Read "Mr. and Mrs. Elliot," Chapter X, "Cat in the Rain," Chapter XI, "Out of Season," and Chapter XII.
Content Summary for Teachers
Mr. and Mrs. Elliot
As much as they try, Hubert and Cornelia Elliot cannot conceive a child. The two married while Hubert studied at Harvard. He was a virgin, and while that fact scared off most women, Cornelia loved him for his chastity.
The narrator describes their first night together as a disappointment, but they continued trying to conceive a child, even as they traveled from Boston to Europe. The two moved from town to town in Europe, eventually settling in a castle in Touraine. Friends came to visit, but eventually left to visit a new poet, whose...