The Woman in White · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the work to Bryan Waller Procter, expressing sincere friendship and gratitude for happy hours spent at his home.
Chapter 2
Preface to the Present Edition
The author acknowledges the public's favorable reception of The Woman in White and explains that this new edition has been carefully corrected and revised. He notes that technical errors have been rectified and that legal points were verified by an experienced solicitor, later confirmed as sound by judicial authority. He expresses gratitude to readers and reaffirms his literary principle that a novel's primary object is to tell a story, with character interest being essential to effective storytelling.
Chapter 3
The Woman in White
Walter Hartright encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white on a lonely road late at night. She is distressed and speaks of a woman named Anne Catherick, whom she claims to be. Walter helps her find her way to London, and later learns that she has escaped from an asylum. The encounter sets the stage for the unfolding mystery.
Chapter 4
The First Epoch
Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white on a lonely road. She speaks of a woman named Anne Catherick and seems to know of Limmeridge House. After helping her, Walter learns of her escape from an asylum. He then travels to Limmeridge House to take up a position as a drawing master, where he meets his pupils, Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe. He is struck by Laura's resemblance to the woman in white, and a bond forms between them, though Laura is engaged to Sir Percival Glyde. Walter struggles with his feelings and eventually leaves England after Laura's marriage.
Chapter 5
The Story Begun by Walter Hartright of Clement’s Inn, Teacher of Drawing
Walter Hartright, a young drawing teacher, encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white on a lonely road late at night. She is distressed and seems to know details about the Fairlie family. After helping her, Walter learns she has escaped from some form of confinement. The next day, he departs for Limmeridge House to begin his new teaching post, carrying with him the haunting memory of the woman in white.

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Dedication

Preface to the Present Edition

The Woman in White

The First Epoch

The Story Begun by Walter Hartright of Clement’s Inn, Teacher of Drawing