Coast of Bohemia Chapter 31

In which Cornelia grapples with the complexities of her feelings and the unintended impressions she may have given to Ludlow, confronting her own innocence and guilelessness with a painfully honest self-examination. In the quiet solitude of her room, she faces an unwanted intrusion from Mr. Dickerson, whose unwelcome declaration of love culminates in a sudden, desperate act of defiance that leaves her shaken and deeply reflective.