The Moonstone Second Period: First Narrative VIII

In which Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite relinquishes his engagement to Rachel Verinder, leading to a fraught visit by his family and the unsettling arrival of Mr. Bruff, whose domineering presence soon casts a shadow over the household. Miss Clack, ever the steadfast moralist, finds herself isolated and scorned as Rachel chooses to place herself under Mr. Bruff’s guardianship, thus setting a somber tone for the events to unfold.