The narrative picks up again six years after Theodore’s marriage to Catherine. Catherine and Theodore have four children and one adoptive daughter, Louisa Conway, whose mother died and who was subsequently raised by Clara and Theodore’s aunt. Theodore, Catherine and Clara all adore Louisa, and she goes to live with Catherine and Theodore after their marriage.

Clara summarizes Louisa’s background: Her mother (also named Louisa Conway) fled from London with her infant daughter. Neither her parents nor her husband, Major Stuart, knew what happened to her or why she had gone. Many years later, Clara would learn that Miss Conway’s lost her affection toward her husband thanks to one of his enemies, and she had fled rather than stay with a man she no longer loved. While Clara and Louisa are visiting Mrs. Baynton, a family friend in Philadelphia, they encounter Major Stuart, who recognizes his long-lost daughter. Major Stuart is traveling the country, and the Wielands persuade him to leave Louisa with them until he finishes his business.

Major Stuart writes frequently, and one of his letters is the catalyst for the incident that marks the beginning of the characters’ troubles.