The Woodlanders Chapter 22

In which a tender midsummer week ushers a momentous visit from Mr. Melbury, who comes with a father’s concern for his daughter Grace’s health, only to receive a surprising proposal from Fitzpiers, the young doctor with a quietly kind regard for the girl. The household is soon stirred with the talk of courtship and uneasy hopes, as Grace contemplates the prospect of an alliance that promises to restore her to a different social sphere, while her father, with a mixture of pride and anxiety, resolves to guide her gently toward what he esteems a happy destiny.