Catherine did not speak about Morris to her father.

          After some days, he said to her, ‘I’m lucky to have a good daughter.’

          ‘I’m trying to be good,’ she answered.

          Catherine did not see Morris at this time, but she wrote to him. A long letter of five pages. Morris thought it was long. She asked him not to visit for a time.

          Morris wrote back. He talked about his meeting with Dr Sloper. ‘Your father was very angry,’ he wrote. ‘I was very polite. You must be strong. You must fight.’

          Catherine did not like to think of fighting her father. But she did not like to think of losing her lover. She tried to think of an answer to make everybody happy. She decided to be quiet and to wait. ‘Good fathers are always very careful about their daughters’ husbands,’ she thought.

          Mrs Penniman did not help Catherine much. She loved this little story and her place in it. She wanted Catherine to run away with Morris and marry him. She carried a picture in her head: two lovers — with Mrs Penniman — marrying in a small church in a New York back street; living in a dark flat with no money; waiting for visits from Mrs Penniman, their only friend. She wanted to put this picture before Morris. She wrote to him daily about Washington Square. She asked him to meet her in a small restaurant on Seventh Avenue. When Morris arrived, half an hour late, they sat together in the darkest corner at the back of the place. This was the happiest half an hour of Mrs Penniman’s life. Morris was not happy. He listened to her but he did not like her. He was happy to use her at the beginning, to get a foot in Washington Square. But he did not want her now: she always said the wrong thing. He was cold but polite. Mrs Penniman told Morris her plan.

          ‘Run away with Catherine?’ cried Morris.

          ‘Yes,’ said Mrs Penniman, now afraid for her plan. ‘Tell Catherine’s father about it only after you marry. You can show him that you’re not interested in the money. And then you’ll get his good opinion. And there’s always the ten thousand from her mother. He cannot cut that off’

          ‘Oh, don’t speak ot that,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid of coming between Catherine and her money.’

          ‘Be afraid of nothing; then everything will go well.’

          Mrs Penniman paid for her cup of tea and they went out together into the dark street. Morris walked with Mrs Penniman back to Washington Square. She went in. He looked up at the house. He thought it was a very nice house.

♦

          When Mrs Penniman told Catherine of her meeting with Morris, Catherine was angry for the first time in her life.

          ‘I don’t think it was right,’ she said.

          Mrs Penniman began to read the evening newspaper. After a long wait, Catherine spoke.‘Was he sad?’

          ‘He was dark under the eyes. Very different from when I first saw him. But very handsome.’ A long wait again.

          ‘Why are you always cold and quiet, Catherine?’

‘And I don’t think it’s your place to teach me what’s right,’ Lavinia said.

          The girl turned quickly. ‘Does he say that?’

          ‘He says you are afraid of your father.’

          ‘I am afraid of my father.’

          ‘So will you break with Morris?’

          Catherine looked at her aunt. ‘Why do you push me?’

          ‘I’m afraid you don’t see the importance of what you do. You must not lose this young naan.’

          ‘I don’t think that you understand me or know me. Please do not have any more secret meetings with Mr Townsend. I don’t think it’s right.’

          ‘And I don’t think it’s your place to teach me what’s right.’ Lavinia said a short goodnight and went to bed.

♦

          Later that evening, Catherine spoke to her father.

          ‘Father, I want to see Morris again.’

          ‘To say goodbye?’ asked the doctor.

          ‘No, to ask him to wait.’

          He looked at her. ‘You’re a good child.’ She went to him and he put his arm round her. ‘I want you to break with him. My opinion of him is the same as when I first met him. You’re not happy now, I know. But in three months or three years, you can be happy again. Marry Morris, and you’ll never be happy.’

          ‘But you can like him,’ said the sad child. ‘We can wait.’

          ‘When I die, you can marry,’ the doctor said quietly.

          ‘Don’t say that, father,’ cried Catherine. ‘Try to like Morris. He’s a good man.’

          ‘I never want to speak to him again. But tell him this. You marry him, and you get nothing from me.’

          ‘You’re right to say that. We don’t want your money.’

          ‘Say that to him. Listen to his answer and watch him. Watch for an angry face.’

          ‘He’s never angry with me, father,’ she said. Her eyes were wet.

Her father pushed her out of the room and shut the door.

          ‘I think I’ll see him. Only one more time.’

          ‘Then you’re a bad daughter to me.’

          This was too much for Catherine. She cried and cried. She ran to her father but he turned away. He pushed her out ot the room and shut the door. He heard her crying and knew she was behind the door. But he did not move. He was sorry for her, but there was a smile round his eyes.

♦

          That night Catherine cried for many hours, with Aunt Penniman’s arm round her. ‘Good!’ thought Mrs Penniman.The next morning, she came back into Catherine’s room. Catherine was dressed and ready for breakfast. ‘Don’t go to breakfast, Catherine,’ Aunt Penmman said. ‘You won’t move your father — you must be weak and ill, not well and strong.’

          ‘I must go, aunt. I’m only afraid of being late.’

          Catherine wrote to Morris that day. She asked him to visit the next day, at a time when her father was not at home.