Chapter 11: October 1899 Summary

Henry waits for his brother to visit Lamb House and recalls the unsolicited advice he had received from William when he was preparing to outright purchase the house in Rye. William first offended Henry by refusing his offer to stay in Henry's old apartment in Kensington before coming up to Lamb House. Instead, William spent some time in Germany, where he wrote to Henry, cautioning him against making any rash decisions about real estate without William's input and further stating that the asking price for the house was much too high. Henry writes back in a defensive tone that he will buy the house anyway.

When William arrives in Rye with his wife, Alice, Henry sees that his brother's health has greatly deteriorated, because William has difficulty descending from the train and appears quite weak. Henry takes William and Alice to...