Maud is asked in obscure terms by her father if she is willing to undergo some kind of "ordeal" to clear the name of her uncle, and of the family more generally; shortly after she assents, he dies. At the reading of his will, it emerges that her father added a codicil to it: Maud is to stay with Uncle Silas until she comes of age; if she dies whilst still a minor, the estate will pass to Silas. Lady Knollys, together with Austin's executor and fellow Swedenborgian, Dr. Bryerly, attempt in vain to overturn the codicil, realizing its many dangerous implications for the young heiress; despite their efforts, Maud consents willingly to spending the next three and a half years at her uncle's mansion at Bartram-Haugh.