Chapters 16, 17, 18, and 19 Summary

Catherine has dinner with the Tilney family. She finds the assembled family dynamic to be very restrained. In particular, Eleanor and especially Henry are quite reserved and deferential to General Tilney. The father dominates the conversation and the atmosphere but General Tilney is so solicitous toward Catherine that she finds Henry's acquiescent attitude acceptable, if puzzling. The next day Catherine relates the experience to Isabella, who remarks that the Tilneys are excessively proud. That same day Henry's older brother, Captain Frederick Tilney, arrives in Bath and, making Isabella's acquaintance, flirts with her. Isabella protests that she is engaged but dances with Captain Tilney nonetheless. Later in the evening, Isabella and Catherine hold an intimate conversation at the Thorpe's apartment wherein Isabella confides her disappointment in a recent letter from James—he has informed her that he will be financially unable...