Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary

So begin "nine years of uninterrupted tranquility." The Dowells and the Ashburnhams combine parts of their lives, like sharing newspaper subscriptions and co-hosting dinners. John Dowell marvels at how easily the four of them fall into intimacy, but then realizes that what appears to be intimacy is often quite shallow.

John, Florence, Leonora, and Edward one day take a train to visit a castle. Florence makes it her goal to educate Edward on all the historical details of the castle, and speaks almost non-stop to him while they are there. John enjoys the train ride and the weather and finds the day quite pleasant; he feels like he is finally off-duty because no one is paying much attention to him. Florence is talking to Edward and Leonora is listening to them both.

Inside the castle, Florence draws everyone's attention to a...