Chapters I - X Summary

Chapter I finds Ruth sitting by her windowsill, unable to sleep. It is the night before her wedding. She is not sad to be leaving her home, because her childhood was not particularly happy. She is instead anxious about what the future holds for her and her new husband.

Chapter II gives a glimpse of Ruth's wedding day. It is a pity that no one but her own family sees her, because she is radiant in her white satin dress and orange wreath. Her husband, Harry, is also a very good-looking gentleman. As the carriage takes the newly-married couple away, Hyacinth admits that they make a handsome pair, and he is relieved that his new brother-in-law is a man of means, so that Ruth will no longer be a burden to the family.

Chapter III is a...