Chapter 7 – Lord Mt. Severn and Isabel come to visit East Lynne, which Carlyle now owns. Prior to their arrival, Isabel has spent much time with Francis Levison in London. Chapter 8

East Lynne Chapter Overviews
Read below for brief overviews of the chapters from East Lynne that you aren’t required to read for class. The list of chapter descriptions will grow throughout the semester.
Chapter 7 – Lord Mt. Severn and Isabel come to visit East Lynne, which Carlyle now owns. Prior to their arrival, Isabel has spent much time with Francis Levison in London.
Chapter 8 – Lord Mt. Severn’s gout keeps him at East Lynne. Lady Isabel agrees to patronize a concert for a poor West Lynne musician, Mr. Kane, to help him sell tickets and raise money to support his family. Bethel tells Carlyle that he never saw Thorne in the woods on the night of Hallijohn’s murder.
Chapter 11 – The new Lord Mt. Severn arrives and discovers the fully ruined state of the deceased Lord’s affairs. He pays to release the body from arrest and for a funeral and burial at West Lynne. Despite the mutual hatred between Isabel and Emma (now Lady Mt. Severn), Isabel goes to live with the Lord and Lady Mt. Severn at Castle Marling and discovers on her way that Mr. Carlyle has slipped her a 100 pound note, which she feels she cannot spend.
Chapter 20 – about 5 years have passed and Lady Isabel and Mr. Carlyle now have 3 children, Isabel, William, and Archibald. Lady Isabel recently took ill and has not fully recovered (the text seems to suggest a combination of actual physical illness and a mental inability to fully recover), and the doctors recommend that she go to the seaside. Fearing the expense, Cornelia convinces the doctors that allowing the children to accompany their mother would prevent her recovery, so despite Isabel’s wishes to take them, they are forbidden to go. Isabel leaves Joyce with the children, imploring her to take care of them and speak to them about their mother should she die instead of improving.
Chapter 21 - Carlyle accompanies Lady Isabel to Bologne, where they learn that Mrs. Ducie will not make it to that seaside destination after all. On the evening Carlyle returns home to England, Lady Isabel meets Francis Levison on the pier, who becomes her regular companion. When Carlyle returns a few weeks later, he is astonished by the “miraculous” improvement in Isabel’s health, but Isabel knows that change comes from the emotional invigoration she feels in the company of Francis Levison. Conscious of the impropriety of those feelings, and fearful of the way they’ll affect her future happiness, she begs Carlyle to either remain with her or to allow her to return with him to England. So impressed with her improvement, though, and so busy at work, he refuses and resigns her again to Levison’s company. Before his return, Levison tells Carlyle that he has been banished to the continent because of debts he owes in England; if he is caught on English soil, he will be jailed. Carlyle agrees to speak to Levison’s uncle in hopes of convincing him to pay off the debts. Lots of discussion of Isabel’s health and complexion, especially when blushing.
Chapter 22 – About 10 days after Carlyle’s departure from Bologne, Levison tells Lady Isabel of the love he once felt and still feels for her. Indignant at his presumption and ashamed to be conscious of feeling some joy in his confession, Isabel refuses to see him for the remainder of her stay at Bologne and entreats Carlyle to take her back to England, which he does.
Chapter 27 (11 pages) - Richard Hare returns to East Lynne and confirms that Thorne is not the man who once courted Afy. Lady Isabel grows more jealous of Barbara, and fully believing her husband is in love with Barbara alone, allows herself to be soothed by Francis Levison.
Chapter 30 (12 pages) – Isabel is sick and weak when Levison returns, months after he left. Isabel tells him she knows he never intended to marry her, that her maid found the note informing him that her divorce was final, and that she never wants to see him again. Thankful to have gotten past the annoyance of having to break things off with her and before leaving, Levison tells Isabel that Carlyle never had any feelings for Barbara, but that he was transacting business with her on behalf of Mrs. Hare. Isabel is left weak, repentant, and miserable.
Chapter 31 (11 pages) – Months later, in March, Lord Mount Severn visits Isabel, saying that he has learned her location from Francis Levison. He tells Isabel that Levison is married, and when trying to understand why she left Carlyle and what the note she left meant, he relates the entire story of Carlyle’s involvement protecting Richard. Isabel realizes the full extent to which she misjudged her husband, but she knows it’s too late for atonement. Lord Mount Severn insists on keeping Isabel up with an income of 400 pounds per year, despite her protestations that she should earn her own living as a teacher. He claims to feel an obligation to her because he stands in the place of her father, but the narrator also says it’s because he blames his wife for Isabel’s entanglement with Levison as much as he blames Isabel. (If you work with body language in your infographic, you should take the time to read this chapter).
Chapter 34 – Afy makes a surprise visit to East Lynne to see Joyce. She is a lady’s maid at Lady Mt. Severn’s, and she is dressed as if she were a lady. She is offended that Joyce ever believed she ran away with Richard Hare. Carlyle asks Afy about Thorne; she insists that Thorne was his real and only name, and she gives him an alibi, saying he could not have murdered her father because he was with her. She is staunchly convinced that the murderer was Richard Hare. (This chapter contains a number of descriptions of people feeling emotion; it also describes dressing to appear above one’s class, and it compares Levison to a serpant.)
Chapter 35 – Richard Hare startles Carlyle by appearing at a window at East Lynne late at night. He tells Carlyle that he has seen Thorne in London, and has followed him to try to find out his name. Thorne saw Richard following him and set the police upon him, and Richard fled in the snow. Carlyle and Cornelia convince Joyce that Thorne killed her father, not Richard, so that Richard can take refuge at East Lynne for the night. (Read this chapter for detailed comparisons between Cornelia and people in carnivals).

Chapter 37 – A man is found dead in the snow, and Barbara is relieved when Carlyle confirms that it was not Richard. Carlyle tells Cornelia that he will marry Barbara and that she must return to her own home, and he tells Joyce he would like her to remain with the children after his marriage, as Lady Isabel had wished. Captain Thorne comes to East Lynne and reveals that he once met the Thorne whom Carlyle seeks to identify; Carlyle tells him to find out Thorne’s real name if he ever sees him again.
Chapter 38 – It’s Carlyle and Barbara’s wedding day. Dill makes the mistake of calling on Cornelia to congratulate her, and she rebukes him for his appearance and for thinking she should be joyful. The chapter largely describes guests of the wedding, which was a big occasion at West Lynne. The two marry, and Cornelia chooses not to attend.
Chapter 30 – Isabel is sick and weak when Levison returns, months after he left. Isabel tells him she knows he never intended to marry her, that her maid found the note informing him that her divorce was final, and that she never wants to see him again. Thankful to have gotten past the annoyance of having to break things off with her and before leaving, Levison tells Isabel that Carlyle never had any feelings for Barbara, but that he was transacting business with her on behalf of Mrs. Hare. Isabel is left weak, repentant, and miserable.
Chapter 31 – Months later, in March, Lord Mount Severn visits Isabel, saying that he has learned her location from Francis Levison. He tells Isabel that Levison is married, and when trying to understand why she left Carlyle and what the note she left meant, he tells her the entire story of Carlyle’s involvement with Barbara in the scheme to protect Richard. Isabel realizes the full extent to which she misjudged her husband, but she knows it’s too late for atonement. Lord Mount Severn insists on keeping Isabel up with an income of 400 pounds per year, despite her protestations that she should earn her own living as a governesss. He claims to feel an obligation to her because he stands in the place of her father, but the narrator also says it’s because he blames his wife for Isabel’s entanglement with Levison as much as he blames Isabel. (If you work with body language in your infographic, you should take the time to read this chapter).
Chapter 34 – Afy makes a surprise visit to East Lynne to see Joyce. She is a lady’s maid at Lady Mt. Severn’s, and she is dressed as if she were a lady. She is offended that Joyce ever believed she ran away with Richard Hare. Carlyle asks Afy about Thorne; she insists that Thorne was his real and only name, and she gives him an alibi, saying he could not have murdered her father because he was with her. She is staunchly convinced that the murderer was Richard Hare. (This chapter contains a number of descriptions of people feeling emotion; it also describes dressing to appear above one’s class, and it compares Levison to a serpant.)
Chapter 35 – Richard Hare startles Carlyle by appearing at a window at East Lynne late at night. He tells Carlyle that he has seen Thorne in London, and has followed him to try to find out his name. Thorne saw Richard following him and set the police upon him, and Richard fled in the snow. Carlyle and Cornelia convince Joyce that Thorne killed her father, not Richard, so that Richard can take refuge at East Lynne for the night. (Read this chapter for detailed comparisons between Cornelia and people in carnivals).
Chapter 37 – A man is found dead in the snow, and Barbara is relieved when Carlyle confirms that it was not Richard. Carlyle tells Cornelia that he will marry Barbara and that she must return to her own home, and he tells Joyce he would like her to remain with the children after his marriage, as Lady Isabel had wished. Captain Thorne comes to East Lynne and reveals that he once met the Thorne whom Carlyle seeks to identify; Carlyle tells him to find out the other Thorne’s real name if he ever sees him again.
Chapter 38 – It’s Carlyle and Barbara’s wedding day. Dill makes the mistake of calling on Cornelia to congratulate her, and she rebukes him for his appearance and for thinking she should be joyful. The chapter largely describes guests of the wedding, which was a big occasion at West Lynne. The two marry, and Cornelia chooses not to attend.