When a handsome young man begins to court Catherine Sloper, she feels she isvery lucky. She is a quiet, gentle girl, but neither beautiful nor clever; noone had ever admired her before, or come to the front parlour of her home inWashington Square to whisper soft words of love to her. But in New York in the1840s young ladies are not free to marry where they please. Catherine musthave her father's permission, and Dr Sloper is a rich man. One day Catherinewill have a fortune of 30,000 dollars a year ...