The Portrait of a Lady Chapter 31

In which Isabel returns to Florence after a year filled with varied experiences and contemplations, carrying with her the weight and wisdom gleaned from travels and social encounters that contrast with her former youthful frivolity. She renews old bonds and friendships, most notably with Madame Merle, whose inscrutable character and past both intrigue and unsettle her, while the quiet unfolding of her personal relationships hints at complex undercurrents beneath the surface of her seeming freedom.