The House of Mirth Book Two Chapter 03

In which the intricate tensions between the Dorsets come to a delicate and uneasy head under the watchful eyes of their acquaintances, while Miss Bart finds herself caught in the shifting currents of loyalty and peril. Lawrence Selden, with a mixture of professional concern and personal apprehension, navigates the fragile social labyrinth, seeking to shield the innocent and unravel the obscure motives that tether the players to their fates.