Chance (1914) was the first of Conrad's novels to bring him popular success and it holds a unique place among his works. It tells the story of Flora de Barral, a vulnerable and abandoned young girl who is "e;like a beggar, without a right to anything but compassion."e; After her bankrupt father is imprisoned, she learns the harsh fact that a woman in her position "e;has no resources but in herself."e; Her only means of action is to be what she is. Flora's long struggle to achieve some dignity and happiness makes her Conrad's most moving female character. (Google)