Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, Part 2

Roger tells Molly, "A man needs the companionship of a woman."

Here's the picture of Roger trying to console Molly when she fell apart emotionally after the news that her father was going to marry. "It doesn't do any good," he said, "to pre-judge people. It will all work out for the best."

In the previous episodes (based on the reading of the book which I obtained free online, and the set of 4 movie episodes), Molly, a motherless girl, gained a new Mama, a new friend in Mrs. Hamley, plus her husband, Squire Hamley and their two very nice sons, Osbourne and Roger. Later she gains a stepsister.

Her losses began with the loss of her mother, then she, through her father's marriage, loses her place in his life (or so she thinks) and her mother's things, which are removed by the new Mrs. Gibson.

In episode 2, Molly meets her new step-sister, a social butterfly named Cynthia, who enjoys capturing the attention of any young man around, even allowing herself to be engaged, sometimes to more than one person at a time. Molly does not seem to be influenced by this but is often saddened at the way Cynthia wins people's hearts and then lets them down.

Mr. Gibson doesn't like foolishness at all, and he lectures Cynthia about her ways.

Mrs. Hamley, whom Molly has grown to love as a mother, dies, adding another loss. Yet through this she gains the love and respect of all the Hamley family. Roger tells her "I think of you as a sister."