Chapter 15-16

Chapter 15- Newland spends some time at the Chiverses, then goes out to find Ellen. He asks her why she left New York and she seems scared to answer and tries to avoid the question. They enter an old house so they can have some privacy to talk about what he asked her. While he waited for her answer, he imagined her running toward him and throwing her arms around his neck. Yet, before she can answer, Beaufort shows up and Newland is forced to wait for another time. He goes home and a few days later gets a note from Ellen asking to see him, yet he doesn't respond and instead packs his bags for St. Augustine to visit May.

Chapter 16- Newland is excited to see May, yet when she is talking he finds his mind wondering. While eating breakfast with the rest of the Welland family, they discuss Ellen . May's mother blames Ellen's behavior to her European upbringing. Newland is thanked by the Welland's for convincing Ellen not to sue for divorce, but he is secretly annoyed. He imagines what would happen if he told Mrs. Welland that by not allowing Ellen to get a divorce she was really becoming Beaufort's mistress, instead of a good wife. He imagines her face breaking its normal facade, and wonders if May will look like that when she is older. Newland once again talks to May hoping to convince her to move the wedding closer. She takes it the wrong way and thinks that he wants to marry her before he changes his mind. She also thinks that he still loves his mistress from the past, because since the announced engagement he has acted differently toward her. Newland is shocked, yet reassures her that that is not true and she acts normal again. However he wonders how she could possibly act like nothing had happened.