Part 4, Chapter 1 Summary

John Dowell the narrator blames Florence Dowell for destroying the marriage and lives of Edward and Leonora Ashburnham because she was a flirt and talked too much. He then transfers the blame to Leonora because she is a Catholic with a hostile view of marriage, and who turns to nuns for advice about male/female relationships. John the narrator also faults Leonora for keeping Edward on too tight of a budget and for not telling him that Florence was a harlot as soon as she herself knew it.

Leonora despises Florence and has no compunctions about discussing the affair directly with her. They spend the next nine years in hostile but open communication about Edward, Edward and Florence, and whether or not Florence and Leonora should share him. The more Leonora associates with Florence, the more of herself she loses, especially...