- The Chettams and the Cadwalladers are talking politics – the Reform Bill has been shot down by the House of Lords.
- Historical Note: this places the story in May of 1832. The Reform Bill ends up passing by June of the same year.
- Back to the story: the conversation is interrupted when Mr. Brooke arrives.
- He has bad news, he says: Dorothea is engaged to Will Ladislaw.
- Sir James is furious, and Mr. Cadwallader tries to calm him down.
- Sir James swears that he'll never see her again.
- After everyone else has left, Celia goes to visit Dorothea.
- Celia tries to dissuade Dorothea from marrying Will, but Dorothea, of course, won't be dissuaded.
- She says they'll live in London, and that she hopes that Sir James will forgive her someday so that Celia will be able to come and visit.
- Finally Celia gives up trying to persuade Dorothea to give it up, and asks to hear the whole story.
- But Dorothea knows that Celia would never understand.