The Outcry Book II Chapter I

In which the genteel Lady Sandgate receives a visit from the urbane Mr. Crimble, whose earnest inquiries and delicate movements reveal a constellation of private affairs centred upon the captivating Lady Grace and an esteemed family portrait. Their guarded conversation, entwined with hints of societal expectation and unspoken tensions, unfolds amidst the quiet grandeur of a London drawing-room, setting the stage for subtle strategic manoeuvres and nascent alliances.