Part 2, Chapter 4 Summary

A strange car pulls up to the Lahardane by accident. It is Ralph, the summer tutor for the Ryalls boy. Being a stranger, he did not realize that there was a house at the end of the road. Lucy invites him to tea. He finds her to be very attractive. When Ralph runs into Canon Crosbie, who has heard about his chance encounter, he is urged emphatically to visit again. But Ralph is too shy. Finally, he receives a formal invitation from Lucy. He is ecstatic.

Part 2, Chapter 4 Analysis

Ralph is immediately taken with Lucy's beauty, which is described here. Lucy has inherited her mother's looks. This chapter sets the stage for a romance between the shy Ralph and the reclusive Lucy.