The Small House at Allington Chapter IV - Mrs. Roper's Boarding-House

The Small House at Allington Chapter VI - Beautiful Days

In which two fair-haired sisters, Bell and Lily Dale, find themselves cast in the quiet light of matrimonial prospects, one to the dashing Mr. Crosbie and the other under the watchful eye of a wealthy uncle. The gentle unfolding of engagements and expectations reveals the nuanced interplay of affection, social standing, and financial considerations that attend their families in Allington.

The Small House at Allington Chapter V - About L.D.

In which Apollo Crosbie departs London for the quiet of Allington, while Johnny Eames prepares for his own autumnal holiday, entangled in a delicate liaison with the ever-volatile Amelia Roper. The narrative reveals Johnny’s inner conflict as he returns home, only to find himself painfully confronted with the news of Lily Dale's engagement to Mr. Crosbie, shaking his heart and composure.

The Small House at Allington Chapter IV - Mrs. Roper's Boarding-House

In which we observe the awkward and shy John Eames, a young man of unripe promise and ardent but silent affection for Lily Dale, commencing his modest career in London under the watchful eye of his mother’s trusted guardian. Amidst reflections on youth and social standing, we see him navigating the humbler realities of lodgings and companionship, all the while sustaining a gentle but unvoiced love that defines his quiet existence.

The Small House at Allington Chapter I - The Squire of Allington

In which the history and character of the Dale family, longstanding squires of Allington, are carefully set forth alongside a detailed description of their ancient Tudor home and its modest surroundings, revealing a manor steeped in tradition yet lacking in grandeur. The narrative gently paints the squire, Christopher Dale, as a man of duty and restrained emotion, and situates the Great House amid the village, introducing the setting where various lives will entwine.

The Small House at Allington Chapter III - The Widow Dale of Allington

In which Mrs. Dale, a proud yet somewhat isolated widow, devotes herself quietly to the wellbeing and appearances of her two daughters, navigating the delicate relations with their kindly but distant uncle, the squire. As the young ladies prepare for an evening at the Great House, under the gentle moonlight and among hopes of suitors, their mother contemplates her place in their lives and the future with a mixture of melancholy and steadfast affection.