These stories have some historical interest, but they're horrifyingly committed to the romance of
hypermasculine, implacable men ultimately convincing women of their true worth after unforgivable loyalty tests. The final novella is also searingly racist--the husband is forgiven for a near-murder he commits because he wants to eliminate a suitor who would have made his wife unhappy, but his near-murderous whipping of an aboriginal servant is just shrugged off as a flaw of temperament or something.

I've got a strong stomach for archaic popular fiction but I'd advise skipping this.