Devotion and mutual compassion, one of the main reasons why many relationships today work and last a lifetime. Trusting someone is essential and basically the backbone of all relationships. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh is a satirical novel involving the story of Tony Last and his wife, Lady Brenda. Tony is more in love with his house, Hetton Abbey, than with his wife. Brenda, bored with Tony and his apparent desire to live in the past, being the lord of the manor's kind of person, turns her attention to John Beaver, a twenty-five-year-old socialite. Tony and Brenda's personalities and character traits contributed to the demise of their relationship. The pomposity, conceit, and actions motivated by these traits have influenced their lives inside and outside of marriage. Tony appears to be devoid of any passion except for Hetton Abbey, which is listed in the guide. “This, once one of the most important houses in the country, was entirely rebuilt in 1864 in the Gothic style and is now uninteresting” (Waugh 13). However the Hetton grounds are open to the public and guided tours are available on request. Hetton's intricate but bleak description exemplifies the lack of interest in the audience. Although, from Tony's perspective, Hetton is magnificent. Hetton's very involved description lists the aspects in which Tony enjoys himself. Aspects such as "the ecclesiastical darkness of the great hall...were a source of constant delight and great exultation to Tony; things of tender memory and proud possession" ( Oh Well 14). The contrasting description of Hetton's driving and Tony's is obvious. Hetton's guide and the audience basically make fun of the house while Tony praises it. Despite everyone's opposition, Tony shows little to no concern for what others think and justifies his neglect of others, including his wife Brenda.