These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901

Ernest arrives in Tucson for Thanksgiving with a surprise—a new wife, Felicity. She is a gaudily dressed, Eastern city-bred lady who is given to riled nerves and unaccustomed to any kind of work. Ernest beams with pride about her, but she insults and annoys Sarah, the rest of the family, and the Maldonados.

Much of the chapter’s action centers around Felicity’s character: her unwillingness to contribute to daily tasks at the Elliots’ Tucson home, her greed and flirtatiousness, and her incompetence at the ranch. While she spends her honeymoon at Sarah and Jack’s home, Felicity expects to be waited on and takes advantage of her new in-laws’ hospitality. She spends hours primping in the bathroom, so everyone else must use the outhouse. Sarah also reports that Felicity runs Ernest ragged with her many demands. However, Ernest is oblivious to his wife’s behavior and asks Sarah to keep her house quiet and behave genteelly toward her.

After Thanksgiving, the family travels to their ranch with Ernest and Felicity in tow. Felicity’s avarice is revealed when they arrive. Sarah learns that before they were married, Ernest deceived Felicity about owning shares in Albert’s farm and Sarah and Jack’s ranch. Interested in cashing in those shares and buying more, Felicity badgers Sarah about buying part of her ranch on credit.