Washington Square Chapter 21

In which the observant Dr. Sloper regards the steadfastness of his daughter Catherine's attachment with a mixture of scientific detachment and unexpected suspense, while Mrs. Penniman maneuvers delicately in the shadows of social proprieties to secure a furtive meeting with Morris Townsend. Their spirited discourse reveals shifts in counsel and concealed tensions, with patience and watchful delay now enjoined amid the uncertain designs and delicate balances that define their acquaintance.