,and
livingwithconfusingfreedom.Butthoughonecanseehow
"DianaoftheCrossways•wasagoodshorthandforsuchan
anomalyasMaudGonnemusthavebeentocontemporaryeyes,
itistrulydizzyingtoseearealradicalorganizercompared
withanovelheroinewhowindsupmarriedtoanEnglishmin-
generationsbetweenDiana'sprototype,CarolineNorton,grand-
daughterofSheridan,broughtupinWindsorCastleandliving
alwaysamongtheEnglisharistocracy,makingherwaybyvirtue
ofherbeautyandcharm,anddespiteherpassionandintelli-
gence,andYeats'beloved,formidable,industrioussix-foot
fleshandbloodwoman.DianaoftheCrosswayswaspublished
in1885.Fouryearslateritwascertainly,forallthe
dizzyingunderstatementoftheconnection,thebestthing
1TheLettersofW.B.Yeats,ed,AlanWades(NewYorks 1955),p.108,alsoquotedinBeer,p.157.
