This volume contains two novellas by celebrated American author William Dean Howells. 'A Fearful Responsibility' tells the story of a young man who becomes embroiled in a political scandal in Washington, while 'Tonelli's Marriage' explores the complexities of love and marriage in turn-of-the-century Italy. Both stories are characterized by Howells' keen observation of human nature and his ability to capture the tensions of everyday life. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.