The Dearly Beloved

Lily’s declaration that she does not believe in God takes Charles by surprise, but he cannot stop thinking about her. He tries to consider other women at the college who are religious but only wants Lily. A friend tells him that Lily studies English literature at Radcliffe, and he meets her after one of her classes. He asks her to dinner, and she initially refuses. He tells her that he wants to know her regardless of her beliefs, and she agrees to one date.

They go to a tavern, where they talk about school and their families. Lily relates to his stories about his mother’s close-knit family and finds him more interesting after learning about his relationship with his parents. They return to the topic of faith, and he explains his calling to the ministry. She thinks about the preacher at her parents’ funeral saying that their deaths have a purpose. She has concluded that there is no God and that there is no meaning behind her parents’ deaths. Charles’s explanation of his faith strangely calms her, and she tells him about her parents’ deaths, to which he says nothing.

Over the following days, Lily cannot stop thinking about Charles, and Charles meets her after class despite her telling him to leave her alone.