George Eliot
Middlemarch
A Study of Provincial Life
Book I
Miss Brooke
Prelude
Who that cares much to know the history of man and how the mysterious mixture
behaves under the varying experiments of Time has not dwelt at least briefly
on the life of Saint Theresa has not smiled with some gentleness at the thought
of the little girl walking forth one morning handinhand with her still smaller
brother to go and seek martyrdom in the country of the Moors Out they toddled
from rugged Avila wideeyed and helplesslooking as two fawns but with human
hearts already beating to a national idea until domestic reality met them in
the shape of uncles and turned them back from their great resolve That
childpilgrimage was a fit beginning Theresas passionate ideal nature
demanded an epic life what were manyvolumed romances of chivalry and the
social conquests of a brilliant girl to her Her flame quickly burned up that
light fuel and fed from within soared after some illimitable satisfaction
some object which would never justify weariness which would reconcile
selfdespair with the rapturous consciousness of life beyond self She found her
epos in the reform of a religious order
That Spanish woman who lived three hundred years ago was certainly not the
last of her kind Many Theresas have been born who found for themselves no epic
life wherein there was a constant unfolding of farresonant action perhaps only
a life of mistakes the offspring of a certain spiritual grandeur illmatched
with the meanness of opportunity perhaps a tragic failure which found no sacred
poet and sank unwept into oblivion With dim lights and tangled circumstance
they tried to shape their thought and deed in noble agreement but after all to
common eyes their struggles seemed mere inconsistency and formlessness for
these laterborn Theresas were helped by no coherent social faith and order
which could perform the function of knowledge for the ardently willing soul
Their ardour alternated between a vague ideal and the common yearning of
womanhood so that the one was disapproved as extravagance and the other
condemned as a lapse
Some have felt that these blundering lives are due to the inconvenient
indefiniteness with which the Supreme Power has fashioned the natures of women
if there were one level of feminine incompetence as strict as the ability to
count three and no more the social lot of women might be treated with
scientific certitude Meanwhile the indefiniteness remains and the limits of
variation are really much wider than any one would imagine from the sameness of
womens coiffure and the favourite lovestories in prose and verse Here and
there a cygnet is reared uneasily among the ducklings in the brown pond and
never finds the living stream in fellowship with its own oaryfooted kind Here
and there is born a Saint Theresa foundress of nothing whose loving
heartbeats and sobs after an unattained goodness tremble off and are dispersed
among hindrances instead of centering in some longrecognisable deed
Chapter I
»Since I can do no good because a woman
Reach constantly at something that is near it«
The Maids Tragedy
Beaumont and Fletcher
Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor
dress Her hand and wrist were so finely formed that she could wear sleeves not
less bare of style than those in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to Italian
painters and her profile as well as her stature and bearing seemed to gain the
more dignity from her plain garments which by the side of provincial fashion
gave her the impressiveness of a fine quotation from the Bible or from one of
our elder poets in a paragraph of todays newspaper She was usually spoken
of as being remarkably clever but with the addition that her sister Celia had
more commonsense Nevertheless Celia wore scarcely more trimmings and it was
only to close observers that her dress differed from her sisters and had a
shade of coquetry in its arrangements for Miss Brookes plain dressing was due
to mixed conditions in most of which her sister shared The pride of being
ladies had something to do with it the Brooke connections though not exactly
aristocratic were unquestionably »good« if you inquired backward for a
generation or two you would not find any yardmeasuring or parceltying
forefathers anything lower than an admiral or a clergyman and there was even
an ancestor discernible as a Puritan gentleman who served under Cromwell but
afterwards conformed and managed to come out of all political troubles as the
proprietor of a respectable family estate Young women of such birth living in
a quiet countryhouse and attending a village church hardly larger than a
parlour naturally regarded frippery as the ambition of a hucksters daughter
Then there was wellbred economy which in those days made show in dress the
first item to be deducted from when any margin was required for expenses more
distinctive of rank Such reasons would have been enough to account for plain
dress quite apart from religious feeling but in Miss Brookes case religion
alone would have determined it and Celia mildly acquiesced in all her sisters
sentiments only infusing them with that commonsense which is able to accept
momentous doctrines without any eccentric agitation Dorothea knew many passages
of Pascals Pensées and of Jeremy Taylor by heart and to her the destinies of
mankind seen by the light of Christianity made the solicitudes of feminine
fashion appear an occupation for Bedlam She could not reconcile the anxieties
of a spiritual life involving eternal consequences with a keen interest in
guimp and artificial protrusions of drapery Her mind was theoretic and yearned
by its nature after some lofty conception of the world which might frankly
include the parish of Tipton and her own rule of conduct there she was
enamoured of intensity and greatness and rash in embracing whatever seemed to
her to have those aspects likely to seek martyrdom to make retractations and
then to incur martyrdom after all in a quarter where she had not sought it
Certainly such elements in the character of a marriageable girl tended to
interfere with her lot and hinder it from being decided according to custom by
good looks vanity and merely canine affection With all this she the elder
of the sisters was not yet twenty and they had both been educated since they
were about twelve years old and had lost their parents on plans at once narrow
and promiscuous first in an English family and afterwards in a Swiss family at
Lausanne their bachelor uncle and guardian trying in this way to remedy the
disadvantages of their orphaned condition
It was hardly a year since they had come to live at Tipton Grange with their
uncle a man nearly sixty of acquiescent temper miscellaneous opinions and
uncertain vote He had travelled in his younger years and was held in this part
of the county to have contracted a too rambling habit of mind Mr Brookes
conclusions were as difficult to predict as the weather it was only safe to say
that he would act with benevolent intentions and that he would spend as little
money as possible in carrying them out For the most glutinously indefinite
minds enclose some hard grains of habit and a man has been seen lax about all
his own interests except the retention of his snuffbox concerning which he was
watchful suspicious and greedy of clutch
In Mr Brooke the hereditary strain of Puritan energy was clearly in
abeyance but in his niece Dorothea it glowed alike through faults and virtues
turning sometimes into impatience of her uncles talk or his way of »letting
things be« on his estate and making her long all the more for the time when she
would be of age and have some command of money for generous schemes She was
regarded as an heiress for not only had the sisters seven hundred ayear each
from their parents but if Dorothea married and had a son that son would
inherit Mr Brookes estate presumably worth about three thousand ayear a
rental which seemed wealth to provincial families still discussing Mr Peels
late conduct on the Catholic Question innocent of future goldfields and of
that gorgeous plutocracy which has so nobly exalted the necessities of genteel
life
And how should Dorothea not marry a girl so handsome and with such
prospects Nothing could hinder it but her love of extremes and her insistance
on regulating life according to notions which might cause a wary man to hesitate
before he made her an offer or even might lead her at last to refuse all
offers A young lady of some birth and fortune who knelt suddenly down on a
brick floor by the side of a sick labourer and prayed fervidly as if she thought
herself living in the time of the Apostles who had strange whims of fasting
like a Papist and of sitting up at night to read old theological books Such a
wife might awaken you some fine morning with a new scheme for the application of
her income which would interfere with political economy and the keeping of
saddlehorses a man would naturally think twice before he risked himself in
such fellowship Women were expected to have weak opinions but the great
safeguard of society and of domestic life was that opinions were not acted on
Sane people did what their neighbours did so that if any lunatics were at
large one might know and avoid them
The rural opinion about the new young ladies even among the cottagers was
generally in favour of Celia as being so amiable and innocentlooking while
Miss Brookes large eyes seemed like her religion too unusual and striking
Poor Dorothea compared with her the innocentlooking Celia was knowing and
worldlywise so much subtler is a human mind than the outside tissues which
make a sort of blazonry or clockface for it
Yet those who approached Dorothea though prejudiced against her by this
alarming hearsay found that she had a charm unaccountably reconcilable with it
Most men thought her bewitching when she was on horseback She loved the fresh
air and the various aspects of the country and when her eyes and cheeks glowed
with mingled pleasure she looked very little like a devotee Riding was an
indulgence which she allowed herself in spite of conscientious qualms she felt
that she enjoyed it in a pagan sensuous way and always looked forward to
renouncing it
She was open ardent and not in the least selfadmiring indeed it was
pretty to see how her imagination adorned her sister Celia with attractions
altogether superior to her own and if any gentleman appeared to come to the
Grange from some other motive than that of seeing Mr Brooke she concluded that
he must be in love with Celia Sir James Chettam for example, whom she
constantly considered from Celias point of view inwardly debating whether it
would be good for Celia to accept him That he should be regarded as a suitor to
herself would have seemed to her a ridiculous irrelevance Dorothea with all
her eagerness to know the truths of life retained very childlike ideas about
marriage She felt sure that she would have accepted the judicious Hooker if
she had been born in time to save him from that wretched mistake he made in
matrimony or John Milton when his blindness had come on or any of the other
great men whose odd habits it would have been glorious piety to endure but an
amiable handsome baronet who said »Exactly« to her remarks even when she
expressed uncertainty how could he affect her as a lover The really
delightful marriage must be that where your husband was a sort of father and
could teach you even Hebrew if you wished it
These peculiarities of Dorotheas character caused Mr Brooke to be all the
more blamed in neighbouring families for not securing some middleaged lady as
guide and companion to his nieces But he himself dreaded so much the sort of
superior woman likely to be available for such a position that he allowed
himself to be dissuaded by Dorotheas objections and was in this case brave
enough to defy the world that is to say Mrs Cadwallader the Rectors wife
and the small group of gentry with whom he visited in the northeast corner of
Loamshire So Miss Brooke presided in her uncles household and did not at all
dislike her new authority with the homage that belonged to it
Sir James Chettam was going to dine at the Grange today with another
gentleman whom the girls had never seen and about whom Dorothea felt some
venerating expectation This was the Reverend Edward Casaubon noted in the
county as a man of profound learning understood for many years to be engaged on
a great work concerning religious history also as a man of wealth enough to
give lustre to his piety and having views of his own which were to be more
clearly ascertained on the publication of his book His very name carried an
impressiveness hardly to be measured without a precise chronology of
scholarship
Early in the day Dorothea had returned from the infant school which she had
set going in the village and was taking her usual place in the pretty
sittingroom which divided the bedrooms of the sisters bent on finishing a plan
for some buildings a kind of work which she delighted in when Celia who had
been watching her with a hesitating desire to propose something said
»Dorothea dear if you dont mind if you are not very busy suppose we
looked at mammas jewels today and divided them It is exactly six months
today since uncle gave them to you and you have not looked at them yet«
Celias face had the shadow of a pouting expression in it the full presence
of the pout being kept back by an habitual awe of Dorothea and principle two
associated facts which might show a mysterious electricity if you touched them
incautiously To her relief Dorotheas eyes were full of laughter as she looked
up
»What a wonderful little almanac you are Celia Is it six calendar or six
lunar months«
»It is the last day of September now and it was the first of April when
uncle gave them to you You know he said that he had forgotten them till then
I believe you have never thought of them since you locked them up in the cabinet
here«
»Well dear we should never wear them you know« Dorothea spoke in a full
cordial tone half caressing half explanatory She had her pencil in her hand
and was making tiny sideplans on a margin
Celia coloured and looked very grave »I think dear we are wanting in
respect to mammas memory to put them by and take no notice of them And« she
added after hesitating a little with a rising sob of mortification »necklaces
are quite usual now and Madame Poinçon who was stricter in some things even
than you are used to wear ornaments And Christians generally surely there
are women in heaven now who wore jewels« Celia was conscious of some mental
strength when she really applied herself to argument
»You would like to wear them« exclaimed Dorothea an air of astonished
discovery animating her whole person with a dramatic action which she had caught
from that very Madame Poinçon who wore the ornaments »Of course then let us
have them out Why did you not tell me before But the keys the keys« She
pressed her hands against the sides of her head and seemed to despair of her
memory
»They are here« said Celia with whom this explanation had been long
meditated and prearranged
»Pray open the large drawer of the cabinet and get out the jewelbox«
The casket was soon open before them and the various jewels spread out
making a bright parterre on the table It was no great collection but a few of
the ornaments were really of remarkable beauty the finest that was obvious at
first being a necklace of purple amethysts set in exquisite gold work and a
pearl cross with five brilliants in it Dorothea immediately took up the
necklace and fastened it round her sisters neck where it fitted almost as
closely as a bracelet but the circle suited the HenriettaMaria style of
Celias head and neck and she could see that it did in the pierglass
opposite
»There Celia you can wear that with your Indian muslin But this cross you
must wear with your dark dresses«
Celia was trying not to smile with pleasure »O Dodo you must keep the
cross yourself«
»No no dear no« said Dorothea putting up her hand with careless
deprecation
»Yes indeed you must it would suit you in your black dress now« said
Celia insistingly »You might wear that«
»Not for the world not for the world A cross is the last thing I would
wear as a trinket« Dorothea shuddered slightly
»Then you will think it wicked in me to wear it« said Celia uneasily
»No dear no« said Dorothea stroking her sisters cheek »Souls have
complexions too what will suit one will not suit another«
»But you might like to keep it for mammas sake«
»No I have other things of mammas her sandalwood box which I am so fond
of plenty of things In fact they are all yours dear We need discuss them
no longer There take away your property«
Celia felt a little hurt There was a strong assumption of superiority in
this Puritanic toleration hardly less trying to the blond flesh of an
unenthusiastic sister than a Puritanic persecution
»But how can I wear ornaments if you who are the elder sister will never
wear them«
»Nay Celia that is too much to ask that I should wear trinkets to keep
you in countenance If I were to put on such a necklace as that I should feel
as if I had been pirouetting The world would go round with me and I should not
know how to walk«
Celia had unclasped the necklace and drawn it off »It would be a little
tight for your neck something to lie down and hang would suit you better« she
said with some satisfaction The complete unfitness of the necklace from all
points of view for Dorothea made Celia happier in taking it She was opening
some ringboxes which disclosed a fine emerald with diamonds and just then the
sun passing beyond a cloud sent a bright gleam over the table
»How very beautiful these gems are« said Dorothea under a new current of
feeling as sudden as the gleam »It is strange how deeply colours seem to
penetrate one like scent I suppose that is the reason why gems are used as
spiritual emblems in the Revelation of St John They look like fragments of
heaven I think that emerald is more beautiful than any of them«
»And there is a bracelet to match it« said Celia »We did not notice this
at first«
»They are lovely« said Dorothea slipping the ring and bracelet on her
finelyturned finger and wrist and holding them towards the window on a level
with her eyes All the while her thought was trying to justify her delight in
the colours by merging them in her mystic religious joy
»You would like those Dorothea« said Celia rather falteringly beginning
to think with wonder that her sister showed some weakness and also that
emeralds would suit her own complexion even better than purple amethysts »You
must keep that ring and bracelet if nothing else But see these agates are
very pretty and quiet«
»Yes I will keep these this ring and bracelet« said Dorothea Then
letting her hand fall on the table she said in another tone »Yet what
miserable men find such things and work at them and sell them« She paused
again and Celia thought that her sister was going to renounce the ornaments as
in consistency she ought to do
»Yes dear I will keep these« said Dorothea decidedly »But take all the
rest away and the casket«
She took up her pencil without removing the jewels and still looking at
them She thought of often having them by her to feed her eye at these little
fountains of pure colour
»Shall you wear them in company« said Celia who was watching her with real
curiosity as to what she would do
Dorothea glanced quickly at her sister Across all her imaginative adornment
of those whom she loved there darted now and then a keen discernment which was
not without a scorching quality If Miss Brooke ever attained perfect meekness
it would not be for lack of inward fire
»Perhaps« she said rather haughtily »I cannot tell to what level I may
sink«
Celia blushed and was unhappy she saw that she had offended her sister
and dared not say even anything pretty about the gift of the ornaments which she
put back into the box and carried away Dorothea too was unhappy as she went on
with her plandrawing questioning the purity of her own feeling and speech in
the scene which had ended with that little explosion
Celias consciousness told her that she had not been at all in the wrong it
was quite natural and justifiable that she should have asked that question and
she repeated to herself that Dorothea was inconsistent either she should have
taken her full share of the jewels or after what she had said she should have
renounced them altogether
»I am sure at least I trust« thought Celia »that the wearing of a
necklace will not interfere with my prayers And I do not see that I should be
bound by Dorotheas opinions now we are going into society though of course she
herself ought to be bound by them But Dorothea is not always consistent«
Thus Celia mutely bending over her tapestry until she heard her sister
calling her
»Here Kitty come and look at my plan I shall think I am a great
architect if I have not got incompatible stairs and fireplaces«
As Celia bent over the paper Dorothea put her cheek against her sisters
arm caressingly Celia understood the action Dorothea saw that she had been in
the wrong and Celia pardoned her Since they could remember there had been a
mixture of criticism and awe in the attitude of Celias mind towards her elder
sister The younger had always worn a yoke but is there any yoked creature
without its private opinions
Chapter II
»Dime no ves aquel caballero que hácia nosotros viene sobre un
caballo rucio rodado que trae puesto en la cabeza un yelmo de oro
Lo que veo y columbro respondio Sancho no es sino un hombre sobre
un asno pardo como el mio que trae sobre la cabeza una cosa que
relumbra Pues ese es el yelmo de Mambrino dijo Don Quijote«
Cervantes
»Seest thou not yon cavalier who cometh toward us on a dapplegrey
steed and weareth a golden helmet What I see answered Sancho is
nothing but a man on a grey ass like my own who carries something
shiny on his head Just so answered Don Quixote and that
resplendent object is the helmet of Mambrino«
»Sir Humphry Davy« said Mr Brooke over the soup in his easy smiling way
taking up Sir James Chettams remark that he was studying Davys Agricultural
Chemistry »Well now Sir Humphry Davy I dined with him years ago at
Cartwrights and Wordsworth was there too the poet Wordsworth you know Now
there was something singular I was at Cambridge when Wordsworth was there and
I never met him and I dined with him twenty years afterwards at Cartwrights
Theres an oddity in things now But Davy was there he was a poet too Or as
I may say Wordsworth was poet one and Davy was poet two That was true in
every sense you know«
Dorothea felt a little more uneasy than usual In the beginning of dinner
the party being small and the room still these motes from the mass of a
magistrates mind fell too noticeably She wondered how a man like Mr Casaubon
would support such triviality His manners she thought were very dignified
the set of his irongrey hair and his deep eyesockets made him resemble the
portrait of Locke He had the spare form and the pale complexion which became a
student as different as possible from the blooming Englishman of the
redwhiskered type represented by Sir James Chettam
»I am reading the Agricultural Chemistry« said this excellent baronet
»because I am going to take one of the farms into my own hands and see if
something cannot be done in setting a good pattern of farming among my tenants
Do you approve of that Miss Brooke«
»A great mistake Chettam« interposed Mr Brooke »going into electrifying
your land and that kind of thing and making a parlour of your cowhouse It
wont do I went into science a great deal myself at one time but I saw it
would not do It leads to everything you can let nothing alone No no see
that your tenants dont sell their straw and that kind of thing and give them
drainingtiles you know But your fancyfarming will not do the most
expensive sort of whistle you can buy you may as well keep a pack of hounds«
»Surely« said Dorothea »it is better to spend money in finding out how men
can make the most of the land which supports them all than in keeping dogs and
horses only to gallop over it It is not a sin to make yourself poor in
performing experiments for the good of all«
She spoke with more energy than is expected of so young a lady but Sir
James had appealed to her He was accustomed to do so and she had often thought
that she could urge him to many good actions when he was her brotherinlaw
Mr Casaubon turned his eyes very markedly on Dorothea while she was
speaking and seemed to observe her newly
»Young ladies dont understand political economy you know« said Mr
Brooke smiling towards Mr Casaubon »I remember when we were all reading Adam
Smith There is a book now I took in all the new ideas at one time human
perfectibility now But some say history moves in circles and that may be
very well argued I have argued it myself The fact is human reason may carry
you a little too far over the hedge in fact It carried me a good way at one
time but I saw it would not do I pulled up I pulled up in time But not too
hard I have always been in favour of a little theory we must have Thought
else we shall be landed back in the dark ages But talking of books there is
Southeys Peninsular War I am reading that of a morning You know Southey«
»No« said Mr Casaubon not keeping pace with Mr Brookes impetuous
reason and thinking of the book only »I have little leisure for such
literature just now I have been using up my eyesight on old characters lately
the fact is I want a reader for my evenings but I am fastidious in voices and
I cannot endure listening to an imperfect reader It is a misfortune in some
senses I feed too much on the inward sources I live too much with the dead My
mind is something like the ghost of an ancient wandering about the world and
trying mentally to construct it as it used to be in spite of ruin and confusing
changes But I find it necessary to use the utmost caution about my eyesight«
This was the first time that Mr Casaubon had spoken at any length He
delivered himself with precision as if he had been called upon to make a public
statement and the balanced singsong neatness of his speech occasionally
corresponded to by a movement of his head was the more conspicuous from its
contrast with good Mr Brookes scrappy slovenliness Dorothea said to herself
that Mr Casaubon was the most interesting man she had ever seen not excepting
even Monsieur Liret the Vaudois clergyman who had given conferences on the
history of the Waldenses To reconstruct a past world doubtless with a view to
the highest purposes of truth what a work to be in any way present at to
assist in though only as a lampholder This elevating thought lifted her above
her annoyance at being twitted with her ignorance of political economy that
neverexplained science which was thrust as an extinguisher over all her lights
»But you are fond of riding Miss Brooke« Sir James presently took an
opportunity of saying »I should have thought you would enter a little into the
pleasures of hunting I wish you would let me send over a chesnut horse for you
to try It has been trained for a lady I saw you on Saturday cantering over the
hill on a nag not worthy of you My groom shall bring Corydon for you every day
if you will only mention the time«
»Thank you you are very good I mean to give up riding I shall not ride
any more« said Dorothea urged to this brusque resolution by a little annoyance
that Sir James would be soliciting her attention when she wanted to give it all
to Mr Casaubon
»No that is too hard« said Sir James in a tone of reproach that showed
strong interest »Your sister is given to selfmortification is she not« he
continued turning to Celia who sat at his right hand
»I think she is« said Celia feeling afraid lest she should say something
that would not please her sister and blushing as prettily as possible above her
necklace »She likes giving up«
»If that were true Celia my givingup would be selfindulgence not
selfmortification But there may be good reasons for choosing not to do what is
very agreeable« said Dorothea
Mr Brooke was speaking at the same time but it was evident that Mr
Casaubon was observing Dorothea and she was aware of it
»Exactly« said Sir James »You give up from some high generous motive«
»No indeed not exactly I did not say that of myself« answered Dorothea
reddening Unlike Celia she rarely blushed and only from high delight or
anger At this moment she felt angry with the perverse Sir James Why did he not
pay attention to Celia and leave her to listen to Mr Casaubon if that
learned man would only talk instead of allowing himself to be talked to by Mr
Brooke who was just then informing him that the Reformation either meant
something or it did not that he himself was a Protestant to the core but that
Catholicism was a fact and as to refusing an acre of your ground for a Romanist
chapel all men needed the bridle of religion which properly speaking was the
dread of a Hereafter
»I made a great study of theology at one time« said Mr Brooke as if to
explain the insight just manifested »I know something of all schools I knew
Wilberforce in his best days Do you know Wilberforce«
Mr Casaubon said »No«
»Well Wilberforce was perhaps not enough of a thinker but if I went into
Parliament as I have been asked to do I should sit on the independent bench
as Wilberforce did and work at philanthropy«
Mr Casaubon bowed and observed that it was a wide field
»Yes« said Mr Brooke with an easy smile »but I have documents I began a
long while ago to collect documents They want arranging but when a question
has struck me I have written to somebody and got an answer I have documents at
my back But now how do you arrange your documents«
»In pigeonholes partly« said Mr Casaubon with rather a startled air of
effort
»Ah pigeonholes will not do I have tried pigeonholes but everything
gets mixed in pigeonholes I never know whether a paper is in A or Z«
»I wish you would let me sort your papers for you uncle« said Dorothea »I
would letter them all and then make a list of subjects under each letter«
Mr Casaubon gravely smiled approval and said to Mr Brooke »You have an
excellent secretary at hand you perceive«
»No no« said Mr Brooke shaking his head »I cannot let young ladies
meddle with my documents Young ladies are too flighty«
Dorothea felt hurt Mr Casaubon would think that her uncle had some special
reason for delivering this opinion whereas the remark lay in his mind as
lightly as the broken wing of an insect among all the other fragments there and
a chance current had sent it alighting on her
When the two girls were in the drawingroom alone Celia said
»How very ugly Mr Casaubon is«
»Celia He is one of the most distinguishedlooking men I ever saw He is
remarkably like the portrait of Locke He has the same deep eyesockets«
»Had Locke those two white moles with hairs on them«
»Oh I daresay when people of a certain sort looked at him« said Dorothea
walking away a little
»Mr Casaubon is so sallow«
»All the better I suppose you admire a man with the complexion of a cochon
de lait«
»Dodo« exclaimed Celia looking after her in surprise »I never heard you
make such a comparison before«
»Why should I make it before the occasion came It is a good comparison the
match is perfect«
Miss Brooke was clearly forgetting herself and Celia thought so
»I wonder you show temper Dorothea«
»It is so painful in you Celia that you will look at human beings as if
they were merely animals with a toilette and never see the great soul in a
mans face«
»Has Mr Casaubon a great soul« Celia was not without a touch of naïve
malice
»Yes I believe he has« said Dorothea with the full voice of decision
»Everything I see in him corresponds to his pamphlet on Biblical Cosmology«
»He talks very little« said Celia
»There is no one for him to talk to«
Celia thought privately »Dorothea quite despises Sir James Chettam I
believe she would not accept him« Celia felt that this was a pity She had
never been deceived as to the object of the baronets interest Sometimes
indeed she had reflected that Dodo would perhaps not make a husband happy who
had not her way of looking at things and stifled in the depths of her heart was
the feeling that her sister was too religious for family comfort Notions and
scruples were like spilt needles making one afraid of treading or sitting
down or even eating
When Miss Brooke was at the teatable Sir James came to sit down by her
not having felt her mode of answering him at all offensive Why should he He
thought it probable that Miss Brooke liked him and manners must be very marked
indeed before they cease to be interpreted by preconceptions either confident or
distrustful She was thoroughly charming to him but of course he theorised a
little about his attachment He was made of excellent human dough and had the
rare merit of knowing that his talents even if let loose would not set the
smallest stream in the county on fire hence he liked the prospect of a wife to
whom he could say »What shall we do« about this or that who could help her
husband out with reasons and would also have the property qualification for
doing so As to the excessive religiousness alleged against Miss Brooke he had
a very indefinite notion of what it consisted in and thought that it would die
out with marriage In short he felt himself to be in love in the right place
and was ready to endure a great deal of predominance which after all a man
could always put down when he liked Sir James had no idea that he should ever
like to put down the predominance of this handsome girl in whose cleverness he
delighted Why not A mans mind what there is of it has always the
advantage of being masculine as the smallest birchtree is of a higher kind
than the most soaring palm and even his ignorance is of a sounder quality
Sir James might not have originated this estimate but a kind Providence
furnishes the limpest personality with a little gum or starch in the form of
tradition
»Let me hope that you will rescind that resolution about the horse Miss
Brooke« said the persevering admirer »I assure you riding is the most healthy
of exercises«
»I am aware of it« said Dorothea coldly »I think it would do Celia good
if she would take to it«
»But you are such a perfect horsewoman«
»Excuse me I have had very little practice and I should be easily thrown«
»Then that is a reason for more practice Every lady ought to be a perfect
horsewoman that she may accompany her husband«
»You see how widely we differ Sir James I have made up my mind that I
ought not to be a perfect horsewoman and so I should never correspond to your
pattern of a lady« Dorothea looked straight before her and spoke with cold
brusquerie very much with the air of a handsome boy in amusing contrast with
the solicitous amiability of her admirer
»I should like to know your reasons for this cruel resolution It is not
possible that you should think horsemanship wrong«
»It is quite possible that I should think it wrong for me«
»Oh why« said Sir James in a tender tone of remonstrance
Mr Casaubon had come up to the table teacup in hand and was listening
»We must not inquire too curiously into motives« he interposed in his
measured way »Miss Brooke knows that they are apt to become feeble in the
utterance the aroma is mixed with the grosser air We must keep the germinating
grain away from the light«
Dorothea coloured with pleasure and looked up gratefully to the speaker
Here was a man who could understand the higher inward life and with whom there
could be some spiritual communion nay who could illuminate principle with the
widest knowledge a man whose learning almost amounted to a proof of whatever he
believed
Dorotheas inferences may seem large but really life could never have gone
on at any period but for this liberal allowance of conclusions which has
facilitated marriage under the difficulties of civilisation Has any one ever
pinched into its pilulous smallness the cobweb of prematrimonial
acquaintanceship
»Certainly« said good Sir James »Miss Brooke shall not be urged to tell
reasons she would rather be silent upon I am sure her reasons would do her
honour«
He was not in the least jealous of the interest with which Dorothea had
looked up at Mr Casaubon it never occurred to him that a girl to whom he was
meditating an offer of marriage could care for a dried bookworm towards fifty
except indeed in a religious sort of way as for a clergyman of some
distinction
However since Miss Brooke had become engaged in a conversation with Mr
Casaubon about the Vaudois clergy Sir James betook himself to Celia and talked
to her about her sister spoke of a house in town and asked whether Miss Brooke
disliked London Away from her sister Celia talked quite easily and Sir James
said to himself that the second Miss Brooke was certainly very agreeable as well
as pretty though not as some people pretended more clever and sensible than
the elder sister He felt that he had chosen the one who was in all respects the
superior and a man naturally likes to look forward to having the best He would
be the very Mawworm of bachelors who pretended not to expect it
Chapter III
»Say goddess what ensued when Raphaël
The affable archangel
Eve
The story heard attentive and was filled
With admiration and deep muse to hear
Of things so high and strange«
Paradise Lost B vii
If it had really occurred to Mr Casaubon to think of Miss Brooke as a suitable
wife for him the reasons that might induce her to accept him were already
planted in her mind and by the evening of the next day the reasons had budded
and bloomed For they had had a long conversation in the morning while Celia
who did not like the company of Mr Casaubons moles and sallowness had escaped
to the vicarage to play with the curates illshod but merry children
Dorothea by this time had looked deep into the ungauged reservoir of Mr
Casaubons mind seeing reflected there in vague labyrinthine extension every
quality she herself brought had opened much of her own experience to him and
had understood from him the scope of his great work also of attractively
labyrinthine extent For he had been as instructive as Miltons »affable
archangel« and with something of the archangelic manner he told her how he had
undertaken to show what indeed had been attempted before but not with that
thoroughness justice of comparison and effectiveness of arrangement at which
Mr Casaubon aimed that all the mythical systems or erratic mythical fragments
in the world were corruptions of a tradition originally revealed Having once
mastered the true position and taken a firm footing there the vast field of
mythical constructions became intelligible nay luminous with the reflected
light of correspondences But to gather in this great harvest of truth was no
light or speedy work His notes already made a formidable range of volumes but
the crowning task would be to condense these voluminous stillaccumulating
results and bring them like the earlier vintage of Hippocratic books to fit a
little shelf In explaining this to Dorothea Mr Casaubon expressed himself
nearly as he would have done to a fellowstudent for he had not two styles of
talking at command it is true that when he used a Greek or Latin phrase he
always gave the English with scrupulous care but he would probably have done
this in any case A learned provincial clergyman is accustomed to think of his
acquaintances as of »lords knyghtes and other noble and worthi men that conne
Latyn but lytille«
Dorothea was altogether captivated by the wide embrace of this conception.
Here was something beyond the shallows of ladiesschool literature here was a
living Bossuet whose work would reconcile complete knowledge with devoted
piety here was a modern Augustine who united the glories of doctor and saint
The sanctity seemed no less clearly marked than the learning for when
Dorothea was impelled to open her mind on certain themes which she could speak
of to no one whom she had before seen at Tipton especially on the secondary
importance of ecclesiastical forms and articles of belief compared with that
spiritual religion that submergence of self in communion with Divine perfection
which seemed to her to be expressed in the best Christian books of
widelydistant ages she found in Mr Casaubon a listener who understood her at
once who could assure her of his own agreement with that view when duly
tempered with wise conformity and could mention historical examples before
unknown to her
»He thinks with me« said Dorothea to herself »or rather he thinks a whole
world of which my thought is but a poor twopenny mirror And his feelings too
his whole experience what a lake compared with my little pool«
Miss Brooke argued from words and dispositions not less unhesitatingly than
other young ladies of her age Signs are small measurable things but
interpretations are illimitable and in girls of sweet ardent nature every
sign is apt to conjure up wonder hope belief vast as a sky and coloured by a
diffused thimbleful of matter in the shape of knowledge. They are not always too
grossly deceived for Sinbad himself may have fallen by goodluck on a true
description and wrong reasoning sometimes lands poor mortals in right
conclusions starting a long way off the true point and proceeding by loops and
zigzags we now and then arrive just where we ought to be Because Miss Brooke
was hasty in her trust it is not therefore clear that Mr Casaubon was unworthy
of it
He stayed a little longer than he had intended on a slight pressure of
invitation from Mr Brooke who offered no bait except his own documents on
machinebreaking and rickburning Mr Casaubon was called into the library to
look at these in a heap while his host picked up first one and then the other
to read aloud from in a skipping and uncertain way passing from one unfinished
passage to another with a »Yes now but here« and finally pushing them all
aside to open the journal of his youthful Continental travels
»Look here here is all about Greece Rhamnus the ruins of Rhamnus you
are a great Grecian now I dont know whether you have given much study to the
topography I spent no end of time in making out these things Helicon now
Here now We started the next morning for Parnassus the doublepeaked
Parnassus All this volume is about Greece you know« Mr Brooke wound up
rubbing his thumb transversely along the edges of the leaves as he held the book
forward
Mr Casaubon made a dignified though somewhat sad audience bowed in the
right place and avoided looking at anything documentary as far as possible
without showing disregard or impatience mindful that this desultoriness was
associated with the institutions of the country and that the man who took him
on this severe mental scamper was not only an amiable host but a landholder and
custos rotulorum Was his endurance aided also by the reflection that Mr Brooke
was the uncle of Dorothea
Certainly he seemed more and more bent on making her talk to him on drawing
her out as Celia remarked to herself and in looking at her his face was often
lit up by a smile like pale wintry sunshine Before he left the next morning
while taking a pleasant walk with Miss Brooke along the gravelled terrace he
had mentioned to her that he felt the disadvantage of loneliness the need of
that cheerful companionship with which the presence of youth can lighten or vary
the serious toils of maturity And he delivered this statement with as much
careful precision as if he had been a diplomatic envoy whose words would be
attended with results Indeed Mr Casaubon was not used to expect that he
should have to repeat or revise his communications of a practical or personal
kind The inclinations which he had deliberately stated on the 2d of October he
would think it enough to refer to by the mention of that date judging by the
standard of his own memory which was a volume where a vide supra could serve
instead of repetitions and not the ordinary longused blottingbook which only
tells of forgotten writing But in this case Mr Casaubons confidence was not
likely to be falsified for Dorothea heard and retained what he said with the
eager interest of a fresh young nature to which every variety in experience is
an epoch
It was three oclock in the beautiful breezy autumn day when Mr Casaubon
drove off to his Rectory at Lowick only five miles from Tipton and Dorothea
who had on her bonnet and shawl hurried along the shrubbery and across the park
that she might wander through the bordering wood with no other visible
companionship than that of Monk the Great St Bernard dog who always took care
of the young ladies in their walks There had risen before her the girls vision
of a possible future for herself to which she looked forward with trembling
hope and she wanted to wander on in that visionary future without interruption
She walked briskly in the brisk air the colour rose in her cheeks and her
strawbonnet which our contemporaries might look at with conjectural curiosity
as at an obsolete form of basket fell a little backward She would perhaps be
hardly characterised enough if it were omitted that she wore her brown hair
flatly braided and coiled behind so as to expose the outline of her head in a
daring manner at a time when public feeling required the meagreness of nature to
be dissimulated by tall barricades of frizzed curls and bows never surpassed by
any great race except the Feejeean This was a trait of Miss Brookes
asceticism But there was nothing of an ascetics expression in her bright full
eyes as she looked before her not consciously seeing but absorbing into the
intensity of her mood the solemn glory of the afternoon with its long swathes
of light between the faroff rows of limes whose shadows touched each other
All people young or old that is all people in those antereform times
would have thought her an interesting object if they had referred the glow in
her eyes and cheeks to the newlyawakened ordinary images of young love the
illusions of Chloe about Strephon have been sufficiently consecrated in poetry
as the pathetic loveliness of all spontaneous trust ought to be Miss Pippin
adoring young Pumpkin and dreaming along endless vistas of unwearying
companionship was a little drama which never tired our fathers and mothers and
had been put into all costumes Let but Pumpkin have a figure which would
sustain the disadvantages of the shortwaisted swallowtail and everybody felt
it not only natural but necessary to the perfection of womanhood that a sweet
girl should be at once convinced of his virtue his exceptional ability and
above all his perfect sincerity But perhaps no persons then living certainly
none in the neighbourhood of Tipton would have had a sympathetic understanding
for the dreams of a girl whose notions about marriage took their colour entirely
from an exalted enthusiasm about the ends of life an enthusiasm which was lit
chiefly by its own fire and included neither the niceties of the trousseau the
pattern of plate nor even the honours and sweet joys of the blooming matron
It had now entered Dorotheas mind that Mr Casaubon might wish to make her
his wife and the idea that he would do so touched her with a sort of
reverential gratitude How good of him nay it would be almost as if a winged
messenger had suddenly stood beside her path and held out his hand towards her
For a long while she had been oppressed by the indefiniteness which hung in her
mind like a thick summer haze over all her desire to make her life greatly
effective What could she do what ought she to do she hardly more than a
budding woman but yet with an active conscience and a great mental need not to
be satisfied by a girlish instruction comparable to the nibblings and judgments
of a discursive mouse With some endowment of stupidity and conceit she might
have thought that a Christian young lady of fortune should find her ideal of
life in village charities patronage of the humbler clergy the perusal of
Female Scripture Characters unfolding the private experience of Sara under the
Old Dispensation and Dorcas under the New and the care of her soul over her
embroidery in her own boudoir with a background of prospective marriage to a
man who if less strict than herself as being involved in affairs religiously
inexplicable might be prayed for and seasonably exhorted From such contentment
poor Dorothea was shut out The intensity of her religious disposition the
coercion it exercised over her life was but one aspect of a nature altogether
ardent theoretic and intellectually consequent and with such a nature
struggling in the bands of a narrow teaching hemmed in by a social life which
seemed nothing but a labyrinth of petty courses a walledin maze of small paths
that led no whither the outcome was sure to strike others as at once
exaggeration and inconsistency The thing which seemed to her best she wanted
to justify by the completest knowledge and not to live in a pretended admission
of rules which were never acted on Into this soulhunger as yet all her
youthful passion was poured the union which attracted her was one that would
deliver her from her girlish subjection to her own ignorance and give her the
freedom of voluntary submission to a guide who would take her along the grandest
path
»I should learn everything then« she said to herself still walking quickly
along the bridle road through the wood »It would be my duty to study that I
might help him the better in his great works There would be nothing trivial
about our lives Everydaythings with us would mean the greatest things It
would be like marrying Pascal I should learn to see the truth by the same light
as great men have seen it by And then I should know what to do when I got
older I should see how it was possible to lead a grand life here now in
England I dont feel sure about doing good in any way now everything seems
like going on a mission to a people whose language I dont know unless it
were building good cottages there can be no doubt about that Oh I hope I
should be able to get the people well housed in Lowick I will draw plenty of
plans while I have time«
Dorothea checked herself suddenly with selfrebuke for the presumptuous way
in which she was reckoning on uncertain events but she was spared any inward
effort to change the direction of her thoughts by the appearance of a cantering
horseman round a turning of the road The wellgroomed chestnut horse and two
beautiful setters could leave no doubt that the rider was Sir James Chettam He
discerned Dorothea jumped off his horse at once and having delivered it to
his groom advanced towards her with something white on his arm at which the
two setters were barking in an excited manner
»How delightful to meet you Miss Brooke« he said raising his hat and
showing his sleeklywaving blond hair »It has hastened the pleasure I was
looking forward to«
Miss Brooke was annoyed at the interruption This amiable baronet really a
suitable husband for Celia exaggerated the necessity of making himself
agreeable to the elder sister Even a prospective brotherinlaw may be an
oppression if he will always be presupposing too good an understanding with you
and agreeing with you even when you contradict him The thought that he had made
the mistake of paying his addresses to herself could not take shape all her
mental activity was used up in persuasions of another kind But he was
positively obtrusive at this moment and his dimpled hands were quite
disagreeable Her roused temper made her colour deeply as she returned his
greeting with some haughtiness
Sir James interpreted the heightened colour in the way most gratifying to
himself and thought he never saw Miss Brooke looking so handsome
»I have brought a little petitioner« he said »or rather I have brought
him to see if he will be approved before his petition is offered« He showed the
white object under his arm which was a tiny Maltese puppy one of nature's most
naïve toys
»It is painful to me to see these creatures that are bred merely as pets«
said Dorothea whose opinion was forming itself that very moment as opinions
will under the heat of irritation
»Oh why« said Sir James as they walked forward
»I believe all the petting that is given them does not make them happy They
are too helpless their lives are too frail A weasel or a mouse that gets its
own living is more interesting I like to think that the animals about us have
souls something like our own and either carry on their own little affairs or
can be companions to us like Monk here Those creatures are parasitic«
»I am so glad I know that you do not like them« said good Sir James »I
should never keep them for myself but ladies usually are fond of these Maltese
dogs Here John take this dog will you«
The objectionable puppy whose nose and eyes were equally black and
expressive was thus got rid of since Miss Brooke decided that it had better
not have been born But she felt it necessary to explain
»You must not judge of Celias feeling from mine I think she likes these
small pets She had a tiny terrier once which she was very fond of It made me
unhappy because I was afraid of treading on it I am rather shortsighted«
»You have your own opinion about everything Miss Brooke and it is always a
good opinion«
What answer was possible to such stupid complimenting
»Do you know I envy you that« Sir James said as they continued walking at
the rather brisk pace set by Dorothea
»I dont quite understand what you mean«
»Your power of forming an opinion I can form an opinion of persons I know
when I like people But about other matters do you know I have often a
difficulty in deciding One hears very sensible things said on opposite sides«
»Or that seem sensible Perhaps we dont always discriminate between sense
and nonsense«
Dorothea felt that she was rather rude
»Exactly« said Sir James »But you seem to have the power of
discrimination«
»On the contrary I am often unable to decide But that is from ignorance
The right conclusion is there all the same though I am unable to see it«
»I think there are few who would see it more readily Do you know Lovegood
was telling me yesterday that you had the best notion in the world of a plan for
cottages quite wonderful for a young lady he thought You had a real genus
to use his expression He said you wanted Mr Brooke to build a new set of
cottages but he seemed to think it hardly probable that your uncle would
consent Do you know that is one of the things I wish to do I mean on my own
estate I should be so glad to carry out that plan of yours if you would let me
see it Of course it is sinking money that is why people object to it
Labourers can never pay rent to make it answer But after all it is worth
doing«
»Worth doing yes indeed« said Dorothea energetically forgetting her
previous small vexations »I think we deserve to be beaten out of our beautiful
houses with a scourge of small cords all of us who let tenants live in such
sties as we see round us Life in cottages might be happier than ours if they
were real houses fit for human beings from whom we expect duties and
affections«
»Will you show me your plan«
»Yes certainly I daresay it is very faulty But I have been examining all
the plans for cottages in Londons book and picked out what seem the best
things Oh what a happiness it would be to set the pattern about here I think
instead of Lazarus at the gate we should put the pigsty cottages outside the
parkgate«
Dorothea was in the best temper now Sir James as brotherinlaw building
model cottages on his estate and then perhaps others being built at Lowick
and more and more elsewhere in imitation it would be as if the spirit of
Oberlin had passed over the parishes to make the life of poverty beautiful
Sir James saw all the plans and took one away to consult upon with
Lovegood He also took away a complacent sense that he was making great progress
in Miss Brookes good opinion The Maltese puppy was not offered to Celia an
omission which Dorothea afterwards thought of with surprise but she blamed
herself for it She had been engrossing Sir James After all it was a relief
that there was no puppy to tread upon
Celia was present while the plans were being examined and observed Sir
Jamess illusion »He thinks that Dodo cares about him and she only cares about
her plans Yet I am not certain that she would refuse him if she thought he
would let her manage everything and carry out all her notions And how very
uncomfortable Sir James would be I cannot bear notions«
It was Celias private luxury to indulge in this dislike She dared not
confess it to her sister in any direct statement for that would be laying
herself open to a demonstration that she was somehow or other at war with all
goodness But on safe opportunities she had an indirect mode of making her
negative wisdom tell upon Dorothea and calling her down from her rhapsodic mood
by reminding her that people were staring not listening Celia was not
impulsive what she had to say could wait and came from her always with the
same quiet staccato evenness When people talked with energy and emphasis she
watched their faces and features merely She never could understand how
wellbred persons consented to sing and open their mouths in the ridiculous
manner requisite for that vocal exercise
It was not many days before Mr Casaubon paid a morning visit on which he
was invited again for the following week to dine and stay the night Thus
Dorothea had three more conversations with him and was convinced that her first
impressions had been just He was all she had at first imagined him to be
almost everything he had said seemed like a specimen from a mine or the
inscription on the door of a museum which might open on the treasures of past
ages and this trust in his mental wealth was all the deeper and more effective
on her inclination because it was now obvious that his visits were made for her
sake This accomplished man condescended to think of a young girl and take the
pains to talk to her not with absurd compliment but with an appeal to her
understanding and sometimes with instructive correction What delightful
companionship Mr Casaubon seemed even unconscious that trivialities existed
and never handed round that smalltalk of heavy men which is as acceptable as
stale bridecake brought forth with an odour of cupboard He talked of what he
was interested in or else he was silent and bowed with sad civility To
Dorothea this was adorable genuineness and religious abstinence from that
artificiality which uses up the soul in the efforts of pretence For she looked
as reverently at Mr Casaubons religious elevation above herself as she did at
his intellect and learning He assented to her expressions of devout feeling
and usually with an appropriate quotation he allowed himself to say that he had
gone through some spiritual conflicts in his youth in short Dorothea saw that
here she might reckon on understanding sympathy and guidance On one only
one of her favourite themes she was disappointed Mr Casaubon apparently did
not care about building cottages and diverted the talk to the extremely narrow
accommodation which was to be had in the dwellings of the ancient Egyptians as
if to check a too high standard After he was gone Dorothea dwelt with some
agitation on this indifference of his and her mind was much exercised with
arguments drawn from the varying conditions of climate which modify human needs
and from the admitted wickedness of pagan despots Should she not urge these
arguments on Mr Casaubon when he came again But further reflection told her
that she was presumptuous in demanding his attention to such a subject he would
not disapprove of her occupying herself with it in leisure moments as other
women expected to occupy themselves with their dress and embroidery would not
forbid it when Dorothea felt rather ashamed as she detected herself in these
speculations But her uncle had been invited to go to Lowick to stay a couple of
days was it reasonable to suppose that Mr Casaubon delighted in Mr Brookes
society for its own sake either with or without documents
Meanwhile that little disappointment made her delight the more in Sir James
Chettams readiness to set on foot the desired improvements He came much
oftener than Mr Casaubon and Dorothea ceased to find him disagreeable since he
showed himself so entirely in earnest for he had already entered with much
practical ability into Lovegoods estimates and was charmingly docile She
proposed to build a couple of cottages and transfer two families from their old
cabins which could then be pulled down so that new ones could be built on the
old sites Sir James said »Exactly« and she bore the word remarkably well
Certainly these men who had so few spontaneous ideas might be very useful
members of society under good feminine direction if they were fortunate in
choosing their sistersinlaw It is difficult to say whether there was or was
not a little wilfulness in her continuing blind to the possibility that another
sort of choice was in question in relation to her But her life was just now
full of hope and action she was not only thinking of her plans but getting
down learned books from the library and reading many things hastily that she
might be a little less ignorant in talking to Mr Casaubon all the while being
visited with conscientious questionings whether she were not exalting these poor
doings above measure and contemplating them with that selfsatisfaction which
was the last doom of ignorance and folly
Chapter IV
»1st Gent Our deeds are fetters that we forge ourselves
2d Gent Ay truly but I think it is the world
That brings the iron«
»Sir James seems determined to do everything you wish« said Celia as they were
driving home from an inspection of the new buildingsite
»He is a good creature and more sensible than any one would imagine« said
Dorothea inconsiderately
»You mean that he appears silly«
»No no« said Dorothea recollecting herself and laying her hand on her
sisters a moment »but he does not talk equally well on all subjects«
»I should think none but disagreeable people do« said Celia in her usual
purring way »They must be very dreadful to live with Only think at breakfast
and always«
Dorothea laughed »O Kitty you are a wonderful creature« She pinched
Celias chin being in the mood now to think her very winning and lovely fit
hereafter to be an eternal cherub and if it were not doctrinally wrong to say
so hardly more in need of salvation than a squirrel »Of course people need not
be always talking well Only one tells the quality of their minds when they try
to talk well«
»You mean that Sir James tries and fails«
»I was speaking generally Why do you catechise me about Sir James It is
not the object of his life to please me«
»Now Dodo can you really believe that«
»Certainly He thinks of me as a future sister that is all« Dorothea had
never hinted this before waiting from a certain shyness on such subjects which
was mutual between the sisters until it should be introduced by some decisive
event Celia blushed but said at once
»Pray do not make that mistake any longer Dodo When Tantripp was brushing
my hair the other day she said that Sir Jamess man knew from Mrs
Cadwalladers maid that Sir James was to marry the eldest Miss Brooke«
»How can you let Tantripp talk such gossip to you Celia« said Dorothea
indignantly not the less angry because details asleep in her memory were now
awakened to confirm the unwelcome revelation »You must have asked her
questions It is degrading«
»I see no harm at all in Tantripps talking to me It is better to hear what
people say You see what mistakes you make by taking up notions I am quite sure
that Sir James means to make you an offer and he believes that you will accept
him especially since you have been so pleased with him about the plans And
uncle too I know he expects it Every one can see that Sir James is very much
in love with you«
The revulsion was so strong and painful in Dorotheas mind that the tears
welled up and flowed abundantly All her dear plans were embittered and she
thought with disgust of Sir Jamess conceiving that she recognised him as her
lover There was vexation too on account of Celia
»How could he expect it« she burst forth in her most impetuous manner »I
have never agreed with him about anything but the cottages I was barely polite
to him before«
»But you have been so pleased with him since then he has begun to feel
quite sure that you are fond of him«
»Fond of him Celia How can you choose such odious expressions« said
Dorothea passionately
»Dear me Dorothea I suppose it would be right for you to be fond of a man
whom you accepted for a husband«
»It is offensive to me to say that Sir James could think I was fond of him
Besides it is not the right word for the feeling I must have towards the man I
would accept as a husband«
»Well I am sorry for Sir James I thought it right to tell you because you
went on as you always do never looking just where you are and treading in the
wrong place You always see what nobody else sees it is impossible to satisfy
you yet you never see what is quite plain Thats your way Dodo« Something
certainly gave Celia unusual courage and she was not sparing the sister of whom
she was occasionally in awe Who can tell what just criticisms Murr the Cat may
be passing on us beings of wider speculation
»It is very painful« said Dorothea feeling scourged »I can have no more
to do with the cottages I must be uncivil to him I must tell him I will have
nothing to do with them It is very painful« Her eyes filled again with tears
»Wait a little Think about it You know he is going away for a day or two
to see his sister There will be nobody besides Lovegood« Celia could not help
relenting »Poor Dodo« she went on in an amiable staccato »It is very hard
it is your favourite fad to draw plans«
»Fad to draw plans Do you think I only care about my fellowcreatures
houses in that childish way I may well make mistakes How can one ever do
anything nobly Christian living among people with such petty thoughts«
No more was said Dorothea was too much jarred to recover her temper and
behave so as to show that she admitted any error in herself She was disposed
rather to accuse the intolerable narrowness and the purblind conscience of the
society around her and Celia was no longer the eternal cherub but a thorn in
her spirit a pinkandwhite nullifidian worse than any discouraging presence
in the Pilgrims Progress The fad of drawing plans What was life worth what
great faith was possible when the whole effect of ones actions could be
withered up into such parched rubbish as that When she got out of the carriage
her cheeks were pale and her eyelids red She was an image of sorrow and her
uncle who met her in the hall would have been alarmed if Celia had not been
close to her looking so pretty and composed that he at once concluded
Dorotheas tears to have their origin in her excessive religiousness He had
returned during their absence from a journey to the county town about a
petition for the pardon of some criminal
»Well my dears« he said kindly as they went up to kiss him »I hope
nothing disagreeable has happened while I have been away«
»No uncle« said Celia »we have been to Freshitt to look at the cottages
We thought you would have been at home to lunch«
»I came by Lowick to lunch you didnt know I came by Lowick And I have
brought a couple of pamphlets for you Dorothea in the library you know they
lie on the table in the library«
It seemed as if an electric stream went through Dorothea thrilling her from
despair into expectation They were pamphlets about the early Church The
oppression of Celia Tantripp and Sir James was shaken off and she walked
straight to the library Celia went upstairs Mr Brooke was detained by a
message but when he reentered the library he found Dorothea seated and
already deep in one of the pamphlets which had some marginal manuscript of Mr
Casaubons taking it in as eagerly as she might have taken in the scent of a
fresh bouquet after a dry hot dreary walk
She was getting away from Tipton and Freshitt and her own sad liability to
tread in the wrong places on her way to the New Jerusalem
Mr Brooke sat down in his armchair stretched his legs towards the
woodfire which had fallen into a wondrous mass of glowing dice between the
dogs and rubbed his hands gently looking very mildly towards Dorothea but
with a neutral leisurely air as if he had nothing particular to say Dorothea
closed her pamphlet as soon as she was aware of her uncles presence and rose
as if to go Usually she would have been interested about her uncles merciful
errand on behalf of the criminal but her late agitation had made her
absentminded
»I came back by Lowick you know« said Mr Brooke not as if with any
intention to arrest her departure but apparently from his usual tendency to say
what he had said before This fundamental principle of human speech was markedly
exhibited in Mr Brooke »I lunched there and saw Casaubons library and that
kind of thing Theres a sharp air driving Wont you sit down my dear You
look cold«
Dorothea felt quite inclined to accept the invitation Sometimes when her
uncles easy way of taking things did not happen to be exasperating it was
rather soothing She threw off her mantle and bonnet and sat down opposite to
him enjoying the glow but lifting up her beautiful hands for a screen They
were not thin hands or small hands but powerful feminine maternal hands She
seemed to be holding them up in propitiation for her passionate desire to know
and to think which in the unfriendly mediums of Tipton and Freshitt had issued
in crying and red eyelids
She bethought herself now of the condemned criminal »What news have you
brought about the sheepstealer uncle«
»What poor Bunch well it seems we cant get him off he is to be
hanged«
Dorotheas brow took an expression of reprobation and pity
»Hanged you know« said Mr Brooke with a quiet nod »Poor Romilly he
would have helped us I knew Romilly Casaubon didnt know Romilly He is a
little buried in books you know Casaubon is«
»When a man has great studies and is writing a great work he must of course
give up seeing much of the world How can he go about making acquaintances«
»Thats true But a man mopes you know I have always been a bachelor too
but I have that sort of disposition that I never moped it was my way to go
about everywhere and take in everything I never moped but I can see that
Casaubon does you know He wants a companion a companion yon know«
»It would be a great honour to any one to be his companion« said Dorothea
energetically
»You like him eh« said Mr Brooke without showing any surprise or other
emotion »Well now Ive known Casaubon ten years ever since he came to
Lowick But I never got anything out of him any ideas you know However he
is a tiptop man and may be a bishop that kind of thing you know if Peel
stays in And he has a very high opinion of you my dear«
Dorothea could not speak
»The fact is he has a very high opinion indeed of you And he speaks
uncommonly well does Casaubon He has deferred to me you not being of age In
short I have promised to speak to you though I told him I thought there was
not much chance I was bound to tell him that I said my niece is very young
and that kind of thing But I didnt think it necessary to go into everything
However the long and the short of it is that he has asked my permission to
make you an offer of marriage of marriage you know« said Mr Brooke with
his explanatory nod »I thought it better to tell you my dear«
No one could have detected any anxiety in Mr Brookes manner but he did
really wish to know something of his nieces mind that if there were any need
for advice he might give it in time What feeling he as a magistrate who had
taken in so many ideas could make room for was unmixedly kind Since Dorothea
did not speak immediately he repeated »I thought it better to tell you my
dear«
»Thank you uncle« said Dorothea in a clear unwavering tone »I am very
grateful to Mr Casaubon If he makes me an offer I shall accept him I admire
and honour him more than any man I ever saw«
Mr Brooke paused a little and then said in a lingering low tone »Ah
Well He is a good match in some respects But now Chettam is a good match And
our land lies together I shall never interfere against your wishes my dear
People should have their own way in marriage and that sort of thing up to a
certain point you know I have always said that up to a certain point I wish
you to marry well and I have good reason to believe that Chettam wishes to
marry you I mention it you know«
»It is impossible that I should ever marry Sir James Chettam« said
Dorothea »If he thinks of marrying me he has made a great mistake«
»That is it you see One never knows I should have thought Chettam was
just the sort of man a woman would like now«
»Pray do not mention him in that light again uncle« said Dorothea feeling
some of her late irritation revive
Mr Brooke wondered and felt that women were an inexhaustible subject of
study since even he at his age was not in a perfect state of scientific
prediction about them Here was a fellow like Chettam with no chance at all
»Well but Casaubon now There is no hurry I mean for you Its true
every year will tell upon him He is over fiveandforty you know I should say
a good sevenandtwenty years older than you To be sure if you like learning
and standing and that sort of thing we cant have everything And his income
is good he has a handsome property independent of the Church his income is
good Still he is not young and I must not conceal from you my dear that I
think his health is not overstrong I know nothing else against him«
»I should not wish to have a husband very near my own age« said Dorothea
with grave decision »I should wish to have a husband who was above me in
judgment and in all knowledge«
Mr Brooke repeated his subdued »Ah I thought you had more of your own
opinion than most girls I thought you liked your own opinion liked it you
know«
»I cannot imagine myself living without some opinions but I should wish to
have good reasons for them and a wise man could help me to see which opinions
had the best foundation and would help me to live according to them«
»Very true You couldnt put the thing better couldnt put it better
beforehand you know But there are oddities in things« continued Mr Brooke
whose conscience was really roused to do the best he could for his niece on this
occasion »Life isnt cast in a mould not cut out by rule and line and that
sort of thing I never married myself and it will be the better for you and
yours The fact is I never loved any one well enough to put myself into a noose
for them It is a noose you know Temper now There is temper And a husband
likes to be master«
»I know that I must expect trials uncle Marriage is a state of higher
duties I never thought of it as mere personal ease« said poor Dorothea
»Well you are not fond of show a great establishment balls dinners that
kind of thing I can see that Casaubons ways might suit you better than
Chettams And you shall do as you like my dear I would not hinder Casaubon I
said so at once for there is no knowing how anything may turn out You have not
the same tastes as every young lady and a clergyman and scholar who may be a
bishop that kind of thing may suit you better than Chettam Chettam is a
good fellow a good soundhearted fellow you know but he doesnt go much into
ideas I did when I was his age But Casaubons eyes now I think he has hurt
them a little with too much reading«
»I should be all the happier uncle the more room there was for me to help
him« said Dorothea ardently
»You have quite made up your mind I see Well my dear the fact is I have
a letter for you in my pocket« Mr Brooke handed the letter to Dorothea but as
she rose to go away he added »There is not too much hurry my dear Think
about it you know«
When Dorothea had left him he reflected that he had certainly spoken
strongly he had put the risks of marriage before her in a striking manner It
was his duty to do so But as to pretending to be wise for young people no
uncle however much he had travelled in his youth absorbed the new ideas, and
dined with celebrities now deceased could pretend to judge what sort of
marriage would turn out well for a young girl who preferred Casaubon to Chettam
In short woman was a problem which since Mr Brookes mind felt blank before
it could be hardly less complicated than the revolutions of an irregular solid
Chapter V
»Hard students are commonly troubled with gowts catarrhs rheums
cachexia bradypepsia bad eyes stone and collick crudities
oppilations vertigo winds consumptions and all such diseases as
come by overmuch sitting they are most part lean dry
illcoloured and all through immoderate pains and extraordinary
studies If you will not believe the truth of this look upon great
Tostatus and Thomas Aquainas works and tell me whether those men
took pains«
Burtons Anatomy of Melancholy PIs 2
This was Mr Casaubons letter
My dear Miss Brooke I have your guardians permission to address you
on a subject than which I have none more at heart I am not I trust
mistaken in the recognition of some deeper correspondence than that of
date in the fact that a consciousness of need in my own life had arisen
contemporaneously with the possibility of my becoming acquainted with
you For in the first hour of meeting you I had an impression of your
eminent and perhaps exclusive fitness to supply that need connected I
may say with such activity of the affections as even the preoccupations
of a work too special to be abdicated could not uninterruptedly
dissimulate and each succeeding opportunity for observation has given
the impression an added depth by convincing me more emphatically of that
fitness which I had preconceived and thus evoking more decisively those
affections to which I have but now referred Our conversations have I
think made sufficiently clear to you the tenor of my life and purposes
a tenor unsuited I am aware to the commoner order of minds But I have
discerned in you an elevation of thought and a capability of
devotedness which I had hitherto not conceived to be compatible either
with the early bloom of youth or with those graces of sex that may be
said at once to win and to confer distinction when combined as they
notably are in you with the mental qualities above indicated It was I
confess beyond my hope to meet with this rare combination of elements
both solid and attractive adapted to supply aid in graver labours and
to cast a charm over vacant hours and but for the event of my
introduction to you which let me again say I trust not to be
superficially coincident with foreshadowing needs but providentially
related thereto as stages towards the completion of a lifes plan I
should presumably have gone on to the last without any attempt to
lighten my solitariness by a matrimonial union
Such my dear Miss Brooke is the accurate statement of my feelings
and I rely on your kind indulgence in venturing now to ask you how far
your own are of a nature to confirm my happy presentiment To be
accepted by you as your husband and the earthly guardian of your
welfare I should regard as the highest of providential gifts In return
I can at least offer you an affection hitherto unwasted and the
faithful consecration of a life which however short in the sequel has
no backward pages whereon if you choose to turn them you will find
records such as might justly cause you either bitterness or shame I
await the expression of your sentiments with an anxiety which it would
be the part of wisdom were it possible to divert by a more arduous
labour than usual But in this order of experience I am still young and
in looking forward to an unfavourable possibility I cannot but feel that
resignation to solitude will be more difficult after the temporary
illumination of hope In any case I shall remain yours with sincere
devotion
EDWARD CASAUBON
Dorothea trembled while she read this letter then she fell on her knees buried
her face and sobbed She could not pray under the rush of solemn emotion in
which thoughts became vague and images floated uncertainly she could but cast
herself with a childlike sense of reclining in the lap of a divine
consciousness which sustained her own She remained in that attitude till it was
time to dress for dinner
How could it occur to her to examine the letter to look at it critically as
a profession of love Her whole soul was possessed by the fact that a fuller
life was opening before her she was a neophyte about to enter on a higher grade
of initiation She was going to have room for the energies which stirred
uneasily under the dimness and pressure of her own ignorance and the petty
peremptoriness of the worlds habits
Now she would be able to devote herself to large yet definite duties now
she would be allowed to live continually in the light of a mind that she could
reverence This hope was not unmixed with the glow of proud delight the joyous
maiden surprise that she was chosen by the man whom her admiration had chosen
All Dorotheas passion was transfused through a mind struggling towards an ideal
life the radiance of her transfigured girlhood fell on the first object that
came within its level The impetus with which inclination became resolution was
heightened by those little events of the day which had roused her discontent
with the actual conditions of her life
After dinner when Celia was playing an »air with variations« a small kind
of tinkling which symbolised the æsthetic part of the young ladies education
Dorothea went up to her room to answer Mr Casaubons letter Why should she
defer the answer She wrote it over three times not because she wished to
change the wording but because her hand was unusually uncertain and she could
not bear that Mr Casaubon should think her handwriting bad and illegible She
piqued herself on writing a hand in which each letter was distinguishable
without any large range of conjecture and she meant to make much use of this
accomplishment to save Mr Casaubons eyes Three times she wrote
My dear Mr Casaubon I am very grateful to you for loving me and
thinking me worthy to be your wife I can look forward to no better
happiness than that which would be one with yours If I said more it
would only be the same thing written out at greater length for I cannot
now dwell on any other thought than that I may be through life yours
devotedly
DOROTHEA BROOKE
Later in the evening she followed her uncle into the library to give him the
letter that he might send it in the morning He was surprised but his surprise
only issued in a few moments silence during which he pushed about various
objects on his writingtable and finally stood with his back to the fire his
glasses on his nose looking at the address of Dorotheas letter
»Have you thought enough about this my dear« he said at last
»There was no need to think long uncle I know of nothing to make me
vacillate If I changed my mind it must be because of something important and
entirely new to me«
»Ah then you have accepted him Then Chettam has no chance Has Chettam
offended you offended you you know What is it you dont like in Chettam«
»There is nothing that I like in him« said Dorothea rather impetuously
Mr Brooke threw his head and shoulders backward as if some one had thrown a
light missile at him Dorothea immediately felt some selfrebuke and said
»I mean in the light of a husband He is very kind I think really very
good about the cottages A wellmeaning man«
»But you must have a scholar and that sort of thing Well it lies a little
in our family I had it myself that love of knowledge, and going into
everything a little too much it took me too far though that sort of thing
doesnt often run in the female line or it runs underground like the rivers in
Greece you know it comes out in the sons Clever sons clever mothers I went
a good deal into that at one time However my dear I have always said that
people should do as they like in these things up to a certain point I
couldnt as your guardian have consented to a bad match But Casaubon stands
well his position is good I am afraid Chettam will be hurt though and Mrs
Cadwallader will blame me«
That evening of course Celia knew nothing of what had happened She
attributed Dorotheas abstracted manner and the evidence of further crying
since they had got home to the temper she had been in about Sir James Chettam
and the buildings and was careful not to give further offence having once said
what she wanted to say Celia had no disposition to recur to disagreeable
subjects It had been her nature when a child never to quarrel with any one
only to observe with wonder that they quarrelled with her and looked like
turkeycocks whereupon she was ready to play at cats cradle with them whenever
they recovered themselves And as to Dorothea it had always been her way to
find something wrong in her sisters words though Celia inwardly protested that
she always said just how things were and nothing else she never did and never
could put words together out of her own head But the best of Dodo was that she
did not keep angry for long together Now though they had hardly spoken to each
other all the evening yet when Celia put by her work intending to go to bed a
proceeding in which she was always much the earlier Dorothea who was seated on
a low stool unable to occupy herself except in meditation said with the
musical intonation which in moments of deep but quiet feeling made her speech
like a fine bit of recitative
»Celia dear come and kiss me« holding her arms open as she spoke
Celia knelt down to get the right level and gave her little butterfly kiss
while Dorothea encircled her with gentle arms and pressed her lips gravely on
each cheek in turn
»Dont sit up Dodo you are so pale tonight go to bed soon« said Celia
in a comfortable way without any touch of pathos
»No dear I am very very happy« said Dorothea fervently
»So much the better« thought Celia »But how strangely Dodo goes from one
extreme to the other«
The next day at luncheon the butler handing something to Mr Brooke
said »Jonas is come back sir and has brought this letter«
Mr Brooke read the letter and then nodding toward Dorothea said
»Casaubon my dear he will be here to dinner he didnt wait to write more
didnt wait you know«
It could not seem remarkable to Celia that a dinner guest should be
announced to her sister beforehand but her eyes following the same direction
as her uncles she was struck with the peculiar effect of the announcement on
Dorothea It seemed as if something like the reflection of a white sunlit wing
had passed across her features ending in one of her rare blushes For the first
time it entered into Celias mind that there might be something more between Mr
Casaubon and her sister than his delight in bookish talk and her delight in
listening Hitherto she had classed the admiration for this »ugly« and learned
acquaintance with the admiration for Monsieur Liret at Lausanne also ugly and
learned Dorothea had never been tired of listening to old Monsieur Liret when
Celias feet were as cold as possible and when it had really become dreadful to
see the skin of his bald head moving about Why then should her enthusiasm not
extend to Mr Casaubon simply in the same way as to Monsieur Liret And it
seemed probable that all learned men had a sort of schoolmasters view of young
people
But now Celia was really startled at the suspicion which had darted into her
mind She was seldom taken by surprise in this way her marvellous quickness in
observing a certain order of signs generally preparing her to expect such
outward events as she had an interest in Not that she now imagined Mr Casaubon
to be already an accepted lover she had only begun to feel disgust at the
possibility that anything in Dorotheas mind could tend towards such an issue
Here was something really to vex her about Dodo it was all very well not to
accept Sir James Chettam but the idea of marrying Mr Casaubon Celia felt a
sort of shame mingled with a sense of the ludicrous But perhaps Dodo if she
were really bordering on such an extravagance might be turned away from it
experience had often shown that her impressibility might be calculated on The
day was damp and they were not going to walk out so they both went up to their
sittingroom and there Celia observed that Dorothea instead of settling down
with her usual diligent interest to some occupation simply leaned her elbow on
an open book and looked out of the window at the great cedar silvered with the
damp She herself had taken up the making of a toy for the curates children
and was not going to enter on any subject too precipitately
Dorothea was in fact thinking that it was desirable for Celia to know of the
momentous change in Mr Casaubons position since he had last been in the house
it did not seem fair to leave her in ignorance of what would necessarily affect
her attitude towards him but it was impossible not to shrink from telling her
Dorothea accused herself of some meanness in this timidity it was always odious
to her to have any small fears or contrivances about her actions but at this
moment she was seeking the highest aid possible that she might not dread the
corrosiveness of Celias pretty carnallyminded prose Her reverie was broken
and the difficulty of decision banished by Celias small and rather guttural
voice speaking in its usual tone of a remark aside or a »by the by«
»Is any one else coming to dine besides Mr Casaubon«
»Not that I know of«
»I hope there is some one else Then I shall not hear him eat his soup so«
»What is there remarkable about his soupeating«
»Really Dodo cant you hear how he scrapes his spoon And he always blinks
before he speaks I dont know whether Locke blinked but Im sure I am sorry
for those who sat opposite to him if he did«
»Celia« said Dorothea with emphatic gravity »pray dont make any more
observations of that kind«
»Why not They are quite true« returned Celia who had her reasons for
persevering though she was beginning to be a little afraid
»Many things are true which only the commonest minds observe«
»Then I think the commonest minds must be rather useful I think it is a
pity Mr Casaubons mother had not a commoner mind she might have taught him
better« Celia was inwardly frightened and ready to run away now she had
hurled this light javelin
Dorotheas feelings had gathered to an avalanche and there could be no
further preparation
»It is right to tell you Celia that I am engaged to marry Mr Casaubon«
Perhaps Celia had never turned so pale before The paper man she was making
would have had his leg injured but for her habitual care of whatever she held
in her hands She laid the fragile figure down at once and sat perfectly still
for a few moments When she spoke there was a tear gathering
»O Dodo I hope you will be happy« Her sisterly tenderness could not but
surmount other feelings at this moment and her fears were the fears of
affection
Dorothea was still hurt and agitated
»It is quite decided then« said Celia in an awed undertone »And uncle
knows«
»I have accepted Mr Casaubons offer My uncle brought me the letter that
contained it he knew about it beforehand«
»I beg your pardon if I have said anything to hurt you Dodo« said Celia
with a slight sob She never could have thought that she should feel as she did
There was something funereal in the whole affair and Mr Casaubon seemed to be
the officiating clergyman about whom it would be indecent to make remarks
»Never mind Kitty do not grieve We should never admire the same people I
often offend in something of the same way I am apt to speak too strongly of
those who dont please me«
In spite of this magnanimity Dorothea was still smarting perhaps as much
from Celias subdued astonishment as from her small criticisms Of course all
the world round Tipton would be out of sympathy with this marriage Dorothea
knew of no one who thought as she did about life and its best objects
Nevertheless before the evening was at an end she was very happy In an
hours têteàtête with Mr Casaubon she talked to him with more freedom than
she had ever felt before even pouring out her joy at the thought of devoting
herself to him and of learning how she might best share and further all his
great ends Mr Casaubon was touched with an unknown delight what man would not
have been at this childlike unrestrained ardour he was not surprised what
lover would have been that he should be the object of it
»My dear young lady Miss Brooke Dorothea« he said pressing her hand
between his hands »this is a happiness greater than I had ever imagined to be
in reserve for me That I should ever meet with a mind and person so rich in the
mingled graces which could render marriage desirable was far indeed from my
conception You have all nay more than all those qualities which I have
ever regarded as the characteristic excellences of womanhood The great charm of
your sex is its capability of an ardent selfsacrificing affection and herein
we see its fitness to round and complete the existence of our own Hitherto I
have known few pleasures save of the severer kind my satisfactions have been
those of the solitary student I have been little disposed to gather flowers
that would wither in my hand but now I shall pluck them with eagerness to
place them in your bosom«
No speech could have been more thoroughly honest in its intention the
frigid rhetoric at the end was as sincere as the bark of a dog or the cawing of
an amorous rook Would it not be rash to conclude that there was no passion
behind those sonnets to Delia which strike us as the thin music of a mandolin
Dorotheas faith supplied all that Mr Casaubons words seemed to leave
unsaid what believer sees a disturbing omission or infelicity The text
whether of prophet or of poet expands for whatever we can put into it and even
his bad grammar is sublime
»I am very ignorant you will quite wonder at my ignorance« said Dorothea
»I have so many thoughts that may be quite mistaken and now I shall be able to
tell them all to you and ask you about them But« she added with rapid
imagination of Mr Casaubons probable feeling »I will not trouble you too
much only when you are inclined to listen to me You must often be weary with
the pursuit of subjects in your own track I shall gain enough if you will take
me with you there«
»How should I be able now to persevere in any path without your
companionship« said Mr Casaubon kissing her candid brow and feeling that
heaven had vouchsafed him a blessing in every way suited to his peculiar wants
He was being unconsciously wrought upon by the charms of a nature which was
entirely without hidden calculations either for immediate effects or for remoter
ends It was this which made Dorothea so childlike and according to some
judges so stupid with all her reputed cleverness as for example, in the
present case of throwing herself metaphorically speaking at Mr Casaubons
feet and kissing his unfashionable shoeties as if he were a Protestant Pope
She was not in the least teaching Mr Casaubon to ask if he were good enough for
her but merely asking herself anxiously how she could be good enough for Mr
Casaubon Before he left the next day it had been decided that the marriage
should take place within six weeks Why not Mr Casaubons house was ready It
was not a parsonage but a considerable mansion with much land attached to it
The parsonage was inhabited by the curate who did all the duty except preaching
the morning sermon
Chapter VI
»My ladys tongue is like the meadow blades
That cut you stroking them with idle hand
Nice cutting is her function she divides
With spiritual edge the milletseed
And makes intangible savings«
As Mr Casaubons carriage was passing out of the gateway it arrested the
entrance of a pony phaeton driven by a lady with a servant seated behind It was
doubtful whether the recognition had been mutual for Mr Casaubon was looking
absently before him but the lady was quickeyed and threw a nod and a »how do
you do« in the nick of time In spite of her shabby bonnet and very old Indian
shawl it was plain that the lodgekeeper regarded her as an important
personage from the low curtsy which was dropped on the entrance of the small
phaeton
»Well Mrs Fitchett how are your fowls laying now« said the
highcoloured darkeyed lady with the clearest chiselled utterance
»Pretty well for laying madam but theyve taen to eating their eggs Ive
no peace o mind with em at all«
»O the cannibals Better sell them cheap at once What will you sell them a
couple One cant eat fowls of a bad character at a high price«
»Well madam halfacrown I couldnt let em go not under«
»Halfacrown these times Come now for the Rectors chickenbroth on a
Sunday He has consumed all ours that I can spare You are half paid with the
sermon Mrs Fitchett remember that Take a pair of tumblerpigeons for them
little beauties You must come and see them You have no tumblers among your
pigeons«
»Well madam Master Fitchett shall go and see em after work Hes very hot
on new sorts to oblige you«
»Oblige me It will be the best bargain he ever made A pair of church
pigeons for a couple of wicked Spanish fowls that eat their own eggs Dont you
and Fitchett boast too much that is all«
The phaeton was driven onwards with the last words leaving Mrs Fitchett
laughing and shaking her head slowly with an interjectional »Surely surely«
from which it might be inferred that she would have found the countryside
somewhat duller if the Rectors lady had been less freespoken and less of a
skinflint Indeed both the farmers and labourers in the parishes of Freshitt
and Tipton would have felt a sad lack of conversation but for the stories about
what Mrs Cadwallader said and did a lady of immeasurably high birth
descended as it were from unknown earls dim as the crowd of heroic shades
who pleaded poverty pared down prices and cut jokes in the most companionable
manner though with a turn of tongue that let you know who she was Such a lady
gave a neighbourliness to both rank and religion and mitigated the bitterness
of uncommuted tithe A much more exemplary character with an infusion of sour
dignity would not have furthered their comprehension of the Thirtynine
Articles and would have been less socially uniting
Mr Brooke seeing Mrs Cadwalladers merits from a different point of view
winced a little when her name was announced in the library where he was sitting
alone
»I see you have had our Lowick Cicero here« she said seating herself
comfortably throwing back her wraps and showing a thin but wellbuilt figure
»I suspect you and he are brewing some bad politics else you would not be
seeing so much of the lively man I shall inform against you remember you are
both suspicious characters since you took Peels side about the Catholic Bill I
shall tell everybody that you are going to put up for Middlemarch on the Whig
side when old Pinkerton resigns and that Casaubon is going to help you in an
underhand manner going to bribe the voters with pamphlets and throw open the
publichouses to distribute them Come confess«
»Nothing of the sort« said Mr Brooke smiling and rubbing his eyeglasses
but really blushing a little at the impeachment »Casaubon and I dont talk
politics much He doesnt care much about the philanthropic side of things
punishments and that kind of thing He only cares about Church questions That
is not my line of action you know«
»Raather too much my friend I have heard of your doings Who was it that
sold his bit of land to the Papists at Middlemarch I believe you bought it on
purpose You are a perfect Guy Faux See if you are not burnt in effigy this 5th
of November coming Humphrey would not come to quarrel with you about it so I
am come«
»Very good I was prepared to be persecuted for not persecuting not
persecuting you know«
»There you go That is a piece of claptrap you have got ready for the
hustings Now do not let them lure you to the hustings my dear Mr Brooke A
man always makes a fool of himself speechifying theres no excuse but being on
the right side so that you can ask a blessing on your humming and hawing You
will lose yourself I forewarn you You will make a Saturday pie of all parties
opinions and be pelted by everybody«
»That is what I expect you know« said Mr Brooke not wishing to betray
how little he enjoyed this prophetic sketch »what I expect as an independent
man As to the Whigs a man who goes with the thinkers is not likely to be
hooked on by any party He may go with them up to a certain point up to a
certain point you know But that is what you ladies never understand«
»Where your certain point is No I should like to be told how a man can
have any certain point when he belongs to no party leading a roving life and
never letting his friends know his address Nobody knows where Brooke will be
theres no counting on Brooke that is what people say of you to be quite
frank Now do turn respectable How will you like going to Sessions with
everybody looking shy on you and you with a bad conscience and an empty
pocket«
»I dont pretend to argue with a lady on politics« said Mr Brooke with an
air of smiling indifference but feeling rather unpleasantly conscious that this
attack of Mrs Cadwalladers had opened the defensive campaign to which certain
rash steps had exposed him »Your sex are not thinkers you know varium et
mutabile semper that kind of thing You dont know Virgil I knew« Mr
Brooke reflected in time that he had not had the personal acquaintance of the
Augustan poet »I was going to say poor Stoddart you know That was what he
said You ladies are always against an independent attitude a mans caring for
nothing but truth and that sort of thing And there is no part of the county
where opinion is narrower than it is here I dont mean to throw stones you
know but somebody is wanted to take the independent line and if I dont take
it who will«
»Who Why any upstart who has got neither blood nor position People of
standing should consume their independent nonsense at home not hawk it about
And you who are going to marry your niece as good as your daughter to one of
our best men Sir James would be cruelly annoyed it will be too hard on him if
you turn round now and make yourself a Whig signboard«
Mr Brooke again winced inwardly for Dorotheas engagement had no sooner
been decided than he had thought of Mrs Cadwalladers prospective taunts It
might have been easy for ignorant observers to say »Quarrel with Mrs
Cadwallader« but where is a country gentleman to go who quarrels with his
oldest neighbours Who could taste the fine flavour in the name of Brooke if it
were delivered casually like wine without a seal Certainly a man can only be
cosmopolitan up to a certain point
»I hope Chettam and I shall always be good friends but I am sorry to say
there is no prospect of his marrying my niece« said Mr Brooke much relieved
to see through the window that Celia was coming in
»Why not« said Mrs Cadwallader with a sharp note of surprise »It is
hardly a fortnight since you and I were talking about it«
»My niece has chosen another suitor has chosen him you know I have had
nothing to do with it I should have preferred Chettam and I should have said
Chettam was the man any girl would have chosen But there is no accounting for
these things Your sex is capricious you know«
»Why whom do you mean to say that you are going to let her marry« Mrs
Cadwalladers mind was rapidly surveying the possibilities of choice for
Dorothea
But here Celia entered blooming from a walk in the garden and the greeting
with her delivered Mr Brooke from the necessity of answering immediately He
got up hastily and saying »By the way I must speak to Wright about the
horses« shuffled quickly out of the room
»My dear child what is this this about your sisters engagement« said
Mrs Cadwallader
»She is engaged to marry Mr Casaubon« said Cecilia resorting as usual
to the simplest statement of fact, and enjoying this opportunity of speaking to
the Rectors wife alone
»This is frightful How long has it been going on«
»I only knew of it yesterday They are to be married in six weeks«
»Well my dear I wish you joy of your brotherinlaw«
»I am so sorry for Dorothea«
»Sorry It is her doing I suppose«
»Yes she says Mr Casaubon has a great soul«
»With all my heart«
»O Mrs Cadwallader I dont think it can be nice to marry a man with a
great soul«
»Well my dear take warning You know the look of one now when the next
comes and wants to marry you dont you accept him«
»Im sure I never should«
»No one such in a family is enough So your sister never cared about Sir
James Chettam What would you have said to him for a brotherinlaw«
»I should have liked that very much I am sure he would have been a good
husband Only« Celia added with a slight blush she sometimes seemed to blush
as she breathed »I dont think he would have suited Dorothea«
»Not highflown enough«
»Dodo is very strict She thinks so much about everything and is so
particular about what one says Sir James never seemed to please her«
»She must have encouraged him I am sure That is not very creditable«
»Please dont be angry with Dodo she does not see things She thought so
much about the cottages and she was rude to Sir James sometimes but he is so
kind he never noticed it«
»Well« said Mrs Cadwallader putting on her shawl and rising as if in
haste »I must go straight to Sir James and break this to him He will have
brought his mother back by this time and I must call Your uncle will never
tell him We are all disappointed my dear Young people should think of their
families in marrying I set a bad example married a poor clergyman and made
myself a pitiable object among the De Bracys obliged to get my coals by
stratagem and pray to heaven for my salad oil However Casaubon has money
enough I must do him that justice As to his blood I suppose the family
quarterings are three cuttlefish sable and a commentator rampant By the by
before I go my dear I must speak to your Mrs Carter about pastry I want to
send my young cook to learn of her Poor people with four children like us you
know cant afford to keep a good cook I have no doubt Mrs Carter will oblige
me Sir Jamess cook is a perfect dragon«
In less than an hour Mrs Cadwallader had circumvented Mrs Carter and
driven to Freshitt Hall which was not far from her own parsonage her husband
being resident in Freshitt and keeping a curate in Tipton
Sir James Chettam had returned from the short journey which had kept him
absent for a couple of days and had changed his dress intending to ride over
to Tipton Grange His horse was standing at the door when Mrs Cadwallader drove
up and he immediately appeared there himself whip in hand Lady Chettam had
not yet returned but Mrs Cadwalladers errand could not be despatched in the
presence of grooms so she asked to be taken into the conservatory close by to
look at the new plants and on coming to a contemplative stand she said
»I have a great shock for you I hope you are not so far gone in love as you
pretended to be«
It was of no use protesting against Mrs Cadwalladers way of putting
things But Sir Jamess countenance changed a little He felt a vague alarm
»I do believe Brooke is going to expose himself after all I accused him of
meaning to stand for Middlemarch on the Liberal side and he looked silly and
never denied it talked about the independent line and the usual nonsense«
»Is that all« said Sir James much relieved
»Why« rejoined Mrs Cadwallader with a sharper note »you dont mean to
say that you would like him to turn public man in that way making a sort of
political Cheap Jack of himself«
»He might be dissuaded I should think He would not like the expense«
»That is what I told him He is vulnerable to reason there always a few
grains of commonsense in an ounce of miserliness Miserliness is a capital
quality to run in families its the safe side for madness to dip on And there
must be a little crack in the Brooke family else we should not see what we are
to see«
»What Brooke standing for Middlemarch«
»Worse than that I really feel a little responsible I always told you Miss
Brooke would be such a fine match I knew there was a great deal of nonsense in
her a flighty sort of Methodistical stuff But these things wear out of girls
However I am taken by surprise for once«
»What do you mean Mrs Cadwallader« said Sir James His fear lest Miss
Brooke should have run away to join the Moravian Brethren or some preposterous
sect unknown to good society was a little allayed by the knowledge that Mrs
Cadwallader always made the worst of things »What has happened to Miss Brooke
Pray speak out«
»Very well She is engaged to be married« Mrs Cadwallader paused a few
moments observing the deeplyhurt expression in her friends face which he was
trying to conceal by a nervous smile while he whipped his boot but she soon
added »Engaged to Casaubon«
Sir James let his whip fall and stooped to pick it up Perhaps his face had
never before gathered so much concentrated disgust as when he turned to Mrs
Cadwallader and repeated »Casaubon«
»Even so You know my errand now«
»Good God It is horrible He is no better than a mummy« The point of view
has to be allowed for as that of a blooming and disappointed rival
»She says he is a great soul A great bladder for dried peas to rattle
in« said Mrs Cadwallader
»What business has an old bachelor like that to marry« said Sir James »He
has one foot in the grave«
»He means to draw it out again I suppose«
»Brooke ought not to allow it he should insist on its being put off till
she is of age She would think better of it then What is a guardian for«
»As if you could ever squeeze a resolution out of Brooke«
»Cadwallader might talk to him«
»Not he Humphrey finds everybody charming I never can get him to abuse
Casaubon He wilt even speak well of the bishop though I tell him it is
unnatural in a beneficed clergyman what can one do with a husband who attends
so little to the decencies I hide it as well as I can by abusing everybody
myself Come come cheer up you are well rid of Miss Brooke a girl who would
have been requiring you to see the stars by daylight Between ourselves little
Celia is worth two of her and likely after all to be the better match For this
marriage to Casaubon is as good as going to a nunnery«
»Oh on my own account it is for Miss Brookes sake I think her friends
should try to use their influence«
»Well Humphrey doesnt know yet But when I tell him you may depend on it
he will say Why not Casaubon is a good fellow and young young enough
These charitable people never know vinegar from wine till they have swallowed it
and got the colic However if I were a man I should prefer Celia especially
when Dorothea was gone The truth is you have been courting one and have won
the other I can see that she admires you almost as much as a man expects to be
admired If it were any one but me who said so you might think it exaggeration
Goodbye«
Sir James handed Mrs Cadwallader to the phaeton and then jumped on his
horse He was not going to renounce his ride because of his friends unpleasant
news only to ride the faster in some other direction than that of Tipton
Grange
Now why on earth should Mrs Cadwallader have been at all busy about Miss
Brookes marriage and why when one match that she liked to think she had a
hand in was frustrated should she have straightway contrived the preliminaries
of another Was there any ingenious plot any hideandseek course of action
which might be detected by a careful telescopic watch Not at all a telescope
might have swept the parishes of Tipton and Freshitt the whole area visited by
Mrs Cadwallader in her phaeton without witnessing any interview that could
excite suspicion or any scene from which she did not return with the same
unperturbed keenness of eye and the same high natural colour In fact if that
convenient vehicle had existed in the days of the Seven Sages one of them would
doubtless have remarked that you can know little of women by following them
about in their pony phaetons Even with a microscope directed on a waterdrop we
find ourselves making interpretations which turn out to be rather coarse for
whereas under a weak lens you may seem to see a creature exhibiting an active
voracity into which other smaller creatures actively play as if they were so
many animated taxpennies a stronger lens reveals to you certain tiniest
hairlets which make vortices for these victims while the swallower waits
passively at his receipt of custom In this way metaphorically speaking a
strong lens applied to Mrs Cadwalladers matchmaking will show a play of
minute causes producing what may be called thought and speech vortices to bring
her the sort of food she needed
Her life was rurally simple quite free from secrets either foul dangerous
or otherwise important and not consciously affected by the great affairs of the
world All the more did the affairs of the great world interest her when
communicated in the letters of highborn relations the way in which fascinating
younger sons had gone to the dogs by marrying their mistresses the fine
oldblooded idiocy of young Lord Tapir and the furious gouty humours of old
Lord Megatherium the exact crossing of genealogies which had brought a coronet
into a new branch and widened the relations of scandal these were topics of
which she retained details with the utmost accuracy and reproduced them in an
excellent pickle of epigrams which she herself enjoyed the more because she
believed as unquestioningly in birth and nobirth as she did in game and vermin
She would never have disowned any one on the ground of poverty a De Bracy
reduced to take his dinner in a basin would have seemed to her an example of
pathos worth exaggerating and I fear his aristocratic vices would not have
horrified her But her feeling towards the vulgar rich was a sort of religious
hatred they had probably made all their money out of high retail prices and
Mrs Cadwallader detested high prices for everything that was not paid in kind
at the Rectory such people were no part of Gods design in making the world
and their accent was an affliction to the ears A town where such monsters
abounded was hardly more than a sort of low comedy which could not be taken
account of in a wellbred scheme of the universe Let any lady who is inclined
to be hard on Mrs Cadwallader inquire into the comprehensiveness of her own
beautiful views and be quite sure that they afford accommodation for all the
lives which have the honour to coexist with hers
With such a mind active as phosphorus biting everything that came near
into the form that suited it how could Mrs Cadwallader feel that the Miss
Brookes and their matrimonial prospects were alien to her especially as it had
been the habit of years for her to scold Mr Brooke with the friendliest
frankness and let him know in confidence that she thought him a poor creature
From the first arrival of the young ladies in Tipton she had prearranged
Dorotheas marriage with Sir James and if it had taken place would have been
quite sure that it was her doing that it should not take place after she had
preconceived it caused her an irritation which every thinker will sympathise
with She was the diplomatist of Tipton and Freshitt and for anything to happen
in spite of her was an offensive irregularity As to freaks like this of Miss
Brookes Mrs Cadwallader had no patience with them and now saw that her
opinion of this girl had been infected with some of her husbands weak
charitableness those Methodistical whims that air of being more religious than
the rector and curate together came from a deeper and more constitutional
disease than she had been willing to believe
»However« said Mrs Cadwallader first to herself and afterwards to her
husband »I throw her over there was a chance if she had married Sir James of
her becoming a sane sensible woman He would never have contradicted her and
when a woman is not contradicted she has no motive for obstinacy in her
absurdities But now I wish her joy of her hair shirt«
It followed that Mrs Cadwallader must decide on another match for Sir
James and having made up her mind that it was to be the younger Miss Brooke
there could not have been a more skilful move toward the success of her plan
than her hint to the baronet that he had made an impression on Celias heart
For he was not one of those gentlemen who languish after the unattainable
Sapphos apple that laughs from the topmost bough the charms which
»Smile like the knot of cowslips on the cliff
Not to be come at by the willing hand«
He had no sonnets to write and it could not strike him agreeably that he was
not an object of preference to the woman whom he had preferred Already the
knowledge that Dorothea had chosen Mr Casaubon had bruised his attachment and
relaxed its hold Although Sir James was a sportsman he had some other feelings
towards women than towards grouse and foxes and did not regard his future wife
in the light of prey valuable chiefly for the excitements of the chase Neither
was he so well acquainted with the habits of primitive races as to feel that an
ideal combat for her tomahawk in hand so to speak was necessary to the
historical continuity of the marriagetie On the contrary having the amiable
vanity which knits us to those who are fond of us and disinclines us to those
who are indifferent and also a good grateful nature the mere idea that a woman
had a kindness towards him spun little threads of tenderness from out his heart
towards hers
Thus it happened that after Sir James had ridden rather fast for half an
hour in a direction away from Tipton Grange he slackened his pace and at last
turned into a road which would lead him back by a shorter cut Various feelings
wrought in him the determination after all to go to the Grange today as if
nothing new had happened He could not help rejoicing that he had never made the
offer and been rejected mere friendly politeness required that he should call
to see Dorothea about the cottages and now happily Mrs Cadwallader had
prepared him to offer his congratulations if necessary without showing too
much awkwardness He really did not like it giving up Dorothea was very painful
to him but there was something in the resolve to make this visit forthwith and
conquer all show of feeling which was a sort of filebiting and
counterirritant And without his distinctly recognising the impulse there
certainly was present in him the sense that Celia would be there and that he
should pay her more attention than he had done before
We mortals men and women devour many a disappointment between breakfast
and dinnertime keep back the tears and look a little pale about the lips and
in answer to inquiries say »Oh nothing« Pride helps us and pride is not a
bad thing when it only urges us to hide our own hurts not to hurt others
Chapter VII
»Piacer e popone
Vuol la sua stagione«
Italian Proverb
Mr Casaubon as might be expected spent a great deal of his time at the Grange
in these weeks and the hindrance which courtship occasioned to the progress of
his great work the Key to all Mythologies naturally made him look forward
the more eagerly to the happy termination of courtship But he had deliberately
incurred the hindrance having made up his mind that it was now time for him to
adorn his life with the graces of female companionship to irradiate the gloom
which fatigue was apt to hang over the intervals of studious labour with the
play of female fancy and to secure in this his culminating age the solace of
female tendance for his declining years Hence he determined to abandon himself
to the stream of feeling and perhaps was surprised to find what an exceedingly
shallow rill it was As in droughty regions baptism by immersion could only be
performed symbolically so Mr Casaubon found that sprinkling was the utmost
approach to a plunge which his stream would afford him and he concluded that
the poets had much exaggerated the force of masculine passion Nevertheless he
observed with pleasure that Miss Brooke showed an ardent submissive affection
which promised to fulfil his most agreeable previsions of marriage It had once
or twice crossed his mind that possibly there was some deficiency in Dorothea to
account for the moderation of his abandonment but he was unable to discern the
deficiency or to figure to himself a woman who would have pleased him better
so that there was clearly no reason to fall back upon but the exaggerations of
human tradition
»Could I not be preparing myself now to be more useful« said Dorothea to
him one morning early in the time of courtship »could I not learn to read
Latin and Greek aloud to you as Miltons daughters did to their father without
understanding what they read«
»I fear that would be wearisome to you« said Mr Casaubon smiling »and
indeed if I remember rightly the young women you have mentioned regarded that
exercise in unknown tongues as a ground for rebellion against the poet«
»Yes but in the first place they were very naughty girls else they would
have been proud to minister to such a father and in the second place they might
have studied privately and taught themselves to understand what they read and
then it would have been interesting I hope you dont expect me to be naughty
and stupid«
»I expect you to be all that an exquisite young lady can be in every
possible relation of life Certainly it might be a great advantage if you were
able to copy the Greek character and to that end it were well to begin with a
little reading«
Dorothea seized this as a precious permission She would not have asked Mr
Casaubon at once to teach her the languages dreading of all things to be
tiresome instead of helpful but it was not entirely out of devotion to her
future husband that she wished to know Latin and Greek Those provinces of
masculine knowledge seemed to her a standingground from which all truth could
be seen more truly As it was she constantly doubted her own conclusions
because she felt her own ignorance how could she be confident that oneroomed
cottages were not for the glory of God when men who knew the classics appeared
to conciliate indifference to the cottages with zeal for the glory Perhaps even
Hebrew might be necessary at least the alphabet and a few roots in order to
arrive at the core of things and judge soundly on the social duties of the
Christian And she had not reached that point of renunciation at which she would
have been satisfied with having a wise husband she wished poor child to be
wise herself Miss Brooke was certainly very naïve with all her alleged
cleverness Celia whose mind had never been thought too powerful saw the
emptiness of other peoples pretensions much more readily To have in general
but little feeling seems to be the only security against feeling too much on
any particular occasion
However Mr Casaubon consented to listen and teach for an hour together
like a schoolmaster of little boys or rather like a lover to whom a mistresss
elementary ignorance and difficulties have a touching fitness Few scholars
would have disliked teaching the alphabet under such circumstances But Dorothea
herself was a little shocked and discouraged at her own stupidity and the
answers she got to some timid questions about the value of the Greek accents
gave her a painful suspicion that here indeed there might be secrets not capable
of explanation to a womans reason
Mr Brooke had no doubt on that point and expressed himself with his usual
strength upon it one day that he came into the library while the reading was
going forward
»Well but now Casaubon such deep studies classics mathematics that
kind of thing are too taxing for a woman too taxing you know«
»Dorothea is learning to read the characters simply« said Mr Casaubon
evading the question »She had the very considerate thought of saving my eyes«
»Ah well without understanding you know that may not be so bad But
there is a lightness about the feminine mind a touch and go music the fine
arts that kind of thing they should study those up to a certain point women
should but in a light way you know A woman should be able to sit down and
play you or sing you a good old English tune That is what I like though I have
heard most things been at the opera in Vienna Gluck Mozart everything of
that sort But Im a conservative in music its not like ideas you know I
stick to the good old tunes«
»Mr Casaubon is not fond of the piano and I am very glad he is not« said
Dorothea whose slight regard for domestic music and feminine fine art must be
forgiven her considering the small tinkling and smearing in which they chiefly
consisted at that dark period She smiled and looked up at her betrothed with
grateful eyes If he had always been asking her to play the »Last Rose of
Summer« she would have required much resignation »He says there is only an old
harpsichord at Lowick and it is covered with books«
»Ah there you are behind Celia my dear Celia now plays very prettily
and is always ready to play However since Casaubon does not like it you are
all right But its a pity you should not have little recreations of that sort
Casaubon the bow always strung that kind of thing you know will not do«
»I never could look on it in the light of a recreation to have my ears
teased with measured noises« said Mr Casaubon »A tune much iterated has the
ridiculous effect of making the words in my mind perform a sort of minuet to
keep time an effect hardly tolerable I imagine after boyhood As to the
grander forms of music worthy to accompany solemn celebrations and even to
serve as an educating influence according to the ancient conception I say
nothing for with these we are not immediately concerned«
»No but music of that sort I should enjoy« said Dorothea »When we were
coming home from Lausanne my uncle took us to hear the great organ at Freiberg
and it made me sob«
»That kind of thing is not healthy my dear« said Mr Brooke »Casaubon
she will be in your hands now you must teach my niece to take things more
quietly eh Dorothea«
He ended with a smile not wishing to hurt his niece but really thinking
that it was perhaps better for her to be early married to so sober a fellow as
Casaubon since she would not hear of Chettam
»It is wonderful though« he said to himself as he shuffled out of the room
»it is wonderful that she should have liked him However the match is good I
should have been travelling out of my brief to have hindered it let Mrs
Cadwallader say what she will He is pretty certain to be a bishop is Casaubon
That was a very seasonable pamphlet of his on the Catholic Question a deanery
at least They owe him a deanery«
And here I must vindicate a claim to philosophical reflectiveness by
remarking that Mr Brooke on this occasion little thought of the Radical speech
which at a later period he was led to make on the incomes of the bishops What
elegant historian would neglect a striking opportunity for pointing out that his
heroes did not foresee the history of the world or even their own actions
For example, that Henry of Navarre when a Protestant baby little thought of
being a Catholic monarch or that Alfred the Great when he measured his
laborious nights with burning candles had no idea of future gentlemen measuring
their idle days with watches Here is a mine of truth which however vigorously
it may be worked is likely to outlast our coal
But of Mr Brooke I make a further remark perhaps less warranted by
precedent namely that if he had foreknown his speech it might not have made
any great difference To think with pleasure of his nieces husband having a
large ecclesiastical income was one thing to make a Liberal speech was another
thing and it is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various
points of view
Chapter VIII
»Oh rescue her I am her brother now
And you her father Every gentle maid
Should have a guardian in each gentleman«
It was wonderful to Sir James Chettam how well he continued to like going to the
Grange after he had once encountered the difficulty of seeing Dorothea for the
first time in the light of a woman who was engaged to another man Of course the
forked lightning seemed to pass through him when he first approached her and he
remained conscious throughout the interview of hiding uneasiness but good as
he was it must be owned that his uneasiness was less than it would have been if
he had thought his rival a brilliant and desirable match He had no sense of
being eclipsed by Mr Casaubon he was only shocked that Dorothea was under a
melancholy illusion and his mortification lost some of its bitterness by being
mingled with compassion
Nevertheless while Sir James said to himself that he had completely
resigned her since with the perversity of a Desdemona she had not affected a
proposed match that was clearly suitable and according to nature he could not
yet be quite passive under the idea of her engagement to Mr Casaubon On the
day when he first saw them together in the light of his present knowledge it
seemed to him that he had not taken the affair seriously enough Brooke was
really culpable he ought to have hindered it Who could speak to him Something
might be done perhaps even now at least to defer the marriage On his way home
he turned into the Rectory and asked for Mr Cadwallader Happily the Rector
was at home and his visitor was shown into the study where all the
fishingtackle hung But he himself was in a little room adjoining at work with
his turning apparatus and he called to the baronet to join him there The two
were better friends than any other landholder and clergyman in the county a
significant fact which was in agreement with the amiable expression of their
faces
Mr Cadwallader was a large man with full lips and a sweet smile very
plain and rough in his exterior but with that solid imperturbable ease and
goodhumour which is infectious and like great grassy hills in the sunshine
quiets even an irritated egoism and makes it rather ashamed of itself. »Well
how are you« he said showing a hand not quite fit to be grasped »Sorry I
missed you before Is there anything particular You look vexed«
Sir Jamess brow had a little crease in it a little depression of the
eyebrow which he seemed purposely to exaggerate as he answered
»It is only this conduct of Brookes I really think somebody should speak
to him«
»What meaning to stand« said Mr Cadwallader going on with the
arrangement of the reels which he had just been turning »I hardly think he
means it But wheres the harm if he likes it Any one who objects to Whiggery
should be glad when the Whigs dont put up the strongest fellow They wont
overturn the Constitution with our friend Brookes head for a battering ram«
»Oh I dont mean that« said Sir James who after putting down his hat and
throwing himself into a chair had begun to nurse his leg and examine the sole
of his boot with much bitterness »I mean this marriage I mean his letting that
blooming young girl marry Casaubon«
»What is the matter with Casaubon I see no harm in him if the girl likes
him«
»She is too young to know what she likes Her guardian ought to interfere
He ought not to allow the thing to be done in this headlong manner I wonder a
man like you Cadwallader a man with daughters can look at the affair with
indifference and with such a heart as yours Do think seriously about it«
»I am not joking I am as serious as possible« said the Rector with a
provoking little inward laugh »You are as bad as Elinor She has been wanting
me to go and lecture Brooke and I have reminded her that her friends had a very
poor opinion of the match she made when she married me«
»But look at Casaubon« said Sir James indignantly »He must be fifty and
I dont believe he could ever have been much more than the shadow of a man Look
at his legs«
»Confound you handsome young fellows you think of having it all your own
way in the world You dont understand women They dont admire you half so much
as you admire yourselves Elinor used to tell her sisters that she married me
for my ugliness it was so various and amusing that it had quite conquered her
prudence«
»You it was easy enough for a woman to love you But this is no question of
beauty I dont like Casaubon« This was Sir Jamess strongest way of implying
that he thought ill of a mans character
»Why what do you know against him« said the rector laying down his reels
and putting his thumbs into his armholes with an air of attention
Sir James paused He did not usually find it easy to give his reasons it
seemed to him strange that people should not know them without being told since
he only felt what was reasonable At last he said
»Now Cadwallader has he got any heart«
»Well yes I dont mean of the melting sort but a sound kernel that you
may be sure of He is very good to his poor relations pensions several of the
women and is educating a young fellow at a good deal of expense Casaubon acts
up to his sense of justice His mothers sister made a bad match a Pole I
think lost herself at any rate was disowned by her family If it had not
been for that Casaubon would not have had so much money by half I believe he
went himself to find out his cousins and see what he could do for them Every
man would not ring so well as that if you tried his metal You would Chettam
but not every man«
»I dont know« said Sir James colouring »I am not so sure of myself« He
paused a moment and then added »That was a right thing for Casaubon to do But
a man may wish to do what is right and yet be a sort of parchment code A woman
may not be happy with him And I think when a girl is so young as Miss Brooke
is her friends ought to interfere a little to hinder her from doing anything
foolish You laugh because you fancy I have some feeling on my own account But
upon my honour it is not that I should feel just the same if I were Miss
Brookes brother or uncle«
»Well but what should you do«
»I should say that the marriage must not be decided on until she was of age
And depend upon it in that case it would never come off I wish you saw it as
I do I wish you would talk to Brooke about it«
Sir James rose as he was finishing his sentence for he saw Mrs Cadwallader
entering from the study She held by the hand her youngest girl about five
years old who immediately ran to papa and was made comfortable on his knee
»I hear what you are talking about« said the wife »But you will make no
impression on Humphrey As long as the fish rise to his bait everybody is what
he ought to be Bless you Casaubon has got a trout stream and does not care
about fishing in it himself could there be a better fellow«
»Well there is something in that« said the Rector with his quiet inward
laugh »It is a very good quality in a man to have a troutstream«
»But seriously« said Sir James whose vexation had not yet spent itself
»dont you think the Rector might do some good by speaking«
»Oh I told you beforehand what he would say« answered Mrs Cadwallader
lifting up her eyebrows »I have done what I could I wash my hands of the
marriage«
»In the first place« said the Rector looking rather grave »it would be
nonsensical to expect that I could convince Brooke and make him act
accordingly Brooke is a very good fellow but pulpy he will run into any
mould but he wont keep shape«
»He might keep shape long enough to defer the marriage« said Sir James
»But my dear Chettam why should I use my influence to Casaubons
disadvantage unless I were much surer than I am that I should be acting for the
advantage of Miss Brooke I know no harm of Casaubon I dont care about his
Xisuthrus and Feefofum and the rest but then he doesnt care about my
fishingtackle As to the line he took on the Catholic Question that was
unexpected but he has always been civil to me and I dont see why I should
spoil his sport For anything I can tell Miss Brooke may be happier with him
than she would be with any other man«
»Humphrey I have no patience with you You know you would rather dine under
the hedge than with Casaubon alone You have nothing to say to each other«
»What has that to do with Miss Brookes marrying him She does not do it for
my amusement«
»He has got no good red blood in his body« said Sir James
»No Somebody put a drop under a magnifyingglass and it was all semicolons
and parentheses« said Mrs Cadwallader
»Why does he not bring out his book instead of marrying« said Sir James
with a disgust which he held warranted by the sound feeling of an English
layman
»Oh he dreams footnotes and they run away with all his brains They say
when he was a little boy he made an abstract of Hop o my Thumb and he has
been making abstracts ever since Ugh And that is the man Humphrey goes on
saying that a woman may be happy with«
»Well he is what Miss Brooke likes« said the Rector »I dont profess to
understand every young ladys taste«
»But if she were your own daughter« said Sir James
»That would be a different affair She is not my daughter and I dont feel
called upon to interfere Casaubon is as good as most of us He is a scholarly
clergyman and creditable to the cloth Some Radical fellow speechifying at
Middlemarch said Casaubon was the learned strawchopping incumbent and Freke
was the brickandmortar incumbent and I was the angling incumbent And upon my
word I dont see that one is worse or better than the other« The Rector ended
with his silent laugh He always saw the joke of any satire against himself His
conscience was large and easy like the rest of him it did only what it could
do without any trouble
Clearly there would be no interference with Miss Brookes marriage through
Mr Cadwallader and Sir James felt with some sadness that she was to have
perfect liberty of misjudgment It was a sign of his good disposition that he
did not slacken at all in his intention of carrying out Dorotheas design of the
cottages Doubtless this persistence was the best course for his own dignity
but pride only helps us to be generous it never makes us so any more than
vanity makes us witty She was now enough aware of Sir Jamess position with
regard to her to appreciate the rectitude of his perseverance in a landlords
duty to which he had at first been urged by a lovers complaisance and her
pleasure in it was great enough to count for something even in her present
happiness Perhaps she gave to Sir James Chettams cottages all the interest she
could spare from Mr Casaubon or rather from the symphony of hopeful dreams
admiring trust and passionate selfdevotion which that learned gentleman had
set playing in her soul Hence it happened that in the good baronets succeeding
visits while he was beginning to pay small attentions to Celia he found
himself talking with more and more pleasure to Dorothea She was perfectly
unconstrained and without irritation towards him now and he was gradually
discovering the delight there is in frank kindness and companionship between a
man and a woman who have no passion to hide or confess
Chapter IX
1st Gent An ancient land in ancient oracles
Is called »lawthirsty« all the struggle there
Was after order and a perfect rule
Pray where lie such lands now
2d Gent Why where they lay of
old in human souls
Mr Casaubons behaviour about settlements was highly satisfactory to Mr
Brooke and the preliminaries of marriage rolled smoothly along shortening the
weeks of courtship The betrothed bride must see her future home and dictate
any changes that she would like to have made there A woman dictates before
marriage in order that she may have an appetite for submission afterwards And
certainly the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our
own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it
On a grey but dry November morning Dorothea drove to Lowick in company with
her uncle and Celia Mr Casaubons home was the manorhouse Close by visible
from some parts of the garden was the little church with the old parsonage
opposite In the beginning of his career Mr Casaubon had only held the living
but the death of his brother had put him in possession of the manor also It had
a small park with a fine old oak here and there and an avenue of limes towards
the southwest front with a sunk fence between park and pleasureground so
that from the drawingroom windows the glance swept uninterruptedly along a
slope of greensward till the limes ended in a level of corn and pastures which
often seemed to melt into a lake under the setting sun This was the happy side
of the house for the south and east looked rather melancholy even under the
brightest morning The grounds here were more confined the flowerbeds showed
no very careful tendance and large clumps of trees chiefly of sombre yews had
risen high not ten yards from the windows The building of greenish stone was
in the old English style not ugly but small windowed and melancholylooking
the sort of house that must have children many flowers open windows and
little vistas of bright things to make it seem a joyous home In this latter
end of autumn with a sparse remnant of yellow leaves falling slowly athwart the
dark evergreens in a stillness without sunshine the house too had an air of
autumnal decline and Mr Casaubon when he presented himself had no bloom that
could be thrown into relief by that background
»Oh dear« Celia said to herself »I am sure Freshitt Hall would have been
pleasanter than this« She thought of the white freestone the pillared portico
and the terrace full of flowers Sir James smiling above them like a prince
issuing from his enchantment in a rosebush with a handkerchief swiftly
metamorphosed from the most delicatelyodorous petals Sir James who talked so
agreeably always about things which had commonsense in them and not about
learning Celia had those light young feminine tastes which grave and
weatherworn gentlemen sometimes prefer in a wife but happily Mr Casaubons
bias had been different for he would have had no chance with Celia
Dorothea on the contrary found the house and grounds all that she could
wish the dark bookshelves in the long library the carpets and curtains with
colours subdued by time the curious old maps and birdseye views on the walls
of the corridor with here and there an old vase below had no oppression for
her and seemed more cheerful than the casts and pictures at the Grange which
her uncle had long ago brought home from his travels they being probably among
the ideas he had taken in at one time To poor Dorothea these severe classical
nudities and smirking RenaissanceCorreggiosities were painfully inexplicable
staring into the midst of her Puritanic conceptions she had never been taught
how she could bring them into any sort of relevance with her life But the
owners of Lowick apparently had not been travellers and Mr Casaubons studies
of the past were not carried on by means of such aids
Dorothea walked about the house with delightful emotion Everything seemed
hallowed to her this was to be the home of her wifehood and she looked up
with eyes full of confidence to Mr Casaubon when he drew her attention
specially to some actual arrangement and asked her if she would like an
alteration All appeals to her taste she met gratefully but saw nothing to
alter His efforts at exact courtesy and formal tenderness had no defect for
her She filled up all blanks with unmanifested perfections interpreting him as
she interpreted the works of Providence and accounting for seeming discords by
her own deafness to the higher harmonies And there are many blanks left in the
weeks of courtship which a loving faith fills with happy assurance
»Now my dear Dorothea I wish you to favour me by pointing out which room
you would like to have as your boudoir« said Mr Casaubon showing that his
views of the womanly nature were sufficiently large to include that requirement
»It is very kind of you to think of that« said Dorothea »but I assure you
I would rather have all those matters decided for me I shall be much happier to
take everything as it is just as you have been used to have it or as you will
yourself choose it to be I have no motive for wishing anything else«
»O Dodo« said Celia »will you not have the bowwindowed room upstairs«
Mr Casaubon led the way thither The bowwindow looked down the avenue of
limes the furniture was all of a faded blue and there were miniatures of
ladies and gentlemen with powdered hair hanging in a group A piece of tapestry
over a door also showed a bluegreen world with a pale stag in it The chairs
and tables were thinlegged and easy to upset It was a room where one might
fancy the ghost of a tightlaced lady revisiting the scene of her embroidery A
light bookcase contained duodecimo volumes of polite literature in calf
completing the furniture
»Yes« said Mr Brooke »this would be a pretty room with some new hangings
sofas and that sort of thing A little bare now«
»No uncle« said Dorothea eagerly »Pray do not speak of altering
anything There are so many other things in the world that want altering I
like to take these things as they are And you like them as they are dont
you« she added looking at Mr Casaubon »Perhaps this was your mothers room
when she was young«
»It was« he said with his slow bend of the head
»This is your mother« said Dorothea who had turned to examine the group of
miniatures »It is like the tiny one you brought me only I should think a
better portrait And this one opposite who is this«
»Her elder sister They were like you and your sister the only two
children of their parents who hang above them you see«
»The sister is pretty« said Celia implying that she thought less
favourably of Mr Casaubons mother It was a new opening to Celias
imagination that he came of a family who had all been young in their time the
ladies wearing necklaces
»It is a peculiar face« said Dorothea looking closely »Those deep grey
eyes rather near together and the delicate irregular nose with a sort of
ripple in it and all the powdered curls hanging backward Altogether it seems
to me peculiar rather than pretty There is not even a family likeness between
her and your mother«
»No And they were not alike in their lot«
»You did not mention her to me« said Dorothea
»My aunt made an unfortunate marriage I never saw her«
Dorothea wondered a little but felt that it would be indelicate just then
to ask for any information which Mr Casaubon did not proffer and she turned to
the window to admire the view The sun had lately pierced the grey and the
avenue of limes cast shadows
»Shall we not walk in the garden now« said Dorothea
»And you would like to see the church you know« said Mr Brooke »It is a
droll little church And the village It all lies in a nutshell By the way it
will suit you Dorothea for the cottages are like a row of almshouses little
gardens gillyflowers that sort of thing«
»Yes please« said Dorothea looking at Mr Casaubon »I should like to see
all that« She had got nothing from him more graphic about the Lowick cottages
than that they were »not bad«
They were soon on a gravel walk which led chiefly between grassy borders and
clumps of trees this being the nearest way to the church Mr Casaubon said At
the little gate leading into the churchyard there was a pause while Mr Casaubon
went to the parsonage close by to fetch a key Celia who had been hanging a
little in the rear came up presently when she saw that Mr Casaubon was gone
away and said in her easy staccato which always seemed to contradict the
suspicion of any malicious intent
»Do you know Dorothea I saw some one quite young coming up one of the
walks«
»Is that astonishing Celia«
»There may be a young gardener you know why not« said Mr Brooke »I
told Casaubon he should change his gardener«
»No not a gardener« said Celia »a gentleman with a sketchbook He had
lightbrown curls I only saw his back But he was quite young«
»The curates son perhaps« said Mr Brooke »Ah there is Casaubon again
and Tucker with him He is going to introduce Tucker You dont know Tucker
yet«
Mr Tucker was the middleaged curate one of the »inferior clergy« who are
usually not wanting in sons But after the introduction the conversation did
not lead to any question about his family and the startling apparition of
youthfulness was forgotten by every one but Celia She inwardly declined to
believe that the lightbrown curls and slim figure could have any relationship
to Mr Tucker who was just as old and mustylooking as she would have expected
Mr Casaubons curate to be doubtless an excellent man who would go to heaven
for Celia wished not to be unprincipled but the corners of his mouth were so
unpleasant Celia thought with some dismalness of the time she should have to
spend as bridesmaid at Lowick where the curate had probably no pretty little
children whom she could like irrespective of principle
Mr Tucker was invaluable in their walk and perhaps Mr Casaubon had not
been without foresight on this head the curate being able to answer all
Dorotheas questions about the villagers and the other parishioners Everybody
he assured her was well off in Lowick not a cottager in those double cottages
at a low rent but kept a pig and the strips of garden at the back were well
tended The small boys wore excellent corduroy the girls went out as tidy
servants or did a little strawplaiting at home no looms here no Dissent and
though the public disposition was rather towards laying by money than towards
spirituality there was not much vice The speckled fowls were so numerous that
Mr Brooke observed »Your farmers leave some barley for the women to glean I
see The poor folks here might have a fowl in their pot as the good French king
used to wish for all his people The French eat a good many fowls skinny
fowls you know«
»I think it was a very cheap wish of his« said Dorothea indignantly »Are
kings such monsters that a wish like that must be reckoned a royal virtue«
»And if he wished them a skinny fowl« said Celia »that would not be nice
But perhaps he wished them to have fat fowls«
»Yes but the word has dropped out of the text or perhaps was subauditum
that is, present in the kings mind but not uttered« said Mr Casaubon
smiling and bending his head towards Celia who immediately dropped backward a
little because she could not bear Mr Casaubon to blink at her
Dorothea sank into silence on the way back to the house She felt some
disappointment of which she was yet ashamed that there was nothing for her to
do in Lowick and in the next few minutes her mind had glanced over the
possibility which she would have preferred of finding that her home would be
in a parish which had a larger share of the worlds misery so that she might
have had more active duties in it Then recurring to the future actually before
her she made a picture of more complete devotion to Mr Casaubons aims in
which she would await new duties Many such might reveal themselves to the
higher knowledge gained by her in that companionship
Mr Tucker soon left them having some clerical work which would not allow
him to lunch at the Hall and as they were reentering the garden through the
little gate Mr Casaubon said
»You seem a little sad Dorothea I trust you are pleased with what you have
seen«
»I am feeling something which is perhaps foolish and wrong« answered
Dorothea with her usual openness »almost wishing that the people wanted more
to be done for them here I have known so few ways of making my life good for
anything Of course my notions of usefulness must be narrow I must learn new
ways of helping people«
»Doubtless« said Mr Casaubon »Each position has its corresponding duties
Yours I trust as the mistress of Lowick will not leave any yearning
unfulfilled«
»Indeed I believe that« said Dorothea earnestly »Do not suppose that I
am sad«
»That is well But if you are not tired we will take another way to the
house than that by which we came«
Dorothea was not at all tired and a little circuit was made towards a fine
yewtree the chief hereditary glory of the grounds on this side of the house
As they approached it a figure conspicuous on a dark background of evergreens
was seated on a bench sketching the old tree Mr Brooke who was walking in
front with Celia turned his head and said
»Who is that youngster Casaubon«
They had come very near when Mr Casaubon answered
»That is a young relative of mine a second cousin the grandson in fact«
he added looking at Dorothea »of the lady whose portrait you have been
noticing my aunt Julia«
The young man had laid down his sketchbook and risen His bushy lightbrown
curls as well as his youthfulness identified him at once with Celias
apparition
»Dorothea let me introduce to you my cousin Mr Ladislaw Will this is
Miss Brooke«
The cousin was so close now that when he lifted his hat Dorothea could
see a pair of grey eyes rather near together a delicate irregular nose with a
little ripple in it and hair falling backward but there was a mouth and chin
of a more prominent threatening aspect than belonged to the type of the
grandmothers miniature Young Ladislaw did not feel it necessary to smile as
if he were charmed with this introduction to his future second cousin and her
relatives but wore rather a pouting air of discontent
»You are an artist I see« said Mr Brooke taking up the sketchbook and
turning it over in his unceremonious fashion
»No I only sketch a little There is nothing fit to be seen there« said
young Ladislaw colouring perhaps with temper rather than modesty
»Oh come this is a nice bit now I did a little in this way myself at one
time you know Look here now this is what I call a nice thing done with what
we used to call brio« Mr Brooke held out towards the two girls a large
coloured sketch of stony ground and trees with a pool
»I am no judge of these things« said Dorothea not coldly but with an
eager deprecation of the appeal to her »You know uncle I never see the beauty
of those pictures which you say are so much praised They are a language I do
not understand I suppose there is some relation between pictures and nature
which I am too ignorant to feel just as you see what a Greek sentence stands
for which means nothing to me« Dorothea looked up at Mr Casaubon who bowed
his head towards her while Mr Brooke said smiling nonchalantly
»Bless me now how different people are But you had a bad style of
teaching you know else this is just the thing for girls sketching fine art
and so on But you took to drawing plans you dont understand morbidezza and
that kind of thing You will come to my house I hope and I will show you what
I did in this way« he continued turning to young Ladislaw who had to be
recalled from his preoccupation in observing Dorothea Ladislaw had made up his
mind that she must be an unpleasant girl since she was going to marry Casaubon
and what she said of her stupidity about pictures would have confirmed that
opinion even if he had believed her As it was he took her words for a covert
judgment and was certain that she thought his sketch detestable There was too
much cleverness in her apology she was laughing both at her uncle and himself
But what a voice It was like the voice of a soul that had once lived in an
Æolian harp This must be one of Nature's inconsistencies There could be no
sort of passion in a girl who would marry Casaubon But he turned from her and
bowed his thanks for Mr Brookes invitation
»We will turn over my Italian engravings together« continued that
goodnatured man »I have no end of those things that I have laid by for years
One gets rusty in this part of the country you know Not you Casaubon you
stick to your studies but my best ideas get undermost out of use you know
You clever young men must guard against indolence I was too indolent you know
else I might have been anywhere at one time«
»That is a seasonable admonition« said Mr Casaubon »but now we will pass
on to the house lest the young ladies should be tired of standing«
When their backs were turned young Ladislaw sat down to go on with his
sketching and as he did so his face broke into an expression of amusement which
increased as he went on drawing till at last he threw back his head and laughed
aloud Partly it was the reception of his own artistic production that tickled
him partly the notion of his grave cousin as the lover of that girl and partly
Mr Brookes definition of the place he might have held but for the impediment
of indolence Mr Will Ladislaws sense of the ludicrous lit up his features
very agreeably it was the pure enjoyment of comicality and had no mixture of
sneering and selfexaltation
»What is your nephew going to do with himself Casaubon« said Mr Brooke
as they went on
»My cousin you mean not my nephew«
»Yes yes cousin But in the way of a career you know«
»The answer to that question is painfully doubtful On leaving Rugby he
declined to go to an English university where I would gladly have placed him
and chose what I must consider the anomalous course of studying at Heidelberg
And now he wants to go abroad again without any special object save the vague
purpose of what he calls culture preparation for he knows not what He declines
to choose a profession«
»He has no means but what you furnish I suppose«
»I have always given him and his friends reason to understand that I would
furnish in moderation what was necessary for providing him with a scholarly
education and launching him respectably I am therefore bound to fulfil the
expectation so raised« said Mr Casaubon putting his conduct in the light of
mere rectitude a trait of delicacy which Dorothea noticed with admiration
»He has a thirst for travelling perhaps he may turn out a Bruce or a Mungo
Park« said Mr Brooke »I had a notion of that myself at one time«
»No he has no bent towards exploration or the enlargement of our
geognosis that would be a special purpose which I could recognise with some
approbation though without felicitating him on a career which so often ends in
premature and violent death But so far is he from having any desire for a more
accurate knowledge of the earths surface that he said he should prefer not to
know the sources of the Nile and that there should be some unknown regions
preserved as huntinggrounds for the poetic imagination«
»Well there is something in that you know« said Mr Brooke who had
certainly an impartial mind
»It is I fear nothing more than a part of his general inaccuracy and
indisposition to thoroughness of all kinds which would be a bad augury for him
in any profession civil or sacred even were he so far submissive to ordinary
rule as to choose one«
»Perhaps he has conscientious scruples founded on his own unfitness« said
Dorothea who was interesting herself in finding a favourable explanation
»Because the law and medicine should be very serious professions to undertake
should they not Peoples lives and fortunes depend on them«
»Doubtless but I fear that my young relative Will Ladislaw is chiefly
determined in his aversion to these callings by a dislike to steady application
and to that kind of acquirement which is needful instrumentally but is not
charming or immediately inviting to selfindulgent taste I have insisted to him
on what Aristotle has stated with admirable brevity that for the achievement of
any work regarded as an end there must be a prior exercise of many energies or
acquired facilities of a secondary order demanding patience I have pointed to
my own manuscript volumes which represent the toil of years preparatory to a
work not yet accomplished But in vain To careful reasoning of this kind he
replies by calling himself Pegasus and every form of prescribed work harness«
Celia laughed She was surprised to find that Mr Casaubon could say
something quite amusing
»Well you know he may turn out a Byron a Chatterton a Churchill that
sort of thing theres no telling« said Mr Brooke »Shall you let him go to
Italy or wherever else he wants to go«
»Yes I have agreed to furnish him with moderate supplies for a year or so
he asks no more I shall let him be tried by the test of freedom«
»That is very kind of you« said Dorothea looking up at Mr Casaubon with
delight »It is noble After all people may really have in them some vocation
which is not quite plain to themselves may they not They may seem idle and
weak because they are growing We should be very patient with each other I
think«
»I suppose it is being engaged to be married that has made you think
patience good« said Celia as soon as she and Dorothea were alone together
taking off their wrappings
»You mean that I am very impatient Celia«
»Yes when people dont do and say just what you like« Celia had become
less afraid of »saying things« to Dorothea since this engagement cleverness
seemed to her more pitiable than ever
Chapter X
»He had catched a great cold had he had no other clothes to wear
than the skin of a bear not yet killed«
Fuller
Young Ladislaw did not pay that visit to which Mr Brooke had invited him and
only six days afterwards Mr Casaubon mentioned that his young relative had
started for the Continent seeming by this cold vagueness to waive inquiry
Indeed Will had declined to fix on any more precise destination than the entire
area of Europe Genius he held is necessarily intolerant of fetters on the
one hand it must have the utmost play for its spontaneity on the other it may
confidently await those messages from the universe which summon it to its
peculiar work only placing itself in an attitude of receptivity towards all
sublime chances The attitudes of receptivity are various and Will had
sincerely tried many of them He was not excessively fond of wine but he had
several times taken too much simply as an experiment in that form of ecstasy
he had fasted till he was faint and then supped on lobster he had made himself
ill with doses of opium Nothing greatly original had resulted from these
measures and the effects of the opium had convinced him that there was an
entire dissimilarity between his constitution and De Quinceys The superadded
circumstance which would evolve the genius had not yet come the universe had
not yet beckoned Even Cæsars fortune at one time was but a grand presentiment
We know what a masquerade all development is and what effective shapes may be
disguised in helpless embryos In fact the world is full of hopeful analogies
and handsome dubious eggs called possibilities Will saw clearly enough the
pitiable instances of long incubation producing no chick and but for gratitude
would have laughed at Casaubon whose plodding application rows of notebooks
and small taper of learned theory exploring the tossed ruins of the world
seemed to enforce a moral entirely encouraging to Wills generous reliance on
the intentions of the universe with regard to himself He held that reliance to
be a mark of genius and certainly it is no mark to the contrary genius
consisting neither in selfconceit nor in humility but in a power to make or
do not anything in general but something in particular Let him start for the
Continent then without our pronouncing on his future Among all forms of
mistake prophecy is the most gratuitous
But at present this caution against a too hasty judgment interests me more
in relation to Mr Casaubon than to his young cousin If to Dorothea Mr
Casaubon had been the mere occasion which had set alight the fine inflammable
material of her youthful illusions does it follow that he was fairly
represented in the minds of those less impassioned personages who have hitherto
delivered their judgments concerning him I protest against any absolute
conclusion any prejudice derived from Mrs Cadwalladers contempt for a
neighbouring clergymans alleged greatness of soul or Sir James Chettams poor
opinion of his rivals legs from Mr Brookes failure to elicit a companions
ideas, or from Celias criticism of a middleaged scholars personal appearance
I am not sure that the greatest man of his age if ever that solitary
superlative existed could escape these unfavourable reflections of himself in
various small mirrors and even Milton looking for his portrait in a spoon
must submit to have the facial angle of a bumpkin Moreover if Mr Casaubon
speaking for himself has rather a chilling rhetoric it is not therefore
certain that there is no good work or fine feeling in him Did not an immortal
physicist and interpreter of hieroglyphs write detestable verses Has the theory
of the solar system been advanced by graceful manners and conversational tact
Suppose we turn from outside estimates of a man to wonder with keener
interest what is the report of his own consciousness about his doings or
capacity with what hindrances he is carrying on his daily labours what fading
of hopes or what deeper fixity of self-delusion the years are marking off
within him and with what spirit he wrestles against universal pressure which
will one day be too heavy for him and bring his heart to its final pause
Doubtless his lot is important in his own eyes and the chief reason that we
think he asks too large a place in our consideration must be our want of room
for him since we refer him to the Divine regard with perfect confidence nay
it is even held sublime for our neighbour to expect the utmost there however
little he may have got from us Mr Casaubon too was the centre of his own
world if he was liable to think that others were providentially made for him
and especially to consider them in the light of their fitness for the author of
a Key to all Mythologies this trait is not quite alien to us and like the
other mendicant hopes of mortals claims some of our pity
Certainly this affair of his marriage with Miss Brooke touched him more
nearly than it did any one of the persons who have hitherto shown their
disapproval of it and in the present stage of things I feel more tenderly
towards his experience of success than towards the disappointment of the amiable
Sir James For in truth as the day fixed for his marriage came nearer Mr
Casaubon did not find his spirits rising nor did the contemplation of that
matrimonial gardenscene where as all experience showed the path was to be
bordered with flowers prove persistently more enchanting to him than the
accustomed vaults where he walked taper in hand He did not confess to himself
still less could he have breathed to another his surprise that though he had
won a lovely and noblehearted girl he had not won delight which he had also
regarded as an object to be found by search It is true that he knew all the
classical passages implying the contrary but knowing classical passages we
find, is a mode of motion, which explains why they leave so little extra force
for their personal application
Poor Mr Casaubon had imagined that his long studious bachelorhood had
stored up for him a compound interest of enjoyment and that large drafts on his
affections would not fail to be honoured for we all of us grave or light get
our thoughts entangled in metaphors and act fatally on the strength of them
And now he was in danger of being saddened by the very conviction that his
circumstances were unusually happy there was nothing external by which he could
account for a certain blankness of sensibility which came over him just when his
expectant gladness should have been most lively just when he exchanged the
accustomed dulness of his Lowick library for his visits to the Grange Here was
a weary experience in which he was as utterly condemned to loneliness as in the
despair which sometimes threatened him while toiling in the morass of authorship
without seeming nearer to the goal And his was that worst loneliness which
would shrink from sympathy He could not but wish that Dorothea should think him
not less happy than the world would expect her successful suitor to be and in
relation to his authorship he leaned on her young trust and veneration he liked
to draw forth her fresh interest in listening as a means of encouragement to
himself in talking to her he presented all his performance and intention with
the reflected confidence of the pedagogue and rid himself for the time of that
chilling ideal audience which crowded his laborious uncreative hours with the
vaporous pressure of Tartarean shades
For to Dorothea after that toybox history of the world adapted to young
ladies which had made the chief part of her education Mr Casaubons talk about
his great book was full of new vistas and this sense of revelation this
surprise of a nearer introduction to Stoics and Alexandrians as people who had
ideas not totally unlike her own kept in abeyance for the time her usual
eagerness for a binding theory which could bring her own life and doctrine into
strict connection with that amazing past and give the remotest sources of
knowledge some bearing on her actions That more complete teaching would come
Mr Casaubon would tell her all that she was looking forward to higher
initiation in ideas, as she was looking forward to marriage and blending her
dim conceptions of both It would be a great mistake to suppose that Dorothea
would have cared about any share in Mr Casaubons learning as mere
accomplishment for though opinion in the neighbourhood of Freshitt and Tipton
had pronounced her clever that epithet would not have described her to circles
in whose more precise vocabulary cleverness implies mere aptitude for knowing
and doing apart from character All her eagerness for acquirement lay within
that full current of sympathetic motive in which her ideas and impulses were
habitually swept along She did not want to deck herself with knowledge to
wear it loose from the nerves and blood that fed her action and if she had
written a book she must have done it as Saint Theresa did under the command of
an authority that constrained her conscience But something she yearned for by
which her life might be filled with action at once rational and ardent and
since the time was gone by for guiding visions and spiritual directors since
prayer heightened yearning but not instruction what lamp was there but
knowledge Surely learned men kept the only oil and who more learned than Mr
Casaubon
Thus in these brief weeks Dorotheas joyous grateful expectation was
unbroken and however her lover might occasionally be conscious of flatness he
could never refer it to any slackening of her affectionate interest
The season was mild enough to encourage the project of extending the wedding
journey as far as Rome and Mr Casaubon was anxious for this because he wished
to inspect some manuscripts in the Vatican
»I still regret that your sister is not to accompany us« he said one
morning some time after it had been ascertained that Celia objected to go and
that Dorothea did not wish for her companionship »You will have many lonely
hours Dorothea for I shall be constrained to make the utmost use of my time
during our stay in Rome and I should feel more at liberty if you had a
companion«
The words »I should feel more at liberty« grated on Dorothea For the first
time in speaking to Mr Casaubon she coloured from annoyance
»You must have misunderstood me very much« she said »if you think I should
not enter into the value of your time if you think that I should not willingly
give up whatever interfered with your using it to the best purpose«
»That is very amiable in you my dear Dorothea« said Mr Casaubon not in
the least noticing that she was hurt »but if you had a lady as your companion
I could put you both under the care of a cicerone and we could thus achieve two
purposes in the same space of time«
»I beg you will not refer to this again« said Dorothea rather haughtily
But immediately she feared that she was wrong and turning towards him she laid
her hand on his adding in a different tone »Pray do not be anxious about me I
shall have so much to think of when I am alone And Tantripp will be a
sufficient companion just to take care of me I could not bear to have Celia
she would be miserable«
It was time to dress There was to be a dinnerparty that day the last of
the parties which were held at the Grange as proper preliminaries to the
wedding and Dorothea was glad of a reason for moving away at once on the sound
of the bell as if she needed more than her usual amount of preparation She was
ashamed of being irritated from some cause she could not define even to herself
for though she had no intention to be untruthful her reply had not touched the
real hurt within her Mr Casaubons words had been quite reasonable yet they
had brought a vague instantaneous sense of aloofness on his part
»Surely I am in a strangely selfish weak state of mind« she said to
herself »How can I have a husband who is so much above me without knowing that
he needs me less than I need him«
Having convinced herself that Mr Casaubon was altogether right she
recovered her equanimity and was an agreeable image of serene dignity when she
came into the drawingroom in her silvergrey dress the simple lines of her
darkbrown hair parted over her brow and coiled massively behind in keeping
with the entire absence from her manner and expression of all search after mere
effect Sometimes when Dorothea was in company there seemed to be as complete
an air of repose about her as if she had been a picture of Santa Barbara looking
out from her tower into the clear air but these intervals of quietude made the
energy of her speech and emotion the more remarked when some outward appeal had
touched her
She was naturally the subject of many observations this evening for the
dinnerparty was large and rather more miscellaneous as to the male portion than
any which had been held at the Grange since Mr Brookes nieces had resided with
him so that the talking was done in duos and trios more or less inharmonious
There was the newlyelected mayor of Middlemarch who happened to be a
manufacturer the philanthropic banker his brotherinlaw who predominated so
much in the town that some called him a Methodist others a hypocrite according
to the resources of their vocabulary and there were various professional men
In fact Mrs Cadwallader said that Brooke was beginning to treat the
Middlemarchers and that she preferred the farmers at the tithedinner who
drank her health unpretentiously and were not ashamed of their grandfathers
furniture For in that part of the country before Reform had done its notable
part in developing the political consciousness there was a clearer distinction
of ranks and a dimmer distinction of parties so that Mr Brookes miscellaneous
invitations seemed to belong to that general laxity which came from his
inordinate travel and habit of taking too much in the form of ideas.
Already as Miss Brooke passed out of the diningroom opportunity was found
for some interjectional »asides«
»A fine woman Miss Brooke an uncommonly fine woman by God« said Mr
Standish the old lawyer who had been so long concerned with the landed gentry
that he had become landed himself and used that oath in a deepmouthed manner
as a sort of armorial bearings stamping the speech of a man who held a good
position
Mr Bulstrode the banker seemed to be addressed but that gentleman
disliked coarseness and profanity and merely bowed The remark was taken up by
Mr Chichely a middleaged bachelor and coursing celebrity who had a
complexion something like an Easter egg a few hairs carefully arranged and a
carriage implying the consciousness of a distinguished appearance
»Yes but not my style of woman I like a woman who lays herself out a
little more to please us There should be a little filigree about a woman
something of the coquette A man likes a sort of challenge The more of a dead
set she makes at you the better«
»Theres some truth in that« said Mr Standish disposed to be genial
»And by God its usually the way with them I suppose it answers some wise
ends Providence made them so eh Bulstrode«
»I should be disposed to refer coquetry to another source« said Mr
Bulstrode »I should rather refer it to the devil«
»Ay to be sure there should be a little devil in a woman« said Mr
Chichely whose study of the fair sex seemed to have been detrimental to his
theology »And I like them blond with a certain gait and a swan neck Between
ourselves the mayors daughter is more to my taste than Miss Brooke or Miss
Celia either If I were a marrying man I should choose Miss Vincy before either
of them«
»Well make up make up« said Mr Standish jocosely »you see the
middleaged fellows carry the day«
Mr Chichely shook his head with much meaning he was not going to incur the
certainty of being accepted by the woman he would choose
The Miss Vincy who had the honour of being Mr Chichelys ideal was of
course not present for Mr Brooke always objecting to go too far would not
have chosen that his nieces should meet the daughter of a Middlemarch
manufacturer unless it were on a public occasion The feminine part of the
company included none whom Lady Chettam or Mrs Cadwallader could object to for
Mrs Renfrew the colonels widow was not only unexceptionable in point of
breeding but also interesting on the ground of her complaint which puzzled the
doctors and seemed clearly a case wherein the fulness of professional knowledge
might need the supplement of quackery Lady Chettam who attributed her own
remarkable health to homemade bitters united with constant medical attendance
entered with much exercise of the imagination into Mrs Renfrews account of
symptoms and into the amazing futility in her case of all strengthening
medicines
»Where can all the strength of those medicines go my dear« said the mild
but stately dowager turning to Mrs Cadwallader reflectively when Mrs
Renfrews attention was called away
»It strengthens the disease« said the Rectors wife much too wellborn not
to be an amateur in medicine »Everything depends on the constitution some
people make fat some blood and some bile thats my view of the matter and
whatever they take is a sort of grist to the mill«
»Then she ought to take medicines that would reduce reduce the disease
you know if you are right my dear And I think what you say is reasonable«
»Certainly it is reasonable You have two sorts of potatoes fed on the same
soil One of them grows more and more watery «
»Ah like this poor Mrs Renfrew that is what I think Dropsy There is no
swelling yet it is inward I should say she ought to take drying medicines
shouldnt you or a dry hotair bath Many things might be tried of a drying
nature«
»Let her try a certain persons pamphlets« said Mrs Cadwallader in an
undertone seeing the gentlemen enter »He does not want drying«
»Who my dear« said Lady Chettam a charming woman not so quick as to
nullify the pleasure of explanation
»The bridegroom Casaubon He has certainly been drying up faster since the
engagement the flame of passion I suppose«
»I should think he is far from having a good constitution« said Lady
Chettam with a still deeper undertone »And then his studies so very dry as
you say«
»Really by the side of Sir James he looks like a deaths head skinned over
for the occasion Mark my words in a year from this time that girl will hate
him She looks up to him as an oracle now and byandby she will be at the
other extreme All flightiness«
»How very shocking I fear she is headstrong But tell me you know all
about him is there anything very bad What is the truth«
»The truth he is as bad as the wrong physic nasty to take and sure to
disagree«
»There could not be anything worse than that« said Lady Chettam with so
vivid a conception of the physic that she seemed to have learned something exact
about Mr Casaubons disadvantages »However James will hear nothing against
Miss Brooke He says she is the mirror of women still«
»That is a generous makebelieve of his Depend upon it he likes little
Celia better and she appreciates him I hope you like my little Celia«
»Certainly she is fonder of geraniums and seems more docile though not so
fine a figure But we were talking of physic tell me about this new young
surgeon Mr Lydgate I am told he is wonderfully clever he certainly looks it
a fine brow indeed«
»He is a gentleman I heard him talking to Humphrey He talks well«
»Yes Mr Brooke says he is one of the Lydgates of Northumberland really
well connected One does not expect it in a practitioner of that kind For my
own part I like a medical man more on a footing with the servants they are
often all the cleverer I assure you I found poor Hickss judgment unfailing I
never knew him wrong He was coarse and butcherlike but he knew my
constitution It was a loss to me his going off so suddenly Dear me what a
very animated conversation Miss Brooke seems to be having with this Mr
Lydgate«
»She is talking cottages and hospitals with him« said Mrs Cadwallader
whose ears and power of interpretation were quick »I believe he is a sort of
philanthropist so Brooke is sure to take him up«
»James« said Lady Chettam when her son came near »bring Mr Lydgate and
introduce him to me I want to test him«
The affable dowager declared herself delighted with this opportunity of
making Mr Lydgates acquaintance having heard of his success in treating fever
on a new plan
Mr Lydgate had the medical accomplishment of looking perfectly grave
whatever nonsense was talked to him and his dark steady eyes gave him
impressiveness as a listener He was as little as possible like the lamented
Hicks especially in a certain careless refinement about his toilette and
utterance Yet Lady Chettam gathered much confidence in him He confirmed her
view of her own constitution as being peculiar by admitting that all
constitutions might be called peculiar and he did not deny that hers might be
more peculiar than others He did not approve of a too lowering system
including reckless cupping nor on the other hand of incessant portwine and
bark He said »I think so« with an air of so much deference accompanying the
insight of agreement, that she formed the most cordial opinion of his talents
»I am quite pleased with your protégé« she said to Mr Brooke before going
away
»My protégé dear me who is that« said Mr Brooke
»This young Lydgate the new doctor He seems to me to understand his
profession admirably«
»Oh Lydgate he is not my protégé you know only I knew an uncle of his
who sent me a letter about him However I think he is likely to be firstrate
has studied in Paris knew Broussais has ideas you know wants to raise the
profession«
»Lydgate has lots of ideas, quite new about ventilation and diet that sort
of thing« resumed Mr Brooke after he had handed out Lady Chettam and had
returned to be civil to a group of Middlemarchers
»Hang it do you think that is quite sound upsetting the old treatment
which has made Englishmen what they are« said Mr Standish
»Medical knowledge is at a low ebb among us« said Mr Bulstrode who spoke
in a subdued tone and had rather a sickly air »I for my part hail the advent
of Mr Lydgate I hope to find good reason for confiding the new hospital to his
management«
»That is all very fine« replied Mr Standish who was not fond of Mr
Bulstrode »if you like him to try experiments on your hospital patients and
kill a few people for charity I have no objection But I am not going to hand
money out of my purse to have experiments tried on me I like treatment that has
been tested a little«
»Well you know Standish every dose you take is an experiment an
experiment you know« said Mr Brooke nodding towards the lawyer
»Oh if you talk in that sense« said Mr Standish with as much disgust at
such nonlegal quibbling as a man can well betray towards a valuable client
»I should be glad of any treatment that would cure me without reducing me to
a skeleton like poor Grainger« said Mr Vincy the mayor a florid man who
would have served for a study of flesh in striking contrast with the Franciscan
tints of Mr Bulstrode »Its an uncommonly dangerous thing to be left without
any padding against the shafts of disease as somebody said and I think it a
very good expression myself«
Mr Lydgate of course was out of hearing He had quitted the party early
and would have thought it altogether tedious but for the novelty of certain
introductions especially the introduction to Miss Brooke whose youthful bloom
with her approaching marriage to that faded scholar and her interest in matters
socially useful gave her the piquancy of an unusual combination
»She is a good creature that fine girl but a little too earnest« he
thought »It is troublesome to talk to such women They are always wanting
reasons yet they are too ignorant to understand the merits of any question and
usually fall back on their moral sense to settle things after their own taste«
Evidently Miss Brooke was not Mr Lydgates style of woman any more than Mr
Chichelys Considered indeed in relation to the latter whose mind was
matured she was altogether a mistake and calculated to shock his trust in
final causes including the adaptation of fine young women to purplefaced
bachelors But Lydgate was less ripe and might possibly have experience before
him which would modify his opinion as to the most excellent things in woman
Miss Brooke however was not again seen by either of these gentlemen under
her maiden name Not long after that dinnerparty she had become Mrs Casaubon
and was on her way to Rome
Chapter XI
»But deeds and language such as men do use
And persons such as comedy would choose
When she would show an image of the times
And sport with human follies not with crimes«
Ben Jonson
Lydgate in fact was already conscious of being fascinated by a woman
strikingly different from Miss Brooke he did not in the least suppose that he
had lost his balance and fallen in love but he had said of that particular
woman »She is grace itself she is perfectly lovely and accomplished That is
what a woman ought to be she ought to produce the effect of exquisite music«
Plain women he regarded as he did the other severe facts of life to be faced
with philosophy and investigated by science But Rosamond Vincy seemed to have
the true melodic charm and when a man has seen the woman whom he would have
chosen if he had intended to marry speedily his remaining a bachelor will
usually depend on her resolution rather than on his Lydgate believed that he
should not marry for several years not marry until he had trodden out a good
clear path for himself away from the broad road which was quite ready made He
had seen Miss Vincy above his horizon almost as long as it had taken Mr
Casaubon to become engaged and married but this learned gentleman was possessed
of a fortune he had assembled his voluminous notes and had made that sort of
reputation which precedes performance often the larger part of a mans fame
He took a wife as we have seen to adorn the remaining quadrant of his course
and be a little moon that would cause hardly a calculable perturbation But
Lydgate was young poor ambitious He had his halfcentury before him instead
of behind him and he had come to Middlemarch bent on doing many things that
were not directly fitted to make his fortune or even secure him a good income
To a man under such circumstances taking a wife is something more than a
question of adornment however highly he may rate this and Lydgate was disposed
to give it the first place among wifely functions To his taste guided by a
single conversation here was the point on which Miss Brooke would be found
wanting notwithstanding her undeniable beauty She did not look at things from
the proper feminine angle The society of such women was about as relaxing as
going from your work to teach the second form instead of reclining in a
paradise with sweet laughs for birdnotes and blue eyes for a heaven
Certainly nothing at present could seem much less important to Lydgate than
the turn of Miss Brookes mind or to Miss Brooke than the qualities of the
woman who had attracted this young surgeon But any one watching keenly the
stealthy convergence of human lots sees a slow preparation of effects from one
life on another which tells like a calculated irony on the indifference or the
frozen stare with which we look at our unintroduced neighbour Destiny stands by
sarcastic with our dramatis personæ folded in her hand
Old provincial society had its share of this subtle movement had not only
its striking downfalls its brilliant young professional dandies who ended by
living up an entry with a drab and six children for their establishment but
also those less marked vicissitudes which are constantly shifting the boundaries
of social intercourse and begetting new consciousness of interdependence Some
slipped a little downward some got higher footing people denied aspirates
gained wealth and fastidious gentlemen stood for boroughs some were caught in
political currents some in ecclesiastical and perhaps found themselves
surprisingly grouped in consequence while a few personages or families that
stood with rocky firmness amid all this fluctuation were slowly presenting new
aspects in spite of solidity and altering with the double change of self and
beholder Municipal town and rural parish gradually made fresh threads of
connection gradually as the old stocking gave way to the savingsbank and
the worship of the solar guinea became extinct while squires and baronets and
even lords who had once lived blamelessly afar from the civic mind gathered the
faultiness of closer acquaintanceship Settlers too came from distant
counties some with an alarming novelty of skill others with an offensive
advantage in cunning In fact much the same sort of movement and mixture went
on in old England as we find in older Herodotus who also in telling what had
been thought it well to take a womans lot for his startingpoint though Io
as a maiden apparently beguiled by attractive merchandise was the reverse of
Miss Brooke and in this respect perhaps bore more resemblance to Rosamond
Vincy who had excellent taste in costume with that nymphlike figure and pure
blondness which give the largest range to choice in the flow and colour of
drapery But these things made only part of her charm She was admitted to be
the flower of Mrs Lemons school the chief school in the county where the
teaching included all that was demanded in the accomplished female even to
extras such as the getting in and out of a carriage Mrs Lemon herself had
always held up Miss Vincy as an example no pupil she said exceeded that young
lady for mental acquisition and propriety of speech while her musical execution
was quite exceptional We cannot help the way in which people speak of us and
probably if Mrs Lemon had undertaken to describe Juliet or Imogen these
heroines would not have seemed poetical The first vision of Rosamond would have
been enough with most judges to dispel any prejudice excited by Mrs Lemons
praise
Lydgate could not be long in Middlemarch without having that agreeable
vision or even without making the acquaintance of the Vincy family for though
Mr Peacock whose practice he had paid something to enter on had not been
their doctor Mrs Vincy not liking the lowering system adopted by him he had
many patients among their connections and acquaintances For who of any
consequence in Middlemarch was not connected or at least acquainted with the
Vincys They were old manufacturers and had kept a good house for three
generations in which there had naturally been much intermarrying with
neighbours more or less decidedly genteel Mr Vincys sister had made a wealthy
match in accepting Mr Bulstrode who however as a man not born in the town
and altogether of dimlyknown origin was considered to have done well in
uniting himself with a real Middlemarch family on the other hand Mr Vincy had
descended a little having taken an innkeepers daughter But on this side too
there was a cheering sense of money for Mrs Vincys sister had been second
wife to rich old Mr Featherstone and had died childless years ago so that her
nephews and nieces might be supposed to touch the affections of the widower And
it happened that Mr Bulstrode and Mr Featherstone two of Peacocks most
important patients had from different causes given an especially good
reception to his successor who had raised some partisanship as well as
discussion Mr Wrench medical attendant to the Vincy family very early had
grounds for thinking lightly of Lydgates professional discretion and there was
no report about him which was not retailed at the Vincys where visitors were
frequent Mr Vincy was more inclined to general goodfellowship than to taking
sides but there was no need for him to be hasty in making any new mans
acquaintance Rosamond silently wished that her father would invite Mr Lydgate
She was tired of the faces and figures she had always been used to the various
irregular profiles and gaits and turns of phrase distinguishing those
Middlemarch young men whom she had known as boys She had been at school with
girls of higher position whose brothers she felt sure it would have been
possible for her to be more interested in than in these inevitable Middlemarch
companions But she would not have chosen to mention her wish to her father and
he for his part was in no hurry on the subject An alderman about to be mayor
must byandby enlarge his dinner parties but at present there were plenty of
guests at his wellspread table
That table often remained covered with the relics of the family breakfast
long after Mr Vincy had gone with his second son to the warehouse and when
Miss Morgan was already far on in morning lessons with the younger girls in the
schoolroom It awaited the family laggard who found any sort of inconvenince
to others less disagreeable than getting up when he was called This was the
case one morning of the October in which we have lately seen Mr Casaubon
visiting the Grange and though the room was a little overheated with the fire
which had sent the spaniel panting to a remote corner Rosamond for some
reason continued to sit at her embroidery longer than usual now and then
giving herself a little shake and laying her work on her knee to contemplate it
with an air of hesitating weariness Her mamma who had returned from an
excursion to the kitchen sat on the other side of the small worktable with an
air of more entire placidity until the clock again giving notice that it was
going to strike she looked up from the lacemending which was occupying her
plump fingers and rang the bell
»Knock at Mr Freds door again Pritchard and tell him it has struck
halfpast ten«
This was said without any change in the radiant goodhumour of Mrs Vincys
face in which fortyfive years had delved neither angles nor parallels and
pushing back her pink capstrings she let her work rest on her lap while she
looked admiringly at her daughter
»Mamma« said Rosamond »when Fred comes down I wish you would not let him
have red herrings I cannot bear the smell of them all over the house at this
hour of the morning«
»Oh my dear you are so hard on your brothers It is the only fault I have
to find with you You are the sweetest temper in the world but you are so
tetchy with your brothers«
»Not tetchy mamma you never hear me speak in an unladylike way«
»Well but you want to deny them things«
»Brothers are so unpleasant«
»Oh my dear you must allow for young men Be thankful if they have good
hearts A woman must learn to put up with little things You will be married
some day«
»Not to any one who is like Fred«
»Dont decry your own brother my dear Few young men have less against
them although he couldnt take his degree Im sure I cant understand why
for he seems to me most clever And you know yourself he was thought equal to
the best society at college So particular as you are my dear I wonder you are
not glad to have such a gentlemanly young man for a brother You are always
finding fault with Bob because he is not Fred«
»Oh no mamma only because he is Bob«
»Well my dear you will not find any Middlemarch young man who has not
something against him«
»But« here Rosamonds face broke into a smile which suddenly revealed two
dimples She herself thought unfavourably of these dimples and smiled little in
general society »But I shall not marry any Middlemarch young man«
»So it seems my love for you have as good as refused the pick of them and
if theres better to be had Im sure theres no girl better deserves it«
»Excuse me mamma I wish you would not say the pick of them«
»Why what else are they«
»I mean mamma it is rather a vulgar expression«
»Very likely my dear I never was a good speaker What should I say«
»The best of them«
»Why that seems just as plain and common If I had had time to think I
should have said the most superior young men But with your education you must
know«
»What must Rosy know mother« said Mr Fred who had slid in unobserved
through the halfopen door while the ladies were bending over their work and
now going up to the fire stood with his back towards it warming the soles of
his slippers
»Whether its right to say superior young men« said Mrs Vincy ringing the
bell
»Oh there are so many superior teas and sugars now Superior is getting to
be shopkeepers slang«
»Are you beginning to dislike slang then« said Rosamond with mild
gravity
»Only the wrong sort All choice of words is slang It marks a class«
»There is correct English that is not slang«
»I beg your pardon correct English is the slang of prigs who write history
and essays And the strongest slang of all is the slang of poets«
»You will say anything Fred to gain your point«
»Well tell me whether it is slang or poetry to call an ox a legplaiter«
»Of course you can call it poetry if you like«
»Aha Miss Rosy you dont know Homer from slang I shall invent a new game
I shall write bits of slang and poetry on slips and give them to you to
separate«
»Dear me how amusing it is to hear young people talk« said Mrs Vincy
with cheerful admiration
»Have you got nothing else for my breakfast Pritchard« said Fred to the
servant who brought in coffee and buttered toast while he walked round the
table surveying the ham potted beef and other cold remnants with an air of
silent rejection and polite forbearance from signs of disgust
»Should you like eggs sir«
»Eggs no Bring me a grilled bone«
»Really Fred« said Rosamond when the servant had left the room »if you
must have hot things for breakfast I wish you would come down earlier You can
get up at six oclock to go out hunting I cannot understand why you find it so
difficult to get up on other mornings«
»That is your want of understanding Rosy I can get up to go hunting
because I like it«
»What would you think of me if I came down two hours after every one else
and ordered grilled bone«
»I should think you were an uncommonly fast young lady« said Fred eating
his toast with the utmost composure
»I cannot see why brothers are to make themselves disagreeable any more
than sisters«
»I dont make myself disagreeable it is you who find me so Disagreeable is
a word that describes your feelings and not my actions«
»I think it describes the smell of grilled bone«
»Not at all It describes a sensation in your little nose associated with
certain finicking notions which are the classics of Mrs Lemons school Look at
my mother you dont see her objecting to everything except what she does
herself She is my notion of a pleasant woman«
»Bless you both my dears and dont quarrel« said Mrs Vincy with
motherly cordiality »Come Fred tell us all about the new doctor How is your
uncle pleased with him«
»Pretty well I think He asks Lydgate all sorts of questions and then
screws up his face while he hears the answers as if they were pinching his
toes Thats his way Ah here comes my grilled bone«
»But how came you to stay out so late my dear You only said you were going
to your uncles«
»Oh I dined at Plymdales We had whist Lydgate was there too«
»And what do you think of him He is very gentlemanly I suppose They say
he is of excellent family his relations quite county people«
»Yes« said Fred »There was a Lydgate at Johns who spent no end of money
I find this man is a second cousin of his But rich men may have very poor
devils for second cousins«
»It always makes a difference though to be of good family« said Rosamond
with a tone of decision which showed that she had thought on this subject
Rosamond felt that she might have been happier if she had not been the daughter
of a Middlemarch manufacturer She disliked anything which reminded her that her
mothers father had been an innkeeper Certainly any one remembering the fact
might think that Mrs Vincy had the air of a very handsome goodhumoured
landlady accustomed to the most capricious orders of gentlemen
»I thought it was odd his name was Tertius« said the brightfaced matron
»but of course its a name in the family But now tell us exactly what sort of
man he is«
»Oh tallish dark clever talks well rather a prig I think«
»I never can make out what you mean by a prig« said Rosamond
»A fellow who wants to show that he has opinions«
»Why my dear doctors must have opinions« said Mrs Vincy »What are they
there for else«
»Yes mother the opinions they are paid for But a prig is a fellow who is
always making you a present of his opinions«
»I suppose Mary Garth admires Mr Lydgate« said Rosamond not without a
touch of innuendo
»Really I cant say« said Fred rather glumly as he left the table and
taking up a novel which he had brought down with him threw himself into an
armchair »If you are jealous of her go oftener to Stone Court yourself and
eclipse her«
»I wish you would not be so vulgar Fred If you have finished pray ring
the bell«
»It is true though what your brother says Rosamond« Mrs Vincy began
when the servant had cleared the table »It is a thousand pities you havent
patience to go and see your uncle more so proud of you as he is and wanted you
to live with him Theres no knowing what he might have done for you as well as
for Fred God knows Im fond of having you at home with me but I can part with
my children for their good And now it stands to reason that your uncle
Featherstone will do something for Mary Garth«
»Mary Garth can bear being at Stone Court because she likes that better
than being a governess« said Rosamond folding up her work »I would rather not
have anything left to me if I must earn it by enduring much of my uncles cough
and his ugly relations«
»He cant be long for this world my dear I wouldnt hasten his end but
what with asthma and that inward complaint let us hope there is something
better for him in another And I have no illwill towards Mary Garth but
theres justice to be thought of And Mr Featherstones first wife brought him
no money as my sister did Her nieces and nephews cant have so much claim as
my sisters And I must say I think Mary Garth a dreadful plain girl more fit
for a governess«
»Every one would not agree with you there mother« said Fred who seemed to
be able to read and listen too
»Well my dear« said Mrs Vincy wheeling skilfully »if she had some
fortune left her a man marries his wifes relations and the Garths are so
poor and live in such a small way But I shall leave you to your studies my
dear for I must go and do some shopping«
»Freds studies are not very deep« said Rosamond rising with her mamma
»he is only reading a novel«
»Well well byandby hell go to his Latin and things« said Mrs Vincy
soothingly stroking her sons head »Theres a fire in the smokingroom on
purpose Its your fathers wish you know Fred my dear and I always tell
him you will be good and go to college again to take your degree«
Fred drew his mothers hand down to his lips but said nothing
»I suppose you are not going out riding today« said Rosamond lingering a
little after her mamma was gone
»No why«
»Papa says I may have the chesnut to ride now«
»You can go with me tomorrow if you like Only I am going to Stone Court
remember«
»I want the ride so much it is indifferent to me where we go« Rosamond
really wished to go to Stone Court of all other places
»Oh I say Rosy« said Fred as she was passing out of the room »if you
are going to the piano let me come and play some airs with you«
»Pray do not ask me this morning«
»Why not this morning«
»Really Fred I wish you would leave off playing the flute A man looks
very silly playing the flute And you play so out of tune«
»When next any one makes love to you Miss Rosamond I will tell him how
obliging you are«
»Why should you expect me to oblige you by hearing you play the flute any
more than I should expect you to oblige me by not playing it«
»And why should you expect me to take you out riding«
This question led to an adjustment for Rosamond had set her mind on that
particular ride
So Fred was gratified with nearly an hours practice of »Ar hyd y nos« »Ye
banks and braes« and other favourite airs from his »Instructor on the Flute« a
wheezy performance into which he threw much ambition and an irrepressible
hopefulness
Chapter XII
»He had more tow on his distaffe
Than Gerveis knew«
Chaucer
The ride to Stone Court which Fred and Rosamond took the next morning lay
through a pretty bit of midland landscape almost all meadows and pastures with
hedgerows still allowed to grow in bushy beauty and to spread out coral fruit
for the birds Little details gave each field a particular physiognomy dear to
the eyes that have looked on them from childhood the pool in the corner where
the grasses were dank and trees leaned whisperingly the great oak shadowing a
bare place in midpasture the high bank where the ashtrees grew the sudden
slope of the old marlpit making a red background for the burdock the huddled
roofs and ricks of the homestead without a traceable way of approach the grey
gate and fences against the depths of the bordering wood and the stray hovel
its old old thatch full of mossy hills and valleys with wondrous modulations of
light and shadow such as we travel far to see in later life and see larger but
not more beautiful These are the things that make the gamut of joy in landscape
to midlandbred souls the things they toddled among or perhaps learned by
heart standing between their fathers knees while he drove leisurely
But the road even the byroad was excellent for Lowick as we have seen
was not a parish of muddy lanes and poor tenants and it was into Lowick parish
that Fred and Rosamond entered after a couple of miles riding Another mile
would bring them to Stone Court and at the end of the first half the house was
already visible looking as if it had been arrested in its growth toward a stone
mansion by an unexpected budding of farmbuildings on its left flank which had
hindered it from becoming anything more than the substantial dwelling of a
gentleman farmer It was not the less agreeable an object in the distance for
the cluster of pinnacled cornricks which balanced the fine row of walnuts on
the right
Presently it was possible to discern something that might be a gig on the
circular drive before the front door
»Dear me« said Rosamond »I hope none of my uncles horrible relations are
there«
»They are though That is Mrs Waules gig the last yellow gig left I
should think When I see Mrs Waule in it I understand how yellow can have been
worn for mourning That gig seems to me more funereal than a hearse But then
Mrs Waule always has black crape on How does she manage it Rosy Her friends
cant always be dying«
»I dont know at all And she is not in the least evangelical« said
Rosamond reflectively as if that religious point of view would have fully
accounted for perpetual crape »And not poor« she added after a moments
pause
»No by George They are as rich as Jews those Waules and Featherstones I
mean for people like them who dont want to spend anything And yet they hang
about my uncle like vultures and are afraid of a farthing going away from their
side of the family But I believe he hates them all«
The Mrs Waule who was so far from being admirable in the eyes of these
distant connections had happened to say this very morning not at all with a
defiant air but in a low muffled neutral tone as of a voice heard through
cotton wool that she did not wish »to enjoy their good opinion« She was
seated as she observed on her own brothers hearth and had been Jane
Featherstone fiveandtwenty years before she had been Jane Waule which
entitled her to speak when her own brothers name had been made free with by
those who had no right to it
»What are you driving at there« said Mr Featherstone holding his stick
between his knees and settling his wig while he gave her a momentary sharp
glance which seemed to react on him like a draught of cold air and set him
coughing
Mrs Waule had to defer her answer till he was quiet again till Mary Garth
had supplied him with fresh syrup and he had begun to rub the gold knob of his
stick looking bitterly at the fire It was a bright fire but it made no
difference to the chilllooking purplish tint of Mrs Waules face which was as
neutral as her voice having mere chinks for eyes and lips that hardly moved in
speaking
»The doctors cant master that cough brother Its just like what I have
for Im your own sister constitution and everything But as I was saying its
a pity Mrs Vincys family cant be better conducted«
»Tchah you said nothing o the sort You said somebody had made free with
my name«
»And no more than can be proved if what everybody says is true My brother
Solomon tells me its the talk up and down in Middlemarch how unsteady young
Vincy is and has been for ever gambling at billiards since home he came«
»Nonsense Whats a game at billiards Its a good gentlemanly game and
young Vincy is not a clodhopper If your son John took to billiards now hed
make a fool of himself«
»Your nephew John never took to billiards or any other game brother and is
far from losing hundreds of pounds which if what everybody says is true must
be found somewhere else than out of Mr Vincy the fathers pocket For they say
hes been losing money for years though nobody would think so to see him go
coursing and keeping open house as they do And Ive heard say Mr Bulstrode
condemns Mrs Vincy beyond anything for her flightiness and spoiling her
children so«
»Whats Bulstrode to me I dont bank with him«
»Well Mrs Bulstrode is Mr Vincys own sister and they do say that Mr
Vincy mostly trades on the Bank money and you may see yourself brother when a
woman past forty has pink strings always flying and that light way of laughing
at everything its very unbecoming But indulging your children is one thing
and finding money to pay their debts is another And its openly said that young
Vincy has raised money on his expectations I dont say what expectations Miss
Garth hears me and is welcome to tell again I know young people hang
together«
»No thank you Mrs Waule« said Mary Garth »I dislike hearing scandal too
much to wish to repeat it«
Mr Featherstone rubbed the knob of his stick and made a brief convulsive
show of laughter which had much the same genuineness as an old whistplayers
chuckle over a bad hand Still looking at the fire he said
»And who pretends to say Fred Vincy hasnt got expectations Such a fine
spirited fellow is like enough to have em«
There was a slight pause before Mrs Waule replied and when she did so her
voice seemed to be slightly moistened with tears though her face was still dry
»Whether or no brother it is naturally painful to me and my brother
Solomon to hear your name made free with and your complaint being such as may
carry you off sudden and people who are no more Featherstones than the
MerryAndrew at the fair openly reckoning on your property coming to them And
me your own sister and Solomon your own brother And if thats to be it what
has it pleased the Almighty to make families for« Here Mrs Waules tears fell
but with moderation
»Come out with it Jane« said Mr Featherstone looking at her »You mean
to say Fred Vincy has been getting somebody to advance him money on what he
says he knows about my will eh«
»I never said so brother« Mrs Waules voice had again become dry and
unshaken »It was told me by my brother Solomon last night when he called
coming from market to give me advice about the old wheat me being a widow and
my son John only threeandtwenty though steady beyond anything And he had it
from most undeniable authority and not one but many«
»Stuff and nonsense I dont believe a word of it Its all a gotup story
Go to the window missy I thought I heard a horse See if the doctors coming«
»Not got up by me brother nor yet by Solomon who whatever else he may be
and I dont deny he has oddities has made his will and parted his property
equal between such kin as hes friends with though for my part I think there
are times when some should be considered more than others But Solomon makes it
no secret what he means to do«
»The more fool he« said Mr Featherstone with some difficulty breaking
into a severe fit of coughing that required Mary Garth to stand near him so
that she did not find out whose horses they were which presently paused stamping
on the gravel before the door
Before Mr Featherstones cough was quiet Rosamond entered bearing up her
ridinghabit with much grace She bowed ceremoniously to Mrs Waule who said
stiffly »How do you do miss« smiled and nodded silently to Mary and remained
standing till the coughing should cease and allow her uncle to notice her
»Heyday miss« he said at last »you have a fine colour Wheres Fred«
»Seeing about the horses He will be in presently«
»Sit down sit down Mrs Waule youd better go«
Even those neighbours who had called Peter Featherstone an old fox had
never accused him of being insincerely polite and his sister was quite used to
the peculiar absence of ceremony with which he marked his sense of
bloodrelationship Indeed she herself was accustomed to think that entire
freedom from the necessity of behaving agreeably was included in the Almightys
intentions about families She rose slowly without any sign of resentment and
said in her usual muffled monotone »Brother I hope the new doctor will be able
to do something for you Solomon says theres great talk of his cleverness Im
sure its my wish you should be spared And theres none more ready to nurse you
than your own sister and your own nieces if youd only say the word Theres
Rebecca and Joanna and Elizabeth you know«
»Ay ay I remember youll see Ive remembered em all all dark and
ugly Theyd need have some money eh There never was any beauty in the women
of our family but the Featherstones have always had some money and the Waules
too Waule had money too A warm man was Waule Ay ay moneys a good egg and
if youve got money to leave behind you lay it in a warm nest Goodbye Mrs
Waule«
Here Mr Featherstone pulled at both sides of his wig as if he wanted to
deafen himself and his sister went away ruminating on this oracular speech of
his Notwithstanding her jealousy of the Vincys and of Mary Garth there
remained as the nethermost sediment in her mental shallows a persuasion that her
brother Peter Featherstone could never leave his chief property away from his
bloodrelations else why had the Almighty carried off his two wives both
childless after he had gained so much by manganese and things turning up when
nobody expected it and why was there a Lowick parish church and the Waules
and Powderells all sitting in the same pew for generations and the Featherstone
pew next to them if the Sunday after her brother Peters death everybody was
to know that the property was gone out of the family The human mind has at no
period accepted a moral chaos and so preposterous a result was not strictly
conceivable But we are frightened at much that is not strictly conceivable
When Fred came in the old man eyed him with a peculiar twinkle which the
younger had often had reason to interpret as pride in the satisfactory details
of his appearance
»You two misses go away« said Mr Featherstone »I want to speak to Fred«
»Come into my room Rosamond you will not mind the cold for a little
while« said Mary The two girls had not only known each other in childhood but
had been at the same provincial school together Mary as an articled pupil so
that they had many memories in common and liked very well to talk in private
Indeed this têteàtête was one of Rosamonds objects in coming to Stone Court
Old Featherstone would not begin the dialogue till the door had been closed
He continued to look at Fred with the same twinkle and with one of his habitual
grimaces alternately screwing and widening his mouth and when he spoke it was
in a low tone which might be taken for that of an informer ready to be bought
off rather than for the tone of an offended senior He was not a man to feel
any strong moral indignation even on account of trespasses against himself It
was natural that others should want to get an advantage over him but then he
was a little too cunning for them
»So sir youve been paying ten per cent for money which youve promised to
pay off by mortgaging my land when Im dead and gone eh You put my life at a
twelvemonth say But I can alter my will yet«
Fred blushed He had not borrowed money in that way for excellent reasons
But he was conscious of having spoken with some confidence perhaps with more
than he exactly remembered about his prospect of getting Featherstones land as
a future means of paying present debts
»I dont know what you refer to sir I have certainly never borrowed any
money on such an insecurity Please to explain«
»No sir its you must explain I can alter my will yet let me tell you
Im of sound mind can reckon compound interest in my head and remember every
fools name as well as I could twenty years ago What the deuce Im under
eighty I say you must contradict this story«
»I have contradicted it sir« Fred answered with a touch of impatience
not remembering that his uncle did not verbally discriminate contradicting from
disproving though no one was further from confounding the two ideas than old
Featherstone who often wondered that so many fools took his own assertions for
proofs »But I contradict it again The story is a silly lie«
»Nonsense you must bring dockiments It comes from authority«
»Name the authority and make him name the man of whom I borrowed the money
and then I can disprove the story«
»Its pretty good authority I think a man who knows most of what goes on
in Middlemarch Its that fine religious charitable uncle o yours Come now«
Here Mr Featherstone had his peculiar inward shake which signified merriment
»Mr Bulstrode«
»Who else eh«
»Then the story has grown into this lie out of some sermonising words he may
have let fall about me Do they pretend that he named the man who lent me the
money«
»If there is such a man depend upon it Bulstrode knows him But supposing
you only tried to get the money lent and didnt get it Bulstrode ud know
that too You bring me a writing from Bulstrode to say he doesnt believe youve
ever promised to pay your debts out o my land Come now«
Mr Featherstones face required its whole scale of grimaces as a muscular
outlet to his silent triumph in the soundness of his faculties
Fred felt himself to be in a disgusting dilemma
»You must be joking sir Mr Bulstrode like other men believes scores of
things that are not true and he has a prejudice against me I could easily get
him to write that he knew no facts in proof of the report you speak of though
it might lead to unpleasantness But I could hardly ask him to write down what
he believes or does not believe about me« Fred paused an instant and then
added in politic appeal to his uncles vanity »That is hardly a thing for a
gentleman to ask«
But he was disappointed in the result
»Ay I know what you mean Youd sooner offend me than Bulstrode And whats
he hes got no land hereabout that ever I heard tell of A speckilating
fellow He may come down any day when the devil leaves off backing him And
thats what his religion means he wants God Amighty to come in Thats
nonsense Theres one thing I made out pretty clear when I used to go to church
and its this God Amighty sticks to the land He promises land and He gives
land and He makes chaps rich with corn and cattle But you take the other side
You like Bulstrode and speckilation better than Featherstone and land«
»I beg your pardon sir« said Fred rising standing with his back to the
fire and beating his boot with his whip »I like neither Bulstrode nor
speculation« He spoke rather sulkily feeling himself stalemated
»Well well you can do without me thats pretty clear« said old
Featherstone secretly disliking the possibility that Fred would show himself at
all independent »You neither want a bit of land to make a squire of you instead
of a starving parson nor a lift of a hundred pound by the way Its all one to
me I can make five codicils if I like and I shall keep my banknotes for a
nestegg Its all one to me«
Fred coloured again Featherstone had rarely given him presents of money
and at this moment it seemed almost harder to part with the immediate prospect
of banknotes than with the more distant prospect of the land
»I am not ungrateful sir I never meant to show disregard for any kind
intentions you might have towards me On the contrary«
»Very good Then prove it You bring me a letter from Bulstrode saying he
doesnt believe youve been cracking and promising to pay your debts out o my
land and then if theres any scrape youve got into well see if I cant back
you a bit Come now Thats a bargain Here give me your arm Ill try and walk
round the room«
Fred in spite of his irritation had kindness enough in him to be a little
sorry for the unloved unvenerated old man who with his dropsical legs looked
more than usually pitiable in walking While giving his arm he thought that he
should not himself like to be an old fellow with his constitution breaking up
and he waited goodtemperedly first before the window to hear the wonted
remarks about the guineafowls and the weathercock and then before the scanty
bookshelves of which the chief glories in dark calf were Josephus Culpepper
Klopstocks Messiah and several volumes of the Gentlemans Magazine
»Read me the names o the books Come now youre a college man«
Fred gave him the titles
»What did missy want with more books What must you be bringing her more
books for«
»They amuse her sir She is very fond of reading«
»A little too fond« said Mr Featherstone captiously »She was for reading
when she sat with me But I put a stop to that Shes got the newspaper to read
out loud Thats enough for one day I should think I cant abide to see her
reading to herself You mind and not bring her any more books do you hear«
»Yes sir I hear« Fred had received this order before and had secretly
disobeyed it He intended to disobey it again
»Ring the bell« said Mr Featherstone »I want missy to come down«
Rosamond and Mary had been talking faster than their male friends They did
not think of sitting down but stood at the toilettetable near the window while
Rosamond took off her hat adjusted her veil and applied little touches of her
fingertips to her hair hair of infantine fairness neither flaxen nor yellow
Mary Garth seemed all the plainer standing at an angle between the two nymphs
the one in the glass and the one out of it who looked at each other with eyes
of heavenly blue deep enough to hold the most exquisite meanings an ingenious
beholder could put into them and deep enough to hide the meanings of the owner
if these should happen to be less exquisite Only a few children in Middlemarch
looked blond by the side of Rosamond and the slim figure displayed by her
ridinghabit had delicate undulations In fact most men in Middlemarch except
her brothers held that Miss Vincy was the best girl in the world and some
called her an angel Mary Garth on the contrary had the aspect of an ordinary
sinner she was brown her curly dark hair was rough and stubborn her stature
was low and it would not be true to declare in satisfactory antithesis that
she had all the virtues Plainness has its peculiar temptations and vices quite
as much as beauty it is apt either to feign amiability or not feigning it to
show all the repulsiveness of discontent at any rate to be called an ugly
thing in contrast with that lovely creature your companion is apt to produce
some effect beyond a sense of fine veracity and fitness in the phrase At the
age of twoandtwenty Mary had certainly not attained that perfect good sense
and good principle which are usually recommended to the less fortunate girl as
if they were to be obtained in quantities ready mixed with a flavour of
resignation as required Her shrewdness had a streak of satiric bitterness
continually renewed and never carried utterly out of sight except by a strong
current of gratitude towards those who instead of telling her that she ought to
be contented did something to make her so Advancing womanhood had tempered her
plainness which was of a good human sort such as the mothers of our race have
very commonly worn in all latitudes under a more or less becoming headgear
Rembrandt would have painted her with pleasure and would have made her broad
features look out of the canvas with intelligent honesty For honesty
truthtelling fairness was Marys reigning virtue she neither tried to create
illusions nor indulged in them for her own behoof and when she was in a good
mood she had humour enough in her to laugh at herself When she and Rosamond
happened both to be reflected in the glass she said laughingly
»What a brown patch I am by the side of you Rosy You are the most
unbecoming companion«
»Oh no No one thinks of your appearance you are so sensible and useful
Mary Beauty is of very little consequence in reality« said Rosamond turning
her head towards Mary but with eyes swerving towards the new view of her neck
in the glass
»You mean my beauty« said Mary rather sardonically
Rosamond thought »Poor Mary she takes the kindest things ill« Aloud she
said »What have you been doing lately«
»I Oh minding the house pouring out syrup pretending to be amiable and
contented learning to have a bad opinion of everybody«
»It is a wretched life for you«
»No« said Mary curtly with a little toss of her head »I think my life is
pleasanter than your Miss Morgans«
»Yes but Miss Morgan is so uninteresting and not young«
»She is interesting to herself I suppose and I am not at all sure that
everything gets easier as one gets older«
»No« said Rosamond reflectively »one wonders what such people do without
any prospect To be sure there is religion as a support But« she added
dimpling »it is very different with you Mary You may have an offer«
»Has any one told you he means to make me one«
»Of course not I mean there is a gentleman who may fall in love with you
seeing you almost every day«
A certain change in Marys face was chiefly determined by the resolve not to
show any change
»Does that always make people fall in love« she answered carelessly »it
seems to me quite as often a reason for detesting each other«
»Not when they are interesting and agreeable I hear that Mr Lydgate is
both«
»Oh Mr Lydgate« said Mary with an unmistakable lapse into indifference
»You want to know something about him« she added not choosing to indulge
Rosamonds indirectness
»Merely how you like him«
»There is no question of liking at present My liking always wants some
little kindness to kindle it I am not magnanimous enough to like people who
speak to me without seeming to see me«
»Is he so haughty« said Rosamond with heightened satisfaction »You know
that he is of good family«
»No he did not give that as a reason«
»Mary you are the oddest girl But what sort of looking man is he Describe
him to me«
»How can one describe a man I can give you an inventory heavy eyebrows
dark eyes a straight nose thick dark hair large solid white hands and let
me see oh an exquisite cambric pockethandkerchief But you will see him You
know this is about the time of his visits«
Rosamond blushed a little but said meditatively »I rather like a haughty
manner I cannot endure a rattling young man«
»I did not tell you that Mr Lydgate was haughty but il y en a pour tous
les gôuts as little Mamselle used to say and if any girl can choose the
particular sort of conceit she would like I should think it is you Rosy«
»Haughtiness is not conceit I call Fred conceited«
»I wish no one said any worse of him He should be more careful Mrs Waule
has been telling uncle that Fred is very unsteady« Mary spoke from a girlish
impulse which got the better of her judgment There was a vague uneasiness
associated with the word »unsteady« which she hoped Rosamond might say something
to dissipate But she purposely abstained from mentioning Mrs Waules more
special insinuation
»Oh Fred is horrid« said Rosamond She would not have allowed herself so
unsuitable a word to any one but Mary
»What do you mean by horrid«
»He is so idle and makes papa so angry and says he will not take orders«
»I think Fred is quite right«
»How can you say he is quite right Mary I thought you had more sense of
religion«
»He is not fit to be a clergyman«
»But he ought to be fit«
»Well then he is not what he ought to be I know some other people who are
in the same case«
»But no one approves of them I should not like to marry a clergyman but
there must be clergymen«
»It does not follow that Fred must be one«
»But when papa has been at the expense of educating him for it And only
suppose if he should have no fortune left him«
»I can suppose that very well« said Mary dryly
»Then I wonder you can defend Fred« said Rosamond inclined to push this
point
»I dont defend him« said Mary laughing »I would defend any parish from
having him for a clergyman«
»But of course if he were a clergyman he must be different«
»Yes he would be a great hypocrite and he is not that yet«
»It is of no use saying anything to you Mary You always take Freds part«
»Why should I not take his part« said Mary lighting up »He would take
mine He is the only person who takes the least trouble to oblige me«
»You make me feel very uncomfortable Mary« said Rosamond with her gravest
mildness »I would not tell mamma for the world«
»What would you not tell her« said Mary angrily
»Pray do not go into a rage Mary« said Rosamond mildly as ever
»If your mamma is afraid that Fred will make me an offer tell her that I
would not marry him if he asked me But he is not going to do so that I am
aware He certainly never has asked me«
»Mary you are always so violent«
»And you are always so exasperating«
»I What can you blame me for«
»Oh blameless people are always the most exasperating There is the bell
I think we must go down«
»I did not mean to quarrel« said Rosamond putting on her hat
»Quarrel Nonsense we have not quarrelled If one is not to get into a rage
sometimes what is the good of being friends«
»Am I to repeat what you have said«
»Just as you please I never say what I am afraid of having repeated But
let us go down«
Mr Lydgate was rather late this morning but the visitors stayed long
enough to see him for Mr Featherstone asked Rosamond to sing to him and she
herself was so kind as to propose a second favourite song of his »Flow on
thou shining river« after she had sung »Home sweet home« which she
detested This hardheaded old Overreach approved of the sentimental song as
the suitable garnish for girls and also as fundamentally fine sentiment being
the right thing for a song
Mr Featherstone was still applauding the last performance and assuring
Missy that her voice was as clear as a blackbirds when Mr Lydgates horse
passed the window
His dull expectation of the usual disagreeable routine with an aged patient
who can hardly believe that medicine would not »set him up« if the doctor were
only clever enough added to his general disbelief in Middlemarch charms made
a doubly effective background to this vision of Rosamond whom old Featherstone
made haste ostentatiously to introduce as his niece though he had never thought
it worth while to speak of Mary Garth in that light Nothing escaped Lydgate in
Rosamonds graceful behaviour how delicately she waived the notice which the
old mans want of taste had thrust upon her by a quiet gravity not showing her
dimples on the wrong occasion but showing them afterwards in speaking to Mary
to whom she addressed herself with so much goodnatured interest that Lydgate
after quickly examining Mary more fully than he had done before saw an adorable
kindness in Rosamonds eyes But Mary from some cause looked rather out of
temper
»Miss Rosy has been singing me a song youve nothing to say against that
eh doctor« said Mr Featherstone »I like it better than your physic«
»That has made me forget how the time was going« said Rosamond rising to
reach her hat which she had laid aside before singing so that her flowerlike
head on its white stem was seen in perfection above her ridinghabit »Fred we
must really go«
»Very good« said Fred who had his own reasons for not being in the best
spirits and wanted to get away
»Miss Vincy is a musician« said Lydgate following her with his eyes
Every nerve and muscle in Rosamond was adjusted to the consciousness that she
was being looked at She was by nature an actress of parts that entered into her
physique she even acted her own character and so well that she did not know
it to be precisely her own
»The best in Middlemarch Ill be bound« said Mr Featherstone »let the
next be who she will Eh Fred Speak up for your sister«
»Im afraid Im out of court sir My evidence would be good for nothing«
»Middlemarch has not a very high standard uncle« said Rosamond with a
pretty lightness going towards her whip which lay at a distance
Lydgate was quick in anticipating her He reached the whip before she did
and turned to present it to her She bowed and looked at him he of course was
looking at her and their eyes met with that peculiar meeting which is never
arrived at by effort but seems like a sudden divine clearance of haze I think
Lydgate turned a little paler than usual but Rosamond blushed deeply and felt a
certain astonishment After that she was really anxious to go and did not know
what sort of stupidity her uncle was talking of when she went to shake hands
with him
Yet this result which she took to be a mutual impression called falling in
love was just what Rosamond had contemplated beforehand Ever since that
important new arrival in Middlemarch she had woven a little future of which
something like this scene was the necessary beginning Strangers whether
wrecked and clinging to a raft or duly escorted and accompanied by
portmanteaus have always had a circumstantial fascination for the virgin mind
against which native merit has urged itself in vain And a stranger was
absolutely necessary to Rosamonds social romance which had always turned on a
lover and bridegroom who was not a Middlemarcher and who had no connections at
all like her own of late indeed the construction seemed to demand that he
should somehow be related to a baronet Now that she and the stranger had met
reality proved much more moving than anticipation and Rosamond could not doubt
that this was the great epoch of her life She judged of her own symptoms as
those of awakening love and she held it still more natural that Mr Lydgate
should have fallen in love at first sight of her These things happened so often
at balls and why not by the morning light when the complexion showed all the
better for it Rosamond though no older than Mary was rather used to being
fallen in love with but she for her part had remained indifferent and
fastidiously critical towards both fresh sprig and faded bachelor And here was
Mr Lydgate suddenly corresponding to her ideal being altogether foreign to
Middlemarch carrying a certain air of distinction congruous with good family
and possessing connections which offered vistas of that middleclass heaven
rank a man of talent also whom it would be especially delightful to enslave
in fact a man who had touched her nature quite newly and brought a vivid
interest into her life which was better than any fancied »mightbe« such as she
was in the habit of opposing to the actual.
Thus in riding home both the brother and the sister were preoccupied and
inclined to be silent Rosamond whose basis for her structure had the usual
airy slightness was of remarkably detailed and realistic imagination when the
foundation had been once presupposed and before they had ridden a mile she was
far on in the costume and introductions of her wedded life having determined on
her house in Middlemarch and foreseen the visits she would pay to her husbands
highbred relatives at a distance whose finished manners she could appropriate
as thoroughly as she had done her school accomplishments preparing herself thus
for vaguer elevations which might ultimately come There was nothing financial
still less sordid in her previsions she cared about what were considered
refinements and not about the money that was to pay for them
Freds mind on the other hand was busy with an anxiety which even his
ready hopefulness could not immediately quell He saw no way of eluding
Featherstones stupid demand without incurring consequences which he liked less
even than the task of fulfilling it His father was already out of humour with
him and would be still more so if he were the occasion of any additional
coolness between his own family and the Bulstrodes Then he himself hated
having to go and speak to his uncle Bulstrode and perhaps after drinking wine
he had said many foolish things about Featherstones property and these had
been magnified by report Fred felt that he made a wretched figure as a fellow
who bragged about expectations from a queer old miser like Featherstone and
went to beg for certificates at his bidding But those expectations He really
had them and he saw no agreeable alternative if he gave them up besides he
had lately made a debt which galled him extremely and old Featherstone had
almost bargained to pay it off The whole affair was miserably small his debts
were small even his expectations were not anything so very magnificent Fred
had known men to whom he would have been ashamed of confessing the smallness of
his scrapes Such ruminations naturally produced a streak of misanthropic
bitterness To be born the son of a Middlemarch manufacturer and inevitable
heir to nothing in particular while such men as Mainwaring and Vyan
certainly life was a poor business when a spirited young fellow with a good
appetite for the best of everything had so poor an outlook
It had not occurred to Fred that the introduction of Bulstrodes name in the
matter was a fiction of old Featherstones nor could this have made any
difference to his position He saw plainly enough that the old man wanted to
exercise his power by tormenting him a little and also probably to get some
satisfaction out of seeing him on unpleasant terms with Bulstrode Fred fancied
that he saw to the bottom of his uncle Featherstones soul though in reality
half what he saw there was no more than the reflex of his own inclinations The
difficult task of knowing another soul is not for young gentlemen whose
consciousness is chiefly made up of their own wishes
Freds main point of debate with himself was whether he should tell his
father or try to get through the affair without his fathers knowledge It was
probably Mrs Waule who had been talking about him and if Mary Garth had
repeated Mrs Waules report to Rosamond it would be sure to reach his father
who would as surely question him about it He said to Rosamond as they
slackened their pace
»Rosy did Mary tell you that Mrs Waule had said anything about me«
»Yes indeed she did«
»What«
»That you were very unsteady«
»Was that all«
»I should think that was enough Fred«
»You are sure she said no more«
»Mary mentioned nothing else But really Fred I think you ought to be
ashamed«
»Oh fudge dont lecture me What did Mary say about it«
»I am not obliged to tell you You care so very much what Mary says and you
are too rude to allow me to speak«
»Of course I care what Mary says She is the best girl I know«
»I should never have thought she was a girl to fall in love with«
»How do you know what men would fall in love with Girls never know«
»At least Fred let me advise you not to fall in love with her for she
says she would not marry you if you asked her«
»She might have waited till I did ask her«
»I knew it would nettle you Fred«
»Not at all She would not have said so if you had not provoked her«
Before reaching home Fred concluded that he would tell the whole affair as
simply as possible to his father who might perhaps take on himself the
unpleasant business of speaking to Bulstrode
Book II
Old and Young
Chapter XIII
1st Gent
How class your man as better than the most
Or seeming better worse beneath that cloak
As saint or knave pilgrim or hypocrite
2d Gent
Nay tell me how you class your wealth of books
The drifted relics of all time As well
Sort them at once by size and livery
Vellum tall copies and the common calf
Will hardly cover more diversity
Than all your labels cunningly devised
To class your unread authors
In consequence of what he had heard from Fred Mr Vincy determined to speak
with Mr Bulstrode in his private room at the Bank at halfpast one when he was
usually free from other callers But a visitor had come in at one oclock and
Mr Bulstrode had so much to say to him that there was little chance of the
interview being over in half an hour The bankers speech was fluent but it was
also copious and he used up an appreciable amount of time in brief meditative
pauses Do not imagine his sickly aspect to have been of the yellow
blackhaired sort he had a pale blond skin thin greybesprinkled brown hair
lightgrey eyes and a large forehead Loud men called his subdued tone an
undertone and sometimes implied that it was inconsistent with openness though
there seems to be no reason why a loud man should not be given to concealment of
anything except his own voice unless it can be shown that Holy Writ has placed
the seat of candour in the lungs Mr Bulstrode had also a deferential bending
attitude in listening and an apparently fixed attentiveness in his eyes which
made those persons who thought themselves worth hearing infer that he was
seeking the utmost improvement from their discourse Others who expected to
make no great figure disliked this kind of moral lantern turned on them If you
are not proud of your cellar there is no thrill of satisfaction in seeing your
guest hold up his wineglass to the light and look judicial Such joys are
reserved for conscious merit Hence Mr Bulstrodes close attention was not
agreeable to the publicans and sinners in Middlemarch it was attributed by some
to his being a Pharisee and by others to his being Evangelical Less
superficial reasoners among them wished to know who his father and grandfather
were observing that fiveandtwenty years ago nobody had ever heard of a
Bulstrode in Middlemarch To his present visitor Lydgate the scrutinising look
was a matter of indifference he simply formed an unfavourable opinion of the
bankers constitution and concluded that he had an eager inward life with
little enjoyment of tangible things
»I shall be exceedingly obliged if you will look in on me here occasionally
Mr Lydgate« the banker observed after a brief pause »If as I dare to hope
I have the privilege of finding you a valuable coadjutor in the interesting
matter of hospital management there will be many questions which we shall need
to discuss in private As to the new hospital which is nearly finished I shall
consider what you have said about the advantages of the special destination for
fevers The decision will rest with me for though Lord Medlicote has given the
land and timber for the building he is not disposed to give his personal
attention to the object.«
»There are few things better worth the pains in a provincial town like
this« said Lydgate »A fine fever hospital in addition to the old infirmary
might be the nucleus of a medical school here when once we get our medical
reforms and what would do more for medical education than the spread of such
schools over the country A born provincial man who has a grain of public spirit
as well as a few ideas should do what he can to resist the rush of everything
that is a little better than common towards London Any valid professional aims
may often find a freer if not a richer field in the provinces«
One of Lydgates gifts was a voice habitually deep and sonorous yet capable
of becoming very low and gentle at the right moment About his ordinary bearing
there was a certain fling a fearless expectation of success a confidence in
his own powers and integrity much fortified by contempt for petty obstacles or
seductions of which he had had no experience. But this proud openness was made
lovable by an expression of unaffected goodwill Mr Bulstrode perhaps liked
him the better for the difference between them in pitch and manners he
certainly liked him the better as Rosamond did for being a stranger in
Middlemarch One can begin so many things with a new person even begin to be
a better man
»I shall rejoice to furnish your zeal with fuller opportunities« Mr
Bulstrode answered »I mean by confiding to you the superintendence of my new
hospital should a maturer knowledge favour that issue for I am determined that
so great an object shall not be shackled by our two physicians Indeed I am
encouraged to consider your advent to this town as a gracious indication that a
more manifest blessing is now to be awarded to my efforts which have hitherto
been much withstood With regard to the old infirmary we have gained the
initial point I mean your election And now I hope you will not shrink from
incurring a certain amount of jealousy and dislike from your professional
brethren by presenting yourself as a reformer«
»I will not profess bravery« said Lydgate smiling »but I acknowledge a
good deal of pleasure in fighting and I should not care for my profession if I
did not believe that better methods were to be found and enforced there as well
as everywhere else«
»The standard of that profession is low in Middlemarch my dear sir« said
the banker »I mean in knowledge and skill not in social status for our
medical men are most of them connected with respectable townspeople here My own
imperfect health has induced me to give some attention to those palliative
resources which the divine mercy has placed within our reach I have consulted
eminent men in the metropolis and I am painfully aware of the backwardness
under which medical treatment labours in our provincial districts«
»Yes with our present medical rules and education one must be satisfied
now and then to meet with a fair practitioner As to all the higher questions
which determine the startingpoint of a diagnosis as to the philosophy of
medical evidence any glimmering of these can only come from a scientific
culture of which country practitioners have usually no more notion than the man
in the moon«
Mr Bulstrode bending and looking intently found the form which Lydgate
had given to his agreement not quite suited to his comprehension Under such
circumstances a judicious man changes the topic and enters on ground where his
own gifts may be more useful
»I am aware« he said »that the peculiar bias of medical ability is towards
material means Nevertheless Mr Lydgate I hope we shall not vary in sentiment
as to a measure in which you are not likely to be actively concerned but in
which your sympathetic concurrence may be an aid to me You recognise I hope
the existence of spiritual interests in your patients«
»Certainly I do But those words are apt to cover different meanings to
different minds«
»Precisely And on such subjects wrong teaching is as fatal as no teaching
Now a point which I have much at heart to secure is a new regulation as to
clerical attendance at the old infirmary The building stands in Mr
Farebrothers parish You know Mr Farebrother«
»I have seen him He gave me his vote I must call to thank him He seems a
very bright pleasant little fellow And I understand he is a naturalist«
»Mr Farebrother my dear sir is a man deeply painful to contemplate I
suppose there is not a clergyman in this country who has greater talents« Mr
Bulstrode paused and looked meditative
»I have not yet been pained by finding any excessive talent in Middlemarch«
said Lydgate bluntly
»What I desire« Mr Bulstrode continued looking still more serious »is
that Mr Farebrothers attendance at the hospital should be superseded by the
appointment of a chaplain of Mr Tyke in fact and that no other spiritual
aid should be called in«
»As a medical man I could have no opinion on such a point unless I knew Mr
Tyke and even then I should require to know the cases in which he was applied«
Lydgate smiled but he was bent on being circumspect
»Of course you cannot enter fully into the merits of this measure at
present But« here Mr Bulstrode began to speak with a more chiselled emphasis
»the subject is likely to be referred to the medical board of the infirmary
and what I trust I may ask of you is that in virtue of the cooperation between
us which I now look forward to you will not so far as you are concerned be
influenced by my opponents in this matter«
»I hope I shall have nothing to do with clerical disputes« said Lydgate
»The path I have chosen is to work well in my own profession«
»My responsibility Mr Lydgate is of a broader kind With me indeed this
question is one of sacred accountableness whereas with my opponents I have
good reason to say that it is an occasion for gratifying a spirit of worldly
opposition But I shall not therefore drop one iota of my convictions or cease
to identify myself with that truth which an evil generation hates I have
devoted myself to this object of hospitalimprovement but I will boldly confess
to you Mr Lydgate that I should have no interest in hospitals if I believed
that nothing more was concerned therein than the cure of mortal diseases I have
another ground of action and in the face of persecution I will not conceal it«
Mr Bulstrodes voice had become a loud and agitated whisper as he said the
last words
»There we certainly differ« said Lydgate But he was not sorry that the
door was now opened and Mr Vincy was announced That florid sociable personage
was become more interesting to him since he had seen Rosamond Not that like
her he had been weaving any future in which their lots were united but a man
naturally remembers a charming girl with pleasure and is willing to dine where
he may see her again Before he took leave Mr Vincy had given that invitation
which he had been »in no hurry about« for Rosamond at breakfast had mentioned
that she thought her uncle Featherstone had taken the new doctor into great
favour
Mr Bulstrode alone with his brotherinlaw poured himself out a glass of
water and opened a sandwichbox
»I cannot persuade you to adopt my regimen Vincy«
»No no Ive no opinion of that system Life wants padding« said Mr
Vincy unable to omit his portable theory »However« he went on accenting the
word as if to dismiss all irrelevance »what I came here to talk about was a
little affair of my young scapegrace Freds«
»That is a subject on which you and I are likely to take quite as different
views as on diet Vincy«
»I hope not this time« Mr Vincy was resolved to be goodhumoured »The
fact is its about a whim of old Featherstones Somebody has been cooking up a
story out of spite and telling it to the old man to try to set him against
Fred Hes very fond of Fred and is likely to do something handsome for him
indeed he has as good as told Fred that he means to leave him his land and
that makes other people jealous«
»Vincy I must repeat that you will not get any concurrence from me as to
the course you have pursued with your eldest son It was entirely from worldly
vanity that you destined him for the Church with a family of three sons and
four daughters you were not warranted in devoting money to an expensive
education which has succeeded in nothing but in giving him extravagant idle
habits You are now reaping the consequences«
To point out other peoples errors was a duty that Mr Bulstrode rarely
shrank from but Mr Vincy was not equally prepared to be patient When a man
has the immediate prospect of being mayor and is ready in the interests of
commerce to take up a firm attitude on politics generally he has naturally a
sense of his importance to the framework of things which seems to throw
questions of private conduct into the background And this particular reproof
irritated him more than any other It was eminently superfluous to him to be
told that he was reaping the consequences But he felt his neck under
Bulstrodes yoke and though he usually enjoyed kicking he was anxious to
refrain from that relief
»As to that Bulstrode its no use going back Im not one of your pattern
men and I dont pretend to be I couldnt foresee everything in the trade
there wasnt a finer business in Middlemarch than ours and the lad was clever
My poor brother was in the Church and would have done well had got preferment
already but that stomach fever took him off else he might have been a dean by
this time I think I was justified in what I tried to do for Fred If you come
to religion it seems to me a man shouldnt want to carve out his meat to an
ounce beforehand one must trust a little to Providence and be generous Its
a good British feeling to try and raise your family a little in my opinion
its a fathers duty to give his sons a fine chance«
»I dont wish to act otherwise than as your best friend Vincy when I say
that what you have been uttering just now is one mass of worldliness and
inconsistent folly«
»Very well« said Mr Vincy kicking in spite of resolutions »I never
professed to be anything but worldly and whats more I dont see anybody else
who is not worldly I suppose you dont conduct business on what you call
unworldly principles The only difference I see is that one worldliness is a
little bit honester than another«
»This kind of discussion is unfruitful Vincy« said Mr Bulstrode who
finishing his sandwich had thrown himself back in his chair and shaded his
eyes as if weary »You had some more particular business«
»Yes yes The long and short of it is somebody has told old Featherstone
giving you as the authority that Fred has been borrowing or trying to borrow
money on the prospect of his land Of course you never said any such nonsense
But the old fellow will insist on it that Fred should bring him a denial in your
handwriting that is just a bit of a note saying you dont believe a word of
such stuff either of his having borrowed or tried to borrow in such a fools
way I suppose you can have no objection to do that«
»Pardon me I have an objection I am by no means sure that your son in his
recklessness and ignorance I will use no severer word has not tried to raise
money by holding out his future prospects or even that some one may not have
been foolish enough to supply him on so vague a presumption there is plenty of
such lax moneylending as of other folly in the world«
»But Fred gives me his honour that he has never borrowed money on the
pretence of any understanding about his uncles land He is not a liar I dont
want to make him better than he is I have blown him up well nobody can say I
wink at what he does But he is not a liar And I should have thought but I
may be wrong that there was no religion to hinder a man from believing the
best of a young fellow when you dont know worse It seems to me it would be a
poor sort of religion to put a spoke in his wheel by refusing to say you dont
believe such harm of him as youve got no good reason to believe«
»I am not at all sure that I should be befriending your son by smoothing his
way to the future possession of Featherstones property I cannot regard wealth
as a blessing to those who use it simply as a harvest for this world You do not
like to hear these things Vincy but on this occasion I feel called upon to
tell you that I have no motive for furthering such a disposition of property as
that which you refer to I do not shrink from saying that it will not tend to
your sons eternal welfare or to the glory of God Why then should you expect me
to pen this kind of affidavit which has no object but to keep up a foolish
partiality and secure a foolish bequest«
»If you mean to hinder everybody from having money but saints and
evangelists you must give up some profitable partnerships thats all I can
say« Mr Vincy burst out very bluntly »It may be for the glory of God but it
is not for the glory of the Middlemarch trade that Plymdales house uses those
blue and green dyes it gets from the Brassing manufactory they rot the silk
thats all I know about it Perhaps if other people knew so much of the profit
went to the glory of God they might like it better But I dont mind so much
about that I could get up a pretty row if I chose«
Mr Bulstrode paused a little before he answered »You pain me very much by
speaking in this way Vincy I do not expect you to understand my grounds of
action it is not an easy thing even to thread a path for principles in the
intricacies of the world still less to make the thread clear for the careless
and the scoffing You must remember if you please that I stretch my tolerance
towards you as my wifes brother and that it little becomes you to complain of
me as withholding material help towards the worldly position of your family I
must remind you that it is not your own prudence or judgment that has enabled
you to keep your place in the trade«
»Very likely not but you have been no loser by my trade yet« said Mr
Vincy thoroughly nettled a result which was seldom much retarded by previous
resolutions »And when you married Harriet I dont see how you could expect
that our families should not hang by the same nail If youve changed your mind
and want my family to come down in the world youd better say so Ive never
changed Im a plain Churchman now just as I used to be before doctrines came
up I take the world as I find it in trade and everything else Im contented
to be no worse than my neighbours But if you want us to come down in the world
say so I shall know better what to do then«
»You talk unreasonably Shall you come down in the world for want of this
letter about your son«
»Well whether or not I consider it very unhandsome of you to refuse it
Such doings may be lined with religion but outside they have a nasty
doginthemanger look You might as well slander Fred it comes pretty near to
it when you refuse to say you didnt set a slander going Its this sort of
thing this tyrannical spirit wanting to play bishop and banker everywhere
its this sort of thing makes a mans name stink«
»Vincy if you insist on quarrelling with me it will be exceedingly painful
to Harriet as well as myself« said Mr Bulstrode with a trifle more eagerness
and paleness than usual
»I dont want to quarrel Its for my interest and perhaps for yours too
that we should be friends I bear you no grudge I think no worse of you than I
do of other people A man who half starves himself and goes the length in
family prayers and so on that you do believes in his religion whatever it may
be you could turn over your capital just as fast with cursing and swearing
plenty of fellows do You like to be master theres no denying that you must
be first chop in heaven else you wont like it much But youre my sisters
husband and we ought to stick together and if I know Harriet shell consider
it your fault if we quarrel because you strain at a gnat in this way and refuse
to do Fred a good turn And I dont mean to say I shall bear it well I consider
it unhandsome«
Mr Vincy rose began to button his greatcoat and looked steadily at his
brotherinlaw meaning to imply a demand for a decisive answer
This was not the first time that Mr Bulstrode had begun by admonishing Mr
Vincy and had ended by seeing a very unsatisfactory reflection of himself in
the coarse unflattering mirror which that manufacturers mind presented to the
subtler lights and shadows of his fellowmen and perhaps his experience ought
to have warned him how the scene would end But a fullfed fountain will be
generous with its waters even in the rain when they are worse than useless and
a fine fount of admonition is apt to be equally irrepressible
It was not in Mr Bulstrodes nature to comply directly in consequence of
uncomfortable suggestions Before changing his course he always needed to shape
his motives and bring them into accordance with his habitual standard He said
at last
»I will reflect a little Vincy I will mention the subject to Harriet I
shall probably send you a letter«
»Very well As soon as you can please I hope it will all be settled before
I see you tomorrow«
Chapter XIV
»Follows here the strict receipt
For that sauce to dainty meat
Named Idleness which many eat
By preference and call it sweet
First watch for morsels like a hound
Mix well with buffets stir them round
With good thick oil of flatteries
And froth with mean selflauding lies
Serve warm the vessels you must choose
To keep it in are dead mens shoes«
Mr Bulstrodes consultation of Harriet seemed to have had the effect desired by
Mr Vincy for early the next morning a letter came which Fred could carry to
Mr Featherstone as the required testimony
The old gentleman was staying in bed on account of the cold weather and as
Mary Garth was not to be seen in the sittingroom Fred went upstairs
immediately and presented the letter to his uncle who propped up comfortably
on a bedrest was not less able than usual to enjoy his consciousness of wisdom
in distrusting and frustrating mankind He put on his spectacles to read the
letter pursing up his lips and drawing down their corners
»Under the circumstances I will not decline to state my conviction tchah
what fine words the fellow puts Hes as fine as an auctioneer that your son
Frederic has not obtained any advance of money on bequests promised by Mr
Featherstone promised who said I had ever promised I promise nothing I
shall make codicils as long as I like and that considering the nature of such
a proceeding it is unreasonable to presume that a young man of sense and
character would attempt it ah but the gentleman doesnt say you are a young
man of sense and character mark you that sir as to my own concern with any
report of such a nature I distinctly affirm that I never made any statement to
the effect that your son had borrowed money on any property that might accrue to
him on Mr Featherstones demise bless my heart property accrue demise
Lawyer Standish is nothing to him He couldnt speak finer if he wanted to
borrow Well« Mr Featherstone here looked over his spectacles at Fred while
he handed back the letter to him with a contemptuous gesture »you dont suppose
I believe a thing because Bulstrode writes it out fine eh«
Fred coloured »You wished to have the letter sir I should think it very
likely that Mr Bulstrodes denial is as good as the authority which told you
what he denies«
»Every bit I never said I believed either one or the other And now what
dyou expect« said Mr Featherstone curtly keeping on his spectacles but
withdrawing his hands under his wraps
»I expect nothing sir« Fred with difficulty restrained himself from
venting his irritation »I came to bring you the letter If you like I will bid
you good morning«
»Not yet not yet Ring the bell I want missy to come«
It was a servant who came in answer to the bell
»Tell missy to come« said Mr Featherstone impatiently »What business had
she to go away« He spoke in the same tone when Mary came
»Why couldnt you sit still here till I told you to go I want my waistcoat
now I told you always to put it on the bed«
Marys eyes looked rather red as if she had been crying It was clear that
Mr Featherstone was in one of his most snappish humours this morning and
though Fred had now the prospect of receiving the muchneeded present of money
he would have preferred being free to turn round on the old tyrant and tell him
that Mary Garth was too good to be at his beck Though Fred had risen as she
entered the room she had barely noticed him and looked as if her nerves were
quivering with the expectation that something would be thrown at her But she
never had anything worse than words to dread When she went to reach the
waistcoat from a peg Fred went up to her and said »Allow me«
»Let it alone You bring it missy and lay it down here« said Mr
Featherstone »Now you go away again till I call you« he added when the
waistcoat was laid down by him It was usual with him to season his pleasure in
showing favour to one person by being especially disagreeable to another and
Mary was always at hand to furnish the condiment When his own relatives came
she was treated better Slowly he took out a bunch of keys from the
waistcoatpocket and slowly he drew forth a tin box which was under the
bedclothes
»You expect Im going to give you a little fortune eh« he said looking
above his spectacles and pausing in the act of opening the lid
»Not at all sir You were good enough to speak of making me a present the
other day else of course I should not have thought of the matter« But Fred
was of a hopeful disposition and a vision had presented itself of a sum just
large enough to deliver him from a certain anxiety When Fred got into debt it
always seemed to him highly probable that something or other he did not
necessarily conceive what would come to pass enabling him to pay in due time
And now that the providential occurrence was apparently close at hand it would
have been sheer absurdity to think that the supply would be short of the need
as absurd as a faith that believed in half a miracle for want of strength to
believe in a whole one
The deepveined hands fingered many banknotes one after the other laying
them down flat again while Fred leaned back in his chair scorning to look
eager He held himself to be a gentleman at heart and did not like courting an
old fellow for his money At last Mr Featherstone eyed him again over his
spectacles and presented him with a little sheaf of notes Fred could see
distinctly that there were but five as the less significant edges gaped towards
him But then each might mean fifty pounds He took them saying
»I am very much obliged to you sir« and was going to roll them up without
seeming to think of their value But this did not suit Mr Featherstone who was
eyeing him intently
»Come dont you think it worth your while to count em You take money like
a lord I suppose you lose it like one«
»I thought I was not to look a gifthorse in the mouth sir But I shall be
very happy to count them«
Fred was not so happy however after he had counted them For they actually
presented the absurdity of being less than his hopefulness had decided that they
must be What can the fitness of things mean if not their fitness to a mans
expectations Failing this absurdity and atheism gape behind him The collapse
for Fred was severe when he found that he held no more than five twenties and
his share in the higher education of this country did not seem to help him
Nevertheless he said with rapid changes in his fair complexion
»It is very handsome of you sir«
»I should think it is« said Mr Featherstone locking his box and replacing
it then taking off his spectacles deliberately and at length as if his inward
meditation had more deeply convinced him repeating »I should think it is
handsome«
»I assure you sir I am very grateful« said Fred who had had time to
recover his cheerful air
»So you ought to be You want to cut a figure in the world and I reckon
Peter Featherstone is the only one youve got to trust to« Here the old mans
eyes gleamed with a curiouslymingled satisfaction in the consciousness that
this smart young fellow relied upon him and that the smart young fellow was
rather a fool for doing so
»Yes indeed I was not born to very splendid chances Few men have been
more cramped than I have been« said Fred with some sense of surprise at his
own virtue considering how hardly he was dealt with »It really seems a little
too bad to have to ride a brokenwinded hunter and see men who are not half
such good judges as yourself able to throw away any amount of money on buying
bad bargains«
»Well you can buy yourself a fine hunter now Eighty pound is enough for
that I reckon and youll have twenty pound over to get yourself out of any
little scrape« said Mr Featherstone chuckling slightly
»You are very good sir« said Fred with a fine sense of contrast between
the words and his feeling
»Ay rather a better uncle than your fine uncle Bulstrode You wont get
much out of his spekilations I think Hes got a pretty strong string round
your fathers leg by what I hear eh«
»My father never tells me anything about his affairs sir«
»Well he shows some sense there But other people find em out without his
telling Hell never have much to leave you hell mostlike die without a will
hes the sort of man to do it let em make him mayor of Middlemarch as much
as they like But you wont get much by his dying without a will though you are
the eldest son«
Fred thought that Mr Featherstone had never been so disagreeable before
True he had never before given him quite so much money at once
»Shall I destroy this letter of Mr Bulstrodes sir« said Fred rising
with the letter as if he would put it in the fire
»Ay ay I dont want it Its worth no money to me«
Fred carried the letter to the fire and thrust the poker through it with
much zest He longed to get out of the room but he was a little ashamed before
his inner self as well as before his uncle to run away immediately after
pocketing the money Presently the farmbailiff came up to give his master a
report and Fred to his unspeakable relief was dismissed with the injunction
to come again soon
He had longed not only to be set free from his uncle but also to find Mary
Garth She was now in her usual place by the fire with sewing in her hands and
a book open on the little table by her side Her eyelids had lost some of their
redness now and she had her usual air of self-command
»Am I wanted upstairs« she said half rising as Fred entered
»No I am only dismissed because Simmons is gone up«
Mary sat down again and resumed her work She was certainly treating him
with more indifference than usual she did not know how affectionately indignant
he had felt on her behalf upstairs
»May I stay here a little Mary or shall I bore you«
»Pray sit down« said Mary »you will not be so heavy a bore as Mr John
Waule who was here yesterday and he sat down without asking my leave«
»Poor fellow I think he is in love with you«
»I am not aware of it And to me it is one of the most odious things in a
girls life that there must always be some supposition of falling in love
coming between her and any man who is kind to her and to whom she is grateful
I should have thought that I at least might have been safe from all that I
have no ground for the nonsensical vanity of fancying everybody who comes near
me is in love with me«
Mary did not mean to betray any feeling but in spite of herself she ended
in a tremulous tone of vexation
»Confound John Waule I did not mean to make you angry I didnt know you
had any reason for being grateful to him I forgot what a great service you
think it if any one snuffs a candle for you« Fred also had his pride and was
not going to show that he knew what had called forth this outburst of Marys
»Oh I am not angry except with the ways of the world I do like to be
spoken to as if I had commonsense I really often feel as if I could understand
a little more than I ever hear even from young gentlemen who have been to
college« Mary had recovered and she spoke with a suppressed rippling
undercurrent of laughter pleasant to hear
»I dont care how merry you are at my expense this morning« said Fred »I
thought you looked so sad when you came upstairs It is a shame you should stay
here to be bullied in that way«
»Oh I have an easy life by comparison I have tried being a teacher and
I am not fit for that my mind is too fond of wandering on its own way I think
any hardship is better than pretending to do what one is paid for and never
really doing it Everything here I can do as well as any one else could perhaps
better than some Rosy for example. Though she is just the sort of beautiful
creature that is imprisoned with ogres in fairy tales«
»Rosy« cried Fred in a tone of profound brotherly scepticism
»Come Fred« said Mary emphatically »you have no right to be so
critical«
»Do you mean anything particular just now«
»No I mean something general always«
»Oh that I am idle and extravagant Well I am not fit to be a poor man I
should not have made a bad fellow if I had been rich«
»You would have done your duty in that state of life to which it has not
pleased God to call you« said Mary laughing
»Well I couldnt do my duty as a clergyman any more than you could do
yours as a governess You ought to have a little fellowfeeling there Mary«
»I never said you ought to be a clergyman There are other sorts of work It
seems to me very miserable not to resolve on some course and act accordingly«
»So I could if « Fred broke off and stood up leaning against the
mantelpiece
»If you were sure you should not have a fortune«
»I did not say that You want to quarrel with me It is too bad of you to be
guided by what other people say about me«
»How can I want to quarrel with you I should be quarrelling with all my new
books« said Mary lifting the volume on the table »However naughty you may be
to other people you are good to me«
»Because I like you better than any one else But I know you despise me«
»Yes I do a little« said Mary nodding with a smile
»You would admire a stupendous fellow who would have wise opinions about
everything«
»Yes I should« Mary was sewing swiftly and seemed provokingly mistress of
the situation When a conversation has taken a wrong turn for us we only get
farther and farther into the swamp of awkwardness This was what Fred Vincy
felt
»I suppose a woman is never in love with any one she has always known ever
since she can remember as a man often is It is always some new fellow who
strikes a girl«
»Let me see« said Mary the corners of her mouth curling archly »I must go
back on my experience There is Juliet she seems an example of what you say
But then Ophelia had probably known Hamlet a long while and Brenda Troil she
had known Mordaunt Merton ever since they were children but then he seems to
have been an estimable young man and Minna was still more deeply in love with
Cleveland who was a stranger Waverley was new to Flora MacIvor but then she
did not fall in love with him And there are Olivia and Sophia Primrose and
Corinne they may be said to have fallen in love with new men Altogether my
experience is rather mixed«
Mary looked up with some roguishness at Fred and that look of hers was very
dear to him though the eyes were nothing more than clear windows where
observation sate laughingly He was certainly an affectionate fellow and as he
had grown from boy to man he had grown in love with his old playmate
notwithstanding that share in the higher education of the country which had
exalted his views of rank and income
»When a man is not loved it is no use for him to say that he could be a
better fellow could do anything I mean if he were sure of being loved in
return«
»Not of the least use in the world for him to say he could be better Might
could would they are contemptible auxiliaries«
»I dont see how a man is to be good for much unless he has some one woman
to love him dearly«
»I think the goodness should come before he expects that«
»You know better Mary Women dont love men for their goodness«
»Perhaps not But if they love them they never think them bad«
»It is hardly fair to say I am bad«
»I said nothing at all about you«
»I never shall be good for anything Mary if you will not say that you love
me if you will not promise to marry me I mean when I am able to marry«
»If I did love you I would not marry you I would certainly not promise
ever to marry you«
»I think that is quite wicked Mary If you love me you ought to promise to
marry me«
»On the contrary I think it would be wicked in me to marry you even if I
did love you«
»You mean just as I am without any means of maintaining a wife Of course
I am but threeandtwenty«
»In that last point you will alter But I am not so sure of any other
alteration My father says an idle man ought not to exist, much less be
married«
»Then I am to blow my brains out«
»No on the whole I should think you would do better to pass your
examination I have heard Mr Farebrother say it is disgracefully easy«
»That is all very fine Anything is easy to him Not that cleverness has
anything to do with it I am ten times cleverer than many men who pass«
»Dear me« said Mary unable to repress her sarcasm »That accounts for the
curates like Mr Crowse Divide your cleverness by ten and the quotient dear
me is able to take a degree But that only shows you are ten times more idle
than the others«
»Well if I did pass you would not want me to go into the Church«
»That is not the question what I want you to do You have a conscience of
your own I suppose There there is Mr Lydgate I must go and tell my uncle«
»Mary« said Fred seizing her hand as she rose »if you will not give me
some encouragement I shall get worse instead of better«
»I will not give you any encouragement« said Mary reddening »Your friends
would dislike it and so would mine My father would think it a disgrace to me
if I accepted a man who got into debt and would not work«
Fred was stung and released her hand She walked to the door but there she
turned and said »Fred you have always been so good so generous to me I am
not ungrateful But never speak to me in that way again«
»Very well« said Fred sulkily taking up his hat and whip His complexion
showed patches of pale pink and dead white Like many a plucked idle young
gentleman he was thoroughly in love and with a plain girl who had no money
But having Mr Featherstones land in the background and a persuasion that let
Mary say what she would she really did care for him Fred was not utterly in
despair
When he got home he gave four of the twenties to his mother asking her to
keep them for him »I dont want to spend that money mother I want it to pay a
debt with So keep it safe away from my fingers«
»Bless you my dear« said Mrs Vincy She doated on her eldest son and her
youngest girl a child of six whom others thought her two naughtiest children
The mothers eyes are not always deceived in their partiality she at least can
best judge who is the tender filialhearted child And Fred was certainly very
fond of his mother Perhaps it was his fondness for another person also that
made him particularly anxious to take some security against his own liability to
spend the hundred pounds For the creditor to whom he owed a hundred and sixty
held a firmer security in the shape of a bill signed by Marys father
Chapter XV
»Black eyes you have left you say
Blue eyes fail to draw you
Yet you seem more rapt today
Than of old we saw you
Oh I track the fairest fair
Through new haunts of pleasure
Footprints here and echoes there
Guide me to my treasure
Lo she turns immortal youth
Wrought to mortal stature
Fresh as starlights aged truth
Manynamèd Nature«
A great historian as he insisted on calling himself who had the happiness to
be dead a hundred and twenty years ago and so to take his place among the
colossi whose huge legs our living pettiness is observed to walk under glories
in his copious remarks and digressions as the least imitable part of his work
and especially in those initial chapters to the successive books of his history
where he seems to bring his armchair to the proscenium and chat with us in all
the lusty ease of his fine English But Fielding lived when the days were longer
for time like money is measured by our needs when summer afternoons were
spacious and the clock ticked slowly in the winter evenings We belated
historians must not linger after his example and if we did so it is probable
that our chat would be thin and eager as if delivered from a campstool in a
parrothouse I at least have so much to do in unravelling certain human lots
and seeing how they were woven and interwoven that all the light I can command
must be concentrated on this particular web and not dispersed over that
tempting range of relevancies called the universe
At present I have to make the new settler Lydgate better known to any one
interested in him than he could possibly be even to those who had seen the most
of him since his arrival in Middlemarch For surely all must admit that a man
may be puffed and belauded envied ridiculed counted upon as a tool and fallen
in love with or at least selected as a future husband and yet remain virtually
unknown known merely as a cluster of signs for his neighbours false
suppositions There was a general impression however that Lydgate was not
altogether a common country doctor and in Middlemarch at that time such an
impression was significant of great things being expected from him For
everybodys family doctor was remarkably clever and was understood to have
immeasurable skill in the management and training of the most skittish or
vicious diseases The evidence of his cleverness was of the higher intuitive
order lying in his ladypatients immovable conviction and was unassailable by
any objection except that their intuitions were opposed by others equally
strong each lady who saw medical truth in Wrench and »the strengthening
treatment« regarding Toller and »the lowering system« as medical perdition For
the heroic times of copious bleeding and blistering had not yet departed still
less the times of thoroughgoing theory when disease in general was called by
some bad name and treated accordingly without shillyshally as if for
example, it were to be called insurrection which must not be fired on with
blankcartridge but have its blood drawn at once The strengtheners and the
lowerers were all »clever« men in somebodys opinion which is really as much as
can be said for any living talents Nobodys imagination had gone so far as to
conjecture that Mr Lydgate could know as much as Dr Sprague and Dr Minchin
the two physicians who alone could offer any hope when danger was extreme and
when the smallest hope was worth a guinea Still I repeat there was a general
impression that Lydgate was something rather more uncommon than any general
practitioner in Middlemarch And this was true He was but sevenand an age at
which many men are not quite common at which they are hopeful of achievement
resolute in avoidance thinking that Mammon shall never put a bit in their
mouths and get astride their backs but rather that Mammon if they have
anything to do with him shall draw their chariot
He had been left an orphan when he was fresh from a public school His
father a military man had made but little provision for three children and
when the boy Tertius asked to have a medical education it seemed easier to his
guardians to grant his request by apprenticing him to a country practitioner
than to make any objections on the score of family dignity He was one of the
rarer lads who early get a decided bent and make up their minds that there is
something particular in life which they would like to do for its own sake and
not because their fathers did it Most of us who turn to any subject with love
remember some morning or evening hour when we got on a high stool to reach down
an untried volume or sat with parted lips listening to a new talker or for
very lack of books began to listen to the voices within as the first traceable
beginning of our love Something of that sort happened to Lydgate He was a
quick fellow and when hot from play would toss himself in a corner and in
five minutes be deep in any sort of book that he could lay his hands on if it
were Rasselas or Gulliver so much the better but Baileys Dictionary would do
or the Bible with the Apocrypha in it Something he must read when he was not
riding the pony or running and hunting or listening to the talk of men All
this was true of him at ten years of age he had then read through Chrysal or
the Adventures of a Guinea which was neither milk for babes nor any chalky
mixture meant to pass for milk and it had already occurred to him that books
were stuff and that life was stupid His school studies had not much modified
that opinion for though he »did« his classics and mathematics he was not
preeminent in them It was said of him that Lydgate could do anything he
liked but he had certainly not yet liked to do anything remarkable He was a
vigorous animal with a ready understanding but no spark had yet kindled in him
an intellectual passion knowledge seemed to him a very superficial affair
easily mastered judging from the conversation of his elders he had apparently
got already more than was necessary for mature life Probably this was not an
exceptional result of expensive teaching at that period of shortwaisted coats
and other fashions which have not yet recurred But one vacation a wet day
sent him to the small home library to hunt once more for a book which might have
some freshness for him in vain unless indeed he took down a dusty row of
volumes with greypaper backs and dingy labels the volumes of an old
Cyclopædia which he had never disturbed It would at least be a novelty to
disturb them They were on the highest shelf and he stood on a chair to get
them down But he opened the volume which he first took from the shelf somehow
one is apt to read in a makeshift attitude just where it might seem
inconvenient to do so The page he opened on was under the head of Anatomy and
the first passage that drew his eyes was on the valves of the heart He was not
much acquainted with valves of any sort but he knew that valvæ were folding
doors and through this crevice came a sudden light startling him with his first
vivid notion of finelyadjusted mechanism in the human frame A liberal
education had of course left him free to read the indecent passages in the
school classics but beyond a general sense of secrecy and obscenity in
connection with his internal structure had left his imagination quite
unbiassed so that for anything he knew his brains lay in small bags at his
temples and he had no more thought of representing to himself how his blood
circulated than how paper served instead of gold But the moment of vocation had
come and before he got down from his chair the world was made new to him by a
presentiment of endless processes filling the vast spaces planked out of his
sight by that wordy ignorance which he had supposed to be knowledge From that
hour Lydgate felt the growth of an intellectual passion
We are not afraid of telling over and over again how a man comes to fall in
love with a woman and be wedded to her or else be fatally parted from her Is
it due to excess of poetry or of stupidity that we are never weary of describing
what King James called a womans »makdom and her fairnesse« never weary of
listening to the twanging of the old Troubadour strings and are comparatively
uninterested in that other kind of »makdom and fairnesse« which must be wooed
with industrious thought and patient renunciation of small desires In the story
of this passion too the development varies sometimes it is the glorious
marriage sometimes frustration and final parting And not seldom the
catastrophe is bound up with the other passion sung by the Troubadours For in
the multitude of middleaged men who go about their vocations in a daily course
determined for them much in the same way as the tie of their cravats there is
always a good number who once meant to shape their own deeds and alter the world
a little The story of their coming to be shapen after the average and fit to be
packed by the gross is hardly ever told even in their consciousness for
perhaps their ardour in generous unpaid toil cooled as imperceptibly as the
ardour of other youthful loves till one day their earlier self walked like a
ghost in its old home and made the new furniture ghastly Nothing in the world
more subtle than the process of their gradual change In the beginning they
inhaled it unknowingly you and I may have sent some of our breath towards
infecting them when we uttered our conforming falsities or drew our silly
conclusions or perhaps it came with the vibrations from a womans glance
Lydgate did not mean to be one of those failures and there was the better
hope of him because his scientific interest soon took the form of a professional
enthusiasm he had a youthful belief in his breadwinning work not to be
stifled by that initiation in makeshift called his prentice days and he
carried to his studies in London Edinburgh and Paris the conviction that the
medical profession as it might be was the finest in the world presenting the
most perfect interchange between science and art offering the most direct
alliance between intellectual conquest and the social good Lydgates nature
demanded this combination he was an emotional creature with a fleshandblood
sense of fellowship which withstood all the abstractions of special study He
cared not only for »cases« but for John and Elizabeth especially Elizabeth
There was another attraction in his profession it wanted reform and gave a
man an opportunity for some indignant resolve to reject its venal decorations
and other humbug and to be the possessor of genuine though undemanded
qualifications He went to study in Paris with the determination that when he
came home again he would settle in some provincial town as a general
practitioner and resist the irrational severance between medical and surgical
knowledge in the interest of his own scientific pursuits as well as of the
general advance he would keep away from the range of London intrigues
jealousies and social truckling and win celebrity however slowly as Jenner
had done by the independent value of his work For it must be remembered that
this was a dark period and in spite of venerable colleges which used great
efforts to secure purity of knowledge by making it scarce and to exclude error
by a rigid exclusiveness in relation to fees and appointments it happened that
very ignorant young gentlemen were promoted in town and many more got a legal
right to practise over large areas in the country Also the high standard held
up to the public mind by the College of Physicians which gave its peculiar
sanction to the expensive and highlyrarified medical instruction obtained by
graduates of Oxford and Cambridge did not hinder quackery from having an
excellent time of it for since professional practice chiefly consisted in
giving a great many drugs the public inferred that it might be better off with
more drugs still if they could only be got cheaply and hence swallowed large
cubic measures of physic prescribed by unscrupulous ignorance which had taken no
degrees Considering that statistics had not yet embraced a calculation as to
the number of ignorant or canting doctors which absolutely must exist in the
teeth of all changes it seemed to Lydgate that a change in the units was the
most direct mode of changing the numbers He meant to be a unit who would make a
certain amount of difference towards that spreading change which would one day
tell appreciably upon the averages and in the mean time have the pleasure of
making an advantageous difference to the viscera of his own patients But he did
not simply aim at a more genuine kind of practice than was common He was
ambitious of a wider effect he was fired with the possibility that he might
work out the proof of an anatomical conception and make a link in the chain of
discovery
Does it seem incongruous to you that a Middlemarch surgeon should dream of
himself as a discoverer Most of us indeed know little of the great
originators until they have been lifted up among the constellations and already
rule our fates But that Herschel for example, who »broke the barriers of the
heavens« did he not once play a provincial churchorgan and give
musiclessons to stumbling pianists Each of those Shining Ones had to walk on
the earth among neighbours who perhaps thought much more of his gait and his
garments than of anything which was to give him a title to everlasting fame
each of them had his little local personal history sprinkled with small
temptations and sordid cares which made the retarding friction of his course
towards final companionship with the immortals Lydgate was not blind to the
dangers of such friction but he had plenty of confidence in his resolution to
avoid it as far as possible being sevenandtwenty he felt himself
experienced And he was not going to have his vanities provoked by contact with
the showy worldly successes of the capital but to live among people who could
hold no rivalry with that pursuit of a great idea which was to be a twin object
with the assiduous practice of his profession There was fascination in the hope
that the two purposes would illuminate each other the careful observation and
inference which was his daily work the use of the lens to further his judgment
in special cases would further his thought as an instrument of larger inquiry
Was not this the typical preeminence of his profession He would be a good
Middlemarch doctor and by that very means keep himself in the track of
farreaching investigation On one point he may fairly claim approval at this
particular stage of his career he did not mean to imitate those philanthropic
models who make a profit out of poisonous pickles to support themselves while
they are exposing adulteration or hold shares in a gamblinghell that they may
have leisure to represent the cause of public morality He intended to begin in
his own case some particular reforms which were quite certainly within his
reach and much less of a problem than the demonstrating of an anatomical
conception One of these reforms was to act stoutly on the strength of a recent
legal decision and simply prescribe without dispensing drugs or taking
percentage from druggists This was an innovation for one who had chosen to
adopt the style of general practitioner in a country town and would be felt as
offensive criticism by his professional brethren But Lydgate meant to innovate
in his treatment also and he was wise enough to see that the best security for
his practising honestly according to his belief was to get rid of systematic
temptations to the contrary
Perhaps that was a more cheerful time for observers and theorisers than the
present we are apt to think it the finest era of the world when America was
beginning to be discovered when a bold sailor even if he were wrecked might
alight on a new kingdom and about 1829 the dark territories of Pathology were a
fine America for a spirited young adventurer Lydgate was ambitious above all to
contribute towards enlarging the scientific rational basis of his profession
The more he became interested in special questions of disease such as the
nature of fever or fevers the more keenly he felt the need for that fundamental
knowledge of structure which just at the beginning of the century had been
illuminated by the brief and glorious career of Bichat who died when he was
only oneandthirty but like another Alexander left a realm large enough for
many heirs That great Frenchman first carried out the conception that living
bodies fundamentally considered are not associations of organs which can be
understood by studying them first apart and then as it were federally but must
be regarded as consisting of certain primary webs or tissues out of which the
various organs brain heart lungs and so on are compacted as the various
accommodations of a house are built up in various proportions of wood iron
stone brick zinc and the rest each material having its peculiar composition
and proportions No man one sees can understand and estimate the entire
structure or its parts what are its frailties and what its repairs without
knowing the nature of the materials And the conception wrought out by Bichat
with his detailed study of the different tissues acted necessarily on medical
questions as the turning of gaslight would act on a dim oillit street
showing new connections and hitherto hidden facts of structure which must be
taken into account in considering the symptoms of maladies and the action of
medicaments But results which depend on human conscience and intelligence work
slowly and now at the end of 1829 most medical practice was still strutting or
shambling along the old paths and there was still scientific work to be done
which might have seemed to be a direct sequence of Bichats This great seer did
not go beyond the consideration of the tissues as ultimate facts in the living
organism marking the limit of anatomical analysis but it was open to another
mind to say have not these structures some common basis from which they have
all started as your sarsnet gauze net satin and velvet from the raw cocoon
Here would be another light as of oxyhydrogen showing the very grain of
things and revising all former explanations Of this sequence to Bichats work
already vibrating along many currents of the European mind Lydgate was
enamoured he longed to demonstrate the more intimate relations of living
structure and help to define mens thought more accurately after the true
order The work had not yet been done but only prepared for those who knew how
to use the preparation What was the primitive tissue In that way Lydgate put
the question not quite in the way required by the awaiting answer but such
missing of the right word befalls many seekers And he counted on quiet
intervals to be watchfully seized for taking up the threads of investigation
on many hints to be won from diligent application not only of the scalpel but
of the microscope which research had begun to use again with new enthusiasm of
reliance Such was Lydgates plan of his future to do good small work for
Middlemarch and great work for the world
He was certainly a happy fellow at this time to be sevenandtwenty
without any fixed vices with a generous resolution that his action should be
beneficent and with ideas in his brain that made life interesting quite apart
from the cultus of horseflesh and other mystic rites of costly observance
which the eight hundred pounds left him after buying his practice would
certainly not have gone far in paying for He was at a startingpoint which
makes many a mans career a fine subject for betting if there were any
gentlemen given to that amusement who could appreciate the complicated
probabilites of an arduous purpose with all the possible thwartings and
furtherings of circumstance all the niceties of inward balance by which a man
swims and makes his point or else is carried headlong The risk would remain
even with close knowledge of Lydgates character for character too is a process
and an unfolding The man was still in the making as much as the Middlemarch
doctor and immortal discoverer and there were both virtues and faults capable
of shrinking or expanding The faults will not I hope be a reason for the
withdrawal of your interest in him Among our valued friends is there not some
one or other who is a little too selfconfident and disdainful whose
distinguished mind is a little spotted with commonness who is a little pinched
here and protuberant there with native prejudices or whose better energies are
liable to lapse down the wrong channel under the influence of transient
solicitations All these things might be alleged against Lydgate but then they
are the periphrases of a polite preacher who talks of Adam and would not like
to mention anything painful to the pewrenters The particular faults from which
these delicate generalities are distilled have distinguishable physiognomies
diction accent and grimaces filling up parts in very various dramas Our
vanities differ as our noses do all conceit is not the same conceit but varies
in correspondence with the minutiæ of mental make in which one of us differs
from another Lydgates conceit was of the arrogant sort never simpering never
impertinent but massive in its claims and benevolently contemptuous He would
do a great deal for noodles being sorry for them and feeling quite sure that
they could have no power over him he had thought of joining the Saint Simonians
when he was in Paris in order to turn them against some of their own doctrines
All his faults were marked by kindred traits and were those of a man who had a
fine baritone whose clothes hung well upon him and who even in his ordinary
gestures had an air of inbred distinction Where then lay the spots of
commonness says a young lady enamoured of that careless grace How could there
be any commonness in a man so wellbred so ambitious of social distinction so
generous and unusual in his views of social duty As easily as there may be
stupidity in a man of genius if you take him unawares on the wrong subject or
as many a man who has the best will to advance the social millennium might be
illinspired in imagining its lighter pleasures unable to go beyond Offenbachs
music or the brilliant punning in the last burlesque Lydgates spots of
commonness lay in the complexion of his prejudices which in spite of noble
intention and sympathy were half of them such as are found in ordinary men of
the world that distinction of mind which belonged to his intellectual ardour
did not penetrate his feeling and judgment about furniture or women or the
desirability of its being known without his telling that he was better born
than other country surgeons He did not mean to think of furniture at present
but whenever he did so it was to be feared that neither biology nor schemes of
reform would lift him above the vulgarity of feeling that there would be an
incompatibility in his furniture not being of the best
As to women he had once already been drawn headlong by impetuous folly
which he meant to be final since marriage at some distant period would of
course not be impetuous For those who want to be acquainted with Lydgate it
will be good to know what was that case of impetuous folly for it may stand as
an example of the fitful swerving of passion to which he was prone together
with the chivalrous kindness which helped to make him morally lovable The story
can be told without many words It happened when he was studying in Paris and
just at the time when over and above his other work he was occupied with some
galvanic experiments One evening tired with his experimenting and not being
able to elicit the facts he needed he left his frogs and rabbits to some repose
under their trying and mysterious dispensation of unexplained shocks and went
to finish his evening at the theatre of the Porte Saint Martin where there was
a melodrama which he had already seen several times attracted not by the
ingenious work of the collaborating authors but by an actress whose part it was
to stab her lover mistaking him for the evildesigning duke of the piece
Lydgate was in love with this actress as a man is in love with a woman whom he
never expects to speak to She was a Provencale with dark eyes a Greek
profile and rounded majestic form having that sort of beauty which carries a
sweet matronliness even in youth and her voice was a soft cooing She had but
lately come to Paris and bore a virtuous reputation her husband acting with
her as the unfortunate lover It was her acting which was »no better than it
should be« but the public was satisfied Lydgates only relaxation now was to
go and look at this woman just as he might have thrown himself under the breath
of the sweet south on a bank of violets for a while without prejudice to his
galvanism to which he would presently return But this evening the old drama
had a new catastrophe At the moment when the heroine was to act the stabbing of
her lover and he was to fall gracefully the wife veritably stabbed her
husband who fell as death willed A wild shriek pierced the house and the
Provençale fell swooning a shriek and a swoon were demanded by the play but
the swooning too was real this time Lydgate leaped and climbed he hardly knew
how on to the stage and was active in help making the acquaintance of his
heroine by finding a contusion on her head and lifting her gently in his arms
Paris rang with the story of this death was it a murder Some of the
actresss warmest admirers were inclined to believe in her guilt and liked her
the better for it such was the taste of those times but Lydgate was not one
of these He vehemently contended for her innocence and the remote impersonal
passion for her beauty which he had felt before had passed now into personal
devotion and tender thought of her lot The notion of murder was absurd no
motive was discoverable the young couple being understood to dote on each
other and it was not unprecedented that an accidental slip of the foot should
have brought these grave consequences The legal investigation ended in Madame
Laures release Lydgate by this time had had many interviews with her and
found her more and more adorable She talked little but that was an additional
charm She was melancholy and seemed grateful her presence was enough like
that of the evening light Lydgate was madly anxious about her affection and
jealous lest any other man than himself should win it and ask her to marry him
But instead of reopening her engagement at the Porte Saint Martin where she
would have been all the more popular for the fatal episode she left Paris
without warning forsaking her little court of admirers Perhaps no one carried
inquiry far except Lydgate who felt that all science had come to a standstill
while he imagined the unhappy Laure stricken by everwandering sorrow herself
wandering and finding no faithful comforter Hidden actresses however are not
so difficult to find as some other hidden facts and it was not long before
Lydgate gathered indications that Laure had taken the route to Lyons He found
her at last acting with great success at Avignon under the same name looking
more majestic than ever as a forsaken wife carrying her child in her arms He
spoke to her after the play was received with the usual quietude which seemed
to him beautiful as clear depths of water and obtained leave to visit her the
next day when he was bent on telling her that he adored her and on asking her
to marry him He knew that this was like the sudden impulse of a madman
incongruous even with his habitual foibles No matter It was the one thing
which he was resolved to do He had two selves within him apparently and they
must learn to accommodate each other and bear reciprocal impediments Strange
that some of us with quick alternate vision see beyond our infatuations and
even while we rave on the heights behold the wide plain where our persistent
self pauses and awaits us
To have approached Laure with any suit that was not reverentially tender
would have been simply a contradiction of his whole feeling towards her
»You have come all the way from Paris to find me« she said to him the next
day sitting before him with folded arms and looking at him with eyes that
seemed to wonder as an untamed ruminating animal wonders »Are all Englishmen
like that«
»I came because I could not live without trying to see you You are lonely
I love you I want you to consent to be my wife I will wait but I want you to
promise that you will marry me no one else«
Laure looked at him in silence with a melancholy radiance from under her
grand eyelids until he was full of rapturous certainty and knelt close to her
knees
»I will tell you something« she said in her cooing way keeping her arms
folded »My foot really slipped«
»I know I know« said Lydgate deprecatingly »It was a fatal accident a
dreadful stroke of calamity that bound me to you the more«
Again Laure paused a little and then said slowly »I meant to do it«
Lydgate strong man as he was turned pale and trembled moments seemed to
pass before he rose and stood at a distance from her
»There was a secret then« he said at last even vehemently »He was brutal
to you you hated him«
»No he wearied me he was too fond he would live in Paris and not in my
country that was not agreeable to me«
»Great God« said Lydgate in a groan of horror »And you planned to murder
him«
»I did not plan it came to me in the play I meant to do it«
Lydgate stood mute and unconsciously pressed his hat on while he looked at
her He saw this woman the first to whom he had given his young adoration
amid the throng of stupid criminals
»You are a good young man« she said »But I do not like husbands I will
never have another«
Three days afterwards Lydgate was at his galvanism again in his Paris
chambers believing that illusions were at an end for him He was saved from
hardening effects by the abundant kindness of his heart and his belief that
human life might be made better But he had more reason than ever for trusting
his judgment now that it was so experienced and henceforth he would take a
strictly scientific view of woman entertaining no expectations but such as were
justified beforehand
No one in Middlemarch was likely to have such a notion of Lydgates past as
has here been faintly shadowed and indeed the respectable townsfolk there were
not more given than mortals generally to any eager attempt at exactness in the
representation to themselves of what did not come under their own senses Not
only young virgins of that town but greybearded men also were often in haste
to conjecture how a new acquaintance might be wrought into their purposes
contented with very vague knowledge as to the way in which life had been shaping
him for that instrumentality Middlemarch in fact counted on swallowing
Lydgate and assimilating him very comfortably
Chapter XVI
»All that in woman is adored
In thy fair self I find
For the whole sex can but afford
The handsome and the kind«
Sir Charles Sedley
The question whether Mr Tyke should be appointed as salaried chaplain to the
hospital was an exciting topic to the Middlemarchers and Lydgate heard it
discussed in a way that threw much light on the power exercised in the town by
Mr Bulstrode The banker was evidently a ruler but there was an opposition
party and even among his supporters there were some who allowed it to be seen
that their support was a compromise and who frankly stated their impression
that the general scheme of things and especially the casualties of trade
required you to hold a candle to the devil
Mr Bulstrodes power was not due simply to his being a country banker who
knew the financial secrets of most traders in the town and could touch the
springs of their credit it was fortified by a beneficence that was at once
ready and severe ready to confer obligations and severe in watching the
result He had gathered as an industrious man always at his post a chief share
in administering the town charities and his private charities were both minute
and abundant He would take a great deal of pains about apprenticing Tegg the
shoemakers son and he would watch over Teggs churchgoing he would defend
Mrs Strype the washerwoman against Stubbss unjust exaction on the score of her
dryingground and he would himself scrutinise a calumny against Mrs Strype
His private minor loans were numerous but he would inquire strictly into the
circumstances both before and after In this way a man gathers a domain in his
neighbours hope and fear as well as gratitude and power when once it has got
into that subtle region propagates itself spreading out of all proportion to
its external means It was a principle with Mr Bulstrode to gain as much power
as possible that he might use it for the glory of God He went through a great
deal of spiritual conflict and inward argument in order to adjust his motives
and make clear to himself what Gods glory required But as we have seen his
motives were not always rightly appreciated There were many crass minds in
Middlemarch whose reflective scales could only weigh things in the lump and
they had a strong suspicion that since Mr Bulstrode could not enjoy life in
their fashion eating and drinking so little as he did and worreting himself
about everything he must have a sort of vampires feast in the sense of
mastery
The subject of the chaplaincy came up at Mr Vincys table when Lydgate was
dining there and the family connection with Mr Bulstrode did not he observed
prevent some freedom of remark even on the part of the host himself though his
reasons against the proposed arrangement turned entirely on his objection to Mr
Tykes sermons which were all doctrine and his preference for Mr Farebrother
whose sermons were free from that taint Mr Vincy liked well enough the notion
of the chaplains having a salary supposing it were given to Farebrother who
was as good a little fellow as ever breathed and the best preacher anywhere
and companionable too
»What line shall you take then« said Mr Chichely the coroner a great
coursing comrade of Mr Vincys
»Oh Im precious glad Im not one of the Directors now I shall vote for
referring the matter to the Directors and the Medical Board together I shall
roll some of my responsibility on your shoulders Doctor« said Mr Vincy
glancing first at Dr Sprague the senior physician of the town and then at
Lydgate who sat opposite »You medical gentlemen must consult which sort of
black draught you will prescribe eh Mr Lydgate«
»I know little of either« said Lydgate »but in general appointments are
apt to be made too much a question of personal liking The fittest man for a
particular post is not always the best fellow or the most agreeable Sometimes
if you wanted to get a reform your only way would be to pension off the good
fellows whom everybody is fond of and put them out of the question«
Dr Sprague who was considered the physician of most »weight« though Dr
Minchin was usually said to have more »penetration« divested his large heavy
face of all expression and looked at his wineglass while Lydgate was speaking
Whatever was not problematical and suspected about this young man for example,
a certain showiness as to foreign ideas, and a disposition to unsettle what had
been settled and forgotten by his elders was positively unwelcome to a
physician whose standing had been fixed thirty years before by a treatise on
Meningitis of which at least one copy marked »own« was bound in calf For my
part I have some fellowfeeling with Dr Sprague ones selfsatisfaction is an
untaxed kind of property which it is very unpleasant to find depreciated
Lydgates remark however did not meet the sense of the company Mr Vincy
said that if he could have his way he would not put disagreeable fellows
anywhere
»Hang your reforms« said Mr Chichely »Theres no greater humbug in the
world You never hear of a reform but it means some trick to put in new men I
hope you are not one of the Lancets men Mr Lydgate wanting to take the
coronership out of the hands of the legal profession your words appear to point
that way«
»I disapprove of Wakley« interposed Dr Sprague »no man more he is an
illintentioned fellow who would sacrifice the respectability of the
profession which everybody knows depends on the London Colleges for the sake
of getting some notoriety for himself There are men who dont mind about being
kicked blue if they can only get talked about But Wakley is right sometimes«
the Doctor added judicially »I could mention one or two points in which Wakley
is in the right«
»Oh well« said Mr Chichely »I blame no man for standing up in favour of
his own cloth but coming to argument I should like to know how a coroner is
to judge of evidence if he has not had a legal training«
»In my opinion« said Lydgate »legal training only makes a man more
incompetent in questions that require knowledge of another kind People talk
about evidence as if it could really be weighed in scales by a blind Justice No
man can judge what is good evidence on any particular subject unless he knows
that subject well A lawyer is no better than an old woman at a postmortem
examination How is he to know the action of a poison You might as well say
that scanning verse will teach you to scan the potato crops«
»You are aware I suppose that it is not the coroners business to conduct
the postmortem but only to take the evidence of the medical witness« said Mr
Chichely with some scorn
»Who is often almost as ignorant as the coroner himself« said Lydgate
»Questions of medical jurisprudence ought not to be left to the chance of decent
knowledge in a medical witness and the coroner ought not to be a man who will
believe that strychnine will destroy the coats of the stomach if an ignorant
practitioner happens to tell him so«
Lydgate had really lost sight of the fact that Mr Chichely was his
Majestys coroner and ended innocently with the question »Dont you agree with
me Dr Sprague«
»To a certain extent with regard to populous districts and in the
metropolis« said the Doctor »But I hope it will be long before this part of
the country loses the services of my friend Chichely even though it might get
the best man in our profession to succeed him I am sure Vincy will agree with
me«
»Yes yes give me a coroner who is a good coursing man« said Mr Vincy
jovially »And in my opinion youre safest with a lawyer Nobody can know
everything Most things are visitation of God And as to poisoning why what
you want to know is the law Come shall we join the ladies«
Lydgates private opinion was that Mr Chichely might be the very coroner
without bias as to the coats of the stomach but he had not meant to be
personal This was one of the difficulties of moving in good Middlemarch
society it was dangerous to insist on knowledge as a qualification for any
salaried office Fred Vincy had called Lydgate a prig and now Mr Chichely was
inclined to call him prickeared especially when in the drawingroom he seemed
to be making himself eminently agreeable to Rosamond whom he had easily
monopolised in a têteàtête since Mrs Vincy herself sat at the teatable She
resigned no domestic function to her daughter and the matrons blooming
goodnatured face with the too volatile pink strings floating from her fine
throat and her cheery manners to husband and children was certainly among the
great attractions of the Vincy house attractions which made it all the easier
to fall in love with the daughter The tinge of unpretentious inoffensive
vulgarity in Mrs Vincy gave more effect to Rosamonds refinement which was
beyond what Lydgate had expected
Certainly small feet and perfectly turned shoulders aid the impression of
refined manners and the right thing said seems quite astonishingly right when
it is accompanied with exquisite curves of lip and eyelid And Rosamond could
say the right thing for she was clever with that sort of cleverness which
catches every tone except the humorous Happily she never attempted to joke and
this perhaps was the most decisive mark of her cleverness
She and Lydgate readily got into conversation He regretted that he had not
heard her sing the other day at Stone Court The only pleasure he allowed
himself during the latter part of his stay in Paris was to go and hear music
»You have studied music probably« said Rosamond
»No I know the notes of many birds and I know many melodies by ear but
the music that I dont know at all and have no notion about delights me
affects me How stupid the world is that it does not make more use of such a
pleasure within its reach«
»Yes and you will find Middlemarch very tuneless There are hardly any good
musicians I only know two gentlemen who sing at all well«
»I suppose it is the fashion to sing comic songs in a rhythmic way leaving
you to fancy the tune very much as if it were tapped on a drum«
»Ah you have heard Mr Bowyer« said Rosamond with one of her rare smiles
»But we are speaking very ill of our neighbours«
Lydgate was almost forgetting that he must carry on the conversation in
thinking how lovely this creature was her garment seeming to be made out of the
faintest blue sky herself so immaculately blond as if the petals of some
gigantic flower had just opened and disclosed her and yet with this infantine
blondness showing so much ready selfpossessed grace Since he had had the
memory of Laure Lydgate had lost all taste for largeeyed silence the divine
cow no longer attracted him and Rosamond was her very opposite But he recalled
himself
»You will let me hear some music tonight I hope«
»I will let you hear my attempts if you like« said Rosamond »Papa is sure
to insist on my singing But I shall tremble before you who have heard the best
singers in Paris I have heard very little I have only once been to London But
our organist at St Peters is a good musician and I go on studying with him«
»Tell me what you saw in London«
»Very little« A more naïve girl would have said »Oh everything« But
Rosamond knew better »A few of the ordinary sights such as raw country girls
are always taken to«
»Do you call yourself a raw country girl« said Lydgate looking at her with
an involuntary emphasis of admiration which made Rosamond blush with pleasure
But she remained simply serious turned her long neck a little and put up her
hand to touch her wondrous hairplaits an habitual gesture with her as pretty
as any movements of a kittens paw Not that Rosamond was in the least like a
kitten she was a sylph caught young and educated at Mrs Lemons
»I assure you my mind is raw« she said immediately »I pass at Middlemarch
I am not afraid of talking to our old neighbours But I am really afraid of
you«
»An accomplished woman almost always knows more than we men though her
knowledge is of a different sort I am sure you could teach me a thousand things
as an exquisite bird could teach a bear if there were any common language
between them Happily there is a common language between women and men and so
the bears can get taught«
»Ah there is Fred beginning to strum I must go and hinder him from jarring
all your nerves« said Rosamond moving to the other side of the room where
Fred having opened the piano at his fathers desire that Rosamond might give
them some music was parenthetically performing »Cherry Ripe« with one hand
Able men who have passed their examinations will do these things sometimes not
less than the plucked Fred
»Fred pray defer your practising till tomorrow you will make Mr Lydgate
ill« said Rosamond »He has an ear«
Fred laughed and went on with his tune to the end
Rosamond turned to Lydgate smiling gently and said »You perceive the
bears will not always be taught«
»Now then Rosy« said Fred springing from the stool and twisting it upward
for her with a hearty expectation of enjoyment »Some good rousing tunes
first«
Rosamond played admirably Her master at Mrs Lemons school close to a
county town with a memorable history that had its relics in church and castle
was one of those excellent musicians here and there to be found in our
provinces worthy to compare with many a noted Kapellmeister in a country which
offers more plentiful conditions of musical celebrity Rosamond with the
executants instinct had seized his manner of playing and gave forth his large
rendering of noble music with the precision of an echo It was almost startling
heard for the first time A hidden soul seemed to be flowing forth from
Rosamonds fingers and so indeed it was since souls live on in perpetual
echoes and to all fine expression there goes somewhere an originating activity
if it be only that of an interpreter Lydgate was taken possession of and began
to believe in her as something exceptional After all he thought one need not
be surprised to find the rare conjunctions of nature under circumstances
apparently unfavourable come where they may they always depend on conditions
that are not obvious He sat looking at her and did not rise to pay her any
compliments leaving that to others now that his admiration was deepened
Her singing was less remarkable but also well trained and sweet to hear as
a chime perfectly in tune It is true she sang »Meet me by moonlight« and »Ive
been roaming« for mortals must share the fashions of their time and none but
the ancients can be always classical But Rosamond could also sing »Blackeyed
Susan« with effect or Haydns canzonets or »Voi che sapete« or »Batti
batti« she only wanted to know what her audience liked
Her father looked round at the company delighting in their admiration Her
mother sat like a Niobe before her troubles with her youngest little girl on
her lap softly beating the childs hand up and down in time to the music And
Fred notwithstanding his general scepticism about Rosy listened to her music
with perfect allegiance wishing he could do the same thing on his flute It was
the pleasantest family party that Lydgate had seen since he came to Middlemarch
The Vincys had the readiness to enjoy the rejection of all anxiety and the
belief in life as a merry lot which made a house exceptional in most county
towns at that time when Evangelicalism had cast a certain suspicion as of
plagueinfection over the few amusements which survived in the provinces At the
Vincys there was always whist and the cardtables stood ready now making some
of the company secretly impatient of the music Before it ceased Mr
Farebrother came in a handsome broadchested but otherwise small man about
forty whose black was very threadbare the brilliancy was all in his quick grey
eyes He came like a pleasant change in the light arresting little Louisa with
fatherly nonsense as she was being led out of the room by Miss Morgan greeting
everybody with some special word and seeming to condense more talk into ten
minutes than had been held all through the evening He claimed from Lydgate the
fulfilment of a promise to come and see him »I cant let you off you know
because I have some beetles to show you We collectors feel an interest in every
new man till he has seen all we have to show him«
But soon he swerved to the whisttable rubbing his hands and saying »Come
now let us be serious Mr Lydgate not play Ah you are too young and light
for this kind of thing«
Lydgate said to himself that the clergyman whose abilities were so painful
to Mr Bulstrode appeared to have found an agreeable resort in this certainly
not erudite household He could half understand it the goodhumour the good
looks of elder and younger and the provision for passing the time without any
labour of intelligence might make the house beguiling to people who had no
particular use for their odd hours
Everything looked blooming and joyous except Miss Morgan who was brown
dull and resigned and altogether as Mrs Vincy often said just the sort of
person for a governess Lydgate did not mean to pay many such visits himself
They were a wretched waste of the evenings and now when he had talked a little
more to Rosamond he meant to excuse himself and go
»You will not like us at Middlemarch I feel sure« she said when the
whistplayers were settled »We are very stupid and you have been used to
something quite different«
»I suppose all country towns are pretty much alike« said Lydgate »But I
have noticed that one always believes ones own town to be more stupid than any
other I have made up my mind to take Middlemarch as it comes and shall be much
obliged if the town will take me in the same way I have certainly found some
charms in it which are much greater than I had expected«
»You mean the rides towards Tipton and Lowick every one is pleased with
those« said Rosamond with simplicity
»No I mean something much nearer to me«
Rosamond rose and reached her netting and then said »Do you care about
dancing at all I am not quite sure whether clever men ever dance«
»I would dance with you if you would allow me«
»Oh« said Rosamond with a slight deprecatory laugh »I was only going to
say that we sometimes have dancing and I wanted to know whether you would feel
insulted if you were asked to come«
»Not on the condition I mentioned«
After this chat Lydgate thought that he was going but on moving towards the
whisttables he got interested in watching Mr Farebrothers play which was
masterly and also his face which was a striking mixture of the shrewd and the
mild At ten oclock supper was brought in such were the customs of
Middlemarch and there was punchdrinking but Mr Farebrother had only a glass
of water He was winning but there seemed to be no reason why the renewal of
rubbers should end and Lydgate at last took his leave
But as it was not eleven oclock he chose to walk in the brisk air towards
the tower of St Botolphs Mr Farebrothers church which stood out dark
square and massive against the starlight It was the oldest church in
Middlemarch the living however was but a vicarage worth barely four hundred
ayear Lydgate had heard that and he wondered now whether Mr Farebrother
cared about the money he won at cards thinking »He seems a very pleasant
fellow but Bulstrode may have his good reasons« Many things would be easier to
Lydgate if it should turn out that Mr Bulstrode was generally justifiable
»What is his religious doctrine to me if he carries some good notions along
with it One must use such brains as are to be found«
These were actually Lydgates first meditations as he walked away from Mr
Vincys and on this ground I fear that many ladies will consider him hardly
worthy of their attention He thought of Rosamond and her music only in the
second place and though when her turn came he dwelt on the image of her for
the rest of his walk he felt no agitation and had no sense that any new
current had set into his life He could not marry yet he wished not to marry
for several years and therefore he was not ready to entertain the notion of
being in love with a girl whom he happened to admire He did admire Rosamond
exceedingly but that madness which had once beset him about Laure was not he
thought likely to recur in relation to any other woman Certainly if falling
in love had been at all in question it would have been quite safe with a
creature like this Miss Vincy who had just the kind of intelligence one would
desire in a woman polished refined docile lending itself to finish in all
the delicacies of life and enshrined in a body which expressed this with a
force of demonstration that excluded the need for other evidence Lydgate felt
sure that if ever he married his wife would have that feminine radiance that
distinctive womanhood which must be classed with flowers and music that sort of
beauty which by its very nature was virtuous being moulded only for pure and
delicate joys
But since he did not mean to marry for the next five years his more
pressing business was to look into Louis new book on Fever which he was
specially interested in because he had known Louis in Paris and had followed
many anatomical demonstrations in order to ascertain the specific differences of
typhus and typhoid He went home and read far into the smallest hour bringing a
much more testing vision of details and relations into this pathological study
than he had ever thought it necessary to apply to the complexities of love and
marriage these being subjects on which he felt himself amply informed by
literature and that traditional wisdom which is handed down in the genial
conversation of men Whereas Fever had obscure conditions and gave him that
delightful labour of the imagination which is not mere arbitrariness but the
exercise of disciplined power combining and constructing with the clearest eye
for probabilities and the fullest obedience to knowledge and then in yet more
energetic alliance with impartial Nature standing aloof to invent tests by
which to try its own work
Many men have been praised as vividly imaginative on the strength of their
profuseness in indifferent drawing or cheap narration reports of very poor
talk going on in distant orbs or portraits of Lucifer coming down on his bad
errands as a large ugly man with bats wings and spurts of phosphorescence or
exaggerations of wantonness that seem to reflect life in a diseased dream But
these kinds of inspiration Lydgate regarded as rather vulgar and vinous compared
with the imagination that reveals subtle actions inaccessible by any sort of
lens but tracked in that outer darkness through long pathways of necessary
sequence by the inward light which is the last refinement of Energy capable of
bathing even the ethereal atoms in its ideally illuminated space He for his
part had tossed away all cheap inventions where ignorance finds itself able and
at ease he was enamoured of that arduous invention which is the very eye of
research provisionally framing its object and correcting it to more and more
exactness of relation he wanted to pierce the obscurity of those minute
processes which prepare human misery and joy those invisible thoroughfares
which are the first lurkingplaces of anguish mania and crime that delicate
poise and transition which determine the growth of happy or unhappy
consciousness.
As he threw down his book stretched his legs towards the embers in the
grate and clasped his hands at the back of his head in that agreeable
afterglow of excitement when thought lapses from examination of a specific
object into a suffusive sense of its connections with all the rest of our
existence seems as it were to throw itself on its back after vigorous
swimming and float with the repose of unexhausted strength Lydgate felt a
triumphant delight in his studies and something like pity for those less lucky
men who were not of his profession
»If I had not taken that turn when I was a lad« he thought »I might have
got into some stupid draughthorse work or other and lived always in blinkers
I should never have been happy in any profession that did not call forth the
highest intellectual strain and yet keep me in good warm contact with my
neighbours There is nothing like the medical profession for that one can have
the exclusive scientific life that touches the distance and befriend the old
fogies in the parish too It is rather harder for a clergyman Farebrother
seems to be an anomaly«
This last thought brought back the Vincys and all the pictures of the
evening They floated in his mind agreeably enough and as he took up his
bedcandle his lips were curled with that incipient smile which is apt to
accompany agreeable recollections He was an ardent fellow but at present his
ardour was absorbed in love of his work and in the ambition of making his life
recognised as a factor in the better life of mankind like other heroes of
science who had nothing but an obscure country practice to begin with
Poor Lydgate or shall I say Poor Rosamond Each lived in a world of which
the other knew nothing It had not occurred to Lydgate that he had been a
subject of eager meditation to Rosamond who had neither any reason for throwing
her marriage into distant perspective nor any pathological studies to divert
her mind from that ruminating habit that inward repetition of looks words and
phrases which makes a large part in the lives of most girls He had not meant
to look at her or speak to her with more than the inevitable amount of
admiration and compliment which a man must give to a beautiful girl indeed it
seemed to him that his enjoyment of her music had remained almost silent for he
feared falling into the rudeness of telling her his great surprise at her
possession of such accomplishment But Rosamond had registered every look and
word and estimated them as the opening incidents of a preconceived romance
incidents which gather value from the foreseen development and climax In
Rosamonds romance it was not necessary to imagine much about the inward life of
the hero or of his serious business in the world of course he had a
profession and was clever as well as sufficiently handsome but the piquant
fact about Lydgate was his good birth which distinguished him from all
Middlemarch admirers and presented marriage as a prospect of rising in rank and
getting a little nearer to that celestial condition on earth in which she would
have nothing to do with vulgar people and perhaps at last associate with
relatives quite equal to the county people who looked down on the
Middlemarchers It was part of Rosamonds cleverness to discern very subtly the
faintest aroma of rank and once when she had seen the Miss Brookes accompanying
their uncle at the county assizes and seated among the aristocracy she had
envied them notwithstanding their plain dress
If you think it incredible that to imagine Lydgate as a man of family could
cause thrills of satisfaction which had anything to do with the sense that she
was in love with him I will ask you to use your power of comparison a little
more effectively and consider whether red cloth and epaulets have never had an
influence of that sort Our passions do not live apart in locked chambers but
dressed in their small wardrobe of notions bring their provisions to a common
table and mess together feeding out of the common store according to their
appetite
Rosamond in fact was entirely occupied not exactly with Tertius Lydgate as
he was in himself but with his relation to her and it was excusable in a girl
who was accustomed to hear that all young men might could would be or
actually were in love with her to believe at once that Lydgate could be no
exception His looks and words meant more to her than other mens because she
cared more for them she thought of them diligently and diligently attended to
that perfection of appearance behaviour sentiments and all other elegancies
which would find in Lydgate a more adequate admirer than she had yet been
conscious of
For Rosamond though she would never do anything that was disagreeable to
her was industrious and now more than ever she was active in sketching her
landscapes and marketcarts and portraits of friends in practising her music
and in being from morning till night her own standard of a perfect lady having
always an audience in her own consciousness with sometimes the not unwelcome
addition of a more variable external audience in the numerous visitors of the
house She found time also to read the best novels and even the second best
and she knew much poetry by heart Her favourite poem was Lalla Rookh
»The best girl in the world He will be a happy fellow who gets her« was
the sentiment of the elderly gentlemen who visited the Vincys and the rejected
young men thought of trying again as is the fashion in country towns where the
horizon is not thick with coming rivals But Mrs Plymdale thought that Rosamond
had been educated to a ridiculous pitch for what was the use of accomplishments
which would be all laid aside as soon as she was married While her aunt
Bulstrode who had a sisterly faithfulness towards her brothers family had two
sincere wishes for Rosamond that she might show a more serious turn of mind
and that she might meet with a husband whose wealth corresponded to her habits
Chapter XVII
The clerkly person smiled and said
Promise was a pretty maid
But being poor she died unwed
The Rev Camden Farebrother whom Lydgate went to see the next evening lived in
an old parsonage built of stone venerable enough to match the church which it
looked out upon All the furniture too in the house was old but with another
grade of age that of Mr Farebrothers father and grandfather There were
painted white chairs with gilding and wreaths on them and some lingering red
silk damask with slits in it There were engraved portraits of Lord Chancellors
and other celebrated lawyers of the last century and there were old
pierglasses to reflect them as well as the little satinwood tables and the
sofas resembling a prolongation of uneasy chairs all standing in relief against
the dark wainscot This was the physiognomy of the drawingroom into which
Lydgate was shown and there were three ladies to receive him who were also
oldfashioned and of a faded but genuine respectability Mrs Farebrother the
Vicars whitehaired mother befrilled and kerchiefed with dainty cleanliness
upright quickeyed and still under seventy Miss Noble her sister a tiny old
lady of meeker aspect with frills and kerchief decidedly more worn and mended
and Miss Winifred Farebrother the Vicars elder sister welllooking like
himself but nipped and subdued as single women are apt to be who spend their
lives in uninterrupted subjection to their elders Lydgate had not expected to
see so quaint a group knowing simply that Mr Farebrother was a bachelor he
had thought of being ushered into a snuggery where the chief furniture would
probably be books and collections of natural objects The Vicar himself seemed
to wear rather a changed aspect as most men do when acquaintances made
elsewhere see them for the first time in their own homes some indeed showing
like an actor of genial parts disadvantageously cast for the curmudgeon in a new
piece This was not the case with Mr Farebrother he seemed a trifle milder and
more silent the chief talker being his mother while he only put in a
goodhumoured moderating remark here and there The old lady was evidently
accustomed to tell her company what they ought to think and to regard no
subject as quite safe without her steering She was afforded leisure for this
function by having all her little wants attended to by Miss Winifred Meanwhile
tiny Miss Noble carried on her arm a small basket into which she diverted a bit
of sugar which she had first dropped in her saucer as if by mistake looking
round furtively afterwards and reverting to her teacup with a small innocent
noise as of a tiny timid quadruped Pray think no ill of Miss Noble That basket
held small savings from her more portable food destined for the children of her
poor friends among whom she trotted on fine mornings fostering and petting all
needy creatures being so spontaneous a delight to her that she regarded it much
as if it had been a pleasant vice that she was addicted to Perhaps she was
conscious of being tempted to steal from those who had much that she might give
to those who had nothing and carried in her conscience the guilt of that
repressed desire One must be poor to know the luxury of giving
Mrs Farebrother welcomed the guest with a lively formality and precision
She presently informed him that they were not often in want of medical aid in
that house She had brought up her children to wear flannel and not to overeat
themselves which last habit she considered the chief reason why people needed
doctors Lydgate pleaded for those whose fathers and mothers had overeaten
themselves but Mrs Farebrother held that view of things dangerous Nature was
more just than that it would be easy for any felon to say that his ancestors
ought to have been hanged instead of him If those who had bad fathers and
mothers were bad themselves they were hanged for that There was no need to go
back on what you couldnt see
»My mother is like old George the Third« said the Vicar »she objects to
metaphysics«
»I object to what is wrong Camden I say keep hold of a few plain truths
and make everything square with them When I was young Mr Lydgate there never
was any question about right and wrong We knew our catechism and that was
enough we learned our creed and our duty Every respectable Church person had
the same opinions But now if you speak out of the Prayerbook itself you are
liable to be contradicted«
»That makes rather a pleasant time of it for those who like to maintain
their own point« said Lydgate
»But my mother always gives way« said the Vicar slyly
»No no Camden you must not lead Mr Lydgate into a mistake about me I
shall never show that disrespect to my parents to give up what they taught me
Any one may see what comes of turning If you change once why not twenty
times«
»A man might see good arguments for changing once and not see them for
changing again« said Lydgate amused with the decisive old lady
»Excuse me there If you go upon arguments they are never wanting when a
man has no constancy of mind My father never changed and he preached plain
moral sermons without arguments and was a good man few better When you get
me a good man made out of arguments I will get you a good dinner with reading
you the cookerybook Thats my opinion and I think anybodys stomach will bear
me out«
»About the dinner certainly mother« said Mr Farebrother
»It is the same thing the dinner or the man I am nearly seventy Mr
Lydgate and I go upon experience I am not likely to follow new lights though
there are plenty of them here as elsewhere I say they came in with the mixed
stuffs that will neither wash nor wear It was not so in my youth a Churchman
was a Churchman and a clergyman you might be pretty sure was a gentleman if
nothing else But now he may be no better than a Dissenter and want to push
aside my son on pretence of doctrine But whoever may wish to push him aside I
am proud to say Mr Lydgate that he will compare with any preacher in this
kingdom not to speak of this town which is but a low standard to go by at
least to my thinking for I was born and bred at Exeter«
»A mother is never partial« said Mr Farebrother smiling »What do you
think Tykes mother says about him«
»Ah poor creature what indeed« said Mrs Farebrother her sharpness
blunted for the moment by her confidence in maternal judgments »She says the
truth to herself depend upon it«
»And what is the truth« said Lydgate »I am curious to know«
»Oh nothing bad at all« said Mr Farebrother »He is a zealous fellow not
very learned and not very wise I think because I dont agree with him«
»Why Camden« said Miss Winifred »Griffin and his wife told me only
today that Mr Tyke said they should have no more coals if they came to hear
you preach«
Mrs Farebrother laid down her knitting which she had resumed after her
small allowance of tea and toast and looked at her son as if to say »You hear
that« Miss Noble said »Oh poor things poor things« in reference probably
to the double loss of preaching and coal But the Vicar answered quietly
»That is because they are not my parishioners And I dont think my sermons
are worth a load of coals to them«
»Mr Lydgate« said Mrs Farebrother who could not let this pass »you
dont know my son he always undervalues himself I tell him he is undervaluing
the God who made him and made him a most excellent preacher«
»That must be a hint for me to take Mr Lydgate away to my study mother«
said the Vicar laughing »I promised to show you my collection« he added
turning to Lydgate »shall we go«
All three ladies remonstrated Mr Lydgate ought not to be hurried away
without being allowed to accept another cup of tea Miss Winifred had abundance
of good tea in the pot Why was Camden in such haste to take a visitor to his
den There was nothing but pickled vermin and drawers full of bluebottles and
moths with no carpet on the floor Mr Lydgate must excuse it A game at
cribbage would be far better In short it was plain that a vicar might be
adored by his womankind as the king of men and preachers and yet be held by
them to stand in much need of their direction Lydgate with the usual
shallowness of a young bachelor wondered that Mr Farebrother had not taught
them better
»My mother is not used to my having visitors who can take any interest in my
hobbies« said the Vicar as he opened the door of his study which was indeed
as bare of luxuries for the body as the ladies had implied unless a short
porcelain pipe and a tobaccobox were to be excepted
»Men of your profession dont generally smoke« he said Lydgate smiled and
shook his head »Nor of mine either properly I suppose You will hear that
pipe alleged against me by Bulstrode and Company They dont know how pleased
the devil would be if I gave it up«
»I understand You are of an excitable temper and want a sedative I am
heavier and should get idle with it I should rush into idleness and stagnate
there with all my might«
»And you mean to give it all to your work I am some ten or twelve years
older than you and have come to a compromise I feed a weakness or two lest
they should get clamorous See« continued the Vicar opening several small
drawers »I fancy I have made an exhaustive study of the entomology of this
district I am going on both with the fauna and flora but I have at least done
my insects well We are singularly rich in orthoptera I dont know whether
Ah you have got hold of that glass jar you are looking into that instead of
my drawers You dont really care about these things«
»Not by the side of this lovely anencephalous monster I have never had time
to give myself much to natural history I was early bitten with an interest in
structure and it is what lies most directly in my profession I have no hobby
besides I have the sea to swim in there«
»Ah you are a happy fellow« said Mr Farebrother turning on his heel and
beginning to fill his pipe »You dont know what it is to want spiritual tobacco
bad emendations of old texts or small items about a variety of Aphis
Brassicæ with the wellknown signature of Philomicron for the Twaddlers
Magazine or a learned treatise on the entomology of the Pentateuch including
all the insects not mentioned but probably met with by the Israelites in their
passage through the desert with a monograph on the Ant as treated by Solomon
showing the harmony of the Book of Proverbs with the results of modern research
You dont mind my fumigating you«
Lydgate was more surprised at the openness of this talk than at its implied
meaning that the Vicar felt himself not altogether in the right vocation The
neat fittingup of drawers and shelves and the bookcase filled with expensive
illustrated books on Natural History made him think again of the winnings at
cards and their destination But he was beginning to wish that the very best
construction of everything that Mr Farebrother did should be the true one The
Vicars frankness seemed not of the repulsive sort that comes from an uneasy
consciousness seeking to forestall the judgment of others but simply the relief
of a desire to do with as little pretence as possible Apparently he was not
without a sense that his freedom of speech might seem premature for he
presently said
»I have not yet told you that I have the advantage of you Mr Lydgate and
know you better than you know me You remember Trawley who shared your apartment
at Paris for some time I was a correspondent of his and he told me a good deal
about you I was not quite sure when you first came that you were the same man
I was very glad when I found that you were Only I dont forget that you have
not had the like prologue about me«
Lydgate divined some delicacy of feeling here but did not half understand
it »By the way« he said »what has become of Trawley I have quite lost sight
of him He was hot on the French social systems and talked of going to the
Backwoods to found a sort of Pythagorean community Is he gone«
»Not at all He is practising at a German bath and has married a rich
patient«
»Then my notions wear the best so far« said Lydgate with a short scornful
laugh »He would have it the medical profession was an inevitable system of
humbug I said the fault was in the men men who truckle to lies and folly
Instead of preaching against humbug outside the walls it might be better to set
up a disinfecting apparatus within In short I am reporting my own
conversation you may be sure I had all the good sense on my side«
»Your scheme is a good deal more difficult to carry out than the Pythagorean
community though You have not only got the old Adam in yourself against you
but you have got all those descendants of the original Adam who form the society
around you You see I have paid twelve or thirteen years more than you for my
knowledge of difficulties But« Mr Farebrother broke off a moment and then
added »you are eyeing that glass vase again Do you want to make an exchange
You shall not have it without a fair barter«
»I have some seamice fine specimens in spirits And I will throw in
Robert Browns new thing Microscopic Observations on the Pollen of Plants if
you dont happen to have it already«
»Why seeing how you long for the monster I might ask a higher price
Suppose I ask you to look through my drawers and agree with me about all my new
species« The Vicar while he talked in this way alternately moved about with
his pipe in his mouth and returned to hang rather fondly over his drawers
»That would be good discipline you know for a young doctor who has to please
his patients in Middlemarch You must learn to be bored remember However you
shall have the monster on your own terms«
»Dont you think men overrate the necessity for humouring everybodys
nonsense till they get despised by the very fools they humour« said Lydgate
moving to Mr Farebrothers side and looking rather absently at the insects
ranged in fine gradation with names subscribed in exquisite writing »The
shortest way is to make your value felt so that people must put up with you
whether you flatter them or not«
»With all my heart But then you must be sure of having the value and you
must keep yourself independent Very few men can do that Either you slip out of
service altogether and become good for nothing or you wear the harness and
draw a good deal where your yokefellows pull you But do look at these delicate
orthoptera«
Lydgate had after all to give some scrutiny to each drawer the Vicar
laughing at himself and yet persisting in the exhibition
»Apropos of what you said about wearing harness« Lydgate began after they
had sat down »I made up my mind some time ago to do with as little of it as
possible That was why I determined not to try anything in London for a good
many years at least I didnt like what I saw when I was studying there so
much empty bigwiggism and obstructive trickery In the country people have
less pretension to knowledge and are less of companions but for that reason
they affect ones amourpropre less one makes less bad blood and can follow
ones own course more quietly«
»Yes well you have got a good start you are in the right profession
the work you feel yourself most fit for Some people miss that and repent too
late But you must not be too sure of keeping your independence«
»You mean of family ties« said Lydgate conceiving that these might press
rather tightly on Mr Farebrother
»Not altogether Of course they make many things more difficult But a good
wife a good unworldly woman may really help a man and keep him more
independent Theres a parishioner of mine a fine fellow but who would hardly
have pulled through as he has done without his wife Do you know the Garths I
think they were not Peacocks patients«
»No but there is a Miss Garth at old Featherstones at Lowick«
»Their daughter an excellent girl«
»She is very quiet I have hardly noticed her«
»She has taken notice of you though depend upon it«
»I dont understand« said Lydgate he could hardly say »Of course«
»Oh she gauges everybody I prepared her for confirmation she is a
favourite of mine«
Mr Farebrother puffed a few moments in silence Lydgate not caring to know
more about the Garths At last the Vicar laid down his pipe stretched out his
legs and turned his bright eyes with a smile towards Lydgate saying
»But we Middlemarchers are not so tame as you take us to be We have our
intrigues and our parties I am a party man for example, and Bulstrode is
another If you vote for me you will offend Bulstrode«
»What is there against Bulstrode« said Lydgate emphatically
»I did not say there was anything against him except that If you vote
against him you will make him your enemy«
»I dont know that I need mind about that« said Lydgate rather proudly
»but he seems to have good ideas about hospitals and he spends large sums on
useful public objects He might help me a good deal in carrying out my ideas. As
to his religious notions why as Voltaire said incantations will destroy a
flock of sheep if administered with a certain quantity of arsenic I look for
the man who will bring the arsenic and dont mind about his incantations«
»Very good But then you must not offend your arsenicman You will not
offend me you know« said Mr Farebrother quite unaffectedly »I dont
translate my own convenience into other peoples duties I am opposed to
Bulstrode in many ways I dont like the set he belongs to they are a narrow
ignorant set and do more to make their neighbours uncomfortable than to make
them better Their system is a sort of worldlyspiritual cliqueism they really
look on the rest of mankind as a doomed carcass which is to nourish them for
heaven But« he added smilingly »I dont say that Bulstrodes new hospital is
a bad thing and as to his wanting to oust me from the old one why if he
thinks me a mischievous fellow he is only returning a compliment And I am not
a model clergyman only a decent makeshift«
Lydgate was not at all sure that the Vicar maligned himself A model
clergyman like a model doctor ought to think his own profession the finest in
the world and take all knowledge as mere nourishment to his moral pathology and
therapeutics He only said »What reason does Bulstrode give for superseding
you«
»That I dont teach his opinions which he calls spiritual religion and
that I have no time to spare Both statements are true But then I could make
time and I should be glad of the forty pounds That is the plain fact of the
case But let us dismiss it I only wanted to tell you that if you vote for your
arsenicman you are not to cut me in consequence I cant spare you You are a
sort of circumnavigator come to settle among us and will keep up my belief in
the antipodes Now tell me all about them in Paris«
Chapter XVIII
»Oh sir the loftiest hopes on earth
Draw lots with meaner hopes heroic breasts
Breathing bad air run risk of pestilence
Or lacking limejuice when they cross the Line
May languish with the scurvy«
Some weeks passed after this conversation before the question of the chaplaincy
gathered any practical import for Lydgate and without telling himself the
reason he deferred the predetermination on which side he should give his vote
It would really have been a matter of total indifference to him that is to
say he would have taken the more convenient side and given his vote for the
appointment of Tyke without any hesitation if he had not cared personally for
Mr Farebrother
But his liking for the Vicar of St Botolphs grew with growing
acquaintanceship That entering into Lydgates position as a newcomer who had
his own professional objects to secure Mr Farebrother should have taken pains
rather to warn off than to obtain his interest showed an unusual delicacy and
generosity which Lydgates nature was keenly alive to It went along with other
points of conduct in Mr Farebrother which were exceptionally fine and made his
character resemble those southern landscapes which seem divided between natural
grandeur and social slovenliness Very few men could have been as filial and
chivalrous as he was to the mother aunt and sister whose dependence on him
had in many ways shaped his life rather uneasily for himself few men who feel
the pressure of small needs are so nobly resolute not to dress up their
inevitably selfinterested desires in a pretext of better motives In these
matters he was conscious that his life would bear the closest scrutiny and
perhaps the consciousness encouraged a little defiance towards the critical
strictness of persons whose celestial intimacies seemed not to improve their
domestic manners and whose lofty aims were not needed to account for their
actions Then his preaching was ingenious and pithy like the preaching of the
English Church in its robust age and his sermons were delivered without book
People outside his parish went to hear him and since to fill the church was
always the most difficult part of a clergymans function here was another
ground for a careless sense of superiority Besides he was a likeable man
sweettempered readywitted frank without grins of suppressed bitterness or
other conversational flavours which make half of us an affliction to our
friends Lydgate liked him heartily and wished for his friendship
With this feeling uppermost he continued to waive the question of the
chaplaincy and to persuade himself that it was not only no proper business of
his but likely enough never to vex him with a demand for his vote Lydgate at
Mr Bulstrodes request was laying down plans for the internal arrangements of
the new hospital and the two were often in consultation The banker was always
presupposing that he could count in general on Lydgate as a coadjutor but made
no special recurrence to the coming decision between Tyke and Farebrother When
the General Board of the Infirmary had met however and Lydgate had notice that
the question of the chaplaincy was thrown on a council of the directors and
medical men to meet on the following Friday he had a vexed sense that he must
make up his mind on this trivial Middlemarch business He could not help hearing
within him the distinct declaration that Bulstrode was prime minister and that
the Tyke affair was a question of office or no office and he could not help an
equally pronounced dislike to giving up the prospect of office For his
observation was constantly confirming Mr Farebrothers assurance that the
banker would not overlook opposition »Confound their petty politics« was one
of his thoughts for three mornings in the meditative process of shaving when he
had begun to feel that he must really hold a court of conscience on this matter
Certainly there were valid things to be said against the election of Mr
Farebrother he had too much on his hands already especially considering how
much time he spent on nonclerical occupations Then again it was a continually
repeated shock disturbing Lydgates esteem that the Vicar should obviously
play for the sake of money liking the play indeed but evidently liking some
end which it served Mr Farebrother contended on theory for the desirability of
all games and said that Englishmens wit was stagnant for want of them but
Lydgate felt certain that he would have played very much less but for the money
There was a billiardroom at the Green Dragon which some anxious mothers and
wives regarded as the chief temptation in Middlemarch The Vicar was a
firstrate billiardplayer and though he did not frequent the Green Dragon
there were reports that he had sometimes been there in the daytime and had won
money And as to the chaplaincy he did not pretend that he cared for it except
for the sake of the forty pounds Lydgate was no Puritan but he did not care
for play and winning money at it had always seemed a meanness to him besides
he had an ideal of life which made this subservience of conduct to the gaining
of small sums thoroughly hateful to him Hitherto in his own life his wants had
been supplied without any trouble to himself and his first impulse was always
to be liberal with halfcrowns as matters of no importance to a gentleman it
had never occurred to him to devise a plan for getting halfcrowns He had
always known in a general way that he was not rich but he had never felt poor
and he had no power of imagining the part which the want of money plays in
determining the actions of men Money had never been a motive to him Hence he
was not ready to frame excuses for this deliberate pursuit of small gains It
was altogether repulsive to him and he never entered into any calculation of
the ratio between the Vicars income and his more or less necessary expenditure
It was possible that he would not have made such a calculation in his own case
And now when the question of voting had come this repulsive fact told more
strongly against Mr Farebrother than it had done before One would know much
better what to do if mens characters were more consistent and especially if
ones friends were invariably fit for any function they desired to undertake
Lydgate was convinced that if there had been no valid objection to Mr
Farebrother he would have voted for him whatever Bulstrode might have felt on
the subject he did not intend to be a vassal of Bulstrodes On the other hand
there was Tyke a man entirely given to his clerical office who was simply
curate at a chapel of ease in St Peters parish and had time for extra duty
Nobody had anything to say against Mr Tyke except that they could not bear
him and suspected him of cant Really from his point of view Bulstrode was
thoroughly justified
But whichever way Lydgate began to incline there was something to make him
wince and being a proud man he was a little exasperated at being obliged to
wince He did not like frustrating his own best purposes by getting on bad terms
with Bulstrode he did not like voting against Farebrother and helping to
deprive him of function and salary and the question occurred whether the
additional forty pounds might not leave the Vicar free from that ignoble care
about winning at cards Moreover Lydgate did not like the consciousness that in
voting for Tyke he should be voting on the side obviously convenient for
himself But would the end really be his own convenience Other people would say
so and would allege that he was currying favour with Bulstrode for the sake of
making himself important and getting on in the world What then He for his own
part knew that if his personal prospects simply had been concerned he would not
have cared a rotten nut for the bankers friendship or enmity What he really
cared for was a medium for his work a vehicle for his ideas; and after all was
he not bound to prefer the object of getting a good hospital where he could
demonstrate the specific distinctions of fever and test therapeutic results
before anything else connected with this chaplaincy For the first time Lydgate
was feeling the hampering threadlike pressure of small social conditions and
their frustrating complexity At the end of his inward debate when he set out
for the hospital his hope was really in the chance that discussion might
somehow give a new aspect to the question and make the scale dip so as to
exclude the necessity for voting I think he trusted a little also to the energy
which is begotten by circumstances some feeling rushing warmly and making
resolve easy while debate in cool blood had only made it more difficult
However it was he did not distinctly say to himself on which side he would
vote and all the while he was inwardly resenting the subjection which had been
forced upon him It would have seemed beforehand like a ridiculous piece of bad
logic that he with his unmixed resolutions of independence and his select
purposes would find himself at the very outset in the grasp of petty
alternatives each of which was repugnant to him In his students chambers he
had prearranged his social action quite differently
Lydgate was late in setting out but Dr Sprague the two other surgeons
and several of the directors had arrived early Mr Bulstrode treasurer and
chairman being among those who were still absent The conversation seemed to
imply that the issue was problematical and that a majority for Tyke was not so
certain as had been generally supposed The two physicians for a wonder turned
out to be unanimous or rather though of different minds they concurred in
action Dr Sprague the rugged and weighty was as every one had foreseen an
adherent of Mr Farebrother The Doctor was more than suspected of having no
religion but somehow Middlemarch tolerated this deficiency in him as if he had
been a Lord Chancellor indeed it is probable that his professional weight was
the more believed in the worldold association of cleverness with the evil
principle being still potent in the minds even of ladypatients who had the
strictest ideas of frilling and sentiment It was perhaps this negation in the
Doctor which made his neighbours call him hardheaded and drywitted conditions
of texture which were also held favourable to the storing of judgments connected
with drugs At all events it is certain that if any medical man had come to
Middlemarch with the reputation of having very definite religious views of
being given to prayer and of otherwise showing an active piety there would
have been a general presumption against his medical skill
On this ground it was professionally speaking fortunate for Dr Minchin
that his religious sympathies were of a general kind and such as gave a distant
medical sanction to all serious sentiment whether of Church or Dissent rather
than any adhesion to particular tenets If Mr Bulstrode insisted as he was apt
to do on the Lutheran doctrine of justification as that by which a Church must
stand or fall Dr Minchin in return was quite sure that man was not a mere
machine or a fortuitous conjunction of atoms if Mrs Wimple insisted on a
particular providence in relation to her stomach complaint Dr Minchin for his
part liked to keep the mental windows open and objected to fixed limits if the
Unitarian brewer jested about the Athanasian Creed Dr Minchin quoted Popes
Essay on Man He objected to the rather free style of anecdote in which Dr
Sprague indulged preferring wellsanctioned quotations and liking refinement
of all kinds it was generally known that he had some kinship to a bishop and
sometimes spent his holidays at »the palace«
Dr Minchin was softhanded palecomplexioned and of rounded outline not
to be distinguished from a mild clergyman in appearance whereas Dr Sprague was
superfluously tall his trousers got creased at the knees and showed an excess
of boot at a time when straps seemed necessary to any dignity of bearing you
heard him go in and out and up and down as if he had come to see after the
roofing In short he had weight and might be expected to grapple with a
disease and throw it while Dr Minchin might be better able to detect it
lurking and to circumvent it They enjoyed about equally the mysterious
privilege of medical reputation and concealed with much etiquette their
contempt for each others skill Regarding themselves as Middlemarch
institutions they were ready to combine against all innovators and against
nonprofessionals given to interference On this ground they were both in their
hearts equally averse to Mr Bulstrode though Dr Minchin had never been in
open hostility with him and never differed from him without elaborate
explanation to Mrs Bulstrode who had found that Dr Minchin alone understood
her constitution A layman who pried into the professional conduct of medical
men and was always obtruding his reforms though he was less directly
embarrassing to the two physicians than to the surgeonapothecaries who attended
paupers by contract was nevertheless offensive to the professional nostril as
such and Dr Minchin shared folly in the new pique against Bulstrode excited
by his apparent determination to patronise Lydgate The longestablished
practitioners Mr Wrench and Mr Toller were just now standing apart and
having a friendly colloquy in which they agreed that Lydgate was a jackanapes
just made to serve Bulstrodes purpose To nonmedical friends they had already
concurred in praising the other young practitioner who had come into the town
on Mr Peacocks retirement without further recommendation than his own merits
and such argument for solid professional acquirement as might be gathered from
his having apparently wasted no time on other branches of knowledge. It was
clear that Lydgate by not dispensing drugs intended to cast imputations on his
equals and also to obscure the limit between his own rank as a general
practitioner and that of the physicians who in the interest of the profession
felt bound to maintain its various grades Especially against a man who had not
been to either of the English universities and enjoyed the absence of anatomical
and bedside study there but came with a libellous pretension to experience in
Edinburgh and Paris where observation might be abundant indeed but hardly
sound
Thus it happened that on this occasion Bulstrode became identified with
Lydgate and Lydgate with Tyke and owing to this variety of interchangeable
names for the chaplaincy question diverse minds were enabled to form the same
judgment concerning it
Dr Sprague said at once bluntly to the group assembled when he entered »I
go for Farebrother A salary with all my heart But why take it from the Vicar
He has none too much has to insure his life besides keeping house and doing
a vicars charities Put forty pounds in his pocket and youll do no harm Hes
a good fellow is Farebrother with as little of the parson about him as will
serve to carry orders«
»Ho ho Doctor« said old Mr Powderell a retired ironmonger of some
standing his interjection being something between a laugh and a Parliamentary
disapproval »We must let you have your say But what we have to consider is not
anybodys income its the souls of the poor sick people« here Mr
Powderells voice and face had a sincere pathos in them »He is a real Gospel
preacher is Mr Tyke I should vote against my conscience if I voted against
Mr Tyke I should indeed«
»Mr Tykes opponents have not asked any one to vote against his conscience
I believe« said Mr Hackbutt a rich tanner of fluent speech whose glittering
spectacles and erect hair were turned with some severity towards innocent Mr
Powderell »But in my judgment it behoves us as Directors to consider whether
we will regard it as our whole business to carry out propositions emanating from
a single quarter Will any member of the committee aver that he would have
entertained the idea of displacing the gentleman who has always discharged the
function of chaplain here if it had not been suggested to him by parties whose
disposition it is to regard every institution of this town as a machinery for
carrying out their own views I tax no mans motives let them lie between
himself and a higher Power but I do say that there are influences at work here
which are incompatible with genuine independence and that a crawling servility
is usually dictated by circumstances which gentlemen so conducting themselves
could not afford either morally or financially to avow I myself am a layman
but I have given no inconsiderable attention to the divisions in the Church and
«
»Oh damn the divisions« burst in Mr Frank Hawley lawyer and townclerk
who rarely presented himself at the board but now looked in hurriedly whip in
hand »We have nothing to do with them here Farebrother has been doing the work
what there was without pay and if pay is to be given it should be given to
him I call it a confounded job to take the thing away from Farebrother«
»I think it would be as well for gentlemen not to give their remarks a
personal bearing« said Mr Plymdale »I shall vote for the appointment of Mr
Tyke but I should not have known if Mr Hackbutt hadnt hinted it that I was
a Servile Crawler«
»I disclaim any personalities I expressly said if I may be allowed to
repeat or even to conclude what I was about to say «
»Ah heres Minchin« said Mr Frank Hawley at which everybody turned away
from Mr Hackbutt leaving him to feel the uselessness of superior gifts in
Middlemarch »Come Doctor I must have you on the right side eh«
»I hope so« said Dr Minchin nodding and shaking hands here and there »At
whatever cost to my feelings«
»If theres any feeling here it should be feeling for the man who is turned
out I think« said Mr Frank Hawley
»I confess I have feelings on the other side also I have a divided esteem«
said Dr Minchin rubbing his hands »I consider Mr Tyke an exemplary man
none more so and I believe him to be proposed from unimpeachable motives I
for my part wish that I could give him my vote But I am constrained to take a
view of the case which gives the preponderance to Mr Farebrothers claims He
is an amiable man an able preacher and has been longer among us«
Old Mr Powderell looked on sad and silent Mr Plymdale settled his
cravat uneasily
»You dont set up Farebrother as a pattern of what a clergyman ought to be
I hope« said Mr Larcher the eminent carrier who had just come in »I have no
illwill towards him but I think we owe something to the public not to speak
of anything higher in these appointments In my opinion Farebrother is too lax
for a clergyman I dont wish to bring up particulars against him but he will
make a little attendance here go as far as he can«
»And a devilish deal better than too much« said Mr Hawley whose bad
language was notorious in that part of the county »Sick people cant bear so
much praying and preaching And that methodistical sort of religion is bad for
the spirits bad for the inside eh« he added turning quickly round to the
four medical men who were assembled
But any answer was dispensed with by the entrance of three gentlemen with
whom there were greetings more or less cordial These were the Reverend Edward
Thesiger Rector of St Peters Mr Bulstrode and our friend Mr Brooke of
Tipton who had lately allowed himself to be put on the board of directors in
his turn but had never before attended his attendance now being due to Mr
Bulstrodes exertions Lydgate was the only person still expected
Every one now sat down Mr Bulstrode presiding pale and selfrestrained as
usual Mr Thesiger a moderate evangelical wished for the appointment of his
friend Mr Tyke a zealous able man who officiating at a chapel of ease had
not a cure of souls too extensive to leave him ample time for the new duty It
was desirable that chaplaincies of this kind should be entered on with a fervent
intention they were peculiar opportunities for spiritual influence and while
it was good that a salary should be allotted there was the more need for
scrupulous watching lest the office should be perverted into a mere question of
salary Mr Thesigers manner had so much quiet propriety that objectors could
only simmer in silence
Mr Brooke believed that everybody meant well in the matter He had not
himself attended to the affairs of the Infirmary though he had a strong
interest in whatever was for the benefit of Middlemarch and was most happy to
meet the gentlemen present on any public question »any public question you
know« Mr Brooke repeated with his nod of perfect understanding »I am a good
deal occupied as a magistrate and in the collection of documentary evidence
but I regard my time as being at the disposal of the public and in short my
friends have convinced me that a chaplain with a salary a salary you know
is a very good thing and I am happy to be able to come here and vote for the
appointment of Mr Tyke who I understand is an unexceptionable man apostolic
and eloquent and everything of that kind and I am the last man to withhold my
vote under the circumstances you know«
»It seems to me that you have been crammed with one side of the question
Mr Brooke« said Mr Frank Hawley who was afraid of nobody and was a Tory
suspicious of electioneering intentions »You dont seem to know that one of the
worthiest men we have has been doing duty as chaplain here for years without
pay and that Mr Tyke is proposed to supersede him«
»Excuse me Mr Hawley« said Mr Bulstrode »Mr Brooke has been fully
informed of Mr Farebrothers character and position«
»By his enemies« flashed out Mr Hawley
»I trust there is no personal hostility concerned here« said Mr Thesiger
»Ill swear there is though« retorted Mr Hawley
»Gentlemen« said Mr Bulstrode in a subdued tone »the merits of the
question may be very briefly stated and if any one present doubts that every
gentleman who is about to give his vote has not been fully informed I can now
recapitulate the considerations that should weigh on either side«
»I dont see the good of that« said Mr Hawley »I suppose we all know whom
we mean to vote for Any man who wants to do justice does not wait till the last
minute to hear both sides of the question I have no time to lose and I propose
that the matter be put to the vote at once«
A brief but still hot discussion followed before each person wrote »Tyke« or
»Farebrother« on a piece of paper and slipped it into a glass tumbler and in
the mean time Mr Bulstrode saw Lydgate enter »I perceive that the votes are
equally divided at present« said Mr Bulstrode in a clear biting voice Then
looking up at Lydgate
»There is a castingvote still to be given It is yours Mr Lydgate will
you be good enough to write«
»The thing is settled now« said Mr Wrench rising »We all know how Mr
Lydgate will vote«
»You seem to speak with some peculiar meaning sir« said Lydgate rather
defiantly and keeping his pencil suspended
»I merely mean that you are expected to vote with Mr Bulstrode Do you
regard that meaning as offensive«
»It may be offensive to others But I shall not desist from voting with him
on that account«
Lydgate immediately wrote down »Tyke«
So the Rev Walter Tyke became chaplain to the Infirmary and Lydgate
continued to work with Mr Bulstrode He was really uncertain whether Tyke were
not the more suitable candidate and yet his consciousness told him that if he
had been quite free from indirect bias he should have voted for Mr Farebrother
The affair of the chaplaincy remained a sore point in his memory as a case in
which this petty medium of Middlemarch had been too strong for him How could a
man be satisfied with a decision between such alternatives and under such
circumstances No more than he can be satisfied with his hat which he has
chosen from among such shapes as the resources of the age offer him wearing it
at best with a resignation which is chiefly supported by comparison
But Mr Farebrother met him with the same friendliness as before The
character of the publican and sinner is not always practically incompatible with
that of the modern Pharisee for the majority of us scarcely see more distinctly
the faultiness of our own conduct than the faultiness of our own arguments or
the dulness of our own jokes But the Vicar of St Botolphs had certainly
escaped the slightest tincture of the Pharisee and by dint of admitting to
himself that he was too much as other men were he had become remarkably unlike
them in this that he could excuse others for thinking slightly of him and
could judge impartially of their conduct even when it told against him
»The world has been too strong for me I know« he said one day to Lydgate
»But then I am not a mighty man I shall never be a man of renown The choice
of Hercules is a pretty fable but Prodicus makes it easy work for the hero as
if the first resolves were enough Another story says that he came to hold the
distaff and at last wore the Nessus shirt I suppose one good resolve might
keep a man right if everybody elses resolve helped him«
The Vicars talk was not always inspiriting he had escaped being a
Pharisee but he had not escaped that low estimate of possibilities which we
rather hastily arrive at as an inference from our own failure Lydgate thought
that there was a pitiable infirmity of will in Mr Farebrother
Chapter XIX
»Laltra vedete chha fatto alla guancia
Della sua palma sospirando letto«
Purgatorio vii
When George the Fourth was still reigning over the privacies of Windsor when
the Duke of Wellington was Prime Minister and Mr Vincy was mayor of the old
corporation in Middlemarch Mrs Casaubon born Dorothea Brooke had taken her
wedding journey to Rome In those days the world in general was more ignorant of
good and evil by forty years than it is at present Travellers did not often
carry full information on Christian art either in their heads or their pockets
and even the most brilliant English critic of the day mistook the flowerflushed
tomb of the ascended Virgin for an ornamental vase due to the painters fancy
Romanticism which has helped to fill some dull blanks with love and knowledge
had not yet penetrated the times with its leaven and entered into everybodys
food it was fermenting still as a distinguishable vigorous enthusiasm in
certain longhaired German artists at Rome and the youth of other nations who
worked or idled near them were sometimes caught in the spreading movement
One fine morning a young man whose hair was not immoderately long but
abundant and curly and who was otherwise English in his equipment had just
turned his back on the Belvedere Torso in the Vatican and was looking out on the
magnificent view of the mountains from the adjoining round vestibule He was
sufficiently absorbed not to notice the approach of a darkeyed animated German
who came up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder said with a strong
accent »Come here quick else she will have changed her pose«
Quickness was ready at the call and the two figures passed lightly along by
the Meleager towards the hall where the reclining Ariadne then called the
Cleopatra lies in the marble voluptuousness of her beauty the drapery folding
around her with a petallike ease and tenderness They were just in time to see
another figure standing against a pedestal near the reclining marble a
breathing blooming girl whose form not shamed by the Ariadne was clad in
Quakerish grey drapery her long cloak fastened at the neck was thrown
backward from her arms and one beautiful ungloved hand pillowed her cheek
pushing somewhat backward the white beaver bonnet which made a sort of halo to
her face around the simply braided darkbrown hair She was not looking at the
sculpture probably not thinking of it her large eyes were fixed dreamily on a
streak of sunlight which fell across the floor But she became conscious of the
two strangers who suddenly paused as if to contemplate the Cleopatra and
without looking at them immediately turned away to join a maidservant and
courier who were loitering along the hall at a little distance off
»What do you think of that for a fine bit of antithesis« said the German
searching in his friends face for responding admiration but going on volubly
without waiting for any other answer »There lies antique beauty not
corpselike even in death but arrested in the complete contentment of its
sensuous perfection and here stands beauty in its breathing life with the
consciousness of Christian centuries in its bosom But she should be dressed as
a nun I think she looks almost what you call a Quaker I would dress her as a
nun in my picture However she is married I saw her weddingring on that
wonderful left hand otherwise I should have thought the sallow Geistlicher was
her father I saw him parting from her a good while ago and just now I found
her in that magnificent pose Only think he is perhaps rich and would like to
have her portrait taken Ah it is no use looking after her there she goes
Let us follow her home«
»No no« said his companion with a little frown
»You are singular Ladislaw You look struck together Do you know her«
»I know that she is married to my cousin« said Will Ladislaw sauntering
down the hall with a preoccupied air while his German friend kept at his side
and watched him eagerly
»What the Geistlicher He looks more like an uncle a more useful sort of
relation«
»He is not my uncle I tell you he is my second cousin« said Ladislaw with
some irritation
»Schön schön Dont be snappish You are not angry with me for thinking
Mrs SecondCousin the most perfect young Madonna I ever saw«
»Angry nonsense I have only seen her once before for a couple of minutes
when my cousin introduced her to me just before I left England They were not
married then I didnt know they were coming to Rome«
»But you will go to see them now you will find out what they have for an
address since you know the name Shall we go to the post And you could speak
about the portrait«
»Confound you Naumann I dont know what I shall do I am not so brazen as
you«
»Bah that is because you are dilettantish and amateurish If you were an
artist you would think of Mistress SecondCousin as antique form animated by
Christian sentiment a sort of Christian Antigone sensuous force controlled
by spiritual passion«
»Yes and that your painting her was the chief outcome of her existence
the divinity passing into higher completeness and all but exhausted in the act
of covering your bit of canvas I am amateurish if you like I do not think that
all the universe is straining towards the obscure significance of your
pictures«
»But it is my dear so far as it is straining through me Adolf Naumann
that stands firm« said the goodnatured painter putting a hand on Ladislaws
shoulder and not in the least disturbed by the unaccountable touch of
illhumour in his tone »See now My existence presupposes the existence of the
whole universe does it not and my function is to paint and as a painter I
have a conception which is altogether genialisch of your greataunt or second
grandmother as a subject for a picture therefore the universe is straining
towards that picture through that particular hook or claw which it puts forth in
the shape of me not true«
»But how if another claw in the shape of me is straining to thwart it the
case is a little less simple then«
»Not at all the result of the struggle is the same thing picture or no
picture logically« Will could not resist this imperturbable temper and the
cloud in his face broke into sunshiny laughter
»Come now my friend you will help« said Naumann in a hopeful tone
»No nonsense Naumann English ladies are not at everybodys service as
models And you want to express too much with your painting You would only have
made a better or worse portrait with a background which every connoisseur would
give a different reason for or against And what is a portrait of a woman Your
painting and Plastik are poor stuff after all They perturb and dull conceptions
instead of raising them Language is a finer medium«
»Yes for those who cant paint« said Naumann »There you have perfect
right I did not recommend you to paint my friend«
The amiable artist carried his sting but Ladislaw did not choose to appear
stung He went on as if he had not heard
»Language gives a fuller image which is all the better for being vague
After all the true seeing is within and painting stares at you with an
insistent imperfection I feel that especially about representations of women
As if a woman were a mere coloured superficies You must wait for movement and
tone There is a difference in their very breathing they change from moment to
moment This woman whom you have just seen for example: how would you paint
her voice pray But her voice is much diviner than anything you have seen of
her«
»I see I see You are jealous No man must presume to think that he can
paint your ideal This is serious my friend Your greataunt Der Neffe als
Onkel in a tragic senseungeheuer«
»You and I shall quarrel Naumann if you call that lady my aunt again«
»How is she to be called then«
»Mrs Casaubon«
»Good Suppose I get acquainted with her in spite of you and find that she
very much wishes to be painted«
»Yes suppose« said Will Ladislaw in a contemptuous undertone intended to
dismiss the subject He was conscious of being irritated by ridiculously small
causes, which were half of his own creation Why was he making any fuss about
Mrs Casaubon And yet he felt as if something had happened to him with regard
to her There are characters which are continually creating collisions and nodes
for themselves in dramas which nobody is prepared to act with them Their
susceptibilities will clash against objects that remain innocently quiet
Chapter XX
A child forsaken waking suddenly
Whose gaze afeard on all things round doth rove
And seeth only that it cannot see
The meeting eyes of love
Two hours later Dorothea was seated in an inner room or boudoir of a handsome
apartment in the Via Sistina
I am sorry to add that she was sobbing bitterly with such abandonment to
this relief of an oppressed heart as a woman habitually controlled by pride on
her own account and thoughtfulness for others will sometimes allow herself when
she feels securely alone And Mr Casaubon was certain to remain away for some
time at the Vatican
Yet Dorothea had no distinctly shapen grievance that she could state even to
herself and in the midst of her confused thought and passion the mental act
that was struggling forth into clearness was a self-accusing cry that her
feeling of desolation was the fault of her own spiritual poverty She had
married the man of her choice and with the advantage over most girls that she
had contemplated her marriage chiefly as the beginning of new duties from the
very first she had thought of Mr Casaubon as having a mind so much above her
own that he must often be claimed by studies which she could not entirely
share moreover after the brief narrow experience of her girlhood she was
beholding Rome the city of visible history where the past of a whole
hemisphere seems moving in funeral procession with strange ancestral images and
trophies gathered from afar
But this stupendous fragmentariness heightened the dreamlike strangeness of
her bridal life Dorothea had now been five weeks in Rome and in the kindly
mornings when autumn and winter seemed to go hand in hand like a happy aged
couple one of whom would presently survive in chiller loneliness she had driven
about at first with Mr Casaubon but of late chiefly with Tantripp and their
experienced courier She had been led through the best galleries had been taken
to the chief points of view had been shown the grandest ruins and the most
glorious churches and she had ended by oftenest choosing to drive out to the
Campagna where she could feel alone with the earth and sky away from the
oppressive masquerade of ages in which her own life too seemed to become a
masque with enigmatical costumes
To those who have looked at Rome with the quickening power of a knowledge
which breathes a growing soul into all historic shapes and traces out the
suppressed transitions which unite all contrasts Rome may still be the
spiritual centre and interpreter of the world But let them conceive one more
historical contrast the gigantic broken revelations of that Imperial and Papal
city thrust abruptly on the notions of a girl who had been brought up in English
and Swiss Puritanism fed on meagre Protestant histories and on art chiefly of
the handscreen sort a girl whose ardent nature turned all her small allowance
of knowledge into principles fusing her actions into their mould and whose
quick emotions gave the most abstract things the quality of a pleasure or a
pain a girl who had lately become a wife and from the enthusiastic acceptance
of untried duty found herself plunged in tumultuous preoccupation with her
personal lot The weight of unintelligible Rome might lie easily on bright
nymphs to whom it formed a background for the brilliant picnic of Angloforeign
society but Dorothea had no such defence against deep impressions Ruins and
basilicas palaces and colossi set in the midst of a sordid present where all
that was living and warmblooded seemed sunk in the deep degeneracy of a
superstition divorced from reverence the dimmer but yet eager Titanic life
gazing and struggling on walls and ceilings the long vistas of white forms
whose marble eyes seemed to hold the monotonous light of an alien world all
this vast wreck of ambitious ideals sensuous and spiritual mixed confusedly
with the signs of breathing forgetfulness and degradation at first jarred her
as with an electric shock and then urged themselves on her with that ache
belonging to a glut of confused ideas which check the flow of emotion Forms
both pale and glowing took possession of her young sense and fixed themselves
in her memory even when she was not thinking of them preparing strange
associations which remained through her afteryears Our moods are apt to bring
with them images which succeed each other like the magiclantern pictures of a
doze and in certain states of dull forlornness Dorothea all her life continued
to see the vastness of St Peters the huge bronze canopy the excited intention
in the attitudes and garments of the prophets and evangelists in the mosaics
above and the red drapery which was being hung for Christmas spreading itself
everywhere like a disease of the retina
Not that this inward amazement of Dorotheas was anything very exceptional
many souls in their young nudity are tumbled out among incongruities and left to
»find their feet« among them while their elders go about their business Nor
can I suppose that when Mrs Casaubon is discovered in a fit of weeping six
weeks after her wedding the situation will be regarded as tragic Some
discouragement some faintness of heart at the new real future which replaces
the imaginary is not unusual and we do not expect people to be deeply moved by
what is not unusual That element of tragedy which lies in the very fact of
frequency has not yet wrought itself into the coarse emotion of mankind and
perhaps our frames could hardly bear much of it If we had a keen vision and
feeling of all ordinary human life it would be like hearing the grass grow and
the squirrels heart beat and we should die of that roar which lies on the
other side of silence As it is the quickest of us walk about well wadded with
stupidity
However Dorothea was crying and if she had been required to state the
cause she could only have done so in some such general words as I have already
used to have been driven to be more particular would have been like trying to
give a history of the lights and shadows for that new real future which was
replacing the imaginary drew its material from the endless minutiæ by which her
view of Mr Casaubon and her wifely relation now that she was married to him
was gradually changing with the secret motion of a watchhand from what it had
been in her maiden dream It was too early yet for her fully to recognise or at
least admit the change still more for her to have readjusted that devotedness
which was so necessary a part of her mental life that she was almost sure sooner
or later to recover it Permanent rebellion the disorder of a life without some
loving reverent resolve was not possible to her but she was now in an interval
when the very force of her nature heightened its confusion In this way the
early months of marriage often are times of critical tumult whether that of a
shrimppool or of deeper waters which afterwards subsides into cheerful peace
But was not Mr Casaubon just as learned as before Had his forms of
expression changed or his sentiments become less laudable O waywardness of
womanhood did his chronology fail him or his ability to state not only a
theory but the names of those who held it or his provision for giving the heads
of any subject on demand And was not Rome the place in all the world to give
free play to such accomplishments Besides had not Dorotheas enthusiasm
especially dwelt on the prospect of relieving the weight and perhaps the sadness
with which great tasks lie on him who has to achieve them And that such
weight pressed on Mr Casaubon was only plainer than before
All these are crushing questions but whatever else remained the same the
light had changed and you cannot find the pearly dawn at noonday The fact is
unalterable that a fellowmortal with whose nature you are acquainted solely
through the brief entrances and exits of a few imaginative weeks called
courtship may when seen in the continuity of married companionship be
disclosed as something better or worse than what you have preconceived but will
certainly not appear altogether the same And it would be astonishing to find
how soon the change is felt if we had no kindred changes to compare with it To
share lodgings with a brilliant dinnercompanion or to see your favourite
politician in the Ministry may bring about changes quite as rapid in these
cases too we begin by knowing little and believing much and we sometimes end by
inverting the quantities
Still such comparisons might mislead for no man was more incapable of
flashy makebelieve than Mr Casaubon he was as genuine a character as any
ruminant animal and he had not actively assisted in creating any illusions
about himself How was it that in the weeks since her marriage Dorothea had not
distinctly observed but felt with a stifling depression that the large vistas
and wide fresh air which she had dreamed of finding in her husbands mind were
replaced by anterooms and winding passages which seemed to lead nowhither I
suppose it was that in courtship everything is regarded as provisional and
preliminary and the smallest sample of virtue or accomplishment is taken to
guarantee delightful stores which the broad leisure of marriage will reveal But
the doorsill of marriage once crossed expectation is concentrated on the
present Having once embarked on your marital voyage it is impossible not to be
aware that you make no way and that the sea is not within sight that in fact
you are exploring an enclosed basin
In their conversation before marriage Mr Casaubon had often dwelt on some
explanation or questionable detail of which Dorothea did not see the bearing
but such imperfect coherence seemed due to the brokenness of their intercourse
and supported by her faith in their future she had listened with fervid
patience to a recitation of possible arguments to be brought against Mr
Casaubons entirely new view of the Philistine god Dagon and other fishdeities
thinking that hereafter she should see this subject which touched him so nearly
from the same high ground whence doubtless it had become so important to him
Again the matterofcourse statement and tone of dismissal with which he
treated what to her were the most stirring thoughts was easily accounted for as
belonging to the sense of haste and preoccupation in which she herself shared
during their engagement But now since they had been in Rome with all the
depths of her emotion roused to tumultuous activity and with life made a new
problem by new elements she had been becoming more and more aware with a
certain terror that her mind was continually sliding into inward fits of anger
and repulsion or else into forlorn weariness How far the judicious Hooker or
any other hero of erudition would have been the same at Mr Casaubons time of
life she had no means of knowing so that he could not have the advantage of
comparison but her husbands way of commenting on the strangely impressive
objects around them had begun to affect her with a sort of mental shiver he had
perhaps the best intention of acquitting himself worthily but only of
acquitting himself What was fresh to her mind was worn out to his and such
capacity of thought and feeling as had ever been stimulated in him by the
general life of mankind had long shrunk to a sort of dried preparation a
lifeless embalmment of knowledge.
When he said »Does this interest you Dorothea Shall we stay a little
longer I am ready to stay if you wish it« it seemed to her as if going or
staying were alike dreary Or »Should you like to go to the Farnesina
Dorothea It contains celebrated frescoes designed or painted by Raphael which
most persons think it worth while to visit«
»But do you care about them« was always Dorotheas question
»They are I believe highly esteemed Some of them represent the fable of
Cupid and Psyche which is probably the romantic invention of a literary period
and cannot I think be reckoned as a genuine mythical product But if you like
these wallpaintings we can easily drive thither and you will then I think
have seen the chief works of Raphael any of which it were a pity to omit in a
visit to Rome He is the painter who has been held to combine the most complete
grace of form with sublimity of expression Such at least I have gathered to be
the opinion of conoscenti«
This kind of answer given in a measured official tone as of a clergyman
reading according to the rubric did not help to justify the glories of the
Eternal City or to give her the hope that if she knew more about them the world
would be joyously illuminated for her There is hardly any contact more
depressing to a young ardent creature than that of a mind in which years full of
knowledge seem to have issued in a blank absence of interest or sympathy
On other subjects indeed Mr Casaubon showed a tenacity of occupation and an
eagerness which are usually regarded as the effect of enthusiasm and Dorothea
was anxious to follow this spontaneous direction of his thoughts instead of
being made to feel that she dragged him away from it But she was gradually
ceasing to expect with her former delightful confidence that she should see any
wide opening where she followed him Poor Mr Casaubon himself was lost among
small closets and winding stairs and in an agitated dimness about the Cabeiri
or in an exposure of other mythologists illconsidered parallels easily lost
sight of any purpose which had prompted him to these labours With his taper
stuck before him he forgot the absence of windows and in bitter manuscript
remarks on other mens notions about the solar deities he had become
indifferent to the sunlight
These characteristics fixed and unchangeable as bone in Mr Casaubon might
have remained longer unfelt by Dorothea if she had been encouraged to pour forth
her girlish and womanly feeling if he would have held her hands between his
and listened with the delight of tenderness and understanding to all the little
histories which made up her experience, and would have given her the same sort
of intimacy in return so that the past life of each could be included in their
mutual knowledge and affection or if she could have fed her affection with
those childlike caresses which are the bent of every sweet woman who has begun
by showering kisses on the hard pate of her bald doll creating a happy soul
within that woodenness from the wealth of her own love That was Dorotheas
bent With all her yearning to know what was afar from her and to be widely
benignant she had ardour enough for what was near to have kissed Mr
Casaubons coatsleeve or to have caressed his shoelatchet if he would have
made any other sign of acceptance than pronouncing her with his unfailing
propriety to be of a most affectionate and truly feminine nature indicating at
the same time by politely reaching a chair for her that he regarded these
manifestations as rather crude and startling Having made his clerical toilette
with due care in the morning he was prepared only for those amenities of life
which were suited to the welladjusted stiff cravat of the period and to a mind
weighted with unpublished matter
And by a sad contradiction Dorotheas ideas and resolves seemed like melting
ice floating and lost in the warm flood of which they had been but another form
She was humiliated to find herself a mere victim of feeling as if she could
know nothing except through that medium all her strength was scattered in fits
of agitation of struggle of despondency and then again in visions of more
complete renunciation transforming all hard conditions into duty Poor
Dorothea she was certainly troublesome to herself chiefly but this morning
for the first time she had been troublesome to Mr Casaubon
She had begun while they were taking coffee with a determination to shake
off what she inwardly called her selfishness and turned a face all cheerful
attention to her husband when he said »My dear Dorothea we must now think of
all that is yet left undone as a preliminary to our departure I would fain
have returned home earlier that we might have been at Lowick for the Christmas
but my inquiries here have been protracted beyond their anticipated period I
trust however that the time here has not been passed unpleasantly to you
Among the sights of Europe that of Rome has ever been held one of the most
striking and in some respects edifying I well remember that I considered it an
epoch in my life when I visited it for the first time after the fall of
Napoleon an event which opened the Continent to travellers Indeed I think it
is one among several cities to which an extreme hyperbole has been applied See
Rome and die but in your case I would propose an emendation and say See Rome
as a bride and live thenceforth as a happy wife«
Mr Casaubon pronounced this little speech with the most conscientious
intention blinking a little and swaying his head up and down and concluding
with a smile He had not found marriage a rapturous state but he had no idea of
being anything else than an irreproachable husband who would make a charming
young woman as happy as she deserved to be
»I hope you are thoroughly satisfied with our stay I mean with the result
so far as your studies are concerned« said Dorothea trying to keep her mind
fixed on what most affected her husband
»Yes« said Mr Casaubon with that peculiar pitch of voice which makes the
word half a negative »I have been led farther than I had foreseen and various
subjects for annotation have presented themselves which though I have no direct
need of them I could not pretermit The task notwithstanding the assistance of
my amanuensis has been a somewhat laborious one but your society has happily
prevented me from that too continuous prosecution of thought beyond the hours of
study which has been the snare of my solitary life«
»I am very glad that my presence has made any difference to you« said
Dorothea who had a vivid memory of evenings in which she had supposed that Mr
Casaubons mind had gone too deep during the day to be able to get to the
surface again I fear there was a little temper in her reply »I hope when we
get to Lowick I shall be more useful to you and be able to enter a little more
into what interests you«
»Doubtless my dear« said Mr Casaubon with a slight bow »The notes I
have here made will want sifting and you can if you please extract them under
my direction«
»And all your notes« said Dorothea whose heart had already burned within
her on this subject so that now she could not help speaking with her tongue
»All those rows of volumes will you not now do what you used to speak of
will you not make up your mind what part of them you will use and begin to
write the book which will make your vast knowledge useful to the world I will
write to your dictation or I will copy and extract what you tell me I can be
of no other use« Dorothea in a most unaccountable darklyfeminine manner
ended with a slight sob and eyes full of tears
The excessive feeling manifested would alone have been highly disturbing to
Mr Casaubon but there were other reasons why Dorotheas words were among the
most cutting and irritating to him that she could have been impelled to use She
was as blind to his inward troubles as he to hers she had not yet learned those
hidden conflicts in her husband which claim our pity She had not yet listened
patiently to his heartbeats but only felt that her own was beating violently
In Mr Casaubons ear Dorotheas voice gave loud emphatic iteration to those
muffled suggestions of consciousness which it was possible to explain as mere
fancy the illusion of exaggerated sensitiveness always when such suggestions
are unmistakably repeated from without they are resisted as cruel and unjust
We are angered even by the full acceptance of our humiliating confessions how
much more by hearing in hard distinct syllables from the lips of a near
observer those confused murmurs which we try to call morbid and strive against
as if they were the oncoming of numbness And this cruel outward accuser was
there in the shape of a wife nay of a young bride who instead of observing
his abundant penscratches and amplitude of paper with the uncritical awe of an
elegantminded canarybird seemed to present herself as a spy watching
everything with a malign power of inference Here towards this particular point
of the compass Mr Casaubon had a sensitiveness to match Dorotheas and an
equal quickness to imagine more than the fact He had formerly observed with
approbation her capacity for worshipping the right object he now foresaw with
sudden terror that this capacity might be replaced by presumption this worship
by the most exasperating of all criticism that which sees vaguely a great
many fine ends and has not the least notion what it costs to reach them
For the first time since Dorothea had known him Mr Casaubons face had a
quick angry flush upon it
»My love« he said with irritation reined in by propriety »you may rely
upon me for knowing the times and the seasons adapted to the different stages
of a work which is not to be measured by the facile conjectures of ignorant
onlookers It had been easy for me to gain a temporary effect by a mirage of
baseless opinion but it is ever the trial of the scrupulous explorer to be
saluted with the impatient scorn of chatterers who attempt only the smallest
achievements being indeed equipped for no other And it were well if all such
could be admonished to discriminate judgments of which the true subjectmatter
lies entirely beyond their reach from those of which the elements may be
compassed by a narrow and superficial survey«
This speech was delivered with an energy and readiness quite unusual with
Mr Casaubon It was not indeed entirely an improvisation but had taken shape
in inward colloquy and rushed out like the round grains from a fruit when
sudden heat cracks it Dorothea was not only his wife she was a personification
of that shallow world which surrounds the illappreciated or desponding author
Dorothea was indignant in her turn Had she not been repressing everything
in herself except the desire to enter into some fellowship with her husbands
chief interests
»My judgment was a very superficial one such as I am capable of forming«
she answered with a prompt resentment that needed no rehearsal »You showed me
the rows of notebooks you have often spoken of them you have often said
that they wanted digesting But I never heard you speak of the writing that is
to be published Those were very simple facts and my judgment went no farther
I only begged you to let me be of some good to you«
Dorothea rose to leave the table and Mr Casaubon made no reply taking up a
letter which lay beside him as if to reperuse it Both were shocked at their
mutual situation that each should have betrayed anger towards the other If
they had been at home settled at Lowick in ordinary life among their
neighbours the clash would have been less embarrassing but on a wedding
journey the express object of which is to isolate two people on the ground that
they are all the world to each other the sense of disagreement is to say the
least confounding and stultifying To have changed your longitude extensively
and placed yourselves in a moral solitude in order to have small explosions to
find conversation difficult and to hand a glass of water without looking can
hardly be regarded as satisfactory fulfilment even to the toughest minds To
Dorotheas inexperienced sensitiveness it seemed like a catastrophe changing
all prospects and to Mr Casaubon it was a new pain he never having been on a
wedding journey before or found himself in that close union which was more of a
subjection than he had been able to imagine since this charming young bride not
only obliged him to much consideration on her behalf which he had sedulously
given but turned out to be capable of agitating him cruelly just where he most
needed soothing Instead of getting a soft fence against the cold shadowy
unapplausive audience of his life had he only given it a more substantial
presence
Neither of them felt it possible to speak again at present To have reversed
a previous arrangement and declined to go out would have been a show of
persistent anger which Dorotheas conscience shrank from seeing that she
already began to feel herself guilty However just her indignation might be her
ideal was not to claim justice but to give tenderness So when the carriage
came to the door she drove with Mr Casaubon to the Vatican walked with him
through the stony avenue of inscriptions and when she parted with him at the
entrance to the Library went on through the Museum out of mere listlessness as
to what was around her She had not spirit to turn round and say that she would
drive anywhere It was when Mr Casaubon was quitting her that Naumann had first
seen her and he had entered the long gallery of sculpture at the same time with
her but here Naumann had to await Ladislaw with whom he was to settle a bet of
champagne about an enigmatical mediævallooking figure there After they had
examined the figure and had walked on finishing their dispute they had parted
Ladislaw lingering behind while Naumann had gone into the Hall of Statues where
he again saw Dorothea and saw her in that brooding abstraction which made her
pose remarkable She did not really see the streak of sunlight on the floor more
than she saw the statues she was inwardly seeing the light of years to come in
her own home and over the English fields and elms and hedgebordered highroads
and feeling that the way in which they might be filled with joyful devotedness
was not so clear to her as it had been But in Dorotheas mind there was a
current into which all thought and feeling were apt sooner or later to flow
the reaching forward of the whole consciousness towards the fullest truth the
least partial good There was clearly something better than anger and
despondency
Chapter XXI
»Hire facounde eke full womanly and plain
No contrefeted termes had she
To semen wise«
Chaucer
It was in that way Dorothea came to be sobbing as soon as she was securely
alone But she was presently roused by a knock at the door which made her
hastily dry her eyes before saying »Come in« Tantripp had brought a card and
said that there was a gentleman waiting in the lobby The courier had told him
that only Mrs Casaubon was at home but he said he was a relation of Mr
Casaubons would she see him
»Yes« said Dorothea without pause »show him into the salon« Her chief
impressions about young Ladislaw were that when she had seen him at Lowick she
had been made aware of Mr Casaubons generosity towards him and also that she
had been interested in his own hesitation about his career She was alive to
anything that gave her an opportunity for active sympathy and at this moment it
seemed as if the visit had come to shake her out of her selfabsorbed discontent
to remind her of her husbands goodness and make her feel that she had now
the right to be his helpmate in all kind deeds She waited a minute or two but
when she passed into the next room there were just signs enough that she had
been crying to make her open face look more youthful and appealing than usual
She met Ladislaw with that exquisite smile of goodwill which is unmixed with
vanity and held out her hand to him He was the elder by several years but at
that moment he looked much the younger for his transparent complexion flushed
suddenly and he spoke with a shyness extremely unlike the ready indifference of
his manner with his male companion while Dorothea became all the calmer with a
wondering desire to put him at ease
»I was not aware that you and Mr Casaubon were in Rome until this morning
when I saw you in the Vatican Museum« he said »I knew you at once but I
mean that I concluded Mr Casaubons address would be found at the Poste
Restante and I was anxious to pay my respects to him and you as early as
possible«
»Pray sit down He is not here now but he will be glad to hear of you I am
sure« said Dorothea seating herself unthinkingly between the fire and the
light of the tall window and pointing to a chair opposite with the quietude of
a benignant matron The signs of girlish sorrow in her face were only the more
striking »Mr Casaubon is much engaged but you will leave your address will
you not and he will write to you«
»You are very good« said Ladislaw beginning to lose his diffidence in the
interest with which he was observing the signs of weeping which had altered her
face »My address is on my card But if you will allow me I will call again
tomorrow at an hour when Mr Casaubon is likely to be at home«
»He goes to read in the Library of the Vatican every day and you can hardly
see him except by an appointment Especially now We are about to leave Rome
and he is very busy He is usually away almost from breakfast till dinner But I
am sure he will wish you to dine with us«
Will Ladislaw was struck mute for a few moments He had never been fond of
Mr Casaubon and if it had not been for the sense of obligation would have
laughed at him as a Bat of erudition But the idea of this driedup pedant this
elaborator of small explanations about as important as the surplus stock of
false antiquities kept in a vendors back chamber having first got this
adorable young creature to marry him and then passing his honeymoon away from
her groping after his mouldy futilities Will was given to hyperbole this
sudden picture stirred him with a sort of comic disgust he was divided between
the impulse to laugh aloud and the equally unseasonable impulse to burst into
scornful invective For an instant he felt that the struggle was causing a queer
contortion of his mobile features but with a good effort he resolved it into
nothing more offensive than a merry smile
Dorothea wondered but the smile was irresistible and shone back from her
face too Will Ladislaws smile was delightful unless you were angry with him
beforehand it was a gush of inward light illuminating the transparent skin as
well as the eyes and playing about every curve and line as if some Ariel were
touching them with a new charm and banishing for ever the traces of moodiness
The reflection of that smile could not but have a little merriment in it too
even under dark eyelashes still moist as Dorothea said inquiringly »Something
amuses you«
»Yes« said Will quick in finding resources »I am thinking of the sort of
figure I cut the first time I saw you when you annihilated my poor sketch with
your criticism«
»My criticism« said Dorothea wondering still more »Surely not I always
feel particularly ignorant about painting«
»I suspected you of knowing so much that you knew how to say just what was
most cutting You said I daresay you dont remember it as I do that the
relation of my sketch to nature was quite hidden from you At least you implied
that« Will could laugh now as well as smile
»That was really my ignorance« said Dorothea admiring Wills goodhumour
»I must have said so only because I never could see any beauty in the pictures
which my uncle told me all judges thought very fine And I have gone about with
just the same ignorance in Rome There are comparatively few paintings that I
can really enjoy At first when I enter a room where the walls are covered with
frescoes or with rare pictures I feel a kind of awe like a child present at
great ceremonies where there are grand robes and processions I feel myself in
the presence of some higher life than my own But when I begin to examine the
pictures one by one the life goes out of them or else is something violent and
strange to me It must be my own dulness I am seeing so much all at once and
not understanding half of it That always makes one feel stupid It is painful
to be told that anything is very fine and not be able to feel that it is fine
something like being blind while people talk of the sky«
»Oh there is a great deal in the feeling for art which must be acquired«
said Will It was impossible now to doubt the directness of Dorotheas
confession »Art is an old language with a great many artificial affected
styles and sometimes the chief pleasure one gets out of knowing them is the
mere sense of knowing I enjoy the art of all sorts here immensely but I
suppose if I could pick my enjoyment to pieces I should find it made up of many
different threads There is something in daubing a little ones self and having
an idea of the process.«
»You mean perhaps to be a painter« said Dorothea with a new direction of
interest »You mean to make painting your profession Mr Casaubon will like to
hear that you have chosen a profession«
»No oh no« said Will with some coldness »I have quite made up my mind
against it It is too onesided a life I have been seeing a great deal of the
German artists here I travelled from Frankfort with one of them Some are fine
even brilliant fellows but I should not like to get into their way of looking
at the world entirely from the studio point of view«
»That I can understand« said Dorothea cordially »And in Rome it seems as
if there were so many things which are more wanted in the world than pictures
But if you have a genius for painting would it not be right to take that as a
guide Perhaps you might do better things than these or different so that
there might not be so many pictures almost all alike in the same place«
There was no mistaking this simplicity and Will was won by it into
frankness »A man must have a very rare genius to make changes of that sort I
am afraid mine would not carry me even to the pitch of doing well what has been
done already at least not so well as to make it worth while And I should never
succeed in anything by dint of drudgery If things dont come easily to me I
never get them«
»I have heard Mr Casaubon say that he regrets your want of patience« said
Dorothea gently She was rather shocked at this mode of taking all life as a
holiday
»Yes I know Mr Casaubons opinion He and I differ«
The slight streak of contempt in this hasty reply offended Dorothea She was
all the more susceptible about Mr Casaubon because of her mornings trouble
»Certainly you differ« she said rather proudly »I did not think of
comparing you such power of persevering devoted labour as Mr Casaubons is not
common«
Will saw that she was offended but this only gave an additional impulse to
the new irritation of his latent dislike towards Mr Casaubon It was too
intolerable that Dorothea should be worshipping this husband such weakness in a
woman is pleasant to no man but the husband in question Mortals are easily
tempted to pinch the life out of their neighbours buzzing glory and think that
such killing is no murder
»No indeed« he answered promptly »And therefore it is a pity that it
should be thrown away as so much English scholarship is for want of knowing
what is being done by the rest of the world If Mr Casaubon read German he
would save himself a great deal of trouble«
»I do not understand you« said Dorothea startled and anxious
»I merely mean« said Will in an offhand way »that the Germans have taken
the lead in historical inquiries and they laugh at results which are got by
groping about in woods with a pocketcompass while they have made good roads
When I was with Mr Casaubon I saw that he deafened himself in that direction
it was almost against his will that he read a Latin treatise written by a
German I was very sorry«
Will only thought of giving a good pinch that would annihilate that vaunted
laboriousness and was unable to imagine the mode in which Dorothea would be
wounded Young Mr Ladislaw was not at all deep himself in German writers but
very little achievement is required in order to pity another mans shortcomings
Poor Dorothea felt a pang at the thought that the labour of her husbands
life might be void which left her no energy to spare for the question whether
this young relative who was so much obliged to him ought not to have repressed
his observation She did not even speak but sat looking at her hands absorbed
in the piteousness of that thought
Will however having given that annihilating pinch was rather ashamed
imagining from Dorotheas silence that he had offended her still more and
having also a conscience about plucking the tailfeathers from a benefactor
»I regretted it especially« he resumed taking the usual course from
detraction to insincere eulogy »because of my gratitude and respect towards my
cousin It would not signify so much in a man whose talents and character were
less distinguished«
Dorothea raised her eyes brighter than usual with excited feeling and
said in her saddest recitative »How I wish I had learned German when I was at
Lausanne There were plenty of German teachers But now I can be of no use«
There was a new light but still a mysterious light for Will in Dorotheas
last words The question how she had come to accept Mr Casaubon which he had
dismissed when he first saw her by saying that she must be disagreeable in spite
of appearances was not now to be answered on any such short and easy method
Whatever else she might be she was not disagreeable She was not coldly clever
and indirectly satirical but adorably simple and full of feeling She was an
angel beguiled It would be a unique delight to wait and watch for the melodious
fragments in which her heart and soul came forth so directly and ingenuously
The Æolian harp again came into his mind
She must have made some original romance for herself in this marriage And
if Mr Casaubon had been a dragon who had carried her off to his lair with his
talons simply and without legal forms it would have been an unavoidable feat of
heroism to release her and fall at her feet But he was something more
unmanageable than a dragon he was a benefactor with collective society at his
back and he was at that moment entering the room in all the unimpeachable
correctness of his demeanour while Dorothea was looking animated with a
newlyroused alarm and regret and Will was looking animated with his admiring
speculation about her feelings
Mr Casaubon felt a surprise which was quite unmixed with pleasure but he
did not swerve from his usual politeness of greeting when Will rose and
explained his presence Mr Casaubon was less happy than usual and this perhaps
made him look all the dimmer and more faded else the effect might easily have
been produced by the contrast of his young cousins appearance The first
impression on seeing Will was one of sunny brightness which added to the
uncertainty of his changing expression Surely his very features changed their
form his jaw looked sometimes large and sometimes small and the little ripple
in his nose was a preparation for metamorphosis When he turned his head quickly
his hair seemed to shake out light and some persons thought they saw decided
genius in this coruscation Mr Casaubon on the contrary stood rayless
As Dorotheas eyes were turned anxiously on her husband she was perhaps not
insensible to the contrast but it was only mingled with other causes in making
her more conscious of that new alarm on his behalf which was the first stirring
of a pitying tenderness fed by the realities of his lot and not by her own
dreams Yet it was a source of greater freedom to her that Will was there his
young equality was agreeable and also perhaps his openness to conviction She
felt an immense need of some one to speak to and she had never before seen any
one who seemed so quick and pliable so likely to understand everything
Mr Casaubon gravely hoped that Will was passing his time profitably as well
as pleasantly in Rome had thought his intention was to remain in South Germany
but begged him to come and dine tomorrow when he could converse more at
large at present he was somewhat weary Ladislaw understood and accepting the
invitation immediately took his leave
Dorotheas eyes followed her husband anxiously while he sank down wearily
at the end of a sofa and resting his elbow supported his head and looked on the
floor A little flushed and with bright eyes she seated herself beside him
and said
»Forgive me for speaking so hastily to you this morning I was wrong I fear
I hurt you and made the day more burdensome«
»I am glad that you feel that my dear« said Mr Casaubon He spoke quietly
and bowed his head a little but there was still an uneasy feeling in his eyes
as he looked at her
»But you do forgive me« said Dorothea with a quick sob In her need for
some manifestation of feeling she was ready to exaggerate her own fault Would
not love see returning penitence afar off and fall on its neck and kiss it
»My dear Dorothea who with repentance is not satisfied is not of heaven
nor earth you do not think me worthy to be banished by that severe sentence«
said Mr Casaubon exerting himself to make a strong statement and also to
smile faintly
Dorothea was silent but a tear which had come up with the sob would insist
on falling
»You are excited my dear And I also am feeling some unpleasant
consequences of too much mental disturbance« said Mr Casaubon In fact he had
it in his thought to tell her that she ought not to have received young Ladislaw
in his absence but he abstained partly from the sense that it would be
ungracious to bring a new complaint in the moment of her penitent
acknowledgment partly because he wanted to avoid further agitation of himself
by speech and partly because he was too proud to betray that jealousy of
disposition which was not so exhausted on his scholarly compeers that there was
none to spare in other directions There is a sort of jealousy which needs very
little fire it is hardly a passion but a blight bred in the cloudy damp
despondency of uneasy egoism
»I think it is time for us to dress« he added looking at his watch They
both rose and there was never any further allusion between them to what had
passed on this day
But Dorothea remembered it to the last with the vividness with which we all
remember epochs in our experience when some dear expectation dies or some new
motive is born Today she had begun to see that she had been under a wild
illusion in expecting a response to her feeling from Mr Casaubon and she had
felt the waking of a presentiment that there might be a sad consciousness in his
life which made as great a need on his side as on her own
We are all of us born in moral stupidity taking the world as an udder to
feed our supreme selves Dorothea had early begun to emerge from that stupidity
but yet it had been easier to her to imagine how she would devote herself to Mr
Casaubon and become wise and strong in his strength and wisdom than to
conceive with that distinctness which is no longer reflection but feeling an
idea wrought back to the directness of sense, like the solidity of objects
that he had an equivalent centre of self, whence the lights and shadows must
always fall with a certain difference
Chapter XXII
»Nous causâmes longtemps elle était simple et bonne
Ne sachant pas le mal elle faisait le bien
Des richesses du coeur elle me fit laumône
Et tout en écoutant comme le coeur se donne
Sans oser y penser je lui donnai le mien
Elle emporta ma vie et nen sut jamais rien«
Alfred de Musset
Will Ladislaw was delightfully agreeable at dinner the next day and gave no
opportunity for Mr Casaubon to show disapprobation On the contrary it seemed
to Dorothea that Will had a happier way of drawing her husband into conversation
and of deferentially listening to him than she had ever observed in any one
before To be sure the listeners about Tipton were not highly gifted Will
talked a good deal himself but what he said was thrown in with such rapidity
and with such an unimportant air of saying something by the way that it seemed
a gay little chime after the great bell If Will was not always perfect this
was certainly one of his good days He described touches of incident among the
poor people in Rome only to be seen by one who could move about freely he
found himself in agreement with Mr Casaubon as to the unsound opinions of
Middleton concerning the relations of Judaism and Catholicism and passed easily
to a halfenthusiastic halfplayful picture of the enjoyment he got out of the
very miscellaneousness of Rome which made the mind flexible with constant
comparison and saved you from seeing the worlds ages as a set of boxlike
partitions without vital connection Mr Casaubons studies Will observed had
always been of too broad a kind for that and he had perhaps never felt any such
sudden effect but for himself he confessed that Rome had given him quite a new
sense of history as a whole the fragments stimulated his imagination and made
him constructive Then occasionally but not too often he appealed to Dorothea
and discussed what she said as if her sentiment were an item to be considered
in the final judgment even of the Madonna di Foligno or the Laocoon A sense of
contributing to form the worlds opinion makes conversation particularly
cheerful and Mr Casaubon too was not without his pride in his young wife who
spoke better than most women as indeed he had perceived in choosing her
Since things were going on so pleasantly Mr Casaubons statement that his
labours in the Library would be suspended for a couple of days and that after a
brief renewal he should have no further reason for staying in Rome encouraged
Will to urge that Mrs Casaubon should not go away without seeing a studio or
two Would not Mr Casaubon take her That sort of thing ought not to be missed
it was quite special it was a form of life that grew like a small fresh
vegetation with its population of insects on huge fossils Will would be happy
to conduct them not to anything wearisome only to a few examples
Mr Casaubon seeing Dorothea look earnestly towards him could not but ask
her if she would be interested in such visits he was now at her service during
the whole day and it was agreed that Will should come on the morrow and drive
with them
Will could not omit Thorwaldsen a living celebrity about whom even Mr
Casaubon inquired but before the day was far advanced he led the way to the
studio of his friend Adolf Naumann whom he mentioned as one of the chief
renovators of Christian art one of those who had not only revived but expanded
that grand conception of supreme events as mysteries at which the successive
ages were spectators and in relation to which the great souls of all periods
became as it were contemporaries Will added that he had made himself Naumanns
pupil for the nonce
»I have been making some oilsketches under him« said Will »I hate
copying I must put something of my own in Naumann has been painting the Saints
drawing the Car of the Church and I have been making a sketch of Marlowes
Tamburlaine Driving the Conquered Kings in his Chariot I am not so
ecclesiastical as Naumann and I sometimes twit him with his excess of meaning
But this time I mean to outdo him in breadth of intention I take Tamburlaine in
his chariot for the tremendous course of the worlds physical history lashing on
the harnessed dynasties In my opinion that is a good mythical interpretation«
Will here looked at Mr Casaubon who received this offhand treatment of
symbolism very uneasily and bowed with a neutral air
»The sketch must be very grand if it conveys so much« said Dorothea »I
should need some explanation even of the meaning you give Do you intend
Tamburlaine to represent earthquakes and volcanoes«
»O yes« said Will laughing »and migrations of races and clearings of
forests and America and the steamengine Everything you can imagine«
»What a difficult kind of shorthand« said Dorothea smiling towards her
husband »It would require all your knowledge to be able to read it«
Mr Casaubon blinked furtively at Will He had a suspicion that he was being
laughed at But it was not possible to include Dorothea in the suspicion
They found Naumann painting industriously but no model was present his
pictures were advantageously arranged and his own plain vivacious person set
off by a dovecoloured blouse and a maroon velvet cap so that everything was as
fortunate as if he had expected the beautiful young English lady exactly at that
time
The painter in his confident English gave little dissertations on his
finished and unfinished subjects seeming to observe Mr Casaubon as much as he
did Dorothea Will burst in here and there with ardent words of praise marking
out particular merits in his friends work and Dorothea felt that she was
getting quite new notions as to the significance of Madonnas seated under
inexplicable canopied thrones with the simple country as a background and of
saints with architectural models in their hands or knives accidentally wedged
in their skulls Some things which had seemed monstrous to her were gathering
intelligibility and even a natural meaning but all this was apparently a branch
of knowledge in which Mr Casaubon had not interested himself
»I think I would rather feel that painting is beautiful than have to read it
as an enigma but I should learn to understand these pictures sooner than yours
with the very wide meaning« said Dorothea speaking to Will
»Dont speak of my painting before Naumann« said Will »He will tell you
it is all pfuscherei which is his most opprobrious word«
»Is that true« said Dorothea turning her sincere eyes on Naumann who made
a slight grimace and said
»O he does not mean it seriously with painting His walk must be
belleslettres That is wiide«
Naumanns pronunciation of the vowel seemed to stretch the word satirically
Will did not half like it but managed to laugh and Mr Casaubon while he felt
some disgust at the artists German accent began to entertain a little respect
for his judicious severity
The respect was not diminished when Naumann after drawing Will aside for a
moment and looking first at a large canvas then at Mr Casaubon came forward
again and said
»My friend Ladislaw thinks you will pardon me sir if I say that a sketch
of your head would be invaluable to me for the St Thomas Aquinas in my picture
there It is too much to ask but I so seldom see just what I want the
idealistic in the real«
»You astonish me greatly sir« said Mr Casaubon his looks improved with a
glow of delight »but if my poor physiognomy which I have been accustomed to
regard as of the commonest order can be of any use to you in furnishing some
traits for the angelical doctor I shall feel honoured That is to say if the
operation will not be a lengthy one and if Mrs Casaubon will not object to the
delay«
As for Dorothea nothing could have pleased her more unless it had been a
miraculous voice pronouncing Mr Casaubon the wisest and worthiest among the
sons of men In that case her tottering faith would have become firm again
Naumanns apparatus was at hand in wonderful completeness and the sketch
went on at once as well as the conversation Dorothea sat down and subsided into
calm silence feeling happier than she had done for a long while before Every
one about her seemed good and she said to herself that Rome if she had only
been less ignorant would have been full of beauty its sadness would have been
winged with hope No nature could be less suspicious than hers when she was a
child she believed in the gratitude of wasps and the honourable susceptibility
of sparrows and was proportionately indignant when their baseness was made
manifest
The adroit artist was asking Mr Casaubon questions about English politics
which brought long answers and Will meanwhile had perched himself on some steps
in the background overlooking all
Presently Naumann said »Now if I could lay this by for half an hour and
take it up again come and look Ladislaw I think it is perfect so far«
Will vented those adjuring interjections which imply that admiration is too
strong for syntax and Naumann said in a tone of piteous regret
»Ah now if I could but have had more but you have other engagements
I could not ask it or even to come again tomorrow«
»O let us stay« said Dorothea »We have nothing to do today except to go
about have we« she added looking entreatingly at Mr Casaubon »It would be a
pity not to make the head as good as possible«
»I am at your service sir in the matter« said Mr Casaubon with polite
condescension »Having given up the interior of my head to idleness it is as
well that the exterior should work in this way«
»You are unspeakably good now I am happy« said Naumann and then went on
in German to Will pointing here and there to the sketch as if he were
considering that Putting it aside for a moment he looked round vaguely as if
seeking some occupation for his visitors and afterwards turning to Mr Casaubon
said
»Perhaps the beautiful bride the gracious lady would not be unwilling to
let me fill up the time by trying to make a slight sketch of her not of
course as you see for that picture only as a single study«
Mr Casaubon bowing doubted not that Mrs Casaubon would oblige him and
Dorothea said at once »Where shall I put myself«
Naumann was all apologies in asking her to stand and allow him to adjust
her attitude to which she submitted without any of the affected airs and laughs
frequently thought necessary on such occasions when the painter said »It is as
Santa Clara that I want you to stand leaning so with your cheek against your
hand so looking at that stool please so«
Will was divided between the inclination to fall at the Saints feet and
kiss her robe and the temptation to knock Naumann down while he was adjusting
her arm All this was impudence and desecration and he repented that he had
brought her
The artist was diligent and Will recovering himself moved about and
occupied Mr Casaubon as ingeniously as he could but he did not in the end
prevent the time from seeming long to that gentleman as was clear from his
expressing a fear that Mrs Casaubon would be tired Naumann took the hint and
said
»Now sir if you can oblige me again I will release the ladywife«
So Mr Casaubons patience held out further and when after all it turned
out that the head of Saint Thomas Aquinas would be more perfect if another
sitting could be had it was granted for the morrow On the morrow Santa Clara
too was retouched more than once The result of all was so far from displeasing
to Mr Casaubon that he arranged for the purchase of the picture in which Saint
Thomas Aquinas sat among the doctors of the Church in a disputation too abstract
to be represented but listened to with more or less attention by an audience
above The Santa Clara which was spoken of in the second place Naumann
declared himself to be dissatisfied with he could not in conscience engage
to make a worthy picture of it so about the Santa Clara the arrangement was
conditional
I will not dwell on Naumanns jokes at the expense of Mr Casaubon that
evening or on his dithyrambs about Dorotheas charm in all which Will joined
but with a difference No sooner did Naumann mention any detail of Dorotheas
beauty than Will got exasperated at his presumption there was grossness in his
choice of the most ordinary words and what business had he to talk of her lips
She was not a woman to be spoken of as other women were Will could not say just
what he thought but he became irritable And yet when after some resistance he
had consented to take the Casaubons to his friends studio he had been allured
by the gratification of his pride in being the person who could grant Naumann
such an opportunity of studying her loveliness or rather her divineness for
the ordinary phrases which might apply to mere bodily prettiness were not
applicable to her Certainly all Tipton and its neighbourhood as well as
Dorothea herself would have been surprised at her beauty being made so much of
In that part of the world Miss Brooke had been only a »fine young woman«
»Oblige me by letting the subject drop Naumann Mrs Casaubon is not to be
talked of as if she were a model« said Will Naumann stared at him
»Schön I will talk of my Aquinas The head is not a bad type after all I
daresay the great scholastic himself would have been flattered to have his
portrait asked for Nothing like these starchy doctors for vanity It was as I
thought he cared much less for her portrait than his own«
»Hes a cursed whiteblooded pedantic coxcomb« said Will with gnashing
impetuosity His obligations to Mr Casaubon were not known to his hearer but
Will himself was thinking of them and wishing that he could discharge them all
by a cheque
Naumann gave a shrug and said »It is good they go away soon my dear They
are spoiling your fine temper«
All Wills hope and contrivance were now concentrated on seeing Dorothea
when she was alone He only wanted her to take more emphatic notice of him he
only wanted to be something more special in her remembrance than he could yet
believe himself likely to be He was rather impatient under that open ardent
goodwill which he saw was her usual state of feeling The remote worship of a
woman throned out of their reach plays a great part in mens lives but in most
cases the worshipper longs for some queenly recognition some approving sign by
which his souls sovereign may cheer him without descending from her high place
That was precisely what Will wanted But there were plenty of contradictions in
his imaginative demands It was beautiful to see how Dorotheas eyes turned with
wifely anxiety and beseeching to Mr Casaubon she would have lost some of her
halo if she had been without that duteous preoccupation and yet at the next
moment the husbands sandy absorption of such nectar was too intolerable and
Wills longing to say damaging things about him was perhaps not the less
tormenting because he felt the strongest reasons for restraining it
Will had not been invited to dine the next day Hence he persuaded himself
that he was bound to call and that the only eligible time was the middle of the
day when Mr Casaubon would not be at home
Dorothea who had not been made aware that her former reception of Will had
displeased her husband had no hesitation about seeing him especially as he
might be come to pay a farewell visit When he entered she was looking at some
cameos which she had been buying for Celia She greeted Will as if his visit
were quite a matter of course and said at once having a cameo bracelet in her
hand
»I am so glad you are come Perhaps you understand all about cameos and can
tell me if these are really good I wished to have you with us in choosing them
but Mr Casaubon objected he thought there was not time He will finish his
work tomorrow and we shall go away in three days I have been uneasy about
these cameos Pray sit down and look at them«
»I am not particularly knowing but there can be no great mistake about
these little Homeric bits they are exquisitely neat And the colour is fine it
will just suit you«
»O they are for my sister who has quite a different complexion You saw
her with me at Lowick she is lighthaired and very pretty at least I think
so We were never so long away from each other in our lives before She is a
great pet and never was naughty in her life I found out before I came away
that she wanted me to buy her some cameos and I should be sorry for them not to
be good after their kind« Dorothea added the last words with a smile
»You seem not to care about cameos« said Will seating himself at some
distance from her and observing her while she closed the cases.
»No frankly I dont think them a great object in life« said Dorothea
»I fear you are a heretic about art generally How is that I should have
expected you to be very sensitive to the beautiful everywhere«
»I suppose I am dull about many things« said Dorothea simply »I should
like to make life beautiful I mean everybodys life And then all this immense
expense of art that seems somehow to lie outside life and make it no better for
the world pains one It spoils my enjoyment of anything when I am made to think
that most people are shut out from it«
»I call that the fanaticism of sympathy« said Will impetuously »You might
say the same of landscape of poetry of all refinement If you carried it out
you ought to be miserable in your own goodness and turn evil that you might
have no advantage over others The best piety is to enjoy when you can You
are doing the most then to save the earths character as an agreeable planet
And enjoyment radiates It is of no use to try and take care of all the world
that is being taken care of when you feel delight in art or in anything else
Would you turn all the youth of the world into a tragic chorus wailing and
moralising over misery I suspect that you have some false belief in the virtues
of misery and want to make your life a martyrdom« Will had gone further than
he intended and checked himself But Dorotheas thought was not taking just the
same direction as his own and she answered without any special emotion
»Indeed you mistake me I am not a sad melancholy creature I am never
unhappy long together I am angry and naughty not like Celia I have a great
outburst and then all seems glorious again I cannot help believing in glorious
things in a blind sort of way I should be quite willing to enjoy the art here
but there is so much that I dont know the reason of so much that seems to me
a consecration of ugliness rather than beauty The painting and sculpture may be
wonderful but the feeling is often low and brutal and sometimes even
ridiculous Here and there I see what takes me at once as noble something that
I might compare with the Alban Mountains or the sunset from the Pincian Hill
but that makes it the greater pity that there is so little of the best kind
among all that mass of things over which men have toiled so«
»Of course there is always a great deal of poor work the rarer things want
that soil to grow in«
»O dear« said Dorothea taking up that thought into the chief current of
her anxiety »I see it must be very difficult to do anything good I have often
felt since I have been in Rome that most of our lives would look much uglier and
more bungling than the pictures if they could be put on the wall«
Dorothea parted her lips again as if she were going to say more but changed
her mind and paused
»You are too young it is an anachronism for you to have such thoughts«
said Will energetically with a quick shake of the head habitual to him »You
talk as if you had never known any youth It is monstrous as if you had had a
vision of Hades in your childhood like the boy in the legend You have been
brought up in some of those horrible notions that choose the sweetest women to
devour like Minotaurs And now you will go and be shut up in that stone prison
at Lowick you will be buried alive It makes me savage to think of it I would
rather never have seen you than think of you with such a prospect«
Will again feared that he had gone too far but the meaning we attach to
words depends on our feeling and his tone of angry regret had so much kindness
in it for Dorotheas heart which had always been giving out ardour and had
never been fed with much from the living beings around her that she felt a new
sense of gratitude and answered with a gentle smile
»It is very good of you to be anxious about me It is because you did not
like Lowick yourself you had set your heart on another kind of life But Lowick
is my chosen home«
The last sentence was spoken with an almost solemn cadence and Will did not
know what to say since it would not be useful for him to embrace her slippers
and tell her that he would die for her it was clear that she required nothing
of the sort and they were both silent for a moment or two when Dorothea began
again with an air of saying at last what had been in her mind beforehand
»I wanted to ask you again about something you said the other day Perhaps
it was half of it your lively way of speaking I notice that you like to put
things strongly I myself often exaggerate when I speak hastily«
»What was it« said Will observing that she spoke with a timidity quite new
in her »I have a hyperbolical tongue it catches fire as it goes I daresay I
shall have to retract«
»I mean what you said about the necessity of knowing German I mean for
the subjects that Mr Casaubon is engaged in I have been thinking about it and
it seems to me that with Mr Casaubons learning he must have before him the
same materials as German scholars has he not« Dorotheas timidity was due to
an indistinct consciousness that she was in the strange situation of consulting
a third person about the adequacy of Mr Casaubons learning
»Not exactly the same materials« said Will thinking that he would be duly
reserved »He is not an Orientalist you know He does not profess to have more
than secondhand knowledge there«
»But there are very valuable books about antiquities which were written a
long while ago by scholars who knew nothing about these modern things and they
are still used Why should Mr Casaubons not be valuable like theirs« said
Dorothea with more remonstrant energy She was impelled to have the argument
aloud which she had been having in her own mind
»That depends on the line of study taken« said Will also getting a tone of
rejoinder »The subject Mr Casaubon has chosen is as changing as chemistry new
discoveries are constantly making new points of view Who wants a system on the
basis of the four elements or a book to refute Paracelsus Do you not see that
it is no use now to be crawling a little way after men of the last century men
like Bryant and correcting their mistakes living in a lumberroom and
furbishing up brokenlegged theories about Chus and Mizraim«
»How can you bear to speak so lightly« said Dorothea with a look between
sorrow and anger »If it were as you say what could be sadder than so much
ardent labour all in vain I wonder it does not affect you more painfully if
you really think that a man like Mr Casaubon of so much goodness power and
learning should in any way fail in what has been the labour of his best years«
She was beginning to be shocked that she had got to such a point of supposition
and indignant with Will for having led her to it
»You questioned me about the matter of fact, not of feeling« said Will
»But if you wish to punish me for the fact I submit I am not in a position to
express my feeling toward Mr Casaubon it would be at best a pensioners
eulogy«
»Pray excuse me« said Dorothea colouring deeply »I am aware as you say
that I am in fault in having introduced the subject Indeed I am wrong
altogether Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a
striving good enough to be called a failure«
»I quite agree with you« said Will determined to change the situation
»so much so that I have made up my mind not to run that risk of never attaining
a failure Mr Casaubons generosity has perhaps been dangerous to me and I
mean to renounce the liberty it has given me I mean to go back to England
shortly and work my own way depend on nobody else than myself«
»That is fine I respect that feeling« said Dorothea with returning
kindness »But Mr Casaubon I am sure has never thought of anything in the
matter except what was most for your welfare«
»She has obstinacy and pride enough to serve instead of love now she has
married him« said Will to himself Aloud he said rising
»I shall not see you again«
»O stay till Mr Casaubon comes« said Dorothea earnestly »I am so glad we
met in Rome I wanted to know you«
»And I have made you angry« said Will »I have made you think ill of me«
»Oh no My sister tells me I am always angry with people who do not say just
what I like But I hope I am not given to think ill of them In the end I am
usually obliged to think ill of myself for being so impatient«
»Still you dont like me I have made myself an unpleasant thought to you«
»Not at all« said Dorothea with the most open kindness »I like you very
much«
Will was not quite contented thinking that he would apparently have been of
more importance if he had been disliked He said nothing but looked dull not
to say sulky
»And I am quite interested to see what you will do« Dorothea went on
cheerfully »I believe devoutly in a natural difference of vocation If it were
not for that belief I suppose I should be very narrow there are so many
things besides painting that I am quite ignorant of You would hardly believe
how little I have taken in of music and literature which you know so much of I
wonder what your vocation will turn out to be perhaps you will be a poet«
»That depends To be a poet is to have a soul so quick to discern that no
shade of quality escapes it and so quick to feel that discernment is but a
hand playing with finelyordered variety on the chords of emotion a soul in
which knowledge passes instantaneously into feeling and feeling flashes back as
a new organ of knowledge. One may have that condition by fits only«
»But you leave out the poems« said Dorothea »I think they are wanted to
complete the poet I understand what you mean about knowledge passing into
feeling for that seems to be just what I experience. But I am sure I could
never produce a poem«
»You are a poem and that is to be the best part of a poet what makes up
the poets consciousness in his best moods« said Will showing such originality
as we all share with the morning and the springtime and other endless renewals
»I am very glad to hear it« said Dorothea laughing out her words in a
birdlike modulation and looking at Will with playful gratitude in her eyes
»What very kind things you say to me«
»I wish I could ever do anything that would be what you call kind that I
could ever be of the slightest service to you I fear I shall never have the
opportunity« Will spoke with fervour
»Oh yes« said Dorothea cordially »It will come and I shall remember how
well you wish me I quite hoped that we should be friends when I first saw you
because of your relationship to Mr Casaubon« There was a certain liquid
brightness in her eyes and Will was conscious that his own were obeying a law
of nature and filling too The allusion to Mr Casaubon would have spoiled all
if anything at that moment could have spoiled the subduing power the sweet
dignity of her noble unsuspicious inexperience
»And there is one thing even now that you can do« said Dorothea rising and
walking a little way under the strength of a recurring impulse »Promise me that
you will not again to any one speak of that subject I mean about Mr
Casaubons writings I mean in that kind of way It was I who led to it It was
my fault But promise me«
She had returned from her brief pacing and stood opposite Will looking
gravely at him
»Certainly I will promise you« said Will reddening however If he never
said a cutting word about Mr Casaubon again and left off receiving favours from
him it would clearly be permissible to hate him the more The poet must know
how to hate says Goethe and Will was at least ready with that accomplishment
He said that he must go now without waiting for Mr Casaubon whom he would come
to take leave of at the last moment Dorothea gave him her hand and they
exchanged a simple »Goodbye«
But going out of the porte cochère he met Mr Casaubon and that gentleman
expressing the best wishes for his cousin politely waived the pleasure of any
further leavetaking on the morrow which would be sufficiently crowded with the
preparations for departure
»I have something to tell you about our cousin Mr Ladislaw which I think
will heighten your opinion of him« said Dorothea to her husband in the course
of the evening She had mentioned immediately on his entering that Will had just
gone away and would come again but Mr Casaubon had said »I met him outside
and we made our final adieux I believe« saying this with the air and tone by
which we imply that any subject whether private or public does not interest us
enough to wish for a further remark upon it So Dorothea had waited
»What is that my love« said Mr Casaubon he always said »my love« when
his manner was the coldest
»He has made up his mind to leave off wandering at once and to give up his
dependence on your generosity He means soon to go back to England and work his
own way I thought you would consider that a good sign« said Dorothea with an
appealing look into her husbands neutral face
»Did he mention the precise order of occupation to which he would addict
himself«
»No But he said that he felt the danger which lay for him in your
generosity Of course he will write to you about it Do you not think better of
him for his resolve«
»I shall await his communication on the subject« said Mr Casaubon
»I told him I was sure that the thing you considered in all you did for him
was his own welfare I remembered your goodness in what you said about him when
I first saw him at Lowick« said Dorothea putting her hand on her husbands
»I had a duty towards him« said Mr Casaubon laying his other hand on
Dorotheas in conscientious acceptance of her caress but with a glance which he
could not hinder from being uneasy »The young man I confess is not otherwise
an object of interest to me nor need we I think discuss his future course
which it is not ours to determine beyond the limits which I have sufficiently
indicated«
Dorothea did not mention Will again
Book III
Waiting for Death
Chapter XXIII
»Your horses of the Sun« he said
»And firstrate whip Apollo
Whateer they be Ill eat my head
But I will beat them hollow«
Fred Vincy we have seen had a debt on his mind and though no such immaterial
burthen could depress that buoyanthearted young gentleman for many hours
together there were circumstances connected with this debt which made the
thought of it unusually importunate The creditor was Mr Bambridge a
horsedealer of the neighbourhood whose company was much sought in Middlemarch
by young men understood to be »addicted to pleasure« During the vacations Fred
had naturally required more amusements than he had ready money for and Mr
Bambridge had been accommodating enough not only to trust him for the hire of
horses and the accidental expense of ruining a fine hunter but also to make a
small advance by which he might be able to meet some losses at billiards The
total debt was a hundred and sixty pounds Bambridge was in no alarm about his
money being sure that young Vincy had backers but he had required something to
show for it and Fred had at first given a bill with his own signature Three
months later he had renewed this bill with the signature of Caleb Garth On both
occasions Fred had felt confident that he should meet the bill himself having
ample funds at disposal in his own hopefulness You will hardly demand that his
confidence should have a basis in external facts such confidence we know is
something less coarse and materialistic it is a comfortable disposition leading
us to expect that the wisdom of providence or the folly of our friends the
mysteries of luck or the still greater mystery of our high individual value in
the universe will bring about agreeable issues such as are consistent with our
good taste in costume and our general preference for the best style of thing
Fred felt sure that he should have a present from his uncle that he should have
a run of luck that by dint of »swapping« he should gradually metamorphose a
horse worth forty pounds into a horse that would fetch a hundred at any moment
»judgment« being always equivalent to an unspecified sum in hard cash And in
any case even supposing negations which only a morbid distrust could imagine
Fred had always at that time his fathers pocket as a last resource so that
his assets of hopefulness had a sort of gorgeous superfluity about them Of what
might be the capacity of his fathers pocket Fred had only a vague notion was
not trade elastic And would not the deficiencies of one year be made up for by
the surplus of another The Vincys lived in an easy profuse way not with any
new ostentation but according to the family habits and traditions so that the
children had no standard of economy and the elder ones retained some of their
infantine notion that their father might pay for anything if he would Mr Vincy
himself had expensive Middlemarch habits spent money on coursing on his
cellar and on dinnergiving while mamma had those running accounts with
tradespeople which give a cheerful sense of getting everything one wants
without any question of payment But it was in the nature of fathers Fred knew
to bully one about expenses there was always a little storm over his
extravagance if he had to disclose a debt and Fred disliked bad weather within
doors He was too filial to be disrespectful to his father and he bore the
thunder with the certainty that it was transient but in the mean time it was
disagreeable to see his mother cry and also to be obliged to look sulky instead
of having fun for Fred was so goodtempered that if he looked glum under
scolding it was chiefly for proprietys sake The easier course plainly was to
renew the bill with a friends signature Why not With the superfluous
securities of hope at his command there was no reason why he should not have
increased other peoples liabilities to any extent but for the fact that men
whose names were good for anything were usually pessimists indisposed to
believe that the universal order of things would necessarily be agreeable to an
agreeable young gentleman
With a favour to ask we review our list of friends do justice to their more
amiable qualities forgive their little offences and concerning each in turn
try to arrive at the conclusion that he will be eager to oblige us our own
eagerness to be obliged being as communicable as other warmth Still there is
always a certain number who are dismissed as but moderately eager until the
others have refused and it happened that Fred checked off all his friends but
one on the ground that applying to them would be disagreeable being implicitly
convinced that he at least whatever might be maintained about mankind
generally had a right to be free from anything disagreeable That he should
ever fall into a thoroughly unpleasant position wear trousers shrunk with
washing eat cold mutton have to walk for want of a horse or to »duck under«
in any sort of way was an absurdity irreconcilable with those cheerful
intuitions implanted in him by nature And Fred winced under the idea of being
looked down upon as wanting funds for small debts Thus it came to pass that the
friend whom he chose to apply to was at once the poorest and the kindest
namely Caleb Garth
The Garths were very fond of Fred as he was of them for when he and
Rosamond were little ones and the Garths were better off the slight connection
between the two families through Mr Featherstones double marriage the first
to Mr Garths sister and the second to Mrs Vincys had led to an
acquaintance which was carried on between the children rather than the parents
the children drank tea together out of their toy teacups and spent whole days
together in play Mary was a little hoyden and Fred at six years old thought
her the nicest girl in the world making her his wife with a brass ring which he
had cut from an umbrella Through all the stages of his education he had kept
his affection for the Garths and his habit of going to their house as a second
home though any intercourse between them and the elders of his family had long
ceased Even when Caleb Garth was prosperous the Vincys were on condescending
terms with him and his wife for there were nice distinctions of rank in
Middlemarch and though old manufacturers could not any more than dukes be
connected with none but equals they were conscious of an inherent social
superiority which was defined with great nicety in practice though hardly
expressible theoretically Since then Mr Garth had failed in the building
business which he had unfortunately added to his other avocations of surveyor
valuer and agent had conducted that business for a time entirely for the
benefit of his assignees and had been living narrowly exerting himself to the
utmost that he might after all pay twenty shillings in the pound He had now
achieved this and from all who did not think it a bad precedent his honourable
exertions had won him due esteem but in no part of the world is genteel
visiting founded on esteem in the absence of suitable furniture and complete
dinnerservice Mrs Vincy had never been at her ease with Mrs Garth and
frequently spoke of her as a woman who had had to work for her bread meaning
that Mrs Garth had been a teacher before her marriage in which case an
intimacy with Lindley Murray and Mangnalls Questions was something like a
drapers discrimination of calico trademarks or a couriers acquaintance with
foreign countries no woman who was better off needed that sort of thing And
since Mary had been keeping Mr Featherstones house Mrs Vincys want of
liking for the Garths had been converted into something more positive by alarm
lest Fred should engage himself to this plain girl whose parents »lived in such
a small way« Fred being aware of this never spoke at home of his visits to
Mrs Garth which had of late become more frequent the increasing ardour of his
affection for Mary inclining him the more towards those who belonged to her
Mr Garth had a small office in the town and to this Fred went with his
request He obtained it without much difficulty for a large amount of painful
experience had not sufficed to make Caleb Garth cautious about his own affairs
or distrustful of his fellowmen when they had not proved themselves
untrustworthy and he had the highest opinion of Fred was »sure the lad would
turn out well an open affectionate fellow with a good bottom to his character
you might trust him for anything« Such was Calebs psychological argument He
was one of those rare men who are rigid to themselves and indulgent to others
He had a certain shame about his neighbours errors and never spoke of them
willingly hence he was not likely to divert his mind from the best mode of
hardening timber and other ingenious devices in order to preconceive those
errors If he had to blame any one it was necessary for him to move all the
papers within his reach or describe various diagrams with his stick or make
calculations with the odd money in his pocket before he could begin and he
would rather do other mens work than find fault with their doing I fear he was
a bad disciplinarian
When Fred stated the circumstances of his debt his wish to meet it without
troubling his father and the certainty that the money would be forthcoming so
as to cause no one any inconvenience Caleb pushed his spectacles upward
listened looked into his favourites clear young eyes and believed him not
distinguishing confidence about the future from veracity about the past but he
felt that it was an occasion for a friendly hint as to conduct and that before
giving his signature he must give a rather strong admonition Accordingly he
took the paper and lowered his spectacles measured the space at his command
reached his pen and examined it dipped it in the ink and examined it again
then pushed the paper a little way from him lifted up his spectacles again
showed a deepened depression in the outer angle of his bushy eyebrows which
gave his face a peculiar mildness pardon these details for once you would
have learned to love them if you had known Caleb Garth and said in a
comfortable tone
»It was a misfortune eh that breaking the horses knees And then these
exchanges they dont answer when you have cute jockies to deal with Youll be
wiser another time my boy«
Whereupon Caleb drew down his spectacles and proceeded to write his
signature with the care which he always gave to that performance for whatever
he did in the way of business he did well He contemplated the large
wellproportioned letters and final flourish with his head a trifle on one side
for an instant then handed it to Fred said »Goodbye« and returned forthwith
to his absorption in a plan for Sir James Chettams new farmbuildings
Either because his interest in this work thrust the incident of the
signature from his memory or for some reason of which Caleb was more conscious
Mrs Garth remained ignorant of the affair
Since it occurred a change had come over Freds sky which altered his view
of the distance and was the reason why his uncle Featherstones present of
money was of importance enough to make his colour come and go first with a too
definite expectation and afterwards with a proportionate disappointment His
failure in passing his examination had made his accumulation of college debts
the more unpardonable by his father and there had been an unprecedented storm
at home Mr Vincy had sworn that if he had anything more of that sort to put up
with Fred should turn out and get his living how he could and he had never yet
quite recovered his goodhumoured tone to his son who had especially enraged
him by saying at this stage of things that he did not want to be a clergyman
and would rather not »go on with that« Fred was conscious that he would have
been yet more severely dealt with if his family as well as himself had not
secretly regarded him as Mr Featherstones heir that old gentlemans pride in
him and apparent fondness for him serving in the stead of more exemplary
conduct just as when a youthful nobleman steals jewellery we call the act
kleptomania speak of it with a philosophical smile and never think of his
being sent to the house of correction as if he were a ragged boy who had stolen
turnips In fact tacit expectations of what would be done for him by Uncle
Featherstone determined the angle at which most people viewed Fred Vincy in
Middlemarch and in his own consciousness what Uncle Featherstone would do for
him in an emergency or what he would do simply as an incorporated luck formed
always an immeasurable depth of aërial perspective But that present of
banknotes once made was measurable and being applied to the amount of the
debt showed a deficit which had still to be filled up either by Freds
»judgment« or by luck in some other shape For that little episode of the
alleged borrowing in which he had made his father the agent in getting the
Bulstrode certificate was a new reason against going to his father for money
towards meeting his actual debt Fred was keen enough to foresee that anger
would confuse distinctions and that his denial of having borrowed expressly on
the strength of his uncles will would be taken as a falsehood He had gone to
his father and told him one vexatious affair and he had left another untold in
such cases the complete revelation always produces the impression of a previous
duplicity Now Fred piqued himself on keeping clear of lies and even fibs he
often shrugged his shoulders and made a significant grimace at what he called
Rosamonds fibs it is only brothers who can associate such ideas with a lovely
girl and rather than incur the accusation of falsehood he would even incur
some trouble and selfrestraint It was under strong inward pressure of this
kind that Fred had taken the wise step of depositing the eighty pounds with his
mother It was a pity that he had not at once given them to Mr Garth but he
meant to make the sum complete with another sixty and with a view to this he
had kept twenty pounds in his own pocket as a sort of seedcorn which planted
by judgment and watered by luck might yield more than threefold a very poor
rate of multiplication when the field is a young gentlemans infinite soul with
all the numerals at command
Fred was not a gambler he had not that specific disease in which the
suspension of the whole nervous energy on a chance or risk becomes as necessary
as the dram to the drunkard he had only the tendency to that diffusive form of
gambling which has no alcoholic intensity but is carried on with the healthiest
chylefed blood keeping up a joyous imaginative activity which fashions events
according to desire and having no fears about its own weather only sees the
advantage there must be to others in going aboard with it Hopefulness has a
pleasure in making a throw of any kind because the prospect of success is
certain and only a more generous pleasure in offering as many as possible a
share in the stake Fred liked play especially billiards as he liked hunting
or riding a steeplechase and he only liked it the better because he wanted
money and hoped to win But the twenty pounds worth of seedcorn had been
planted in vain in the seductive green plot all of it at least which had not
been dispersed by the roadside and Fred found himself close upon the term of
payment with no money at command beyond the eighty pounds which he had deposited
with his mother The brokenwinded horse which he rode represented a present
which had been made to him a long while ago by his uncle Featherstone his
father always allowed him to keep a horse Mr Vincys own habits making him
regard this as a reasonable demand even for a son who was rather exasperating
This horse then was Freds property and in his anxiety to meet the imminent
bill he determined to sacrifice a possession without which life would certainly
be worth little He made the resolution with a sense of heroism heroism forced
on him by the dread of breaking his word to Mr Garth by his love for Mary and
awe of her opinion He would start for Houndsley horsefair which was to be held
the next morning and simply sell his horse bringing back the money by coach
Well the horse would hardly fetch more than thirty pounds and there was no
knowing what might happen it would be folly to balk himself of luck beforehand
It was a hundred to one that some good chance would fall in his way the longer
he thought of it the less possible it seemed that he should not have a good
chance and the less reasonable that he should not equip himself with the powder
and shot for bringing it down He would ride to Houndsley with Bambridge and
with Horrock »the vet« and without asking them anything expressly he should
virtually get the benefit of their opinion Before he set out Fred got the
eighty pounds from his mother
Most of those who saw Fred riding out of Middlemarch in company with
Bambridge and Horrock on his way of course to Houndsley horsefair thought
that young Vincy was pleasureseeking as usual and but for an unwonted
consciousness of grave matters on hand he himself would have had a sense of
dissipation and of doing what might be expected of a gay young fellow
Considering that Fred was not at all coarse that he rather looked down on the
manners and speech of young men who had not been to the university and that he
had written stanzas as pastoral and unvoluptuous as his fluteplaying his
attraction towards Bambridge and Horrock was an interesting fact which even the
love of horseflesh would not wholly account for without that mysterious
influence of Naming which determinates so much of mortal choice Under any other
name than »pleasure« the society of Messieurs Bambridge and Horrock must
certainly have been regarded as monotonous and to arrive with them at Houndsley
on a drizzling afternoon to get down at the Red Lion in a street shaded with
coaldust and dine in a room furnished with a dirtenamelled map of the county
a bad portrait of an anonymous horse in a stable His Majesty George the Fourth
with legs and cravat and various leaden spittoons might have seemed a hard
business but for the sustaining power of nomenclature which determined that the
pursuit of these things was »gay«
In Mr Horrock there was certainly an apparent unfathomableness which
offered play to the imagination Costume at a glance gave him a thrilling
association with horses enough to specify the hatbrim which took the slightest
upward angle just to escape the suspicion of bending downwards and nature had
given him a face which by dint of Mongolian eyes and a nose mouth and chin
seeming to follow his hatbrim in a moderate inclination upwards gave the
effect of a subdued unchangeable sceptical smile of all expressions the most
tyrannous over a susceptible mind and when accompanied by adequate silence
likely to create the reputation of an invincible understanding an infinite fund
of humour too dry to flow and probably in a state of immovable crust and a
critical judgment which if you could ever be fortunate enough to know it would
be the thing and no other It is a physiognomy seen in all vocations but
perhaps it has never been more powerful over the youth of England than in a
judge of horses
Mr Horrock at a question from Fred about his horses fetlock turned
sideways in his saddle and watched the horses action for the space of three
minutes then turned forward twitched his own bridle and remained silent with
a profile neither more nor less sceptical than it had been
The part thus played in dialogue by Mr Horrock was terribly effective A
mixture of passions was excited in Fred a mad desire to thrash Horrocks
opinion into utterance restrained by anxiety to retain the advantage of his
friendship There was always the chance that Horrock might say something quite
invaluable at the right moment
Mr Bambridge had more open manners and appeared to give forth his ideas
without economy He was loud robust and was sometimes spoken of as being
»given to indulgence« chiefly in swearing drinking and beating his wife
Some people who had lost by him called him a vicious man but he regarded
horsedealing as the finest of the arts and might have argued plausibly that it
had nothing to do with morality He was undeniably a prosperous man bore his
drinking better than others bore their moderation and on the whole flourished
like the green baytree But his range of conversation was limited and like the
fine old tune »Drops of brandy« gave you after a while a sense of returning
upon itself in a way that might make weak heads dizzy But a slight infusion of
Mr Bambridge was felt to give tone and character to several circles in
Middlemarch and he was a distinguished figure in the bar and billiardroom at
the Green Dragon He knew some anecdotes about the heroes of the turf and
various clever tricks of Marquesses and Viscounts which seemed to prove that
blood asserted its preeminence even among blacklegs but the minute
retentiveness of his memory was chiefly shown about the horses he had himself
bought and sold the number of miles they would trot you in no time without
turning a hair being after the lapse of years still a subject of passionate
asseveration in which he would assist the imagination of his hearers by
solemnly swearing that they never saw anything like it In short Mr Bambridge
was a man of pleasure and a gay companion
Fred was subtle and did not tell his friends that he was going to Houndsley
bent on selling his horse he wished to get indirectly at their genuine opinion
of its value not being aware that a genuine opinion was the last thing likely
to be extracted from such eminent critics It was not Mr Bambridges weakness
to be a gratuitous flatterer He had never before been so much struck with the
fact that this unfortunate bay was a roarer to a degree which required the
roundest word for perdition to give you any idea of it
»You made a bad hand at swapping when you went to anybody but me Vincy
Why you never threw your leg across a finer horse than that chesnut and you
gave him for this brute If you set him cantering he goes on like twenty
sawyers I never heard but one worse roarer in my life and that was a roan it
belonged to Pegwell the cornfactor he used to drive him in his gig seven
years ago and he wanted me to take him but I said Thank you Peg I dont
deal in windinstruments That was what I said It went the round of the
country that joke did But what the hell the horse was a penny trumpet to
that roarer of yours«
»Why you said just now his was worse than mine« said Fred more irritable
than usual
»I said a lie then« said Mr Bambridge emphatically »There wasnt a
penny to choose between em«
Fred spurred his horse and they trotted on a little way When they
slackened again Mr Bambridge said
»Not but what the roan was a better trotter than yours«
»Im quite satisfied with his paces I know« said Fred who required all
the consciousness of being in gay company to support him »I say his trot is an
uncommonly clean one eh Horrock«
Mr Horrock looked before him with as complete a neutrality as if he had
been a portrait by a great master
Fred gave up the fallacious hope of getting a genuine opinion but on
reflection he saw that Bambridges depreciation and Horrocks silence were both
virtually encouraging and indicated that they thought better of the horse than
they chose to say
That very evening indeed before the fair had set in Fred thought he saw a
favourable opening for disposing advantageously of his horse but an opening
which made him congratulate himself on his foresight in bringing with him his
eighty pounds A young farmer acquainted with Mr Bambridge came into the Red
Lion and entered into conversation about parting with a hunter which he
introduced at once as Diamond implying that it was a public character For
himself he only wanted a useful hack which would draw upon occasion being
about to marry and to give up hunting The hunter was in a friends stable at
some little distance there was still time for gentlemen to see it before dark
The friends stable had to be reached through a back street where you might as
easily have been poisoned without expense of drugs as in any grim street of that
unsanitary period Fred was not fortified against disgust by brandy as his
companions were but the hope of having at last seen the horse that would enable
him to make money was exhilarating enough to lead him over the same ground again
the first thing in the morning He felt sure that if he did not come to a
bargain with the farmer Bambridge would for the stress of circumstances Fred
felt was sharpening his acuteness and endowing him with all the constructive
power of suspicion Bambridge had run down Diamond in a way that he never would
have done the horse being a friends if he had not thought of buying it every
one who looked at the animal even Horrock was evidently impressed with its
merit To get all the advantage of being with men of this sort you must know
how to draw your inferences and not be a spoon who takes things literally The
colour of the horse was a dappled grey and Fred happened to know that Lord
Medlicotes man was on the lookout for just such a horse After all his running
down Bambridge let it out in the course of the evening when the farmer was
absent that he had seen worse horses go for eighty pounds Of course he
contradicted himself twenty times over but when you know what is likely to be
true you can test a mans admissions And Fred could not but reckon his own
judgment of a horse as worth something The farmer had paused over Freds
respectable though brokenwinded steed long enough to show that he thought it
worth consideration and it seemed probable that he would take it with
fiveandtwenty pounds in addition as the equivalent of Diamond In that case
Fred when he had parted with his new horse for at least eighty pounds would be
fiftyfive pounds in pocket by the transaction and would have a hundred and
thirtyfive pounds towards meeting the bill so that the deficit temporarily
thrown on Mr Garth would at the utmost be twentyfive pounds By the time he
was hurrying on his clothes in the morning he saw so clearly the importance of
not losing this rare chance that if Bambridge and Horrock had both dissuaded
him he would not have been deluded into a direct interpretation of their
purpose he would have been aware that those deep hands held something else than
a young fellows interest With regard to horses distrust was your only clue
But scepticism as we know can never be thoroughly applied else life would
come to a standstill something we must believe in and do and whatever that
something may be called it is virtually our own judgment even when it seems
like the most slavish reliance on another Fred believed in the excellence of
his bargain and even before the fair had well set in had got possession of the
dappled grey at the price of his old horse and thirty pounds in addition only
five pounds more than he had expected to give
But he felt a little worried and wearied perhaps with mental debate and
without waiting for the further gaieties of the horsefair he set out alone on
his fourteen miles journey meaning to take it very quietly and keep his horse
fresh
Chapter XXIV
»The offenders sorrow brings but small relief
To him who wears the strong offences cross«
Shakespeare Sonnets
I am sorry to say that only the third day after the propitious events at
Houndsley Fred Vincy had fallen into worse spirits than he had known in his life
before Not that he had been disappointed as to the possible market for his
horse but that before the bargain could be concluded with Lord Medlicotes man
this Diamond in which hope to the amount of eighty pounds had been invested
had without the slightest warning exhibited in the stable a most vicious energy
in kicking had just missed killing the groom and had ended in laming himself
severely by catching his leg in a rope that overhung the stableboard There was
no more redress for this than for the discovery of bad temper after marriage
which of course old companions were aware of before the ceremony For some
reason or other Fred had none of his usual elasticity under this stroke of
illfortune he was simply aware that he had only fifty pounds that there was
no chance of his getting any more at present and that the bill for a hundred
and sixty would be presented in five days Even if he had applied to his father
on the plea that Mr Garth should be saved from loss Fred felt smartingly that
his father would angrily refuse to rescue Mr Garth from the consequence of what
he would call encouraging extravagance and deceit He was so utterly downcast
that he could frame no other project than to go straight to Mr Garth and tell
him the sad truth carrying with him the fifty pounds and getting that sum at
least safely out of his own hands His father being at the warehouse did not
yet know of the accident when he did he would storm about the vicious brute
being brought into his stable and before meeting that lesser annoyance Fred
wanted to get away with all his courage to face the greater He took his
fathers nag for he had made up his mind that when he had told Mr Garth he
would ride to Stone Court and confess all to Mary In fact it is probable that
but for Marys existence and Freds love for her his conscience would have been
much less active both in previously urging the debt on his thought and in
impelling him not to spare himself after his usual fashion by deferring an
unpleasant task but to act as directly and simply as he could Even much
stronger mortals than Fred Vincy hold half their rectitude in the mind of the
being they love best »The theatre of all my actions is fallen« said an antique
personage when his chief friend was dead and they are fortunate who get a
theatre where the audience demands their best Certainly it would have made a
considerable difference to Fred at that time if Mary Garth had had no decided
notions as to what was admirable in character
Mr Garth was not at the office and Fred rode on to his house which was a
little way outside the town a homely place with an orchard in front of it a
rambling oldfashioned halftimbered building which before the town had
spread had been a farmhouse but was now surrounded with the private gardens of
the townsmen We get the fonder of our houses if they have a physiognomy of
their own as our friends have The Garth family which was rather a large one
for Mary had four brothers and one sister were very fond of their old house
from which all the best furniture had long been sold Fred liked it too knowing
it by heart even to the attic which smelt deliciously of apples and quinces and
until today he had never come to it without pleasant expectations but his
heart beat uneasily now with the sense that he should probably have to make his
confession before Mrs Garth of whom he was rather more in awe than of her
husband Not that she was inclined to sarcasm and to impulsive sallies as Mary
was In her present matronly age at least Mrs Garth never committed herself by
overhasty speech having as she said borne the yoke in her youth and learned
selfcontrol She had that rare sense which discerns what is unalterable and
submits to it without murmuring Adoring her husbands virtues she had very
early made up her mind to his incapacity of minding his own interests and had
met the consequences cheerfully She had been magnanimous enough to renounce all
pride in teapots or childrens frilling and had never poured any pathetic
confidences into the ears of her feminine neighbours concerning Mr Garths want
of prudence and the sums he might have had if he had been like other men Hence
these fair neighbours thought her either proud or eccentric and sometimes spoke
of her to their husbands as »your fine Mrs Garth« She was not without her
criticism of them in return being more accurately instructed than most matrons
in Middlemarch and where is the blameless woman apt to be a little severe
towards her own sex which in her opinion was framed to be entirely subordinate
On the other hand she was disproportionately indulgent towards the failings of
men and was often heard to say that these were natural Also it must be
admitted that Mrs Garth was a trifle too emphatic in her resistance to what she
held to be follies the passage from governess into housewife had wrought itself
a little too strongly into her consciousness, and she rarely forgot that while
her grammar and accent were above the town standard she wore a plain cap
cooked the family dinner and darned all the stockings She had sometimes taken
pupils in a peripatetic fashion making them follow her about in the kitchen
with their book or slate She thought it good for them to see that she could
make an excellent lather while she corrected their blunders »without looking«
that a woman with her sleeves tucked up above her elbows might know all about
the Subjunctive Mood or the Torrid Zone that in short she might possess
»education« and other good things ending in »tion« and worthy to be pronounced
emphatically without being a useless doll When she made remarks to this
edifying effect she had a firm little frown on her brow which yet did not
hinder her face from looking benevolent and her words which came forth like a
procession were uttered in a fervid agreeable contralto Certainly the
exemplary Mrs Garth had her droll aspects but her character sustained her
oddities as a very fine wine sustains a flavour of skin
Towards Fred Vincy she had a motherly feeling and had always been disposed
to excuse his errors though she would probably not have excused Mary for
engaging herself to him her daughter being included in that more rigorous
judgment which she applied to her own sex But this very fact of her exceptional
indulgence towards him made it the harder to Fred that he must now inevitably
sink in her opinion And the circumstances of his visit turned out to be still
more unpleasant than he had expected for Caleb Garth had gone out early to look
at some repairs not far off Mrs Garth at certain hours was always in the
kitchen and this morning she was carrying on several occupations at once there
making her pies at the wellscoured deal table on one side of that airy room
observing Sallys movements at the oven and doughtub through an open door and
giving lessons to her youngest boy and girl who were standing opposite to her
at the table with their books and slates before them A tub and a clotheshorse
at the other end of the kitchen indicated an intermittent wash of small things
also going on
Mrs Garth with her sleeves turned above her elbows deftly handling her
pastry applying her rollingpin and giving ornamental pinches while she
expounded with grammatical fervour what were the right views about the concord
of verbs and pronouns with »nouns of multitude or signifying many« was a sight
agreeably amusing She was of the same curlyhaired squarefaced type as Mary
but handsomer with more delicacy of feature a pale skin a solid matronly
figure and a remarkable firmness of glance In her snowyfrilled cap she
reminded one of that delightful Frenchwoman whom we have all seen marketing
basket on arm Looking at the mother you might hope that the daughter would
become like her which is a prospective advantage equal to a dowry the mother
too often standing behind the daughter like a malignant prophecy »Such as I
am she will shortly be«
»Now let us go through that once more« said Mrs Garth pinching an
applepuff which seemed to distract Ben an energetic young male with a heavy
brow from due attention to the lesson »Not without regard to the import of the
word as conveying unity or plurality of idea tell me again what that means
Ben«
Mrs Garth like more celebrated educators had her favourite ancient
paths and in a general wreck of society would have tried to hold her Lindley
Murray above the waves
»Oh it means you must think what you mean« said Ben rather peevishly
»I hate grammar Whats the use of it«
»To teach you to speak and write correctly so that you can be understood«
said Mrs Garth with severe precision »Should you like to speak as old Job
does«
»Yes« said Ben stoutly »its funnier He says Yo goo thats just as
good as You go«
»But he says A ships in the garden instead of a sheep« said Letty with
an air of superiority »You might think he meant a ship off the sea«
»No you mightnt if you werent silly« said Ben »How could a ship off
the sea come there«
»These things belong only to pronunciation which is the least part of
grammar« said Mrs Garth »That applepeel is to be eaten by the pigs Ben if
you eat it I must give them your piece of pasty Job has only to speak about
very plain things How do you think you would write or speak about anything more
difficult if you knew no more of grammar than he does You would use wrong
words and put words in the wrong places and instead of making people
understand you they would turn away from you as a tiresome person What would
you do then«
»I shouldnt care I should leave off« said Ben with a sense that this was
an agreeable issue where grammar was concerned
»I see you are getting tired and stupid Ben« said Mrs Garth accustomed
to these obstructive arguments from her male offspring Having finished her
pies she moved towards the clotheshorse and said »Come here and tell me the
story I told you on Wednesday about Cincinnatus«
»I know he was a farmer« said Ben
»Now Ben he was a Roman let me tell« said Letty using her elbow
contentiously
»You silly thing he was a Roman farmer and he was ploughing«
»Yes but before that that didnt come first people wanted him« said
Letty
»Well but you must say what sort of a man he was first« insisted Ben »He
was a wise man like my father and that made the people want his advice And he
was a brave man and could fight And so could my father couldnt he mother«
»Now Ben let me tell the story straight on as mother told it us« said
Letty frowning »Please mother tell Ben not to speak«
»Letty I am ashamed of you« said her mother wringing out the caps from
the tub »When your brother began you ought to have waited to see if he could
not tell the story How rude you look pushing and frowning as if you wanted to
conquer with your elbows Cincinnatus I am sure would have been sorry to see
his daughter behave so« Mrs Garth delivered this awful sentence with much
majesty of enunciation and Letty felt that between repressed volubility and
general disesteem that of the Romans inclusive life was already a painful
affair »Now Ben«
»Well oh well why there was a great deal of fighting and they were
all blockheads and I cant tell it just how you told it but they wanted a
man to be captain and king and everything «
»Dictator now« said Letty with injured looks and not without a wish to
make her mother repent
»Very well dictator« said Ben contemptuously »But that isnt a good
word he didnt tell them to write on slates«
»Come come Ben you are not so ignorant as that« said Mrs Garth
carefully serious »Hark there is a knock at the door Run Letty and open
it«
The knock was Freds and when Letty said that her father was not in yet
but that her mother was in the kitchen Fred had no alternative He could not
depart from his usual practice of going to see Mrs Garth in the kitchen if she
happened to be at work there He put his arm round Lettys neck silently and
led her into the kitchen without his usual jokes and caresses
Mrs Garth was surprised to see Fred at this hour but surprise was not a
feeling that she was given to express and she only said quietly continuing her
work
»You Fred so early in the day You look quite pale Has anything
happened«
»I want to speak to Mr Garth« said Fred not yet ready to say more »and
to you also« he added after a little pause for he had no doubt that Mrs
Garth knew everything about the bill and he must in the end speak of it before
her if not to her solely
»Caleb will be in again in a few minutes« said Mrs Garth who imagined
some trouble between Fred and his father »He is sure not to be long because he
has some work at his desk that must be done this morning Do you mind staying
with me while I finish my matters here«
»But we neednt go on about Cincinnatus need we« said Ben who had taken
Freds whip out of his hand and was trying its efficiency on the cat
»No go out now But put that whip down How very mean of you to whip poor
old Tortoise Pray take the whip from him Fred«
»Come old boy give it me« said Fred putting out his hand
»Will you let me ride on your horse today« said Ben rendering up the
whip with an air of not being obliged to do it
»Not today another time I am not riding my own horse«
»Shall you see Mary today«
»Yes I think so« said Fred with an unpleasant twinge
»Tell her to come home soon and play at forfeits and make fun«
»Enough enough Ben run away« said Mrs Garth seeing that Fred was
teased
»Are Letty and Ben your only pupils now Mrs Garth« said Fred when the
children were gone and it was needful to say something that would pass the time
He was not yet sure whether he should wait for Mr Garth or use any good
opportunity in conversation to confess to Mrs Garth herself give her the money
and ride away
»One only one Fanny Hackbutt comes at halfpast eleven I am not getting
a great income now« said Mrs Garth smiling »I am at a low ebb with pupils
But I have saved my little purse for Alfreds premium I have ninetytwo pounds
He can go to Mr Hanmers now he is just at the right age«
This did not lead well towards the news that Mr Garth was on the brink of
losing ninetytwo pounds and more Fred was silent »Young gentlemen who go to
college are rather more costly than that« Mrs Garth innocently continued
pulling out the edging on a capborder »And Caleb thinks that Alfred will turn
out a distinguished engineer he wants to give the boy a good chance There he
is I hear him coming in We will go to him in the parlour shall we«
When they entered the parlour Caleb had thrown down his hat and was seated
at his desk
»What Fred my boy« he said in a tone of mild surprise holding his pen
still undipped »You are here betimes« But missing the usual expression of
cheerful greeting in Freds face he immediately added »Is there anything up at
home anything the matter«
»Yes Mr Garth I am come to tell something that I am afraid will give you
a bad opinion of me I am come to tell you and Mrs Garth that I cant keep my
word I cant find the money to meet the bill after all I have been
unfortunate I have only got these fifty pounds towards the hundred and sixty«
While Fred was speaking he had taken out the notes and laid them on the
desk before Mr Garth He had burst forth at once with the plain fact feeling
boyishly miserable and without verbal resources Mrs Garth was mutely
astonished and looked at her husband for an explanation Caleb blushed and
after a little pause said
»Oh I didnt tell you Susan I put my name to a bill for Fred it was for
a hundred and sixty pounds He made sure he could meet it himself«
There was an evident change in Mrs Garths face but it was like a change
below the surface of water which remains smooth She fixed her eyes on Fred
saying
»I suppose you have asked your father for the rest of the money and he has
refused you«
»No« said Fred biting his lip and speaking with more difficulty »but I
know it will be of no use to ask him and unless it were of use I should not
like to mention Mr Garths name in the matter«
»It has come at an unfortunate time« said Caleb in his hesitating way
looking down at the notes and nervously fingering the paper »Christmas upon us
Im rather hard up just now You see I have to cut out everything like a
tailor with short measure What can we do Susan I shall want every farthing we
have in the bank Its a hundred and ten pounds the deuce take it«
»I must give you the ninetytwo pounds that I have put by for Alfreds
premium« said Mrs Garth gravely and decisively though a nice ear might have
discerned a slight tremor in some of the words »And I have no doubt that Mary
has twenty pounds saved from her salary by this time She will advance it«
Mrs Garth had not again looked at Fred and was not in the least
calculating what words she should use to cut him the most effectively Like the
eccentric woman she was she was at present absorbed in considering what was to
be done and did not fancy that the end could be better achieved by bitter
remarks or explosions But she had made Fred feel for the first time something
like the tooth of remorse Curiously enough his pain in the affair beforehand
had consisted almost entirely in the sense that he must seem dishonourable and
sink in the opinion of the Garths he had not occupied himself with the
inconvenience and possible injury that his breach might occasion them for this
exercise of the imagination on other peoples needs is not common with hopeful
young gentlemen Indeed we are most of us brought up in the notion that the
highest motive for not doing a wrong is something irrespective of the beings who
would suffer the wrong But at this moment he suddenly saw himself as a pitiful
rascal who was robbing two women of their savings
»I shall certainly pay it all Mrs Garth ultimately« he stammered out
»Yes ultimately« said Mrs Garth who having a special dislike to fine
words on ugly occasions could not now repress an epigram »But boys cannot well
be apprenticed ultimately they should be apprenticed at fifteen« She had never
been so little inclined to make excuses for Fred
»I was the most in the wrong Susan« said Caleb »Fred made sure of finding
the money But Id no business to be fingering bills I suppose you have looked
all round and tried all honest means« he added fixing his merciful grey eyes
on Fred Caleb was too delicate to specify Mr Featherstone
»Yes I have tried everything I really have I should have had a hundred
and thirty pounds ready hut for a misfortune with a horse which I was about to
sell My uncle had given me eighty pounds and I paid away thirty with my old
horse in order to get another which I was going to sell for eighty or more I
meant to go without a horse but now it has turned out vicious and lamed
itself I wish I and the horses too had been at the devil before I had brought
this on you Theres no one else I care so much for you and Mrs Garth have
always been so kind to me However its no use saying that You will always
think me a rascal now«
Fred turned round and hurried out of the room conscious that he was getting
rather womanish and feeling confusedly that his being sorry was not of much use
to the Garths They could see him mount and quickly pass through the gate
»I am disappointed in Fred Vincy« said Mrs Garth »I would not have
believed beforehand that he would have drawn you into his debts I knew he was
extravagant but I did not think that he would be so mean as to hang his risks
on his oldest friend who could the least afford to lose«
»I was a fool Susan«
»That you were« said the wife nodding and smiling »But I should not have
gone to publish it in the marketplace Why should you keep such things from me
It is just so with your buttons you let them burst off without telling me and
go out with your wristband hanging If I had only known I might have been ready
with some better plan«
»You are sadly cut up I know Susan« said Caleb looking feelingly at her
»I cant abide your losing the money youve scraped together for Alfred«
»It is very well that I had scraped it together and it is you who will have
to suffer for you must teach the boy yourself You must give up your bad
habits Some men take to drinking and you have taken to working without pay
You must indulge yourself a little less in that And you must ride over to Mary
and ask the child what money she has«
Caleb had pushed his chair back and was leaning forward shaking his head
slowly and fitting his fingertips together with much nicety
»Poor Mary« he said »Susan« he went on in a lowered tone »Im afraid she
may be fond of Fred«
»Oh no She always laughs at him and he is not likely to think of her in
any other than a brotherly way«
Caleb made no rejoinder but presently lowered his spectacles drew up his
chair to the desk and said »Deuce take the bill I wish it was at Hanover
These things are a sad interruption to business«
The first part of this speech comprised his whole store of maledictory
expression and was uttered with a slight snarl easy to imagine But it would be
difficult to convey to those who never heard him utter the word »business« the
peculiar tone of fervid veneration of religious regard in which he wrapped it
as a consecrated symbol is wrapped in its goldfringed linen
Caleb Garth often shook his head in meditation on the value the
indispensable might of that myriadheaded myriadhanded labour by which the
social body is fed clothed and housed It had laid hold of his imagination in
boyhood The echoes of the great hammer where roof or keel were amaking the
signalshouts of the workmen the roar of the furnace the thunder and plash of
the engine were a sublime music to him the felling and lading of timber and
the huge trunk vibrating starlike in the distance along the highway the crane
at work on the wharf the piledup produce in warehouses the precision and
variety of muscular effort wherever exact work had to be turned out all these
sights of his youth had acted on him as poetry without the aid of the poets had
made a philosophy for him without the aid of philosophers a religion without
the aid of theology His early ambition had been to have as effective a share as
possible in this sublime labour which was peculiarly dignified by him with the
name of »business« and though he had only been a short time under a surveyor
and had been chiefly his own teacher he knew more of land building and mining
than most of the special men in the county
His classification of human employments was rather crude and like the
categories of more celebrated men would not be acceptable in these advanced
times He divided them into »business politics preaching learning and
amusement« He had nothing to say against the last four but he regarded them as
a reverential pagan regarded other gods than his own In the same way he
thought very well of all ranks but he would not himself have liked to be of any
rank in which he had not such close contact with »business« as to get often
honourably decorated with marks of dust and mortar the damp of the engine or
the sweet soil of the woods and fields Though he had never regarded himself as
other than an orthodox Christian and would argue on prevenient grace if the
subject were proposed to him I think his virtual divinities were good practical
schemes accurate work and the faithful completion of undertakings his prince
of darkness was a slack workman But there was no spirit of denial in Caleb and
the world seemed so wondrous to him that he was ready to accept any number of
systems like any number of firmaments if they did not obviously interfere with
the best landdrainage solid building correct measuring and judicious boring
for coal In fact he had a reverential soul with a strong practical
intelligence But he could not manage finance he knew values well but he had
no keenness of imagination for monetary results in the shape of profit and loss
and having ascertained this to his cost he determined to give up all forms of
his beloved »business« which required that talent He gave himself up entirely
to the many kinds of work which he could do without handling capital and was
one of those precious men within his own district whom everybody would choose to
work for them because he did his work well charged very little and often
declined to charge at all It is no wonder then that the Garths were poor and
»lived in a small way« However they did not mind it
Chapter XXV
»Love seeketh not itself to please
Nor for itself hath any care
But for another gives its ease
And builds a heaven in hells despair
Love seeketh only self to please
To bind another to its delight
Joys in anothers loss of ease
And builds a hell in heavens despite«
W Blake Songs of Experience.
Fred Vincy wanted to arrive at Stone Court when Mary could not expect him and
when his uncle was not down stairs in that case she might be sitting alone in
the wainscoated parlour He left his horse in the yard to avoid making a noise
on the gravel in front and entered the parlour without other notice than the
noise of the doorhandle Mary was in her usual corner laughing over Mrs
Piozzis recollections of Johnson and looked up with the fun still in her face
It gradually faded as she saw Fred approach her without speaking and stand
before her with his elbow on the mantelpiece looking ill She too was silent
only raising her eyes to him inquiringly
»Mary« he began »I am a goodfornothing blackguard«
»I should think one of those epithets would do at a time« said Mary trying
to smile but feeling alarmed
»I know you will never think well of me any more You will think me a liar
You will think me dishonest You will think I didnt care for you or your
father and mother You always do make the worst of me I know«
»I cannot deny that I shall think all that of you Fred if you give me good
reasons But please to tell me at once what you have done I would rather know
the painful truth than imagine it«
»I owed money a hundred and sixty pounds I asked your father to put his
name to a bill I thought it would not signify to him I made sure of paying the
money myself and I have tried as hard as I could And now I have been so
unlucky a horse has turned out badly I can only pay fifty pounds And I
cant ask my father for the money he would not give me a farthing And my uncle
gave me a hundred a little while ago So what can I do And now your father has
no ready money to spare and your mother will have to pay away her ninetytwo
pounds that she has saved and she says your savings must go too You see what a
«
»Oh poor mother poor father« said Mary her eyes filling with tears and
a little sob rising which she tried to repress She looked straight before her
and took no notice of Fred all the consequences at home becoming present to
her He too remained silent for some moments feeling more miserable than ever
»I wouldnt have hurt you so for the world Mary« he said at last »You can
never forgive me«
»What does it matter whether I forgive you« said Mary passionately »Would
that make it any better for my mother to lose the money she has been earning by
lessons for four years that she might send Alfred to Mr Hanmers Should you
think all that pleasant enough if I forgave you«
»Say what you like Mary I deserve it all«
»I dont want to say anything« said Mary more quietly »my anger is of no
use« She dried her eyes threw aside her book rose and fetched her sewing
Fred followed her with his eyes hoping that they would meet hers and in
that way find access for his imploring penitence But no Mary could easily
avoid looking upward
»I do care about your mothers money going« he said when she was seated
again and sewing quickly »I wanted to ask you Mary dont you think that Mr
Featherstone if you were to tell him tell him I mean about apprenticing
Alfred would advance the money«
»My family is not fond of begging Fred We would rather work for our money
Besides you say that Mr Featherstone has lately given you a hundred pounds He
rarely makes presents he has never made presents to us I am sure my father
will not ask him for anything and even if I chose to beg of him it would be of
no use«
»I am so miserable Mary if you knew how miserable I am you would be
sorry for me«
»There are other things to be more sorry for than that But selfish people
always think their own discomfort of more importance than anything else in the
world I see enough of that every day«
»It is hardly fair to call me selfish If you knew what things other young
men do you would think me a good way off the worst«
»I know that people who spend a great deal of money on themselves without
knowing how they shall pay must be selfish They are always thinking of what
they can get for themselves and not of what other people may lose«
»Any man may be unfortunate Mary and find himself unable to pay when he
meant it There is not a better man in the world than your father and yet he
got into trouble«
»How dare you make any comparison between my father and you Fred« said
Mary in a deep tone of indignation »He never got into trouble by thinking of
his own idle pleasures but because he was always thinking of the work he was
doing for other people And he has fared hard and worked hard to make good
everybodys loss«
»And you think that I shall never try to make good anything Mary It is not
generous to believe the worst of a man When you have got any power over him I
think you might try and use it to make him better but that is what you never
do However Im going« Fred ended languidly »I shall never speak to you
about anything again Im very sorry for all the trouble Ive caused thats
all«
Mary had dropped her work out of her hand and looked up There is often
something maternal even in a girlish love and Marys hard experience had
wrought her nature to an impressibility very different from that hard slight
thing which we call girlishness At Freds last words she felt an instantaneous
pang something like what a mother feels at the imagined sobs or cries of her
naughty truant child which may lose itself and get harm And when looking up
her eyes met his dull despairing glance her pity for him surmounted her anger
and all her other anxieties
»Oh Fred how ill you look Sit down a moment Dont go yet Let me tell
uncle that you are here He has been wondering that he has not seen you for a
whole week« Mary spoke hurriedly saying the words that came first without
knowing very well what they were but saying them in a halfsoothing
halfbeseeching tone and rising as if to go away to Mr Featherstone Of course
Fred felt as if the clouds had parted and a gleam had come he moved and stood
in her way
»Say one word Mary and I will do anything Say you will not think the
worst of me will not give me up altogether«
»As if it were any pleasure to me to think ill of you« said Mary in a
mournful tone »As if it were not very painful to me to see you an idle
frivolous creature How can you bear to be so contemptible when others are
working and striving and there are so many things to be done how can you bear
to be fit for nothing in the world that is useful And with so much good in your
disposition Fred you might be worth a great deal«
»I will try to be anything you like Mary if you will say that you love
me«
»I should be ashamed to say that I loved a man who must always be hanging on
others and reckoning on what they would do for him What will you be when you
are forty Like Mr Bowyer I suppose just as idle living in Mrs Becks
front parlour fat and shabby hoping somebody will invite you to dinner
spending your morning in learning a comic song oh no learning a tune on the
flute«
Marys lips had begun to curl with a smile as soon as she had asked that
question about Freds future young souls are mobile and before she ended her
face had its full illumination of fun To him it was like the cessation of an
ache that Mary could laugh at him and with a passive sort of smile he tried to
reach her hand but she slipped away quickly towards the door and said »I shall
tell uncle You must see him for a moment or two«
Fred secretly felt that his future was guaranteed against the fulfilment of
Marys sarcastic prophecies apart from that »anything« which he was ready to do
if she would define it He never dared in Marys presence to approach the
subject of his expectations from Mr Featherstone and she always ignored them
as if everything depended on himself But if ever he actually came into the
property she must recognise the change in his position All this passed through
his mind somewhat languidly before he went up to see his uncle He stayed but a
little while excusing himself on the ground that he had a cold and Mary did
not reappear before he left the house But as he rode home he began to be more
conscious of being ill than of being melancholy
When Caleb Garth arrived at Stone Court soon after dusk Mary was not
surprised although he seldom had leisure for paying her a visit and was not at
all fond of having to talk with Mr Featherstone The old man on the other
hand felt himself ill at ease with a brotherinlaw whom he could not annoy
who did not mind about being considered poor had nothing to ask of him and
understood all kinds of farming and mining business better than he did But Mary
had felt sure that her parents would want to see her and if her father had not
come she would have obtained leave to go home for an hour or two the next day
After discussing prices during tea with Mr Featherstone Caleb rose to bid him
goodbye and said »I want to speak to you Mary«
She took a candle into another large parlour where there was no fire and
setting down the feeble light on the dark mahogany table turned round to her
father and putting her arms round his neck kissed him with childish kisses
which he delighted in the expression of his large brows softening as the
expression of a great beautiful dog softens when it is caressed Mary was his
favourite child and whatever Susan might say and right as she was on all other
subjects Caleb thought it natural that Fred or any one else should think Mary
more lovable than other girls
»Ive got something to tell you my dear« said Caleb in his hesitating way
»No very good news but then it might be worse«
»About money father I think I know what it is«
»Ay how can that be You see Ive been a bit of a fool again and put my
name to a bill and now it comes to paying and your mother has got to part with
her savings thats the worst of it and even they wont quite make things even
We wanted a hundred and ten pounds your mother has ninetytwo and I have none
to spare in the bank and she thinks that you will have some savings«
»Oh yes I have more than fourandtwenty pounds I thought you would come
father so I put it in my bag See beautiful white notes and gold«
Mary took out the folded money from her reticule and put it into her
fathers hand
»Well but how we only want eighteen here put the rest back child
but how did you know about it« said Caleb who in his unconquerable
indifference to money was beginning to be chiefly concerned about the relation
the affair might have to Marys affections
»Fred told me this morning«
»Ah Did he come on purpose«
»Yes I think so He was a good deal distressed«
»Im afraid Fred is not to be trusted Mary« said the father with
hesitating tenderness »He means better than he acts perhaps But I should
think it a pity for anybodys happiness to be wrapped up in him and so would
your mother«
»And so should I father« said Mary not looking up but putting the back
of her fathers hand against her cheek
»I dont want to pry my dear But I was afraid there might be something
between you and Fred and I wanted to caution you You see Mary« here Calebs
voice became more tender he had been pushing his hat about on the table and
looking at it but finally he turned his eyes on his daughter »a woman let
her be as good as she may has got to put up with the life her husband makes for
her Your mother has had to put up with a good deal because of me«
Mary turned the back of her fathers hand to her lips and smiled at him
»Well well nobodys perfect but« here Mr Garth shook his head to help
out the inadequacy of words »what I am thinking of is what it must be for a
wife when shes never sure of her husband when he hasnt got a principle in him
to make him more afraid of doing the wrong thing by others than of getting his
own toes pinched Thats the long and the short of it Mary Young folks may get
fond of each other before they know what life is and they may think it all
holiday if they can only get together but it soon turns into working day my
dear However you have more sense than most and you havent been kept in
cottonwool there may be no occasion for me to say this but a father trembles
for his daughter and you are all by yourself here«
»Dont fear for me father« said Mary gravely meeting her fathers eyes
»Fred has always been very good to me he is kindhearted and affectionate and
not false I think with all his selfindulgence But I will never engage myself
to one who has no manly independence and who goes on loitering away his time on
the chance that others will provide for him You and my mother have taught me
too much pride for that«
»Thats right thats right Then I am easy« said Mr Garth taking up his
hat »But its hard to run away with your earnings child«
»Father« said Mary in her deepest tone of remonstrance »Take pocketfuls
of love besides to them all at home« was her last word before he closed the
outer door on himself
»I suppose your father wanted your earnings« said old Mr Featherstone
with his usual power of unpleasant surmise when Mary returned to him »He makes
but a tight fit I reckon Youre of age now you ought to be saving for
yourself«
»I consider my father and mother the best part of myself sir« said Mary
coldly
Mr Featherstone grunted he could not deny that an ordinary sort of girl
like her might be expected to be useful so he thought of another rejoinder
disagreeable enough to be always apropos »If Fred Vincy comes tomorrow now
dont you keep him chattering let him come up to me«
Chapter XXVI
»He beats me and I rail at him O worthy satisfaction would it were
otherwise that I could beat him while he railed at me«
Troilus and Cressida
But Fred did not go to Stone Court the next day for reasons that were quite
peremptory From those visits to unsanitary Houndsley streets in search of
Diamond he had brought back not only a bad bargain in horseflesh but the
further misfortune of some ailment which for a day or two had seemed mere
depression and headache but which got so much worse when he returned from his
visit to Stone Court that going into the diningroom he threw himself on the
sofa and in answer to his mothers anxious question said »I feel very ill I
think you must send for Wrench«
Wrench came but did not apprehend anything serious spoke of a »slight
derangement« and did not speak of coming again on the morrow He had a due
value for the Vincys house but the wariest men are apt to be a little dulled
by routine and on worried mornings will sometimes go through their business
with the zest of the daily bellringer Mr Wrench was a small neat bilious
man with a welldressed wig he had a laborious practice an irascible temper
a lymphatic wife and seven children and he was already rather late before
setting out on a fourmiles drive to meet Dr Minchin on the other side of
Tipton the decease of Hicks a rural practitioner having increased Middlemarch
practice in that direction Great statesmen err and why not small medical men
Mr Wrench did not neglect sending the usual white parcels which this time had
black and drastic contents Their effect was not alleviating to poor Fred who
however unwilling as he said to believe that he was »in for an illness« rose
at his usual easy hour the next morning and went downstairs meaning to
breakfast but succeeded in nothing but in sitting and shivering by the fire
Mr Wrench was again sent for but was gone on his rounds and Mrs Vincy seeing
her darlings changed looks and general misery began to cry and said she would
send for Dr Sprague
»Oh nonsense mother Its nothing« said Fred putting out his hot dry
hand to her »I shall soon be all right I must have taken cold in that nasty
damp ride«
»Mamma« said Rosamond who was seated near the window the diningroom
windows looked on that highly respectable street called Lowick Gate »there is
Mr Lydgate stopping to speak to some one If I were you I would call him in
He has cured Ellen Bulstrode They say he cures every one«
Mrs Vincy sprang to the window and opened it in an instant thinking only
of Fred and not of medical etiquette Lydgate was only two yards off on the
other side of some iron palisading and turned round at the sudden sound of the
sash before she called to him In two minutes he was in the room and Rosamond
went out after waiting just long enough to show a pretty anxiety conflicting
with her sense of what was becoming
Lydgate had to hear a narrative in which Mrs Vincys mind insisted with
remarkable instinct on every point of minor importance especially on what Mr
Wrench had said and had not said about coming again That there might be an
awkward affair with Wrench Lydgate saw at once but the case was serious enough
to make him dismiss that consideration he was convinced that Fred was in the
pinkskinned stage of typhoid fever and that he had taken just the wrong
medicines He must go to bed immediately must have a regular nurse and various
appliances and precautions must be used about which Lydgate was particular
Poor Mrs Vincys terror at these indications of danger found vent in such words
as came most easily She thought it »very ill usage on the part of Mr Wrench
who had attended their house so many years in preference to Mr Peacock though
Mr Peacock was equally a friend Why Mr Wrench should neglect her children
more than others she could not for the life of her understand He had not
neglected Mrs Larchers when they had the measles nor indeed would Mrs Vincy
have wished that he should And if anything should happen «
Here poor Mrs Vincys spirit quite broke down and her Niobethroat and
goodhumoured face were sadly convulsed This was in the hall out of Freds
hearing but Rosamond had opened the drawingroom door and now came forward
anxiously Lydgate apologised for Mr Wrench said that the symptoms yesterday
might have been disguising and that this form of fever was very equivocal in
its beginnings he would go immediately to the druggists and have a
prescription made up in order to lose no time but he would write to Mr Wrench
and tell him what had been done
»But you must come again you must go on attending Fred I cant have my
boy left to anybody who may come or not I bear nobody illwill thank God and
Mr Wrench saved me in the pleurisy but hed better have let me die if if
«
»I will meet Mr Wrench here then shall I« said Lydgate really believing
that Wrench was not well prepared to deal wisely with a case of this kind
»Pray make that arrangement Mr Lydgate« said Rosamond coming to her
mothers aid and supporting her arm to lead her away
When Mr Vincy came home he was very angry with Wrench and did not care if
he never came into his house again Lydgate should go on now whether Wrench
liked it or not It was no joke to have fever in the house Everybody must be
sent to now not to come to dinner on Thursday And Pritchard neednt get up any
wine brandy was the best thing against infection »I shall drink brandy« added
Mr Vincy emphatically as much as to say this was not an occasion for firing
with blankcartridges »Hes an uncommonly unfortunate lad is Fred Hed need
have some luck byandby to make up for all this else I dont know whod have
an eldest son«
»Dont say so Vincy« said the mother with a quivering lip »if you dont
want him to be taken from me«
»It will worret you to death Lucy that I can see« said Mr Vincy more
mildly »However Wrench shall know what I think of the matter« What Mr Vincy
thought confusedly was that the fever might somehow have been hindered if
Wrench had shown the proper solicitude about his the Mayors family »Im
the last man to give in to the cry about new doctors or new parsons either
whether theyre Bulstrodes men or not But Wrench shall know what I think take
it as he will«
Wrench did not take it at all well Lydgate was as polite as he could be in
his offhand way but politeness in a man who has placed you at a disadvantage is
only an additional exasperation especially if he happens to have been an object
of dislike beforehand Country practitioners used to be an irritable species
susceptible on the point of honour and Mr Wrench was one of the most irritable
among them He did not refuse to meet Lydgate in the evening but his temper was
somewhat tried on the occasion He had to hear Mrs Vincy say
»Oh Mr Wrench what have I ever done that you should use me so To go
away and never to come again And my boy might have been stretched a corpse«
Mr Vincy who had been keeping up a sharp fire on the enemy Infection and
was a good deal heated in consequence started up when he heard Wrench come in
and went into the hall to let him know what he thought
»Ill tell you what Wrench this is beyond a joke« said the Mayor who of
late had had to rebuke offenders with an official air and now broadened himself
by putting his thumbs in his armholes »To let fever get unawares into a house
like this There are some things that ought to be actionable and are not so
thats my opinion«
But irrational reproaches were easier to bear than the sense of being
instructed or rather the sense that a younger man like Lydgate inwardly
considered him in need of instruction for »in point of fact,« Mr Wrench
afterwards said Lydgate paraded flighty foreign notions which would not wear
He swallowed his ire for the moment but he afterwards wrote to decline further
attendance in the case The house might be a good one but Mr Wrench was not
going to truckle to anybody on a professional matter He reflected with much
probability on his side that Lydgate would byandby be caught tripping too
and that his ungentlemanly attempts to discredit the sale of drugs by his
professional brethren would byandby recoil on himself He threw out biting
remarks on Lydgates tricks worthy only of a quack to get himself a factitious
reputation with credulous people That cant about cures was never got up by
sound practitioners
This was a point on which Lydgate smarted as much as Wrench could desire To
be puffed by ignorance was not only humiliating but perilous and not more
enviable than the reputation of the weatherprophet He was impatient of the
foolish expectations amidst which all work must be carried on and likely enough
to damage himself as much as Mr Wrench could wish by an unprofessional
openness
However Lydgate was installed as medical attendant on the Vincys and the
event was a subject of general conversation in Middlemarch Some said that the
Vincys had behaved scandalously that Mr Vincy had threatened Wrench and that
Mrs Vincy had accused him of poisoning her son Others were of opinion that Mr
Lydgates passing by was providential that he was wonderfully clever in fevers
and that Bulstrode was in the right to bring him forward Many people believed
that Lydgates coming to the town at all was really due to Bulstrode and Mrs
Taft who was always counting stitches and gathered her information in
misleading fragments caught between the rows of her knitting had got it into
her head that Mr Lydgate was a natural son of Bulstrodes a fact which seemed
to justify her suspicions of evangelical laymen
She one day communicated this piece of knowledge to Mrs Farebrother who
did not fail to tell her son of it observing
»I should not be surprised at anything in Bulstrode but I should be sorry
to think it of Mr Lydgate«
»Why mother« said Mr Farebrother after an explosive laugh »you know
very well that Lydgate is of a good family in the North He never heard of
Bulstrode before he came here«
»That is satisfactory so far as Mr Lydgate is concerned Camden« said the
old lady with an air of precision »But as to Bulstrode the report may be
true of some other son«
Chapter XXVII
»Let the high Muse chant loves Olympian
We are but mortals and must sing of man«
An eminent philosopher among my friends who can dignify even your ugly
furniture by lifting it into the serene light of science, has shown me this
pregnant little fact Your pierglass or extensive surface of polished steel
made to be rubbed by a housemaid will be minutely and multitudinously scratched
in all directions but place now against it a lighted candle as a centre of
illumination and lo the scratches will seem to arrange themselves in a fine
series of concentric circles round that little sun It is demonstrable that the
scratches are going everywhere impartially and it is only your candle which
produces the flattering illusion of a concentric arrangement its light falling
with an exclusive optical selection These things are a parable The scratches
are events and the candle is the egoism of any person now absent of Miss
Vincy for example. Rosamond had a Providence of her own who had kindly made her
more charming than other girls and who seemed to have arranged Freds illness
and Mr Wrenchs mistake in order to bring her and Lydgate within effective
proximity It would have been to contravene these arrangements if Rosamond had
consented to go away to Stone Court or elsewhere as her parents wished her to
do especially since Mr Lydgate thought the precaution needless Therefore
while Miss Morgan and the children were sent away to a farmhouse the morning
after Freds illness had declared itself Rosamond refused to leave papa and
mamma
Poor mamma indeed was an object to touch any creature born of woman and Mr
Vincy who doated on his wife was more alarmed on her account than on Freds
But for his insistance she would have taken no rest her brightness was all
bedimmed unconscious of her costume which had always been so fresh and gay she
was like a sick bird with languid eye and plumage ruffled her senses dulled to
the sights and sounds that used most to interest her Freds delirium in which
he seemed to be wandering out of her reach tore her heart After her first
outburst against Mr Wrench she went about very quietly her one low cry was to
Lydgate She would follow him out of the room and put her hand on his arm
moaning out »Save my boy« Once she pleaded »He has always been good to me
Mr Lydgate he never had a hard word for his mother« as if poor Freds
suffering were an accusation against him All the deepest fibres of the mothers
memory were stirred and the young man whose voice took a gentler tone when he
spoke to her was one with the babe whom she had loved with a love new to her
before he was born
»I have good hope Mrs Vincy« Lydgate would say »Come down with me and
let us talk about the food« In that way he led her to the parlour where
Rosamond was and made a change for her surprising her into taking some tea or
broth which had been prepared for her There was a constant understanding
between him and Rosamond on these matters He almost always saw her before going
to the sickroom and she appealed to him as to what she could do for mamma Her
presence of mind and adroitness in carrying out his hints were admirable and it
is not wonderful that the idea of seeing Rosamond began to mingle itself with
his interest in the case Especially when the critical stage was passed and he
began to feel confident of Freds recovery In the more doubtful time he had
advised calling in Dr Sprague who if he could would rather have remained
neutral on Wrenchs account but after two consultations the conduct of the
case was left to Lydgate and there was every reason to make him assiduous
Morning and evening he was at Mr Vincys and gradually the visits became
cheerful as Fred became simply feeble and lay not only in need of the utmost
petting but conscious of it so that Mrs Vincy felt as if after all the illness
had made a festival for her tenderness
Both father and mother held it an added reason for good spirits when old
Mr Featherstone sent messages by Lydgate saying that Fred must make haste and
get well as he Peter Featherstone could not do without him and missed his
visits sadly The old man himself was getting bedridden Mrs Vincy told these
messages to Fred when he could listen and he turned towards her his delicate
pinched face from which all the thick blond hair had been cut away and in
which the eyes seemed to have got larger yearning for some word about Mary
wondering what she felt about his illness No word passed his lips but »to hear
with eyes belongs to loves rare wit« and the mother in the fulness of her
heart not only divined Freds longing but felt ready for any sacrifice in order
to satisfy him
»If I can only see my boy strong again« she said in her loving folly »and
who knows perhaps master of Stone Court and he can marry anybody he likes
then«
»Not if they wont have me mother« said Fred The illness had made him
childish and tears came as he spoke
»Oh take a bit of jelly my dear« said Mrs Vincy secretly incredulous of
any such refusal
She never left Freds side when her husband was not in the house and thus
Rosamond was in the unusual position of being much alone Lydgate naturally
never thought of staying long with her yet it seemed that the brief impersonal
conversations they had together were creating that peculiar intimacy which
consists in shyness They were obliged to look at each other in speaking and
somehow the looking could not be carried through as the matter of course which
it really was Lydgate began to feel this sort of consciousness unpleasant and
one day looked down or anywhere like an illworked puppet But this turned out
badly the next day Rosamond looked down and the consequence was that when
their eyes met again both were more conscious than before There was no help
for this in science and as Lydgate did not want to flirt there seemed to be no
help for it in folly It was therefore a relief when neighbours no longer
considered the house in quarantine and when the chances of seeing Rosamond
alone were very much reduced
But that intimacy of mutual embarrassment in which each feels that the
other is feeling something having once existed its effect is not to be done
away with Talk about the weather and other wellbred topics is apt to seem a
hollow device and behaviour can hardly become easy unless it frankly recognises
a mutual fascination which of course need not mean anything deep or serious
This was the way in which Rosamond and Lydgate slid gracefully into ease and
made their intercourse lively again Visitors came and went as usual there was
once more music in the drawingroom and all the extra hospitality of Mr
Vincys mayoralty returned Lydgate whenever he could took his seat by
Rosamonds side and lingered to hear her music calling himself her captive
meaning all the while not to be her captive The preposterousness of the
notion that he could at once set up a satisfactory establishment as a married
man was a sufficient guarantee against danger This play at being a little in
love was agreeable and did not interfere with graver pursuits Flirtation
after all was not necessarily a singeing process Rosamond for her part had
never enjoyed the days so much in her life before she was sure of being admired
by some one worth captivating and she did not distinguish flirtation from love
either in herself or in another She seemed to be sailing with a fair wind just
whither she would go and her thoughts were much occupied with a handsome house
in Lowick Gate which she hoped would byandby be vacant She was quite
determined when she was married to rid herself adroitly of all the visitors
who were not agreeable to her at her fathers and she imagined the drawingroom
in her favourite house with various styles of furniture
Certainly her thoughts were much occupied with Lydgate himself he seemed to
her almost perfect if he had known his notes so that his enchantment under her
music had been less like an emotional elephants and if he had been able to
discriminate better the refinements of her taste in dress she could hardly have
mentioned a deficiency in him How different he was from young Plymdale or Mr
Caius Larcher Those young men had not a notion of French and could speak on no
subject with striking knowledge except perhaps the dyeing and carrying trades
which of course they were ashamed to mention they were Middlemarch gentry
elated with their silverheaded whips and satin stocks but embarrassed in their
manners and timidly jocose even Fred was above them having at least the
accent and manner of a university man Whereas Lydgate was always listened to
bore himself with the careless politeness of conscious superiority and seemed
to have the right clothes on by a certain natural affinity without ever having
to think about them Rosamond was proud when he entered the room and when he
approached her with a distinguishing smile she had a delicious sense that she
was the object of enviable homage If Lydgate had been aware of all the pride he
excited in that delicate bosom he might have been just as well pleased as any
other man even the most densely ignorant of humoral pathology or fibrous
tissue he held it one of the prettiest attitudes of the feminine mind to adore
a mans preeminence without too precise a knowledge of what it consisted in
But Rosamond was not one of those helpless girls who betray themselves
unawares and whose behaviour is awkwardly driven by their impulses instead of
being steered by wary grace and propriety Do you imagine that her rapid
forecast and rumination concerning housefurniture and society were ever
discernible in her conversation even with her mamma On the contrary she would
have expressed the prettiest surprise and disapprobation if she had heard that
another young lady had been detected in that immodest prematureness indeed
would probably have disbelieved in its possibility For Rosamond never showed
any unbecoming knowledge and was always that combination of correct sentiments
music dancing drawing elegant notewriting private album for extracted
verse and perfect blond loveliness which made the irresistible woman for the
doomed man of that date Think no unfair evil of her pray she had no wicked
plots nothing sordid or mercenary in fact she never thought of money except
as something necessary which other people would always provide She was not in
the habit of devising falsehoods and if her statements were no direct clue to
fact why they were not intended in that light they were among her elegant
accomplishments intended to please Nature had inspired many arts in finishing
Mrs Lemons favourite pupil who by general consent Freds excepted was a
rare compound of beauty cleverness and amiability
Lydgate found it more and more agreeable to be with her and there was no
constraint now there was a delightful interchange of influence in their eyes
and what they said had that superfluity of meaning for them which is observable
with some sense of flatness by a third person still they had no interviews or
asides from which a third person need have been excluded In fact they flirted
and Lydgate was secure in the belief that they did nothing else If a man could
not love and be wise surely he could flirt and be wise at the same time
Really the men in Middlemarch except Mr Farebrother were great bores and
Lydgate did not care about commercial politics or cards what was he to do for
relaxation He was often invited to the Bulstrodes but the girls there were
hardly out of the schoolroom and Mrs Bulstrodes naïve way of conciliating
piety and worldliness the nothingness of this life and the desirability of cut
glass the consciousness at once of filthy rags and the best damask was not a
sufficient relief from the weight of her husbands invariable seriousness The
Vincys house with all its faults was the pleasanter by contrast besides it
nourished Rosamond sweet to look at as a halfopened blushrose and adorned
with accomplishments for the refined amusement of man
But he made some enemies other than medical by his success with Miss
Vincy One evening he came into the drawingroom rather late when several other
visitors were there The cardtable had drawn off the elders and Mr Ned
Plymdale one of the good matches in Middlemarch though not one of its leading
minds was in têteàtête with Rosamond He had brought the last Keepsake the
gorgeous wateredsilk publication which marked modern progress at that time and
he considered himself very fortunate that he could be the first to look over it
with her dwelling on the ladies and gentlemen with shiny copperplate cheeks
and copperplate smiles and pointing to comic verses as capital and sentimental
stories as interesting Rosamond was gracious and Mr Ned was satisfied that he
had the very best thing in art and literature as a medium for »paying addresses«
the very thing to please a nice girl He had also reasons deep rather than
ostensible for being satisfied with his own appearance To superficial
observers his chin had too vanishing an aspect looking as if it were being
gradually reabsorbed And it did indeed cause him some difficulty about the fit
of his satin stocks for which chins were at that time useful
»I think the Honourable Mrs S is something like you« said Mr Ned He
kept the book open at the bewitching portrait and looked at it rather
languishingly
»Her back is very large she seems to have sat for that« said Rosamond not
meaning any satire but thinking how red young Plymdales hands were and
wondering why Lydgate did not come She went on with her tatting all the while
»I did not say she was as beautiful as you are« said Mr Ned venturing to
look from the portrait to its rival
»I suspect you of being an adroit flatterer« said Rosamond feeling sure
that she should have to reject this young gentleman a second time
But now Lydgate came in the book was closed before he reached Rosamonds
corner and as he took his seat with easy confidence on the other side of her
young Plymdales jaw fell like a barometer towards the cheerless side of change
Rosamond enjoyed not only Lydgates presence but its effect she liked to excite
jealousy
»What a late comer you are« she said as they shook hands »Mamma had given
you up a little while ago How do you find Fred«
»As usual going on well but slowly I want him to go away to Stone
Court for example. But your mamma seems to have some objection«
»Poor fellow« said Rosamond prettily »You will see Fred so changed« she
added turning to the other suitor »we have looked to Mr Lydgate as our
guardian angel during this illness«
Mr Ned smiled nervously while Lydgate drawing the Keepsake towards him and
opening it gave a short scornful laugh and tossed up his chin as if in
wonderment at human folly
»What are you laughing at so profanely« said Rosamond with bland
neutrality
»I wonder which would turn out to be the silliest the engravings or the
writing here« said Lydgate in his most convinced tone while he turned over
the pages quickly seeming to see all through the book in no time and showing
his large white hands to much advantage as Rosamond thought »Do look at this
bridegroom coming out of church did you ever see such a sugared invention as
the Elizabethans used to say Did any haberdasher ever look so smirking Yet I
will answer for it the story makes him one of the first gentlemen in the land«
»You are so severe I am frightened at you« said Rosamond keeping her
amusement duly moderate Poor young Plymdale had lingered with admiration over
this very engraving and his spirit was stirred
»There are a great many celebrated people writing in the Keepsake at all
events« he said in a tone at once piqued and timid »This is the first time I
have heard it called silly«
»I think I shall turn round on you and accuse you of being a Goth« said
Rosamond looking at Lydgate with a smile »I suspect you know nothing about
Lady Blessington and LEL« Rosamond herself was not without relish for these
writers but she did not readily commit herself by admiration and was alive to
the slightest hint that anything was not according to Lydgate in the very
highest taste
»But Sir Walter Scott I suppose Mr Lydgate knows him« said young
Plymdale a little cheered by this advantage
»Oh I read no literature now« said Lydgate shutting the book and pushing
it away »I read so much when I was a lad that I suppose it will last me all my
life I used to know Scotts poems by heart«
»I should like to know when you left off« said Rosamond »because then I
might be sure that I knew something which you did not know«
»Mr Lydgate would say that was not worth knowing« said Mr Ned purposely
caustic
»On the contrary« said Lydgate showing no smart but smiling with
exasperating confidence at Rosamond »It would be worth knowing by the fact that
Miss Vincy could tell it me«
Young Plymdale soon went to look at the whistplaying thinking that Lydgate
was one of the most conceited unpleasant fellows it had ever been his
illfortune to meet
»How rash you are« said Rosamond inwardly delighted »Do you see that you
have given offence«
»What is it Mr Plymdales book I am sorry I didnt think about it«
»I shall begin to admit what you said of yourself when you first came here
that you are a bear and want teaching by the birds«
»Well there is a bird who can teach me what she will Dont I listen to her
willingly«
To Rosamond it seemed as if she and Lydgate were as good as engaged That
they were some time to be engaged had long been an idea in her mind and ideas,
we know tend to a more solid kind of existence the necessary materials being
at hand It is true Lydgate had the counteridea of remaining unengaged but
this was a mere negative a shadow cast by other resolves which themselves were
capable of shrinking Circumstance was almost sure to be on the side of
Rosamonds idea which had a shaping activity and looked through watchful blue
eyes whereas Lydgates lay blind and unconcerned as a jellyfish which gets
melted without knowing it
That evening when he went home he looked at his phials to see how a process
of maceration was going on with undisturbed interest and he wrote out his
daily notes with as much precision as usual The reveries from which it was
difficult for him to detach himself were ideal constructions of something else
than Rosamonds virtues and the primitive tissue was still his fair unknown
Moreover he was beginning to feel some zest for the growing though
halfsuppressed feud between him and the other medical men which was likely to
become more manifest now that Bulstrodes method of managing the new hospital
was about to be declared and there were various inspiriting signs that his
nonacceptance by some of Peacocks patients might be counterbalanced by the
impression he had produced in other quarters Only a few days later when he had
happened to overtake Rosamond on the Lowick road and had got down from his horse
to walk by her side until he had quite protected her from a passing drove he
had been stopped by a servant on horseback with a message calling him in to a
house of some importance where Peacock had never attended and it was the second
instance of this kind The servant was Sir James Chettams and the house was
Lowick Manor
Chapter XXVIII
1st Gent
All times are good to seek your wedded home
Bringing a mutual delight
2d Gent
Why true
The calendar hath not an evil day
For souls made one by love and even death
Were sweetness if it came like rolling waves
While they two clasped each other and foresaw
No life apart
Mr and Mrs Casaubon returning from their wedding journey arrived at Lowick
Manor in the middle of January A light snow was falling as they descended at
the door and in the morning when Dorothea passed from her dressingroom into
the bluegreen boudoir that we know of she saw the long avenue of limes lifting
their trunks from a white earth and spreading white branches against the dun
and motionless sky The distant flat shrank in uniform whiteness and lowhanging
uniformity of cloud The very furniture in the room seemed to have shrunk since
she saw it before the stag in the tapestry looked more like a ghost in his
ghostly bluegreen world the volumes of polite literature in the bookcase
looked more like immovable imitations of books The bright fire of dry
oakboughs burning on the dogs seemed an incongruous renewal of life and glow
like the figure of Dorothea herself as she entered carrying the redleather
cases containing the cameos for Celia
She was glowing from her morning toilette as only healthful youth can glow
there was gemlike brightness on her coiled hair and in her hazel eyes there
was warm red life in her lips her throat had a breathing whiteness above the
differing white of the fur which itself seemed to wind about her neck and cling
down her bluegrey pelisse with a tenderness gathered from her own a sentient
commingled innocence which kept its loveliness against the crystalline purity of
the outdoor snow As she laid the cameocases on the table in the bowwindow
she unconsciously kept her hands on them immediately absorbed in looking out on
the still white enclosure which made her visible world
Mr Casaubon who had risen early complaining of palpitation was in the
library giving audience to his curate Mr Tucker Byandby Celia would come in
her quality of bridesmaid as well as sister and through the next weeks there
would be wedding visits received and given all in continuance of that
transitional life understood to correspond with the excitement of bridal
felicity and keeping up the sense of busy ineffectiveness as of a dream which
the dreamer begins to suspect The duties of her married life contemplated as
so great beforehand seemed to be shrinking with the furniture and the white
vapourwalled landscape The clear heights where she expected to walk in full
communion had become difficult to see even in her imagination the delicious
repose of the soul on a complete superior had been shaken into uneasy effort and
alarmed with dim presentiment When would the days begin of that active wifely
devotion which was to strengthen her husbands life and exalt her own Never
perhaps as she had preconceived them but somehow still somehow In this
solemnlypledged union of her life duty would present itself in some new form
of inspiration and give a new meaning to wifely love
Meanwhile there was the snow and the low arch of dun vapour there was the
stifling oppression of that gentlewomans world where everything was done for
her and none asked for her aid where the sense of connection with a manifold
pregnant existence had to be kept up painfully as an inward vision instead of
coming from without in claims that would have shaped her energies »What shall
I do« »Whatever you please my dear« that had been her brief history since she
had left off learning morning lessons and practising silly rhythms on the hated
piano Marriage which was to bring guidance into worthy and imperative
occupation had not yet freed her from the gentlewomans oppressive liberty it
had not even filled her leisure with the ruminant joy of unchecked tenderness
Her blooming fullpulsed youth stood there in a moral imprisonment which made
itself one with the chill colourless narrowed landscape with the shrunken
furniture the neverread books and the ghostly stag in a pale fantastic world
that seemed to be vanishing from the daylight
In the first minutes when Dorothea looked out she felt nothing but the
dreary oppression then came a keen remembrance and turning away from the
window she walked round the room The ideas and hopes which were living in her
mind when she first saw this room nearly three months before were present now
only as memories she judged them as we judge transient and departed things All
existence seemed to beat with a lower pulse than her own and her religious
faith was a solitary cry the struggle out of a nightmare in which every object
was withering and shrinking away from her Each remembered thing in the room was
disenchanted was deadened as an unlit transparency till her wandering gaze
came to the group of miniatures and there at last she saw something which had
gathered new breath and meaning it was the miniature of Mr Casaubons aunt
Julia who had made the unfortunate marriage of Will Ladislaws grandmother
Dorothea could fancy that it was alive now the delicate womans face which yet
had a headstrong look a peculiarity difficult to interpret Was it only her
friends who thought her marriage unfortunate or did she herself find it out to
be a mistake and taste the salt bitterness of her tears in the merciful silence
of the night What breadths of experience Dorothea seemed to have passed over
since she first looked at this miniature She felt a new companionship with it
as if it had an ear for her and could see how she was looking at it Here was a
woman who had known some difficulty about marriage Nay the colours deepened
the lips and chin seemed to get larger the hair and eyes seemed to be sending
out light the face was masculine and beamed on her with that full gaze which
tells her on whom it falls that she is too interesting for the slightest
movement of her eyelid to pass unnoticed and uninterpreted The vivid
presentation came like a pleasant glow to Dorothea she felt herself smiling
and turning from the miniature sat down and looked up as if she were again
talking to a figure in front of her But the smile disappeared as she went on
meditating and at last she said aloud
»Oh it was cruel to speak so How sad how dreadful«
She rose quickly and went out of the room hurrying along the corridor with
the irresistible impulse to go and see her husband and inquire if she could do
anything for him Perhaps Mr Tucker was gone and Mr Casaubon was alone in the
library She felt as if all her mornings gloom would vanish if she could see
her husband glad because of her presence
But when she reached the head of the dark oak staircase there was Celia
coming up and below there was Mr Brooke exchanging welcomes and
congratulations with Mr Casaubon
»Dodo« said Celia in her quiet staccato then kissed her sister whose
arms encircled her and said no more I think they both cried a little in a
furtive manner while Dorothea ran downstairs to greet her uncle
»I need not ask how you are my dear« said Mr Brooke after kissing her
forehead »Rome has agreed with you I see happiness frescoes the antique
that sort of thing Well its very pleasant to have you back again and you
understand all about art now eh But Casaubon is a little pale I tell him a
little pale you know Studying hard in his holidays is carrying it rather too
far I overdid it at one time« Mr Brooke still held Dorotheas hand but had
turned his face to Mr Casaubon »about topography ruins temples I thought
I had a clue but I saw it would carry me too far and nothing might have come
of it You may go any length in that sort of thing and nothing may come of it
you know«
Dorotheas eyes also were turned up to her husbands face with some anxiety
at the idea that those who saw him afresh after absence might be aware of signs
which she had not noticed
»Nothing to alarm you my dear« said Mr Brooke observing her expression
»A little English beef and mutton will soon make a difference It was all very
well to look pale sitting for the portrait of Aquinas you know we got your
letter just in time But Aquinas now he was a little too subtle wasnt he
Does anybody read Aquinas«
»He is not indeed an author adapted to superficial minds« said Mr
Casaubon meeting these timely questions with dignified patience
»You would like coffee in your own room uncle« said Dorothea coming to
the rescue
»Yes and you must go to Celia she has great news to tell you you know I
leave it all to her«
The bluegreen boudoir looked much more cheerful when Celia was seated there
in a pelisse exactly like her sisters surveying the cameos with a placid
satisfaction while the conversation passed on to other topics
»Do you think it nice to go to Rome on a wedding journey« said Celia with
her ready delicate blush which Dorothea was used to on the smallest occasions
»It would not suit all not you dear for example,« said Dorothea
quietly No one would ever know what she thought of a wedding journey to Rome
»Mrs Cadwallader says it is nonsense people going a long journey when they
are married She says they get tired to death of each other and cant quarrel
comfortably as they would at home And Lady Chettam says she went to Bath«
Celias colour changed again and again seemed
»To come and go with tidings from the heart
As it a running messenger had been«
It must mean more than Celias blushing usually did
»Celia has something happened« said Dorothea in a tone full of sisterly
feeling »Have you really any great news to tell me«
»It was because you went away Dodo Then there was nobody but me for Sir
James to talk to« said Celia with a certain roguishness in her eyes
»I understand It is as I used to hope and believe« said Dorothea taking
her sisters face between her hands and looking at her half anxiously Celias
marriage seemed more serious than it used to do
»It was only three days ago« said Celia »And Lady Chettam is very kind«
»And you are very happy«
»Yes We are not going to be married yet Because everything is to be got
ready And I dont want to be married so very soon because I think it is nice
to be engaged And we shall be married all our lives after«
»I do believe you could not marry better Kitty Sir James is a good
honourable man« said Dorothea warmly
»He has gone on with the cottages Dodo He will tell you about them when he
comes Shall you be glad to see him«
»Of course I shall How can you ask me«
»Only I was afraid you would be getting so learned« said Celia regarding
Mr Casaubons learning as a kind of damp which might in due time saturate a
neighbouring body
Chapter XXIX
»I found that no genius in another could please me My unfortunate
paradoxes had entirely dried up that source of comfort«
Goldsmith
One morning some weeks after her arrival at Lowick Dorothea but why always
Dorothea Was her point of view the only possible one with regard to this
marriage I protest against all our interest all our effort at understanding
being given to the young skins that look blooming in spite of trouble for these
too will get faded and will know the older and more eating griefs which we are
helping to neglect In spite of the blinking eyes and white moles objectionable
to Celia and the want of muscular curve which was morally painful to Sir James
Mr Casaubon had an intense consciousness within him and was spiritually
ahungered like the rest of us He had done nothing exceptional in marrying
nothing but what society sanctions and considers an occasion for wreaths and
bouquets It had occurred to him that he must not any longer defer his intention
of matrimony and he had reflected that in taking a wife a man of good position
should expect and carefully choose a blooming young lady the younger the
better because more educable and submissive of a rank equal to his own of
religious principles virtuous disposition and good understanding On such a
young lady he would make handsome settlements and he would neglect no
arrangement for her happiness in return he should receive family pleasures and
leave behind hind him that copy of himself which seemed so urgently required of
a man to the sonneteers of the sixteenth century Times had altered since
then and no sonneteer had insisted on Mr Casaubons leaving a copy of himself
moreover he had not yet succeeded in issuing copies of his mythological key
but he had always intended to acquit himself by marriage and the sense that he
was fast leaving the years behind him that the world was getting dimmer and
that he felt lonely was a reason to him for losing no more time in overtaking
domestic delights before they too were left behind by the years
And when he had seen Dorothea he believed that he had found even more than
he demanded she might really be such a helpmate to him as would enable him to
dispense with a hired secretary an aid which Mr Casaubon had never yet
employed and had a suspicious dread of Mr Casaubon was nervously conscious
that he was expected to manifest a powerful mind Providence in its kindness
had supplied him with the wife he needed A wife a modest young lady with the
purely appreciative unambitious abilities of her sex is sure to think her
husbands mind powerful Whether Providence had taken equal care of Miss Brooke
in presenting her with Mr Casaubon was an idea which could hardly occur to him
Society never made the preposterous demand that a man should think as much about
his own qualifications for making a charming girl happy as he thinks of hers for
making himself happy As if a man could choose not only his wife but his wifes
husband Or as if he were bound to provide charms for his posterity in his own
person When Dorothea accepted him with effusion that was only natural and
Mr Casaubon believed that his happiness was going to begin
He had not had much foretaste of happiness in his previous life To know
intense joy without a strong bodily frame one must have an enthusiastic soul
Mr Casaubon had never had a strong bodily frame and his soul was sensitive
without being enthusiastic it was too languid to thrill out of
self-consciousness into passionate delight it went on fluttering in the swampy
ground where it was hatched thinking of its wings and never flying His
experience was of that pitiable kind which shrinks from pity and fears most of
all that it should be known it was that proud narrow sensitiveness which has
not mass enough to spare for transformation into sympathy and quivers
threadlike in small currents of self-preoccupation or at best of an egoistic
scrupulosity And Mr Casaubon had many scruples he was capable of a severe
selfrestraint he was resolute in being a man of honour according to the code
he would be unimpeachable by any recognised opinion In conduct these ends had
been attained but the difficulty of making his Key to all Mythologies
unimpeachable weighed like lead upon his mind and the pamphlets or »Parerga«
as he called them by which he tested his public and deposited small monumental
records of his march were far from having been seen in all their significance
He suspected the Archdeacon of not having read them he was in painful doubt as
to what was really thought of them by the leading minds of Brasenose and
bitterly convinced that his old acquaintance Carp had been the writer of that
depreciatory recension which was kept locked in a small drawer of Mr Casaubons
desk and also in a dark closet of his verbal memory These were heavy
impressions to struggle against and brought that melancholy embitterment which
is the consequence of all excessive claim even his religious faith wavered with
his wavering trust in his own authorship and the consolations of the Christian
hope in immortality seemed to lean on the immortality of the still unwritten Key
to all Mythologies For my part I am very sorry for him It is an uneasy lot at
best to be what we call highly taught and yet not to enjoy to be present at
this great spectacle of life and never to be liberated from a small hungry
shivering self never to be fully possessed by the glory we behold never to
have our consciousness rapturously transformed into the vividness of a thought
the ardour of a passion the energy of an action but always to be scholarly and
uninspired ambitious and timid scrupulous and dimsighted Becoming a dean or
even a bishop would make little difference I fear to Mr Casaubons
uneasiness Doubtless some ancient Greek has observed that behind the big mask
and the speakingtrumpet there must always be our poor little eyes peeping as
usual and our timorous lips more or less under anxious control
To this mental estate mapped out a quarter of a century before to
sensibilities thus fenced in Mr Casaubon had thought of annexing happiness
with a lovely young bride but even before marriage as we have seen he found
himself under a new depression in the consciousness that the new bliss was not
blissful to him Inclination yearned back to its old easier custom And the
deeper he went in domesticity the more did the sense of acquitting himself and
acting with propriety predominate over any other satisfaction Marriage like
religion and erudition nay like authorship itself was fated to become an
outward requirement and Edward Casaubon was bent on fulfilling unimpeachably
all requirements Even drawing Dorothea into use in his study according to his
own intention before marriage was an effort which he was always tempted to
defer and but for her pleading insistance it might never have begun But she
had succeeded in making it a matter of course that she should take her place at
an early hour in the library and have work either of reading aloud or copying
assigned her The work had been easier to define because Mr Casaubon had
adopted an immediate intention there was to be a new Parergon a small
monograph on some latelytraced indications concerning the Egyptian mysteries
whereby certain assertions of Warburtons could be corrected References were
extensive even here but not altogether shoreless and sentences were actually
to be written in the shape wherein they would be scanned by Brasenose and a less
formidable posterity These minor monumental productions were always exciting to
Mr Casaubon digestion was made difficult by the interference of citations or
by the rivalry of dialectical phrases ringing against each other in his brain
And from the first there was to be a Latin dedication about which everything was
uncertain except that it was not to be addressed to Carp it was a poisonous
regret to Mr Casaubon that he had once addressed a dedication to Carp in which
he had numbered that member of the animal kingdom among the vires nullo oevo
perituros a mistake which would infallibly lay the dedicator open to ridicule
in the next age and might even be chuckled over by Pike and Tench in the
present
Thus Mr Casaubon was in one of his busiest epochs and as I began to say a
little while ago Dorothea joined him early in the library where he had
breakfasted alone Celia at this time was on a second visit to Lowick probably
the last before her marriage and was in the drawingroom expecting Sir James
Dorothea had learned to read the signs of her husbands mood and she saw
that the morning had become more foggy there during the last hour She was going
silently to her desk when he said in that distant tone which implied that he
was discharging a disagreeable duty
»Dorothea here is a letter for you which was enclosed in one addressed to
me«
It was a letter of two pages and she immediately looked at the signature
»Mr Ladislaw What can he have to say to me« she exclaimed in a tone of
pleased surprise »But« she added looking at Mr Casaubon »I can imagine what
he has written to you about«
»You can if you please read the letter« said Mr Casaubon severely
pointing to it with his pen and not looking at her »But I may as well say
beforehand that I must decline the proposal it contains to pay a visit here I
trust I may be excused for desiring an interval of complete freedom from such
distractions as have been hitherto inevitable and especially from guests whose
desultory vivacity makes their presence a fatigue«
There had been no clashing of temper between Dorothea and her husband since
that little explosion in Rome which had left such strong traces in her mind
that it had been easier ever since to quell emotion than to incur the
consequence of venting it But this illtempered anticipation that she could
desire visits which might be disagreeable to her husband this gratuitous
defence of himself against selfish complaint on her part was too sharp a sting
to be meditated on until after it had been resented Dorothea had thought that
she could have been patient with John Milton but she had never imagined him
behaving in this way and for a moment Mr Casaubon seemed to be stupidly
undiscerning and odiously unjust Pity that »newborn babe« which was byandby
to rule many a storm within her did not »stride the blast« on this occasion
With her first words uttered in a tone that shook him she startled Mr
Casaubon into looking at her and meeting the flash of her eyes
»Why do you attribute to me a wish for anything that would annoy you You
speak to me as if I were something you had to contend against Wait at least
till I appear to consult my own pleasure apart from yours«
»Dorothea you are hasty« answered Mr Casaubon nervously
Decidedly this woman was too young to be on the formidable level of
wifehood unless she had been pale and featureless and taken everything for
granted
»I think it was you who were first hasty in your false suppositions about my
feeling« said Dorothea in the same tone The fire was not dissipated yet and
she thought it was ignoble in her husband not to apologise to her
»We will if you please say no more on this subject Dorothea I have
neither leisure nor energy for this kind of debate«
Here Mr Casaubon dipped his pen and made as if he would return to his
writing though his hand trembled so much that the words seemed to be written in
an unknown character There are answers which in turning away wrath only send
it to the other end of the room and to have a discussion coolly waived when you
feel that justice is all on your own side is even more exasperating in marriage
than in philosophy
Dorothea left Ladislaws two letters unread on her husbands writingtable
and went to her own place the scorn and indignation within her rejecting the
reading of these letters just as we hurl away any trash towards which we seem
to have been suspected of mean cupidity She did not in the least divine the
subtle sources of her husbands bad temper about these letters she only knew
that they had caused him to offend her She began to work at once and her hand
did not tremble on the contrary in writing out the quotations which had been
given to her the day before she felt that she was forming her letters
beautifully and it seemed to her that she saw the construction of the Latin she
was copying and which she was beginning to understand more clearly than usual
In her indignation there was a sense of superiority but it went out for the
present in firmness of stroke and did not compress itself into an inward
articulate voice pronouncing the once »affable archangel« a poor creature
There had been this apparent quiet for half an hour and Dorothea had not
looked away from her own table when she heard the loud bang of a book on the
floor and turning quickly saw Mr Casaubon on the librarysteps clinging
forward as if he were in some bodily distress She started up and bounded
towards him in an instant he was evidently in great straits for breath Jumping
on a stool she got close to his elbow and said with her whole soul melted into
tender alarm
»Can you lean on me dear«
He was still for two or three minutes which seemed endless to her unable
to speak or move gasping for breath When at last he descended the three steps
and fell backward in the large chair which Dorothea had drawn close to the foot
of the ladder he no longer gasped but seemed helpless and about to faint
Dorothea rang the bell violently and presently Mr Casaubon was helped to the
couch he did not faint and was gradually reviving when Sir James Chettam came
in having been met in the hall with the news that Mr Casaubon had »had a fit
in the library«
»Good God this is just what might have been expected« was his immediate
thought If his prophetic soul had been urged to particularise it seemed to him
that »fits« would have been the definite expression alighted upon He asked his
informant the butler whether the doctor had been sent for The butler never
knew his master want the doctor before but would it not be right to send for a
physician
When Sir James entered the library however Mr Casaubon could make some
signs of his usual politeness and Dorothea who in the reaction from her first
terror had been kneeling and sobbing by his side now rose and herself proposed
that some one should ride off for a medical man
»I recommend you to send for Lydgate« said Sir James »My mother has called
him in and she has found him uncommonly clever She has had a poor opinion of
the physicians since my fathers death«
Dorothea appealed to her husband and he made a silent sign of approval So
Mr Lydgate was sent for and he came wonderfully soon for the messenger who
was Sir James Chettams man and knew Mr Lydgate met him leading his horse
along the Lowick road and giving his arm to Miss Vincy
Celia in the drawingroom had known nothing of the trouble till Sir James
told her of it After Dorotheas account he no longer considered the illness a
fit but still something »of that nature«
»Poor dear Dodo how dreadful« said Celia feeling as much grieved as her
own perfect happiness would allow Her little hands were clasped and enclosed
by Sir Jamess as a bud is enfolded by a liberal calyx »It is very shocking
that Mr Casaubon should be ill but I never did like him And I think he is not
half fond enough of Dorothea and he ought to be for I am sure no one else
would have had him do you think they would«
»I always thought it a horrible sacrifice of your sister« said Sir James
»Yes But poor Dodo never did do what other people do and I think she never
will«
»She is a noble creature« said the loyalhearted Sir James He had just had
a fresh impression of this kind as he had seen Dorothea stretching her tender
arm under her husbands neck and looking at him with unspeakable sorrow He did
not know how much penitence there was in the sorrow
»Yes« said Celia thinking it was very well for Sir James to say so but he
would not have been comfortable with Dodo »Shall I go to her Could I help her
do you think«
»I think it would be well for you just to go and see her before Lydgate
comes« said Sir James magnanimously »Only dont stay long«
While Celia was gone he walked up and down remembering what he had
originally felt about Dorotheas engagement and feeling a revival of his
disgust at Mr Brookes indifference If Cadwallader if every one else had
regarded the affair as he Sir James had done the marriage might have been
hindered It was wicked to let a young girl blindly decide her fate in that way
without any effort to save her Sir James had long ceased to have any regrets on
his own account his heart was satisfied with his engagement to Celia But he
had a chivalrous nature was not the disinterested service of woman among the
ideal glories of old chivalry his disregarded love had not turned to
bitterness its death had made sweet odours floating memories that clung with
a consecrating effect to Dorothea He could remain her brotherly friend
interpreting her actions with generous trustfulness
Chapter XXX
»Qui veut délasser hors de propos lasse«
Pascal
Mr Casaubon had no second attack of equal severity with the first and in a few
days began to recover his usual condition But Lydgate seemed to think the case
worth a great deal of attention He not only used his stethoscope which had not
become a matter of course in practice at that time but sat quietly by his
patient and watched him To Mr Casaubons questions about himself he replied
that the source of the illness was the common error of intellectual men a too
eager and monotonous application the remedy was to be satisfied with moderate
work and to seek variety of relaxation Mr Brooke who sat by on one occasion
suggested that Mr Casaubon should go fishing as Cadwallader did and have a
turningroom make toys tablelegs and that kind of thing
»In short you recommend me to anticipate the arrival of my second
childhood« said poor Mr Casaubon with some bitterness »These things« he
added looking at Lydgate »would be to me such relaxation as towpicking is to
prisoners in a house of correction«
»I confess« said Lydgate smiling »amusement is rather an unsatisfactory
prescription It is something like telling people to keep up their spirits
Perhaps I had better say that you must submit to be mildly bored rather than to
go on working«
»Yes yes« said Mr Brooke »Get Dorothea to play backgammon with you in
the evenings And shuttlecock now I dont know a finer game than shuttlecock
for the daytime I remember it all the fashion To be sure your eyes might not
stand that Casaubon But you must unbend you know Why you might take to some
light study conchology now I always think that must be a light study Or get
Dorothea to read you light things Smollett Roderick Random Humphrey Clinker
they are a little broad but she may read anything now shes married you know
I remember they made me laugh uncommonly theres a droll bit about a
postilions breeches We have no such humour now I have gone through all these
things but they might be rather new to you«
»As new as eating thistles« would have been an answer to represent Mr
Casaubons feelings But he only bowed resignedly with due respect to his
wifes uncle and observed that doubtless the works he mentioned had »served as
a resource to a certain order of minds«
»You see« said the able magistrate to Lydgate when they were outside the
door »Casaubon has been a little narrow it leaves him rather at a loss when
you forbid him his particular work which I believe is something very deep
indeed in the line of research you know I would never give way to that I
was always versatile But a clergyman is tied a little tight If they would make
him a bishop now he did a very good pamphlet for Peel He would have more
movement then more show he might get a little flesh But I recommend you to
talk to Mrs Casaubon She is clever enough for anything is my niece Tell her
her husband wants liveliness diversion put her on amusing tactics«
Without Mr Brookes advice Lydgate had determined on speaking to Dorothea
She had not been present while her uncle was throwing out his pleasant
suggestions as to the mode in which life at Lowick might be enlivened but she
was usually by her husbands side and the unaffected signs of intense anxiety
in her face and voice about whatever touched his mind or health made a drama
which Lydgate was inclined to watch He said to himself that he was only doing
right in telling her the truth about her husbands probable future but he
certainly thought also that it would be interesting to talk confidentially with
her A medical man likes to make psychological observations and sometimes in
the pursuit of such studies is too easily tempted into momentous prophecy which
life and death easily set at nought Lydgate had often been satirical on this
gratuitous prediction and he meant now to be guarded
He asked for Mrs Casaubon but being told that she was out walking he was
going away when Dorothea and Celia appeared both glowing from their struggle
with the March wind When Lydgate begged to speak with her alone Dorothea
opened the library door which happened to be the nearest thinking of nothing at
the moment but what he might have to say about Mr Casaubon It was the first
time she had entered this room since her husband had been taken ill and the
servant had chosen not to open the shutters But there was light enough to read
by from the narrow upper panes of the windows
»You will not mind this sombre light« said Dorothea standing in the middle
of the room »Since you forbade books the library has been out of the question
But Mr Casaubon will soon be here again I hope Is he not making progress«
»Yes much more rapid progress than I at first expected Indeed he is
already nearly in his usual state of health«
»You do not fear that the illness will return« said Dorothea whose quick
ear had detected some significance in Lydgates tone
»Such cases are peculiarly difficult to pronounce upon« said Lydgate »The
only point on which I can be confident is that it will be desirable to be very
watchful on Mr Casaubons account lest he should in any way strain his nervous
power«
»I beseech you to speak quite plainly« said Dorothea in an imploring tone
»I cannot bear to think that there might be something which I did not know and
which if I had known it would have made me act differently« The words came
out like a cry it was evident that they were the voice of some mental
experience which lay not very far off
»Sit down« she added placing herself on the nearest chair and throwing
off her bonnet and gloves with an instinctive discarding of formality where a
great question of destiny was concerned
»What you say now justifies my own view« said Lydgate »I think it is ones
function as a medical man to hinder regrets of that sort as far as possible But
I beg you to observe that Mr Casaubons case is precisely of the kind in which
the issue is most difficult to pronounce upon He may possibly live for fifteen
years or more without much worse health than he has had hitherto«
Dorothea had turned very pale and when Lydgate paused she said in a low
voice »You mean if we are very careful«
»Yes careful against mental agitation of all kinds and against excessive
application«
»He would be miserable if he had to give up his work« said Dorothea with
a quick prevision of that wretchedness
»I am aware of that The only course is to try by all means direct and
indirect to moderate and vary his occupations With a happy concurrence of
circumstances there is as I said no immediate danger from that affection of
the heart which I believe to have been the cause of his late attack On the
other hand it is possible that the disease may develop itself more rapidly it
is one of those cases in which death is sometimes sudden Nothing should be
neglected which might be affected by such an issue«
There was silence for a few moments while Dorothea sat as if she had been
turned to marble though the life within her was so intense that her mind had
never before swept in brief time over an equal range of scenes and motives
»Help me pray« she said at last in the same low voice as before »Tell
me what I can do«
»What do you think of foreign travel You have been lately in Rome I
think«
The memories which made this resource utterly hopeless were a new current
that shook Dorothea out of her pallid immobility
»Oh that would not do that would be worse than anything« she said with a
more childlike despondency while the tears rolled down »Nothing will be of any
use that he does not enjoy«
»I wish that I could have spared you this pain« said Lydgate deeply
touched yet wondering about her marriage Women just like Dorothea had not
entered into his traditions
»It was right of you to tell me I thank you for telling me the truth«
»I wish you to understand that I shall not say anything to enlighten Mr
Casaubon himself I think it desirable for him to know nothing more than that he
must not overwork himself and must observe certain rules Anxiety of any kind
would be precisely the most unfavourable condition for him«
Lydgate rose and Dorothea mechanically rose at the same time unclasping
her cloak and throwing it off as if it stifled her He was bowing and quitting
her when an impulse which if she had been alone would have turned into a
prayer made her say with a sob in her voice
»Oh you are a wise man are you not You know all about life and death
Advise me Think what I can do He has been labouring all his life and looking
forward He minds about nothing else And I mind about nothing else «
For years after Lydgate remembered the impression produced in him by this
involuntary appeal this cry from soul to soul without other consciousness
than their moving with kindred natures in the same embroiled medium the same
troublous fitfullyilluminated life But what could he say now except that he
should see Mr Casaubon again tomorrow
When he was gone Dorotheas tears gushed forth and relieved her stifling
oppression Then she dried her eyes reminded that her distress must not be
betrayed to her husband and looked round the room thinking that she must order
the servant to attend to it as usual since Mr Casaubon might now at any moment
wish to enter On his writingtable there were letters which had lain untouched
since the morning when he was taken ill and among them as Dorothea well
remembered there were young Ladislaws letters the one addressed to her still
unopened The associations of these letters had been made the more painful by
that sudden attack of illness which she felt that the agitation caused by her
anger might have helped to bring on it would be time enough to read them when
they were again thrust upon her and she had had no inclination to fetch them
from the library But now it occurred to her that they should be put out of her
husbands sight whatever might have been the sources of his annoyance about
them he must if possible not be annoyed again and she ran her eyes first
over the letter addressed to him to assure herself whether or not it would be
necessary to write in order to hinder the offensive visit
Will wrote from Rome and began by saying that his obligations to Mr
Casaubon were too deep for all thanks not to seem impertinent It was plain that
if he were not grateful he must be the poorestspirited rascal who had ever
found a generous friend To expand in wordy thanks would be like saying »I am
honest« But Will had come to perceive that his defects defects which Mr
Casaubon had himself often pointed to needed for their correction that more
strenuous position which his relatives generosity had hitherto prevented from
being inevitable He trusted that he should make the best return if return were
possible by showing the effectiveness of the education for which he was
indebted and by ceasing in future to need any diversion towards himself of
funds on which others might have a better claim He was coming to England to
try his fortune as many other young men were obliged to do whose only capital
was in their brains His friend Naumann had desired him to take charge of the
»Dispute« the picture painted for Mr Casaubon with whose permission and
Mrs Casaubons Will would convey it to Lowick in person A letter addressed to
the Poste Restante in Paris within the fortnight would hinder him if necessary
from arriving at an inconvenient moment He enclosed a letter to Mrs Casaubon
in which he continued a discussion about art begun with her in Rome
Opening her own letter Dorothea saw that it was a lively continuation of his
remonstrance with her fanatical sympathy and her want of sturdy neutral delight
in things as they were an outpouring of his young vivacity which it was
impossible to read just now She had immediately to consider what was to be done
about the other letter there was still time perhaps to prevent Will from coming
to Lowick Dorothea ended by giving the letter to her uncle who was still in
the house and begging him to let Will know that Mr Casaubon had been ill and
that his health would not allow the reception of any visitors
No one more ready than Mr Brooke to write a letter his only difficulty was
to write a short one and his ideas in this case expanded over the three large
pages and the inward foldings He had simply said to Dorothea
»To be sure I will write my dear Hes a very clever young fellow this
young Ladislaw I daresay will be a rising young man Its a good letter
marks his sense of things you know However I will tell him about Casaubon«
But the end of Mr Brookes pen was a thinking organ evolving sentences
especially of a benevolent kind before the rest of his mind could well overtake
them It expressed regrets and proposed remedies which when Mr Brooke read
them seemed felicitously worded surprisingly the right thing and determined
a sequel which he had never before thought of In this case his pen found it
such a pity that young Ladislaw should not have come into the neighbourhood just
at that time in order that Mr Brooke might make his acquaintance more fully
and that they might go over the longneglected Italian drawings together it
also felt such an interest in a young man who was starting in life with a stock
of ideas that by the end of the second page it had persuaded Mr Brooke to
invite young Ladislaw since he could not be received at Lowick to come to
Tipton Grange Why not They could find a great many things to do together and
this was a period of peculiar growth the political horizon was expanding and
in short Mr Brookes pen went off into a little speech which it had lately
reported for that imperfectlyedited organ the Middlemarch Pioneer While Mr
Brooke was sealing this letter he felt elated with an influx of dim projects
a young man capable of putting ideas into form the Pioneer purchased to clear
the pathway for a new candidate documents utilised who knew what might come
of it all Since Celia was going to marry immediately it would be very pleasant
to have a young fellow at table with him at least for a time
But he went away without telling Dorothea what he had put into the letter
for she was engaged with her husband and in fact these things were of no
importance to her
Chapter XXXI
How will you know the pitch of that great bell
Too large for you to stir Let but a flute
Play neath the finemixed metal listen close
Till the right note flows forth a silvery rill
Then shall the huge bell tremble then the mass
With myriad waves concurrent shall respond
In low soft uni
Lydgate that evening spoke to Miss Vincy of Mrs Casaubon and laid some
emphasis on the strong feeling she appeared to have for that formal studious man
thirty years older than herself
»Of course she is devoted to her husband« said Rosamond implying a notion
of necessary sequence which the scientific man regarded as the prettiest
possible for a woman but she was thinking at the same time that it was not so
very melancholy to be mistress of Lowick Manor with a husband likely to die
soon »Do you think her very handsome«
»She certainly is handsome but I have not thought about it« said Lydgate
»I suppose it would be unprofessional« said Rosamond dimpling »But how
your practice is spreading You were called in before to the Chettams I think
and now the Casaubons«
»Yes« said Lydgate in a tone of compulsory admission »But I dont really
like attending such people so well as the poor The cases are more monotonous
and one has to go through more fuss and listen more deferentially to nonsense«
»Not more than in Middlemarch« said Rosamond »And at least you go through
wide corridors and have the scent of roseleaves everywhere«
»That is true Mademoiselle de Montmorenci« said Lydgate just bending his
head to the table and lifting with his fourth finger her delicate handkerchief
which lay at the mouth of her reticule as if to enjoy its scent while he
looked at her with a smile
But this agreeable holiday freedom with which Lydgate hovered about the
flower of Middlemarch could not continue indefinitely It was not more possible
to find social isolation in that town than elsewhere and two people
persistently flirting could by no means escape from »the various entanglements
weights blows clashings motions by which things severally go on« Whatever
Miss Vincy did must be remarked and she was perhaps the more conspicuous to
admirers and critics because just now Mrs Vincy after some struggle had gone
with Fred to stay a little while at Stone Court there being no other way of at
once gratifying old Featherstone and keeping watch against Mary Garth who
appeared a less tolerable daughterinlaw in proportion as Freds illness
disappeared
Aunt Bulstrode for example, came a little oftener into Lowick Gate to see
Rosamond now she was alone For Mrs Bulstrode had a true sisterly feeling for
her brother always thinking that he might have married better but wishing well
to the children Now Mrs Bulstrode had a longstanding intimacy with Mrs
Plymdale They had nearly the same preferences in silks patterns for
underclothing chinaware and clergymen they confided their little troubles of
health and household management to each other and various little points of
superiority on Mrs Bulstrodes side namely more decided seriousness more
admiration for mind and a house outside the town sometimes served to give
colour to their conversation without dividing them wellmeaning women both
knowing very little of their own motives
Mrs Bulstrode paying a morning visit to Mrs Plymdale happened to say
that she could not stay longer because she was going to see poor Rosamond
»Why do you say poor Rosamond« said Mrs Plymdale a roundeyed sharp
little woman liked a tamed falcon
»She is so pretty and has been brought up in such thoughtlessness The
mother you know had always that levity about her which makes me anxious for
the children«
»Well Harriet if I am to speak my mind« said Mrs Plymdale with
emphasis »I must say anybody would suppose you and Mr Bulstrode would be
delighted with what has happened for you have done everything to put Mr
Lydgate forward«
»Selina what do you mean« said Mrs Bulstrode in genuine surprise
»Not but what I am truly thankful for Neds sake« said Mrs Plymdale »He
could certainly better afford to keep such a wife than some people can but I
should wish him to look elsewhere Still a mother has anxieties and some young
men would take to a bad life in consequence Besides if I was obliged to speak
I should say I was not fond of strangers coming into a town«
»I dont know Selina« said Mrs Bulstrode with a little emphasis in her
turn »Mr Bulstrode was a stranger here at one time Abraham and Moses were
strangers in the land and we are told to entertain strangers And especially«
she added after a slight pause »when they are unexceptionable«
»I was not speaking in a religious sense Harriet I spoke as a mother«
»Selina I am sure you have never heard me say anything against a niece of
mine marrying your son«
»Oh it is pride in Miss Vincy I am sure it is nothing else« said Mrs
Plymdale who had never before given all her confidence to »Harriet« on this
subject »No young man in Middlemarch was good enough for her I have heard her
mother say as much That is not a Christian spirit I think But now from all I
hear she has found a man as proud as herself«
»You dont mean that there is anything between Rosamond and Mr Lydgate«
said Mrs Bulstrode rather mortified at finding out her own ignorance
»Is it possible you dont know Harriet«
»Oh I go about so little and I am not fond of gossip I really never hear
any You see so many people that I dont see Your circle is rather different
from ours«
»Well but your own niece and Mr Bulstrodes great favourite and yours
too I am sure Harriet I thought at one time you meant him for Kate when
she is a little older«
»I dont believe there can be anything serious at present« said Mrs
Bulstrode »My brother would certainly have told me«
»Well people have different ways but I understand that nobody can see Miss
Vincy and Mr Lydgate together without taking them to be engaged However it is
not my business Shall I put up the pattern of mittens«
After this Mrs Bulstrode drove to her niece with a mind newly weighted She
was herself handsomely dressed but she noticed with a little more regret than
usual that Rosamond who was just come in and met her in walkingdress was
almost as expensively equipped Mrs Bulstrode was a feminine smaller edition
of her brother and had none of her husbands lowtoned pallor She had a good
honest glance and used no circumlocution
»You are alone I see my dear« she said as they entered the drawingroom
together looking round gravely Rosamond felt sure that her aunt had something
particular to say and they sat down near each other Nevertheless the quilling
inside Rosamonds bonnet was so charming that it was impossible not to desire
the same kind of thing for Kate and Mrs Bulstrodes eyes which were rather
fine rolled round that ample quilled circuit while she spoke
»I have just heard something about you that has surprised me very much
Rosamond«
»What is that aunt« Rosamonds eyes also were roaming over her aunts
large embroidered collar
»I can hardly believe it that you should be engaged without my knowing it
without your fathers telling me« Here Mrs Bulstrodes eyes finally rested
on Rosamonds who blushed deeply and said
»I am not engaged aunt«
»How is it that every one says so then that it is the towns talk«
»The towns talk is of very little consequence I think« said Rosamond
inwardly gratified
»Oh my dear be more thoughtful dont despise your neighbours so Remember
you are turned twentytwo now and you will have no fortune your father I am
sure will not be able to spare you anything Mr Lydgate is very intellectual
and clever I know there is an attraction in that I like talking to such men
myself and your uncle finds him very useful But the profession is a poor one
here To be sure this life is not everything but it is seldom a medical man
has true religious views there is too much pride of intellect And you are not
fit to marry a poor man«
»Mr Lydgate is not a poor man aunt He has very high connections«
»He told me himself he was poor«
»That is because he is used to people who have a high style of living«
»My dear Rosamond you must not think of living in high style«
Rosamond looked down and played with her reticule She was not a fiery young
lady and had no sharp answers but she meant to live as she pleased
»Then it is really true« said Mrs Bulstrode looking very earnestly at her
niece »You are thinking of Mr Lydgate there is some understanding between
you though your father doesnt know Be open my dear Rosamond Mr Lydgate has
really made you an offer«
Poor Rosamonds feelings were very unpleasant She had been quite easy as to
Lydgates feeling and intention but now when her aunt put this question she did
not like being unable to say Yes Her pride was hurt but her habitual control
of manner helped her
»Pray excuse me aunt I would rather not speak on the subject«
»You would not give your heart to a man without a decided prospect I trust
my dear And think of the two excellent offers I know of that you have refused
and one still within your reach if you will not throw it away I knew a very
great beauty who married badly at last by doing so Mr Ned Plymdale is a nice
young man some might think goodlooking and an only son and a large business
of that kind is better than a profession Not that marrying is everything I
would have you seek first the kingdom of God But a girl should keep her heart
within her own power«
»I should never give it to Mr Ned Plymdale if it were I have already
refused him If I loved I should love at once and without change« said
Rosamond with a great sense of being a romantic heroine and playing the part
prettily
»I see how it is my dear« said Mrs Bulstrode in a melancholy voice
rising to go »You have allowed your affections to be engaged without return«
»No indeed aunt« said Rosamond with emphasis
»Then you are quite confident that Mr Lydgate has a serious attachment to
you«
Rosamonds cheeks by this time were persistently burning and she felt much
mortification She chose to be silent and her aunt went away all the more
convinced
Mr Bulstrode in things worldly and indifferent was disposed to do what his
wife bade him and she now without telling her reasons desired him on the next
opportunity to find out in conversation with Mr Lydgate whether he had any
intention of marrying soon The result was a decided negative Mr Bulstrode on
being crossquestioned showed that Lydgate had spoken as no man would who had
any attachment that could issue in matrimony Mrs Bulstrode now felt that she
had a serious duty before her and she soon managed to arrange a têteàtête
with Lydgate in which she passed from inquiries about Fred Vincys health and
expressions of her sincere anxiety for her brothers large family to general
remarks on the dangers which lay before young people with regard to their
settlement in life Young men were often wild and disappointing making little
return for the money spent on them and a girl was exposed to many circumstances
which might interfere with her prospects
»Especially when she has great attractions and her parents see much
company« said Mrs Bulstrode »Gentlemen pay her attention and engross her all
to themselves for the mere pleasure of the moment and that drives off others
I think it is a heavy responsibility Mr Lydgate to interfere with the
prospects of any girl« Here Mrs Bulstrode fixed her eyes on him with an
unmistakable purpose of warning if not of rebuke
»Clearly« said Lydgate looking at her perhaps even staring a little in
return »On the other hand a man must be a great coxcomb to go about with a
notion that he must not pay attention to a young lady lest she should fall in
love with him or lest others should think she must«
»Oh Mr Lydgate you know well what your advantages are You know that our
young men here cannot cope with you Where you frequent a house it may militate
very much against a girls making a desirable settlement in life and prevent
her from accepting offers even if they are made«
Lydgate was less flattered by his advantage over the Middlemarch Orlandos
than he was annoyed by the perception of Mrs Bulstrodes meaning She felt that
she had spoken as impressively as it was necessary to do and that in using the
superior word »militate« she had thrown a noble drapery over a mass of
particulars which were still evident enough
Lydgate was fuming a little pushed his hair back with one hand felt
curiously in his waistcoatpocket with the other and then stooped to beckon the
tiny black spaniel which had the insight to decline his hollow caresses It
would not have been decent to go away because he had been dining with other
guests and had just taken tea But Mrs Bulstrode having no doubt that she had
been understood turned the conversation
Solomons Proverbs I think have omitted to say that as the sore palate
findeth grit so an uneasy consciousness heareth innuendoes The next day Mr
Farebrother parting from Lydgate in the street supposed that they should meet
at Vincys in the evening Lydgate answered curtly no he had work to do he
must give up going out in the evening
»What you are going to get lashed to the mast eh and are stopping your
ears« said the Vicar »Well if you dont mean to be won by the sirens you are
right to take precautions in time«
A few days before Lydgate would have taken no notice of these words as
anything more than the Vicars usual way of putting things They seemed now to
convey an innuendo which confirmed the impression that he had been making a fool
of himself and behaving so as to be misunderstood not he believed by Rosamond
herself she he felt sure took everything as lightly as he intended it She
had an exquisite tact and insight in relation to all points of manners but the
people she lived among were blunderers and busybodies However the mistake
should go no farther He resolved and kept his resolution that he would not
go to Mr Vincys except on business
Rosamond became very unhappy The uneasiness first stirred by her aunts
questions grew and grew till at the end of ten days that she had not seen
Lydgate it grew into terror at the blank that might possibly come into
foreboding of that ready fatal sponge which so cheaply wipes out the hopes of
mortals The world would have a new dreariness for her as a wilderness that a
magicians spells had turned for a little while into a garden She felt that she
was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love and that no other man could
be the occasion of such delightful aerial building as she had been enjoying for
the last six months Poor Rosamond lost her appetite and felt as forlorn as
Ariadne as a charming stage Ariadne left behind with all her boxes full of
costumes and no hope of a coach
There are many wonderful mixtures in the world which are all alike called
love and claim the privileges of a sublime rage which is an apology for
everything in literature and the drama Happily Rosamond did not think of
committing any desperate act she plaited her fair hair as beautifully as usual
and kept herself proudly calm Her most cheerful supposition was that her aunt
Bulstrode had interfered in some way to hinder Lydgates visits everything was
better than a spontaneous indifference in him Any one who imagines ten days too
short a time not for falling into leanness lightness or other measurable
effects of passion but for the whole spiritual circuit of alarmed conjecture
and disappointment is ignorant of what can go on in the elegant leisure of a
young ladys mind
On the eleventh day however Lydgate when leaving Stone Court was requested
by Mrs Vincy to let her husband know that there was a marked change in Mr
Featherstones health and that she wished him to come to Stone Court on that
day Now Lydgate might have called at the warehouse or might have written a
message on a leaf of his pocketbook and left it at the door Yet these simple
devices apparently did not occur to him from which we may conclude that he had
no strong objection to calling at the house at an hour when Mr Vincy was not at
home and leaving the message with Miss Vincy A man may from various motives
decline to give his company but perhaps not even a sage would be gratified that
nobody missed him It would be a graceful easy way of piecing on the new habits
to the old to have a few playful words with Rosamond about his resistance to
dissipation and his firm resolve to take long fasts even from sweet sounds It
must be confessed also that momentary speculations as to all the possible
grounds for Mrs Bulstrodes hints had managed to get woven like slight clinging
hairs into the more substantial web of his thoughts
Miss Vincy was alone and blushed so deeply when Lydgate came in that he
felt a corresponding embarrassment and instead of any playfulness he began at
once to speak of his reason for calling and to beg her almost formally to
deliver the message to her father Rosamond who at the first moment felt as if
her happiness were returning was keenly hurt by Lydgates manner her blush had
departed and she assented coldly without adding an unnecessary word some
trivial chainwork which she had in her hands enabling her to avoid looking at
Lydgate higher than his chin In all failures the beginning is certainly the
half of the whole After sitting two long moments while he moved his whip and
could say nothing Lydgate rose to go and Rosamond made nervous by her
struggle between mortification and the wish not to betray it dropped her chain
as if startled and rose too mechanically Lydgate instantaneously stooped to
pick up the chain When he rose he was very near to a lovely little face set on
a fair long neck which he had been used to see turning about under the most
perfect management of self-contented grace But as he raised his eyes now he saw
a certain helpless quivering which touched him quite newly and made him look at
Rosamond with a questioning flash At this moment she was as natural as she had
ever been when she was five years old she felt that her tears had risen and it
was no use to try to do anything else than let them stay like water on a blue
flower or let them fall over her cheeks even as they would
That moment of naturalness was the crystallising feathertouch it shook
flirtation into love Remember that the ambitious man who was looking at those
Forgetmenots under the water was very warmhearted and rash He did not know
where the chain went an idea had thrilled through the recesses within him which
had a miraculous effect in raising the power of passionate love lying buried
there in no sealed sepulchre but under the lightest easily pierced mould His
words were quite abrupt and awkward but the tone made them sound like an
ardent appealing avowal
»What is the matter you are distressed Tell me pray«
Rosamond had never been spoken to in such tones before I am not sure that
she knew what the words were but she looked at Lydgate and the tears fell over
her cheeks There could have been no more complete answer than that silence and
Lydgate forgetting everything else completely mastered by the outrush of
tenderness at the sudden belief that this sweet young creature depended on him
for her joy actually put his arms round her folding her gently and
protectingly he was used to being gentle with the weak and suffering and
kissed each of the two large tears This was a strange way of arriving at an
understanding but it was a short way Rosamond was not angry but she moved
backward a little in timid happiness and Lydgate could now sit near her and
speak less incompletely Rosamond had to make her little confession and he
poured out words of gratitude and tenderness with impulsive lavishment In half
an hour he left the house an engaged man whose soul was not his own but the
womans to whom he had bound himself
He came again in the evening to speak with Mr Vincy who just returned
from Stone Court was feeling sure that it would not be long before he heard of
Mr Featherstones demise The felicitous word »demise« which had seasonably
occurred to him had raised his spirits even above their usual evening pitch
The right word is always a power and communicates its definiteness to our
action Considered as a demise old Featherstones death assumed a merely legal
aspect so that Mr Vincy could tap his snuffbox over it and be jovial without
even an intermittent affectation of solemnity and Mr Vincy hated both
solemnity and affectation Who was ever awestruck about a testator or sang a
hymn on the title to real property Mr Vincy was inclined to take a jovial view
of all things that evening he even observed to Lydgate that Fred had got the
family constitution after all and would soon be as fine a fellow as ever again
and when his approbation of Rosamonds engagement was asked for he gave it with
astonishing facility passing at once to general remarks on the desirableness of
matrimony for young men and maidens and apparently deducing from the whole the
appropriateness of a little more punch
Chapter XXXII
»Theyll take suggestion as a cat laps milk«
Shakespeare Tempest
The triumphant confidence of the Mayor founded on Mr Featherstones insistent
demand that Fred and his mother should not leave him was a feeble emotion
compared with all that was agitating the breasts of the old mans
bloodrelations who naturally manifested more their sense of the family tie and
were more visibly numerous now that he had become bedridden Naturally for when
»poor Peter« had occupied his armchair in the wainscoated parlour no assiduous
beetles for whom the cook prepares boiling water could have been less welcome on
a hearth which they had reasons for preferring than those persons whose
Featherstone blood was illnourished not from penuriousness on their part but
from poverty Brother Solomon and Sister Jane were rich and the family candour
and total abstinence from false politeness with which they were always received
seemed to them no argument that their brother in the solemn act of making his
will would overlook the superior claims of wealth Themselves at least he had
never been unnatural enough to banish from his house and it seemed hardly
eccentric that he should have kept away Brother Jonah Sister Martha and the
rest who had no shadow of such claims They knew Peters maxim that money was
a good egg and should be laid in a warm nest
But Brother Jonah Sister Martha and all the needy exiles held a different
point of view Probabilities are as various as the faces to be seen at will in
fretwork or paperhangings every form is there from Jupiter to Judy if you
only look with creative inclination To the poorer and least favoured it seemed
likely that since Peter had done nothing for them in his life he would remember
them at the last Jonah argued that men liked to make a surprise of their wills
while Martha said that nobody need be surprised if he left the best part of his
money to those who least expected it Also it was not to be thought but that an
own brother »lying there« with dropsy in his legs must come to feel that blood
was thicker than water and if he didnt alter his will he might have money by
him At any rate some bloodrelations should be on the premises and on the watch
against those who were hardly relations at all Such things had been known as
forged wills and disputed wills which seemed to have the goldenhazy advantage
of somehow enabling nonlegatees to live out of them Again those who were no
bloodrelations might be caught making away with things and poor Peter »lying
there« helpless Somebody should be on the watch But in this conclusion they
were at one with Solomon and Jane also some nephews nieces and cousins
arguing with still greater subtilty as to what might be done by a man able to
»will away« his property and give himself large treats of oddity felt in a
handsome sort of way that there was a family interest to be attended to and
thought of Stone Court as a place which it would be nothing but right for them
to visit Sister Martha otherwise Mrs Cranch living with some wheeziness in
the Chalky Flats could not undertake the journey but her son as being poor
Peters own nephew could represent her advantageously and watch lest his uncle
Jonah should make an unfair use of the improbable things which seemed likely to
happen In fact there was a general sense running in the Featherstone blood that
everybody must watch everybody else and that it would be well for everybody
else to reflect that the Almighty was watching him
Thus Stone Court continually saw one or other bloodrelation alighting or
departing and Mary Garth had the unpleasant task of carrying their messages to
Mr Featherstone who would see none of them and sent her down with the still
more unpleasant task of telling them so As manager of the household she felt
bound to ask them in good provincial fashion to stay and eat but she chose to
consult Mrs Vincy on the point of extra downstairs consumption now that Mr
Featherstone was laid up
»Oh my dear you must do things handsomely where theres last illness and a
property God knows I dont grudge them every ham in the house only save the
best for the funeral Have some stuffed veal always and a fine cheese in cut
You must expect to keep open house in these last illnesses« said liberal Mrs
Vincy once more of cheerful note and bright plumage
But some of the visitors alighted and did not depart after the handsome
treating to veal and ham Brother Jonah for example there are such unpleasant
people in most families perhaps even in the highest aristocracy there are
Brobdingnag specimens gigantically in debt and bloated at greater expense
Brother Jonah I say having come down in the world was mainly supported by a
calling which he was modest enough not to boast of though it was much better
than swindling either on exchange or turf but which did not require his
presence at Brassing so long as he had a good corner to sit in and a supply of
food He chose the kitchencorner partly because he liked it best and partly
because he did not want to sit with Solomon concerning whom he had a strong
brotherly opinion Seated in a famous armchair and in his best suit constantly
within sight of good cheer he had a comfortable consciousness of being on the
premises mingled with fleeting suggestions of Sunday and the bar at the Green
Man and he informed Mary Garth that he should not go out of reach of his
brother Peter while that poor fellow was above ground The troublesome ones in a
family are usually either the wits or the idiots Jonah was the wit among the
Featherstones and joked with the maidservants when they came about the hearth
but seemed to consider Miss Garth a suspicious character and followed her with
cold eyes
Mary would have borne this one pair of eyes with comparative ease but
unfortunately there was young Cranch who having come all the way from the
Chalky Flats to represent his mother and watch his uncle Jonah also felt it his
duty to stay and to sit chiefly in the kitchen to give his uncle company Young
Cranch was not exactly the balancing point between the wit and the idiot
verging slightly towards the latter type and squinting so as to leave
everything in doubt about his sentiments except that they were not of a forcible
character When Mary Garth entered the kitchen and Mr Jonah Featherstone began
to follow her with his cold detective eyes young Cranch turning his head in the
same direction seemed to insist on it that she should remark how he was
squinting as if he did it with design like the gypsies when Borrow read the
New Testament to them This was rather too much for poor Mary sometimes it made
her bilious sometimes it upset her gravity One day that she had an opportunity
she could not resist describing the kitchen scene to Fred who would not be
hindered from immediately going to see it affecting simply to pass through But
no sooner did he face the four eyes than he had to rush through the nearest door
which happened to lead to the dairy and there under the high roof and among the
pans he gave way to laughter which made a hollow resonance perfectly audible in
the kitchen He fled by another doorway but Mr Jonah who had not before seen
Freds white complexion long legs and pinched delicacy of face prepared many
sarcasms in which these points of appearance were wittily combined with the
lowest moral attributes
»Why Tom you dont wear such gentlemanly trousers you havent got half
such fine long legs« said Jonah to his nephew winking at the same time to
imply that there was something more in these statements than their
undeniableness Tom looked at his legs but left it uncertain whether he
preferred his moral advantages to a more vicious length of limb and
reprehensible gentility of trouser
In the large wainscoated parlour too there were constantly pairs of eyes on
the watch and own relatives eager to be »sittersup« Many came lunched and
departed but Brother Solomon and the lady who had been Jane Featherstone for
twentyfive years before she was Mrs Waule found it good to be there every day
for hours without other calculable occupation than that of observing the
cunning Mary Garth who was so deep that she could be found out in nothing and
giving occasional dry wrinkly indications of crying as if capable of torrents
in a wetter season at the thought that they were not allowed to go into Mr
Featherstones room For the old mans dislike of his own family seemed to get
stronger as he got less able to amuse himself by saying biting things to them
Too languid to sting he had the more venom refluent in his blood
Not fully believing the message sent through Mary Garth they had presented
themselves together within the door of the bedroom both in black Mrs Waule
having a white handkerchief partially unfolded in her hand and both with faces
in a sort of halfmourning purple while Mrs Vincy with her pink cheeks and
pink ribbons flying was actually administering a cordial to their own brother
and the lightcomplexioned Fred his short hair curling as might be expected in
a gamblers was lolling at his ease in a large chair
Old Featherstone no sooner caught sight of these funereal figures appearing
in spite of his orders than rage came to strengthen him more successfully than
the cordial He was propped up on a bedrest and always had his goldheaded
stick lying by him He seized it now and swept it backwards and forwards in as
large an area as he could apparently to ban these ugly spectres crying in a
hoarse sort of screech
»Back back Mrs Waule Back Solomon«
»Oh brother Peter« Mrs Waule began but Solomon put his hand before her
repressingly He was a largecheeked man nearly seventy with small furtive
eyes and was not only of much blander temper but thought himself much deeper
than his brother Peter indeed not likely to be deceived in any of his
fellowmen inasmuch as they could not well be more greedy and deceitful than he
suspected them of being Even the invisible powers he thought were likely to
be soothed by a bland parenthesis here and there coming from a man of
property who might have been as impious as others
»Brother Peter« he said in a wheedling yet gravely official tone »its
nothing but right I should speak to you about the Three Crofts and the
Manganese The Almighty knows what Ive got on my mind «
»Then He knows more than I want to know« said Peter laying down his stick
with a show of truce which had a threat in it too for he reversed the stick so
as to make the gold handle a club in case of closer fighting and looked hard at
Solomons bald head
»Theres things you might repent of Brother for want of speaking to me«
said Solomon not advancing however »I could sit up with you tonight and
Jane with me willingly and you might take your own time to speak or let me
speak«
»Yes I shall take my own time you neednt offer me yours« said Peter
»But you cant take your own time to die in Brother« began Mrs Waule
with her usual woolly tone »And when you lie speechless you may be tired of
having strangers about you and you may think of me and my children« but here
her voice broke under the touching thought which she was attributing to her
speechless brother the mention of ourselves being naturally affecting
»No I shant« said old Featherstone contradictiously »I shant think of
any of you Ive made my will I tell you Ive made my will« Here he turned
his head towards Mrs Vincy and swallowed some more of his cordial
»Some people would be ashamed to fill up a place belonging by rights to
others« said Mrs Waule turning her narrow eyes in the same direction
»Oh sister« said Solomon with ironical softness »you and me are not
fine and handsome and clever enough we must be humble and let smart people
push themselves before us«
Freds spirit could not bear this rising and looking at Mr Featherstone
he said »Shall my mother and I leave the room sir that you may be alone with
your friends«
»Sit down I tell you« said old Featherstone snappishly »Stop where you
are Goodbye Solomon« he added trying to wield his stick again but failing
now that he had reversed the handle »Goodbye Mrs Waule Dont you come
again«
»I shall be downstairs Brother whether or no« said Solomon »I shall do
my duty and it remains to be seen what the Almighty will allow«
»Yes in property going out of families« said Mrs Waule in continuation
»and where theres steady young men to carry on But I pity them who are not
such and I pity their mothers Goodbye Brother Peter«
»Remember Im the eldest after you Brother and prospered from the first
just as you did and have got land already by the name of Featherstone« said
Solomon relying much on that reflection as one which might be suggested in the
watches of the night »But I bid you goodbye for the present«
Their exit was hastened by their seeing old Mr Featherstone pull his wig on
each side and shut his eyes with his mouthwidening grimace as if he were
determined to be deaf and blind
None the less they came to Stone Court daily and sat below at the post of
duty sometimes carrying on a slow dialogue in an undertone in which the
observation and response were so far apart that any one hearing them might have
imagined himself listening to speaking automata in some doubt whether the
ingenious mechanism would really work or wind itself up for a long time in
order to stick and be silent Solomon and Jane would have been sorry to be
quick what that led to might be seen on the other side of the wall in the
person of Brother Jonah
But their watch in the wainscoated parlour was sometimes varied by the
presence of other guests from far or near Now that Peter Featherstone was
upstairs his property could be discussed with all that local enlightenment to
be found on the spot some rural and Middlemarch neighbours expressed much
agreement with the family and sympathy with their interest against the Vincys
and feminine visitors were even moved to tears in conversation with Mrs Waule
when they recalled the fact that they themselves had been disappointed in times
past by codicils and marriages for spite on the part of ungrateful elderly
gentlemen who it might have been supposed had been spared for something
better Such conversation paused suddenly like an organ when the bellows are
let drop if Mary Garth came into the room and all eyes were turned on her as a
possible legatee or one who might get access to iron chests
But the younger men who were relatives or connections of the family were
disposed to admire her in this problematic light as a girl who showed much
conduct and who among all the chances that were flying might turn out to be at
least a moderate prize Hence she had her share of compliments and polite
attentions
Especially from Mr Borthrop Trumbull a distinguished bachelor and
auctioneer of those parts much concerned in the sale of land and cattle a
public character indeed whose name was seen on widelydistributed placards
and who might reasonably be sorry for those who did not know of him He was
second cousin to Peter Featherstone and had been treated by him with more
amenity than any other relative being useful in matters of business and in
that programme of his funeral which the old man had himself dictated he had
been named as a Bearer There was no odious cupidity in Mr Borthrop Trumbull
nothing more than a sincere sense of his own merit which he was aware in case
of rivalry might tell against competitors so that if Peter Featherstone who so
far as he Trumbull was concerned had behaved like as good a soul as ever
breathed should have done anything handsome by him all he could say was that
he had never fished and fawned but had advised him to the best of his
experience which now extended over twenty years from the time of his
apprenticeship at fifteen and was likely to yield a knowledge of no
surreptitious kind His admiration was far from being confined to himself but
was accustomed professionally as well as privately to delight in estimating
things at a high rate He was an amateur of superior phrases and never used
poor language without immediately correcting himself which was fortunate as
he was rather loud and given to predominate standing or walking about
frequently pulling down his waistcoat with the air of a man who is very much of
his own opinion trimming himself rapidly with his forefinger and marking each
new series in these movements by a busy play with his large seals There was
occasionally a little fierceness in his demeanour but it was directed chiefly
against false opinion of which there is so much to correct in the world that a
man of some reading and experience necessarily has his patience tried He felt
that the Featherstone family generally was of limited understanding but being a
man of the world and a public character took everything as a matter of course
and even went to converse with Mr Jonah and young Cranch in the kitchen not
doubting that he had impressed the latter greatly by his leading questions
concerning the Chalky Flats If anybody had observed that Mr Borthrop Trumbull
being an auctioneer was bound to know the nature of everything he would have
smiled and trimmed himself silently with the sense that he came pretty near
that On the whole in an auctioneering way he was an honourable man not
ashamed of his business and feeling that »the celebrated Peel now Sir Robert«
if introduced to him would not fail to recognise his importance
»I dont mind if I have a slice of that ham and a glass of that ale Miss
Garth if you will allow me« he said coming into the parlour at halfpast
eleven after having had the exceptional privilege of seeing old Featherstone
and standing with his back to the fire between Mrs Waule and Solomon »Its not
necessary for you to go out let me ring the bell«
»Thank you« said Mary »I have an errand«
»Well Mr Trumbull youre highly favoured« said Mrs Waule
»What seeing the old man« said the auctioneer playing with his seals
dispassionately »Ah you see he has relied on me considerably« Here he pressed
his lips together and frowned meditatively
»Might anybody ask what their brother has been saying« said Solomon in a
soft tone of humility in which he had a sense of luxurious cunning he being a
rich man and not in need of it
»Oh yes anybody may ask« said Mr Trumbull with loud and goodhumoured
though cutting sarcasm »Anybody may interrogate Any one may give their remarks
an interrogative turn« he continued his sonorousness rising with his style
»This is constantly done by good speakers even when they anticipate no answer
It is what we call a figure of speech speech at a high figure as one may
say« The eloquent auctioneer smiled at his own ingenuity
»I shouldnt be sorry to hear hed remembered you Mr Trumbull« said
Solomon »I never was against the deserving Its the undeserving Im against«
»Ah there it is you see there it is« said Mr Trumbull significantly
»It cant be denied that undeserving people have been legatees and even
residuary legatees It is so with testamentary dispositions« Again he pursed
up his lips and frowned a little
»Do you mean to say for certain Mr Trumbull that my brother has left his
land away from our family« said Mrs Waule on whom as an unhopeful woman
those long words had a depressing effect
»A man might as well turn his land into charity land at once as leave it to
some people« observed Solomon his sisters question having drawn no answer
»What BlueCoat land« said Mrs Waule again »Oh Mr Trumbull you never
can mean to say that It would be flying in the face of the Almighty thats
prospered him«
While Mrs Waule was speaking Mr Borthrop Trumbull walked away from the
fireplace towards the window patrolling with his forefinger round the inside of
his stock then along his whiskers and the curves of his hair He now walked to
Miss Garths worktable opened a book which lay there and read the title aloud
with pompous emphasis as if he were offering it for sale
»Anne of Geierstein pronounced Jeersteen or the Maiden of the Mist by the
Author of Waverley« Then turning the page he began sonorously »The course of
four centuries has wellnigh elapsed since the series of events which are
related in the following chapters took place on the Continent« He pronounced
the last truly admirable word with the accent on the last syllable not as
unaware of vulgar usage but feeling that this novel delivery enhanced the
sonorous beauty which his reading had given to the whole
And now the servant came in with the tray so that the moments for answering
Mrs Waules question had gone by safely while she and Solomon watching Mr
Trumbulls movements were thinking that high learning interfered sadly with
serious affairs Mr Borthrop Trumbull really knew nothing about old
Featherstones will but he could hardly have been brought to declare any
ignorance unless he had been arrested for misprision of treason
»I shall take a mere mouthful of ham and a glass of ale« he said
reassuringly »As a man with public business I take a snack when I can I will
back this ham« he added after swallowing some morsels with alarming haste
»against any ham in the three kingdoms In my opinion it is better than the hams
at Freshitt Hall and I think I am a tolerable judge«
»Some dont like so much sugar in their hams« said Mrs Waule »But my poor
brother would always have sugar«
»If any person demands better he is at liberty to do so but God bless me
what an aroma I should be glad to buyin that quality I know There is some
gratification to a gentleman« here Mr Trumbulls voice conveyed an emotional
remonstrance »in having this kind of ham set on his table«
He pushed aside his plate poured out his glass of ale and drew his chair a
little forward profiting by the occasion to look at the inner side of his legs
which he stroked approvingly Mr Trumbull having all those less frivolous airs
and gestures which distinguish the predominant races of the north
»You have an interesting work there I see Miss Garth« he observed when
Mary reentered »It is by the author of Waverley that is Sir Walter Scott I
have bought one of his works myself a very nice thing a very superior
publication entitled Ivanhoe You will not get any writer to beat him in a
hurry I think he will not in my opinion be speedily surpassed I have just
been reading a portion at the commencement of Anne of Jeersteen It commences
well« Things never began with Mr Borthrop Trumbull they always commenced
both in private life and on his handbills »You are a reader I see Do you
subscribe to our Middlemarch library«
»No« said Mary »Mr Fred Vincy brought this book«
»I am a great bookman myself« returned Mr Trumbull »I have no less than
two hundred volumes in calf and I flatter myself they are well selected Also
pictures by Murillo Rubens Teniers Titian Vandyck and others I shall be
happy to lend you any work you like to mention Miss Garth«
»I am much obliged« said Mary hastening away again »but I have little
time for reading«
»I should say my brother has done something for her in his will« said Mr
Solomon in a very low undertone when she had shut the door behind her
pointing with his head towards the absent Mary
»His first wife was a poor match for him though« said Mrs Waule »She
brought him nothing and this young woman is only her niece And very proud And
my brother has always paid her wage«
»A sensible girl though in my opinion« said Mr Trumbull finishing his
ale and starting up with an emphatic adjustment of his waistcoat »I have
observed her when she has been mixing medicine in drops She minds what she is
doing sir That is a great point in a woman and a great point for our friend
upstairs poor dear old soul A man whose life is of any value should think of
his wife as a nurse that is what I should do if I married and I believe I
have lived single long enough not to make a mistake in that line Some men must
marry to elevate themselves a little but when I am in need of that I hope some
one will tell me so I hope some individual will apprise me of the fact I wish
you good morning Mrs Waule Good morning Mr Solomon I trust we shall meet
under less melancholy auspices«
When Mr Trumbull had departed with a fine bow Solomon leaning forward
observed to his sister »You may depend Jane my brother has left that girl a
lumping sum«
»Anybody would think so from the way Mr Trumbull talks« said Jane Then
after a pause »He talks as if my daughters wasnt to be trusted to give drops«
»Auctioneers talk wild« said Solomon »Not but what Trumbull has made
money«
Chapter XXXIII
»Close up his eyes and draw the curtain close
And let us all to meditation«
2 Henry VI
That night after twelve oclock Mary Garth relieved the watch in Mr
Featherstones room and sat there alone through the small hours She often
chose this task in which she found some pleasure notwithstanding the old mans
testiness whenever he demanded her attentions There were intervals in which she
could sit perfectly still enjoying the outer stillness and the subdued light
The red fire with its gently audible movement seemed like a solemn existence
calmly independent of the petty passions the imbecile desires the straining
after worthless uncertainties which were daily moving her contempt Mary was
fond of her own thoughts and could amuse herself well sitting in twilight with
her hands in her lap for having early had strong reason to believe that things
were not likely to be arranged for her peculiar satisfaction she wasted no time
in astonishment and annoyance at that fact And she had already come to take
life very much as a comedy in which she had a proud nay a generous resolution
not to act the mean or treacherous part Mary might have become cynical if she
had not had parents whom she honoured and a well of affectionate gratitude
within her which was all the fuller because she had learned to make no
unreasonable claims
She sat tonight revolving as she was wont the scenes of the day her lips
often curling with amusement at the oddities to which her fancy added fresh
drollery people were so ridiculous with their illusions carrying their fools
caps unawares thinking their own lies opaque while everybody elses were
transparent making themselves exceptions to everything as if when all the
world looked yellow under a lamp they alone were rosy Yet there were some
illusions under Marys eyes which were not quite comic to her She was secretly
convinced though she had no other grounds than her close observation of old
Featherstones nature that in spite of his fondness for having the Vincys about
him they were as likely to be disappointed as any of the relations whom he kept
at a distance She had a good deal of disdain for Mrs Vincys evident alarm
lest she and Fred should be alone together but it did not hinder her from
thinking anxiously of the way in which Fred would be affected if it should turn
out that his uncle had left him as poor as ever She could make a butt of Fred
when he was present but she did not enjoy his follies when he was absent
Yet she liked her thoughts a vigorous young mind not overbalanced by
passion finds a good in making acquaintance with life and watches its own
powers with interest Mary had plenty of merriment within
Her thought was not veined by any solemnity or pathos about the old man on
the bed such sentiments are easier to affect than to feel about an aged
creature whose life is not visibly anything but a remnant of vices She had
always seen the most disagreeable side of Mr Featherstone he was not proud of
her and she was only useful to him To be anxious about a soul that is always
snapping at you must be left to the saints of the earth and Mary was not one of
them She had never returned him a harsh word and had waited on him faithfully
that was her utmost Old Featherstone himself was not in the least anxious about
his soul and had declined to see Mr Tucker on the subject
Tonight he had not once snapped and for the first hour or two he lay
remarkably still until at last Mary heard him rattling his bunch of keys
against the tin box which he always kept in the bed beside him About three
oclock he said with remarkable distinctness »Missy come here«
Mary obeyed and found that he had already drawn the tin box from under the
clothes though he usually asked to have this done for him and he had selected
the key He now unlocked the box and drawing from it another key looked
straight at her with eyes that seemed to have recovered all their sharpness and
said »How many of em are in the house«
»You mean of your own relations sir« said Mary well used to the old mans
way of speech He nodded slightly and she went on
»Mr Jonah Featherstone and young Cranch are sleeping here«
»Oh ay they stick do they and the rest they come every day Ill
warrant Solomon and Jane and all the young uns They come peeping and
counting and casting up«
»Not all of them every day Mr Solomon and Mrs Waule are here every day
and the others come often«
The old man listened with a grimace while she spoke and then said relaxing
his face »The more fools they You hearken Missy Its three oclock in the
morning and Ive got all my faculties as well as ever I had in my life I know
all my property and where the moneys put out and everything And Ive made
everything ready to change my mind and do as I like at the last Do you hear
Missy Ive got my faculties«
»Well sir« said Mary quietly
He now lowered his tone with an air of deeper cunning »Ive made two wills
and Im going to burn one Now you do as I tell you This is the key of my iron
chest in the closet there You push well at the side of the brass plate at the
top till it goes like a bolt then you can put the key in the front lock and
turn it See and do that and take out the topmost paper Last Will and
Testament big printed«
»No sir« said Mary in a firm voice »I cannot do that«
»Not do it I tell you you must« said the old man his voice beginning to
shake under the shock of this resistance
»I cannot touch your iron chest or your will I must refuse to do anything
that might lay me open to suspicion«
»I tell you Im in my right mind Shant I do as I like at the last I made
two wills on purpose Take the key I say«
»No sir I will not« said Mary more resolutely still Her repulsion was
getting stronger
»I tell you theres no time to lose«
»I cannot help that sir I will not let the close of your life soil the
beginning of mine I will not touch your iron chest or your will« She moved to
a little distance from the bedside
The old man paused with a blank stare for a little while holding the one
key erect on the ring then with an agitated jerk he began to work with his bony
left hand at emptying the tin box before him
»Missy« he began to say hurriedly »look here take the money the notes
and gold look here take it you shall have it all do as I tell you«
He made an effort to stretch out the key towards her as far as possible and
Mary again retreated
»I will not touch your key or your money sir Pray dont ask me to do it
again If you do I must go and call your brother«
He let his hand fall and for the first time in her life Mary saw old Peter
Featherstone begin to cry childishly She said in as gentle a tone as she could
command »Pray put up your money sir« and then went away to her seat by the
fire hoping this would help to convince him that it was useless to say more
Presently he rallied and said eagerly
»Look here then Call the young chap Call Fred Vincy«
Marys heart began to beat more quickly Various ideas rushed through her
mind as to what the burning of a second will might imply She had to make a
difficult decision in a hurry
»I will call him if you will let me call Mr Jonah and others with him«
»Nobody else I say The young chap I shall do as I like«
»Wait till broad daylight sir when every one is stirring Or let me call
Simmons now to go and fetch the lawyer He can be here in less than two hours«
»Lawyer What do I want with the lawyer Nobody shall know I say nobody
shall know I shall do as I like«
»Let me call some one else sir« said Mary persuasively She did not like
her position alone with the old man who seemed to show a strange flaring of
nervous energy which enabled him to speak again and again without falling into
his usual cough yet she desired not to push unnecessarily the contradiction
which agitated him »Let me pray call some one else«
»You let me alone I say Look here Missy Take the money Youll never
have the chance again Its pretty nigh two hundred theres more in the box
and nobody knows how much there was Take it and do as I tell you«
Mary standing by the fire saw its red light falling on the old man
propped up on his pillows and bedrest with his bony hand holding out the key
and the money lying on the quilt before him She never forgot that vision of a
man wanting to do as he liked at the last But the way in which he had put the
offer of the money urged her to speak with harder resolution than ever
»It is of no use sir I will not do it Put up your money I will not touch
your money I will do anything else I can to comfort you but I will not touch
your keys or your money«
»Anything else anything else« said old Featherstone with hoarse rage
which as if in a nightmare tried to be loud and yet was only just audible »I
want nothing else You come here you come here«
Mary approached him cautiously knowing him too well She saw him dropping
his keys and trying to grasp his stick while he looked at her like an aged
hyena the muscles of his face getting distorted with the effort of his hand
She paused at a safe distance
»Let me give you some cordial« she said quietly »and try to compose
yourself You will perhaps go to sleep And tomorrow by daylight you can do as
you like«
He lifted the stick in spite of her being beyond his reach and threw it
with a hard effort which was but impotence It fell slipping over the foot of
the bed Mary let it lie and retreated to her chair by the fire Byandby she
would go to him with the cordial Fatigue would make him passive It was getting
towards the chillest moment of the morning the fire had got low and she could
see through the chink between the moreen windowcurtains the light whitened by
the blind Having put some wood on the fire and thrown a shawl over her she sat
down hoping that Mr Featherstone might now fall asleep If she went near him
the irritation might be kept up He had said nothing after throwing the stick
but she had seen him taking his keys again and laying his right hand on the
money He did not put it up however and she thought that he was dropping off
to sleep
But Mary herself began to be more agitated by the remembrance of what she
had gone through than she had been by the reality questioning those acts of
hers which had come imperatively and excluded all question in the critical
moment
Presently the dry wood sent out a flame which illuminated every crevice and
Mary saw that the old man was lying quietly with his head turned a little on one
side She went towards him with inaudible steps and thought that his face
looked strangely motionless but the next moment the movement of the flame
communicating itself to all objects made her uncertain The violent beating of
her heart rendered her perceptions so doubtful that even when she touched him
and listened for his breathing she could not trust her conclusions She went to
the window and gently propped aside the curtain and blind so that the still
light of the sky fell on the bed
The next moment she ran to the bell and rang it energetically In a very
little while there was no longer any doubt that Peter Featherstone was dead
with his right hand clasping the keys and his left hand lying on the heap of
notes and gold
Book IV
Three Love Problems
Chapter XXXIV
1st Gent
Such men as this are feathers chips and straws
Carry no weight no force
2d Gent But levity
Is causal too and makes the sum of weight
For power finds its place in lack of power
Advance is cession and the driven ship
May run aground because the helmsmans thought
Lacked force to balance opposites
It was on a morning of May that Peter Featherstone was buried In the prosaic
neighbourhood of Middlemarch May was not always warm and sunny and on this
particular morning a chill wind was blowing the blossoms from the surrounding
gardens on to the green mounds of Lowick churchyard Swiftlymoving clouds only
now and then allowed a gleam to light up any object whether ugly or beautiful
that happened to stand within its golden shower In the churchyard the objects
were remarkably various for there was a little country crowd waiting to see the
funeral The news had spread that it was to be a »big burying« the old
gentleman had left written directions about everything and meant to have a
funeral »beyond his betters« This was true for old Featherstone had not been a
Harpagon whose passions had all been devoured by the everlean and everhungry
passion of saving and who would drive a bargain with his undertaker beforehand
He loved money but he also loved to spend it in gratifying his peculiar tastes
and perhaps he loved it best of all as a means of making others feel his power
more or less uncomfortably If any one will here contend that there must have
been traits of goodness in old Featherstone I will not presume to deny this
but I must observe that goodness is of a modest nature easily discouraged and
when much elbowed in early life by unabashed vices is apt to retire into
extreme privacy so that it is more easily believed in by those who construct a
selfish old gentleman theoretically than by those who form the narrower
judgments based on his personal acquaintance In any case he had been bent on
having a handsome funeral and on having persons »bid« to it who would rather
have stayed at home He had even desired that female relatives should follow him
to the grave and poor sister Martha had taken a difficult journey for this
purpose from the Chalky Flats She and Jane would have been altogether cheered
in a tearful manner by this sign that a brother who disliked seeing them while
he was living had been prospectively fond of their presence when he should have
become a testator if the sign had not been made equivocal by being extended to
Mrs Vincy whose expense in handsome crape seemed to imply the most
presumptuous hopes aggravated by a bloom of complexion which told pretty
plainly that she was not a bloodrelation but of that generally objectionable
class called wifes kin
We are all of us imaginative in some form or other for images are the brood
of desire and poor old Featherstone who laughed much at the way in which
others cajoled themselves did not escape the fellowship of illusion In writing
the programme for his burial he certainly did not make clear to himself that his
pleasure in the little drama of which it formed a part was confined to
anticipation In chuckling over the vexations he could inflict by the rigid
clutch of his dead hand he inevitably mingled his consciousness with that livid
stagnant presence and so far as he was preoccupied with a future life it was
with one of gratification inside his coffin Thus old Featherstone was
imaginative after his fashion
However the three mourningcoaches were filled according to the written
orders of the deceased There were pallbearers on horseback with the richest
scarves and hatbands and even the underbearers had trappings of woe which were
of a good wellpriced quality The black procession when dismounted looked the
larger for the smallness of the churchyard the heavy human faces and the black
draperies shivering in the wind seemed to tell of a world strangely incongruous
with the lightlydropping blossoms and the gleams of sunshine on the daisies
The clergyman who met the procession was Mr Cadwallader also according to the
request of Peter Featherstone prompted as usual by peculiar reasons Having a
contempt for curates whom he always called understrappers he was resolved to
be buried by a beneficed clergyman Mr Casaubon was out of the question not
merely because he declined duty of this sort but because Featherstone had an
especial dislike to him as the rector of his own parish who had a lien on the
land in the shape of tithe also as the deliverer of morning sermons which the
old man being in his pew and not at all sleepy had been obliged to sit through
with an inward snarl He had an objection to a parson stuck up above his head
preaching to him But his relations with Mr Cadwallader had been of a different
kind the troutstream which ran through Mr Casaubons land took its course
through Featherstones also so that Mr Cadwallader was a parson who had had to
ask a favour instead of preaching Moreover he was one of the high gentry
living four miles away from Lowick and was thus exalted to an equal sky with
the sheriff of the county and other dignities vaguely regarded as necessary to
the system of things There would be a satisfaction in being buried by Mr
Cadwallader whose very name offered a fine opportunity for pronouncing wrongly
if you liked
This distinction conferred on the Rector of Tipton and Freshitt was the
reason why Mrs Cadwallader made one of the group that watched old
Featherstones funeral from an upper window of the manor She was not fond of
visiting that house but she liked as she said to see collections of strange
animals such as there would be at this funeral and she had persuaded Sir James
and the young Lady Chettam to drive the Rector and herself to Lowick in order
that the visit might be altogether pleasant
»I will go anywhere with you Mrs Cadwallader« Celia had said »but I
dont like funerals«
»Oh my dear when you have a clergyman in your family you must accommodate
your tastes I did that very early When I married Humphrey I made up my mind to
like sermons and I set out by liking the end very much That soon spread to the
middle and the beginning because I couldnt have the end without them«
»No to be sure not« said the Dowager Lady Chettam with stately emphasis
The upper window from which the funeral could be well seen was in the room
occupied by Mr Casaubon when he had been forbidden to work but he had resumed
nearly his habitual style of life now in spite of warnings and prescriptions
and after politely welcoming Mrs Cadwallader had slipped again into the library
to chew a cud of erudite mistake about Cush and Mizraim
But for her visitors Dorothea too might have been shut up in the library
and would not have witnessed this scene of old Featherstones funeral which
aloof as it seemed to be from the tenor of her life always afterwards came back
to her at the touch of certain sensitive points in memory just as the vision of
St Peters at Rome was inwoven with moods of despondency Scenes which make
vital changes in our neighbours lot are but the background of our own yet
like a particular aspect of the fields and trees they become associated for us
with the epochs of our own history and make a part of that unity which lies in
the selection of our keenest consciousness.
The dreamlike association of something alien and illunderstood with the
deepest secrets of her experience seemed to mirror that sense of loneliness
which was due to the very ardour of Dorotheas nature The country gentry of old
time lived in a rarefied social air dotted apart on their stations up the
mountain they looked down with imperfect discrimination on the belts of thicker
life below And Dorothea was not at ease in the perspective and chilliness of
that height
»I shall not look any more« said Celia after the train had entered the
church placing herself a little behind her husbands elbow so that she could
slyly touch his coat with her cheek »I daresay Dodo likes it she is fond of
melancholy things and ugly people«
»I am fond of knowing something about the people I live among« said
Dorothea who had been watching everything with the interest of a monk on his
holiday tour »It seems to me we know nothing of our neighbours unless they are
cottagers One is constantly wondering what sort of lives other people lead and
how they take things I am quite obliged to Mrs Cadwallader for coming and
calling me out of the library«
»Quite right to feel obliged to me« said Mrs Cadwallader »Your rich
Lowick farmers are as curious as any buffaloes or bisons and I daresay you
dont half see them at church They are quite different from your uncles
tenants or Sir Jamess monsters farmers without landlords one cant tell
how to class them«
»Most of these followers are not Lowick people« said Sir James »I suppose
they are legatees from a distance or from Middlemarch Lovegood tells me the
old fellow has left a good deal of money as well as land«
»Think of that now when so many younger sons cant dine at their own
expense« said Mrs Cadwallader »Ah« turning round at the sound of the opening
door »here is Mr Brooke I felt that we were incomplete before and here is
the explanation You are come to see this odd funeral of course«
»No I came to look after Casaubon to see how he goes on you know And to
bring a little news a little news my dear« said Mr Brooke nodding at
Dorothea as she came towards him »I looked into the library and I saw Casaubon
over his books I told him it wouldnt do I said This will never do you know
think of your wife Casaubon And he promised me to come up I didnt tell him
my news I said he must come up«
»Ah now they are coming out of church« Mrs Cadwallader exclaimed »Dear
me what a wonderfully mixed set Mr Lydgate as doctor I suppose But that is
really a goodlooking woman and the fair young man must be her son Who are
they Sir James do you know«
»I see Vincy the mayor of Middlemarch they are probably his wife and son«
said Sir James looking interrogatively at Mr Brooke who nodded and said
»Yes a very decent family a very good fellow is Vincy a credit to the
manufacturing interest You have seen him at my house you know«
»Ah yes one of your secret committee« said Mrs Cadwallader provokingly
»A coursing fellow though« said Sir James with a foxhunters disgust
»And one of those who suck the life out of the wretched handloom weavers in
Tipton and Freshitt That is how his family look so fair and sleek« said Mrs
Cadwallader »Those dark purplefaced people are an excellent foil Dear me
they are like a set of jugs Do look at Humphrey one might fancy him an ugly
archangel towering above them in his white surplice«
»Its a solemn thing though a funeral« said Mr Brooke »if you take it
in that light you know«
»But I am not taking it in that light I cant wear my solemnity too often
else it will go to rags It was time the old man died and none of these people
are sorry«
»How piteous« said Dorothea »This funeral seems to me the most dismal
thing I ever saw It is a blot on the morning I cannot bear to think that any
one should die and leave no love behind«
She was going to say more but she saw her husband enter and seat himself a
little in the background The difference his presence made to her was not always
a happy one she felt that he often inwardly objected to her speech
»Positively« exclaimed Mrs Cadwallader »there is a new face come out from
behind that broad man queerer than any of them a little round head with bulging
eyes a sort of frogface do look He must be of another blood I think«
»Let me see« said Celia with awakened curiosity standing behind Mrs
Cadwallader and leaning forward over her head »Oh what an odd face« Then with
a quick change to another sort of surprised expression she added »Why Dodo
you never told me that Mr Ladislaw was come again«
Dorothea felt a shock of alarm every one noticed her sudden paleness as she
looked up immediately at her uncle while Mr Casaubon looked at her
»He came with me you know he is my guest puts up with me at the Grange«
said Mr Brooke in his easiest tone nodding at Dorothea as if the
announcement were just what she might have expected »And we have brought the
picture at the top of the carriage I knew you would be pleased with the
surprise Casaubon There you are to the very life as Aquinas you know Quite
the right sort of thing And you will hear young Ladislaw talk about it He
talks uncommonly well points out this that and the other knows art and
everything of that kind companionable you know is up with you in any track
what Ive been wanting a long while«
Mr Casaubon bowed with cold politeness mastering his irritation but only
so far as to be silent He remembered Wills letter quite as well as Dorothea
did he had noticed that it was not among the letters which had been reserved
for him on his recovery and secretly concluding that Dorothea had sent word to
Will not to come to Lowick he had shrunk with proud sensitiveness from ever
recurring to the subject He now inferred that she had asked her uncle to invite
Will to the Grange and she felt it impossible at that moment to enter into any
explanation
Mrs Cadwalladers eyes diverted from the churchyard saw a good deal of
dumb show which was not so intelligible to her as she could have desired and
could not repress the question »Who is Mr Ladislaw«
»A young relative of Mr Casaubons« said Sir James promptly His
goodnature often made him quick and clearseeing in personal matters and he
had divined from Dorotheas glance at her husband that there was some alarm in
her mind
»A very nice young fellow Casaubon has done everything for him« explained
Mr Brooke »He repays your expense in him Casaubon« he went on nodding
encouragingly »I hope he will stay with me a long while and we shall make
something of my documents I have plenty of ideas and facts you know and I can
see he is just the man to put them into shape remembers what the right
quotations are omne tulit punctum and that sort of thing gives subjects a
kind of turn I invited him some time ago when you were ill Casaubon Dorothea
said you couldnt have anybody in the house you know and she asked me to
write«
Poor Dorothea felt that every word of her uncles was about as pleasant as a
grain of sand in the eye to Mr Casaubon It would be altogether unfitting now
to explain that she had not wished her uncle to invite Will Ladislaw She could
not in the least make clear to herself the reasons for her husbands dislike to
his presence a dislike painfully impressed on her by the scene in the library
but she felt the unbecomingness of saying anything that might convey a notion of
it to others Mr Casaubon indeed had not thoroughly represented those mixed
reasons to himself irritated feeling with him as with all of us seeking
rather for justification than for selfknowledge But he wished to repress
outward signs and only Dorothea could discern the changes in her husbands face
before he observed with more of dignified bending and singsong than usual
»You are exceedingly hospitable my dear sir and I owe you acknowledgments
for exercising your hospitality towards a relative of mine«
The funeral was ended now and the churchyard was being cleared
»Now you can see him Mrs Cadwallader« said Celia »He is just like a
miniature of Mr Casaubons aunt that hangs in Dorotheas boudoir quite
nicelooking«
»A very pretty sprig« said Mrs Cadwallader dryly »What is your nephew to
be Mr Casaubon«
»Pardon me he is not my nephew He is my cousin«
»Well you know« interposed Mr Brooke »he is trying his wings He is just
the sort of young fellow to rise I should be glad to give him an opportunity
He would make a good secretary now like Hobbes Milton Swift that sort of
man«
»I understand« said Mrs Cadwallader »One who can write speeches«
»Ill fetch him in now eh Casaubon« said Mr Brooke »He wouldnt come in
till I had announced him you know And well go down and look at the picture
There you are to the life a deep subtle sort of thinker with his forefinger on
the page while Saint Bonaventure or somebody else rather fat and florid is
looking up at the Trinity Everything is symbolical you know the higher style
of art I like that up to a certain point but not too far its rather
straining to keep up with you know But you are at home in that Casaubon And
your painters flesh is good solidity transparency everything of that sort
I went into that a great deal at one time However Ill go and fetch Ladislaw«
Chapter XXXV
»Non je ne comprends pas de plus charmant plaisir
Que de voir dhéritiers une troupe affligée
Le maintien interdit et la mine allongée
Lire un long testament où pales étonnés
On leur laisse un bonsoir avec un pied de nez
Pour voir au naturel leur tristesse profonde
Je reviendrais je crois exprès de lautre monde«
Regnard Le Légataire Universel
When the animals entered the Ark in pairs one may imagine that allied species
made much private remark on each other and were tempted to think that so many
forms feeding on the same store of fodder were eminently superfluous as tending
to diminish the rations I fear the part played by the vultures on that
occasion would be too painful for art to represent those birds being
disadvantageously naked about the gullet and apparently without rites and
ceremonies
The same sort of temptation befell the Christian Carnivora who formed Peter
Featherstones funeral procession most of them having their minds bent on a
limited store which each would have liked to get the most of The
longrecognised bloodrelations and connections by marriage made already a
goodly number which multiplied by possibilities presented a fine range for
jealous conjecture and pathetic hopefulness Jealousy of the Vincys had created
a fellowship in hostility among all persons of the Featherstone blood so that
in the absence of any decided indication that one of themselves was to have more
than the rest the dread lest that longlegged Fred Vincy should have the land
was necessarily dominant though it left abundant feeling and leisure for vaguer
jealousies such as were entertained towards Mary Garth Solomon found time to
reflect that Jonah was undeserving and Jonah to abuse Solomon as greedy Jane
the elder sister held that Marthas children ought not to expect so much as the
young Waules and Martha more lax on the subject of primogeniture was sorry to
think that Jane was so »having« These nearest of kin were naturally impressed
with the unreasonableness of expectations in cousins and second cousins and
used their arithmetic in reckoning the large sums that small legacies might
mount to if there were too many of them Two cousins were present to hear the
will and a second cousin besides Mr Trumbull This second cousin was a
Middlemarch mercer of polite manners and superfluous aspirates The two cousins
were elderly men from Brassing one of them conscious of claims on the score of
inconvenient expense sustained by him in presents of oysters and other eatables
to his rich cousin Peter the other entirely saturnine leaning his hands and
chin on a stick and conscious of claims based on no narrow performance but on
merit generally both blameless citizens of Brassing who wished that Jonah
Featherstone did not live there The wit of a family is usually best received
among strangers
»Why Trumbull himself is pretty sure of five hundred that you may depend
I shouldnt wonder if my brother promised him« said Solomon musing aloud
with his sisters the evening before the funeral
»Dear dear« said poor sister Martha whose imagination of hundreds had
been habitually narrowed to the amount of her unpaid rent
But in the morning all the ordinary currents of conjecture were disturbed by
the presence of a strange mourner who had plashed among them as if from the
moon This was the stranger described by Mrs Cadwallader as frogfaced a man
perhaps about two or three and thirty whose prominent eyes thinlipped
downwardcurved mouth and hair sleekly brushed away from a forehead that sank
suddenly above the ridge of the eyebrows certainly gave his face a batrachian
unchangeableness of expression Here clearly was a new legatee else why was
he bidden as a mourner Here were new possibilities raising a new uncertainty
which almost checked remark in the mourningcoaches We are all humiliated by
the sudden discovery of a fact which has existed very comfortably and perhaps
been staring at us in private while we have been making up our world entirely
without it No one had seen this questionable stranger before except Mary Garth
and she knew nothing more of him than that he had twice been to Stone Court when
Mr Featherstone was downstairs and had sat alone with him for several hours
She had found an opportunity of mentioning this to her father and perhaps
Calebs were the only eyes except the lawyers which examined the stranger
with more of inquiry than of disgust or suspicion Caleb Garth having little
expectation and less cupidity was interested in the verification of his own
guesses and the calmness with which he halfsmilingly rubbed his chin and shot
intelligent glances much as if he were valuing a tree made a fine contrast with
the alarm or scorn visible in other faces when the unknown mourner whose name
was understood to be Rigg entered the wainscoated parlour and took his seat
near the door to make part of the audience when the will should be read Just
then Mr Solomon and Mr Jonah were gone upstairs with the lawyer to search for
the will and Mrs Waule seeing two vacant seats between herself and Mr
Borthrop Trumbull had the spirit to move next to that great authority who was
handling his watchseals and trimming his outlines with a determination not to
show anything so compromising to a man of ability as wonder or surprise
»I suppose you know everything about what my poor brothers done Mr
Trumbull« said Mrs Waule in the lowest of her woolly tones while she turned
her crapeshadowed bonnet towards Mr Trumbulls ear
»My good lady whatever was told me was told in confidence« said the
auctioneer putting his hand up to screen that secret
»Them whove made sure of their goodluck may be disappointed yet« Mrs
Waule continued finding some relief in this communication
»Hopes are often delusive« said Mr Trumbull still in confidence
»Ah« said Mrs Waule looking across at the Vincys and then moving back to
the side of her sister Martha
»Its wonderful how close poor Peter was« she said in the same undertones
»We none of us know what he might have had on his mind I only hope and trust he
wasnt a worse liver than we think of Martha«
Poor Mrs Cranch was bulky and breathing asthmatically had the additional
motive for making her remarks unexceptionable and giving them a general bearing
that even her whispers were loud and liable to sudden bursts like those of a
deranged barrelorgan
»I never was covetious Jane« she replied »but I have six children and
have buried three and I didnt marry into money The eldest that sits there
is but nineteen so I leave you to guess And stock always short and land most
awkward But if ever Ive begged and prayed its been to God above though
where theres one brother a bachelor and the other childless after twice
marrying anybody might think«
Meanwhile Mr Vincy had glanced at the passive face of Mr Rigg and had
taken out his snuffbox and tapped it but had put it back again unopened as an
indulgence which however clarifying to the judgment was unsuited to the
occasion »I shouldnt wonder if Featherstone had better feelings than any of us
gave him credit for« he observed in the ear of his wife »This funeral shows a
thought about everybody it looks well when a man wants to be followed by his
friends and if they are humble not to be ashamed of them I should be all the
better pleased if hed left lots of small legacies They may be uncommonly
useful to fellows in a small way«
»Everything is as handsome as could be crape and silk and everything« said
Mrs Vincy contentedly
But I am sorry to say that Fred was under some difficulty in repressing a
laugh which would have been more unsuitable than his fathers snuffbox Fred
had overheard Mr Jonah suggesting something about a »lovechild« and with this
thought in his mind the strangers face which happened to be opposite him
affected him too ludicrously Mary Garth discerning his distress in the
twitchings of his mouth and his recourse to a cough came cleverly to his
rescue by asking him to change seats with her so that he got into a shadowy
corner Fred was feeling as goodnaturedly as possible towards everybody
including Rigg and having some relenting towards all these people who were less
lucky than he was aware of being himself he would not for the world have
behaved amiss still it was particularly easy to laugh
But the entrance of the lawyer and the two brothers drew every ones
attention
The lawyer was Mr Standish and he had come to Stone Court this morning
believing that he knew thoroughly well who would be pleased and who disappointed
before the day was over The will he expected to read was the last of three
which he had drawn up for Mr Featherstone Mr Standish was not a man who
varied his manners he behaved with the same deepvoiced offhandcivility to
everybody as if he saw no difference in them and talked chiefly of the hay
crop which would be »very fine by God« of the last bulletins concerning the
King and of the Duke of Clarence who was a sailor every inch of him and just
the man to rule over an island like Britain
Old Featherstone had often reflected as he sat looking at the fire that
Standish would be surprised some day it is true that if he had done as he liked
at the last and burnt the will drawn up by another lawyer he would not have
secured that minor end still he had had his pleasure in ruminating on it And
certainly Mr Standish was surprised but not at all sorry on the contrary he
rather enjoyed the zest of a little curiosity in his own mind which the
discovery of a second will added to the prospective amazement on the part of the
Featherstone family
As to the sentiments of Solomon and Jonah they were held in utter suspense
it seemed to them that the old will would have a certain validity and that
there might be such an interlacement of poor Peters former and latter
intentions as to create endless »lawing« before anybody came by their own an
inconvenience which would have at least the advantage of going all round Hence
the brothers showed a thoroughly neutral gravity as they reentered with Mr
Standish but Solomon took out his white handkerchief again with a sense that in
any case there would be affecting passages and crying at funerals however dry
was customarily served up in lawn
Perhaps the person who felt the most throbbing excitement at this moment was
Mary Garth in the consciousness that it was she who had virtually determined
the production of this second will which might have momentous effects on the
lot of some persons present No soul except herself knew what had passed on that
final night
»The will I hold in my hand« said Mr Standish who seated at the table in
the middle of the room took his time about everything including the coughs
with which he showed a disposition to clear his voice »was drawn up by myself
and executed by our deceased friend on the 9th of August 1825 But I find that
there is a subsequent instrument hitherto unknown to me bearing date the 20th
of July 1826 hardly a year later than the previous one And there is farther I
see« Mr Standish was cautiously travelling over the document with his
spectacles »a codicil to this latter will bearing date March the first
1828«
»Dear dear« said sister Martha not meaning to be audible but driven to
some articulation under this pressure of dates
»I shall begin by reading the earlier will« continued Mr Standish »since
such as appears by his not having destroyed the document was the intention of
deceased«
The preamble was felt to be rather long and several besides Solomon shook
their heads pathetically looking on the ground all eyes avoided meeting other
eyes and were chiefly fixed either on the spots in the tablecloth or on Mr
Standishs bald head excepting Mary Garths When all the rest were trying to
look nowhere in particular it was safe for her to look at them And at the
sound of the first »give and bequeath« she could see all complexions changing
subtly as if some faint vibration were passing through them save that of Mr
Rigg He sat in unaltered calm and in fact the company preoccupied with more
important problems and with the complication of listening to bequests which
might or might not be revoked had ceased to think of him Fred blushed and Mr
Vincy found it impossible to do without his snuffbox in his hand though he
kept it closed
The small bequests came first and even the recollection that there was
another will and that poor Peter might have thought better of it could not
quell the rising disgust and indignation One likes to be done well by in every
tense past present and future And here was Peter capable five years ago of
leaving only two hundred apiece to his own brothers and sisters and only a
hundred apiece to his own nephews and nieces the Garths were not mentioned but
Mrs Vincy and Rosamond were each to have a hundred Mr Trumbull was to have
the goldheaded cane and fifty pounds the other second cousins and the cousins
present were each to have the like handsome sum which as the saturnine cousin
observed was a sort of legacy that left a man nowhere and there was much more
of such offensive dribbling in favour of persons not present problematical
and it was to be feared low connections Altogether reckoning hastily here
were about three thousand disposed of Where then had Peter meant the rest of
the money to go and where the land and what was revoked and what not revoked
and was the revocation for better or for worse All emotion must be
conditional and might turn out to be the wrong thing The men were strong
enough to bear up and keep quiet under this confused suspense some letting
their lower lip fall others pursing it up according to the habit of their
muscles But Jane and Martha sank under the rush of questions and began to cry
poor Mrs Cranch being half moved with the consolation of getting any hundreds
at all without working for them and half aware that her share was scanty
whereas Mrs Waules mind was entirely flooded with the sense of being an own
sister and getting little while somebody else was to have much The general
expectation now was that the »much« would fall to Fred Vincy but the Vincys
themselves were surprised when ten thousand pounds in specified investments were
declared to be bequeathed to him was the land coming too Fred bit his lips
it was difficult to help smiling and Mrs Vincy felt herself the happiest of
women possible revocation shrinking out of sight in this dazzling vision
There was still a residue of personal property as well as the land but the
whole was left to one person and that person was O possibilities O
expectations founded on the favour of »close« old gentlemen O endless vocatives
that would still leave expression slipping helpless from the measurement of
mortal folly that residuary legatee was Joshua Rigg who was also sole
executor and who was to take thenceforth the name of Featherstone
There was a rustling which seemed like a shudder running round the room
Every one stared afresh at Mr Rigg who apparently experienced no surprise
»A most singular testamentary disposition« exclaimed Mr Trumbull
preferring for once that he should be considered ignorant in the past »But
there is a second will there is a further document We have not yet heard the
final wishes of the deceased«
Mary Garth was feeling that what they had yet to hear were not the final
wishes The second will revoked everything except the legacies to the low
persons before mentioned some alterations in these being the occasion of the
codicil and the bequest of all the land lying in Lowick parish with all the
stock and household furniture to Joshua Rigg The residue of the property was
to be devoted to the erection and endowment of almshouses for old men to be
called Featherstones AlmsHouses and to be built on a piece of land near
Middlemarch already bought for the purpose by the testator he wishing so the
document declared to please God Almighty Nobody present had a farthing but
Mr Trumbull had the goldheaded cane It took some time for the company to
recover the power of expression Mary dared not look at Fred
Mr Vincy was the first to speak after using his snuffbox energetically
and he spoke with loud indignation »The most unaccountable will I ever heard I
should say he was not in his right mind when he made it I should say this last
will was void« added Mr Vincy feeling that this expression put the thing in
the true light »Eh Standish«
»Our deceased friend always knew what he was about I think« said Mr
Standish »Everything is quite regular Here is a letter from Clemmens of
Brassing tied with the will He drew it up A very respectable solicitor«
»I never noticed any alienation of mind any aberration of intellect in the
late Mr Featherstone« said Borthrop Trumbull »but I call this will eccentric
I was always willingly of service to the old soul and he intimated pretty
plainly a sense of obligation which would show itself in his will The
goldheaded cane is farcical considered as an acknowledgment to me but happily
I am above mercenary considerations«
»Theres nothing very surprising in the matter that I can see« said Caleb
Garth »Anybody might have had more reason for wondering if the will had been
what you might expect from an openminded straightforward man For my part I
wish there was no such thing as a will«
»Thats a strange sentiment to come from a Christian man by God« said the
lawyer »I should like to know how you will back that up Garth«
»Oh« said Caleb leaning forward adjusting his fingertips with nicety and
looking meditatively on the ground It always seemed to him that words were the
hardest part of »business«
But here Mr Jonah Featherstone made himself heard »Well he always was a
fine hypocrite was my brother Peter But this will cuts out everything If Id
known a waggon and six horses shouldnt have drawn me from Brassing Ill put a
white hat and drab coat on tomorrow«
»Dear dear« wept Mrs Cranch »and weve been at the expense of
travelling and that poor lad sitting idle here so long Its the first time I
ever heard my brother Peter was so wishful to please God Almighty but if I was
to be struck helpless I must say its hard I can think no other«
»Itll do him no good where hes gone thats my belief« said Solomon with
a bitterness which was remarkably genuine though his tone could not help being
sly »Peter was a bad liver and almshouses wont cover it when hes had the
impudence to show it at the last«
»And all the while had got his own lawful family brothers and sisters and
nephews and nieces and has sat in church with em whenever he thought well to
come« said Mrs Waule »And might have left his property so respectable to
them thats never been used to extravagance or unsteadiness in no manner of way
and not so poor but what they could have saved every penny and made more of
it And me the trouble Ive been at times and times to come here and be
sisterly and him with things on his mind all the while that might make
anybodys flesh creep But if the Almightys allowed it He means to punish him
for it Brother Solomon I shall be going if youll drive me«
»Ive no desire to put my foot on the premises again« said Solomon »Ive
got land of my own and property of my own to will away«
»Its a poor tale how luck goes in the world« said Jonah »It never answers
to have a bit of spirit in you Youd better be a dog in the manger But those
above ground might learn a lesson One fools will is enough in a family«
»Theres more ways than one of being a fool« said Solomon »I shant leave
my money to be poured down the sink and I shant leave it to fondlings from
Africay I like Featherstones that were brewed such and not turned
Featherstones with sticking the name on em«
Solomon addressed these remarks in a loud aside to Mrs Waule as he rose to
accompany her Brother Jonah felt himself capable of much more stinging wit than
this but he reflected that there was no use in offending the new proprietor of
Stone Court until you were certain that he was quite without intentions of
hospitality towards witty men whose name he was about to bear
Mr Joshua Rigg in fact appeared to trouble himself little about any
innuendoes but showed a notable change of manner walking coolly up to Mr
Standish and putting business questions with much coolness He had a high
chirping voice and a vile accent Fred whom he no longer moved to laughter
thought him the lowest monster he had ever seen But Fred was feeling rather
sick The Middlemarch mercer waited for an opportunity of engaging Mr Rigg in
conversation there was no knowing how many pairs of legs the new proprietor
might require hose for and profits were more to be relied on than legacies
Also the mercer as a second cousin was dispassionate enough to feel
curiosity
Mr Vincy after his one outburst had remained proudly silent though too
much preoccupied with unpleasant feelings to think of moving till he observed
that his wife had gone to Freds side and was crying silently while she held her
darlings hand He rose immediately and turning his back on the company while
he said to her in an undertone »Dont give way Lucy dont make a fool of
yourself my dear before these people« he added in his usual loud voice »Go
and order the phaeton Fred I have no time to waste«
Mary Garth had before this been getting ready to go home with her father
She met Fred in the hall and now for the first time had the courage to look at
him He had that withered sort of paleness which will sometimes come on young
faces and his hand was very cold when she shook it Mary too was agitated she
was conscious that fatally without will of her own she had perhaps made a
great difference to Freds lot
»Goodbye« she said with affectionate sadness »Be brave Fred I do
believe you are better without the money What was the good of it to Mr
Featherstone«
»Thats all very fine« said Fred pettishly »What is a fellow to do I
must go into the Church now« He knew that this would vex Mary very well then
she must tell him what else he could do »And I thought I should be able to pay
your father at once and make everything right And you have not even a hundred
pounds left you What shall you do now Mary«
»Take another situation of course as soon as I can get one My father has
enough to do to keep the rest without me Goodbye«
In a very short time Stone Court was cleared of wellbrewed Featherstones
and other longaccustomed visitors Another stranger had been brought to settle
in the neighbourhood of Middlemarch but in the case of Mr Rigg Featherstone
there was more discontent with immediate visible consequences than speculation
as to the effect which his presence might have in the future No soul was
prophetic enough to have any foreboding as to what might appear on the trail of
Joshua Rigg
And here I am naturally led to reflect on the means of elevating a low
subject Historical parallels are remarkably efficient in this way The chief
objection to them is that the diligent narrator may lack space, or what is
often the same thing may not be able to think of them with any degree of
particularity though he may have a philosophical confidence that if known they
would be illustrative It seems an easier and shorter way to dignity to observe
that since there never was a true story which could not be told in parables
where you might put a monkey for a margrave and vice versa whatever has been
or is to be narrated by me about low people may be ennobled by being considered
a parable so that if any bad habits and ugly consequences are brought into
view the reader may have the relief of regarding them as not more than
figuratively ungenteel and may feel himself virtually in company with persons
of some style Thus while I tell the truth about loobies my readers
imagination need not be entirely excluded from an occupation with lords and the
petty sums which any bankrupt of high standing would be sorry to retire upon
may be lifted to the level of high commercial transactions by the inexpensive
addition of proportional ciphers
As to any provincial history in which the agents are all of high moral rank
that must be of a date long posterior to the first Reform Bill and Peter
Featherstone you perceive was dead and buried some months before Lord Grey
came into office
Chapter XXXVI
»Tis strange to see the humours of these men
These great aspiring spirits that should be wise
For being the nature of great spirits to love
To be where they may be most eminent
They rating of themselves so farre above
Us in conceit with whom they do frequent
Imagine how we wonder and esteeme
All that they do or say which makes them strive
To make our admiration more extreme
Which they suppose they cannot less they give
Notice of their extreme and highest thoughts«
Daniel Tragedy of Philotas
Mr Vincy went home from the reading of the will with his point of view
considerably changed in relation to many subjects He was an openminded man
but given to indirect modes of expressing himself when he was disappointed in a
market for his silk braids he swore at the groom when his brotherinlaw
Bulstrode had vexed him he made cutting remarks on Methodism and it was now
apparent that he regarded Freds idleness with a sudden increase of severity by
his throwing an embroidered cap out of the smokingroom on to the hallfloor
»Well sir« he observed when that young gentleman was moving off to bed
»I hope youve made up your mind now to go up next term and pass your
examination Ive taken my resolution so I advise you to lose no time in taking
yours«
Fred made no answer he was too utterly depressed Twentyfour hours ago he
had thought that instead of needing to know what he should do he should by this
time know that he needed to do nothing that he should hunt in pink have a
firstrate hunter ride to cover on a fine hack and be generally respected for
doing so moreover that he should be able at once to pay Mr Garth and that
Mary could no longer have any reason for not marrying him And all this was to
have come without study or other inconvenience purely by the favour of
providence in the shape of an old gentlemans caprice But now at the end of
the twentyfour hours all those firm expectations were upset It was »rather
hard lines« that while he was smarting under this disappointment he should be
treated as if he could have helped it But he went away silently and his mother
pleaded for him
»Dont be hard on the poor boy Vincy Hell turn out well yet though that
wicked man has deceived him I feel as sure as I sit here Fred will turn out
well else why was he brought back from the brink of the grave And I call it a
robbery it was like giving him the land to promise it and what is promising
if making everybody believe is not promising And you see he did leave him ten
thousand pounds and then took it away again«
»Took it away again« said Mr Vincy pettishly »I tell you the lads an
unlucky lad Lucy And youve always spoiled him«
»Well Vincy he was my first and you made a fine fuss with him when he
came You were as proud as proud« said Mrs Vincy easily recovering her
cheerful smile
»Who knows what babies will turn to I was fool enough I daresay« said the
husband more mildly however
»But who has handsomer better children than ours Fred is far beyond other
peoples sons you may hear it in his speech that he has kept college company
And Rosamond where is there a girl like her She might stand beside any lady
in the land and only look the better for it You see Mr Lydgate has kept the
highest company and been everywhere and he fell in love with her at once Not
but what I could have wished Rosamond had not engaged herself She might have
met somebody on a visit who would have been a far better match I mean at her
schoolfellow Miss Willoughbys There are relations in that family quite as high
as Mr Lydgates«
»Damn relations« said Mr Vincy »Ive had enough of them I dont want a
soninlaw who has got nothing but his relations to recommend him«
»Why my dear« said Mrs Vincy »you seemed as pleased as could be about
it Its true I wasnt at home but Rosamond told me you hadnt a word to say
against the engagement And she has begun to buy in the best linen and cambric
for her underclothing«
»Not by my will« said Mr Vincy »I shall have enough to do this year with
an idle scamp of a son without paying for weddingclothes The times are as
tight as can be everybody is being ruined and I dont believe Lydgate has got
a farthing I shant give my consent to their marrying Let em wait as their
elders have done before em«
»Rosamond will take it hard Vincy and you know you never could bear to
cross her«
»Yes I could The sooner the engagements off the better I dont believe
hell ever make an income the way he goes on He makes enemies thats all I
hear of his making«
»But he stands very high with Mr Bulstrode my dear The marriage would
please him I should think«
»Please the deuce« said Mr Vincy »Bulstrode wont pay for their keep And
if Lydgate thinks Im going to give money for them to set up housekeeping hes
mistaken thats all I expect I shall have to put down my horses soon Youd
better tell Rosy what I say«
This was a not infrequent procedure with Mr Vincy to be rash in jovial
assent and on becoming subsequently conscious that he had been rash to employ
others in making the offensive retractation However Mrs Vincy who never
willingly opposed her husband lost no time the next morning in letting Rosamond
know what he had said Rosamond examining some muslinwork listened in
silence and at the end gave a certain turn of her graceful neck of which only
long experience could teach you that it meant perfect obstinacy
»What do you say my dear« said her mother with affectionate deference
»Papa does not mean anything of the kind« said Rosamond quite calmly »He
has always said that he wished me to marry the man I loved And I shall marry
Mr Lydgate It is seven weeks now since papa gave his consent And I hope we
shall have Mrs Brettons house«
»Well my dear I shall leave you to manage your papa You always do manage
everybody But if we ever do go and get damask Sadlers is the place far
better than Hopkinss Mrs Brettons is very large though I should love you
to have such a house but it will take a great deal of furniture carpeting and
everything besides plate and glass And you hear your papa says he will give
no money Do you think Mr Lydgate expects it«
»You cannot imagine that I should ask him mamma Of course he understands
his own affairs«
»But he may have been looking for money my dear and we all thought of your
having a pretty legacy as well as Fred and now everything is so dreadful
theres no pleasure in thinking of anything with that poor boy disappointed as
he is«
»That has nothing to do with my marriage mamma Fred must leave off being
idle I am going upstairs to take this work to Miss Morgan she does the
openhemming very well Mary Garth might do some work for me now I should
think Her sewing is exquisite it is the nicest thing I know about Mary I
should so like to have all my cambric frilling doublehemmed And it takes a
long time«
Mrs Vincys belief that Rosamond could manage her papa was well founded
Apart from his dinners and his coursing Mr Vincy blustering as he was had as
little of his own way as if he had been a prime minister the force of
circumstances was easily too much for him as it is for most pleasureloving
florid men and the circumstance called Rosamond was particularly forcible by
means of that mild persistence which as we know enables a white soft living
substance to make its way in spite of opposing rock Papa was not a rock he had
no other fixity than that fixity of alternating impulses sometimes called habit
and this was altogether unfavourable to his taking the only decisive line of
conduct in relation to his daughters engagement namely to inquire thoroughly
into Lydgates circumstances declare his own inability to furnish money and
forbid alike either a speedy marriage or an engagement which must be too
lengthy That seems very simple and easy in the statement but a disagreeable
resolve formed in the chill hours of the morning had as many conditions against
it as the early frost and rarely persisted under the warming influences of the
day The indirect though emphatic expression of opinion to which Mr Vincy was
prone suffered much restraint in this case Lydgate was a proud man towards whom
innuendoes were obviously unsafe and throwing his hat on the floor was out of
the question Mr Vincy was a little in awe of him a little vain that he wanted
to marry Rosamond a little indisposed to raise a question of money in which his
own position was not advantageous a little afraid of being worsted in dialogue
with a man better educated and more highly bred than himself and a little
afraid of doing what his daughter would not like The part Mr Vincy preferred
playing was that of the generous host whom nobody criticises In the earlier
half of the day there was business to hinder any formal communication of an
adverse resolve in the later there was dinner wine whist and general
satisfaction And in the meanwhile the hours were each leaving their little
deposit and gradually forming the final reason for inaction namely that action
was too late
The accepted lover spent most of his evenings in Lowick Gate and a
lovemaking not at all dependent on moneyadvances from fathersinlaw or
prospective income from a profession went on flourishingly under Mr Vincys
own eyes Young lovemaking that gossamer web Even the points it clings to
the things whence its subtle interlacings are swung are scarcely perceptible
momentary touches of fingertips meetings of rays from blue and dark orbs
unfinished phrases lightest changes of cheek and lip faintest tremors The web
itself is made of spontaneous beliefs and indefinable joys yearnings of one
life towards another visions of completeness indefinite trust And Lydgate
fell to spinning that web from his inward self with wonderful rapidity in spite
of experience supposed to be finished off with the drama of Laure in spite too
of medicine and biology for the inspection of macerated muscle or of eyes
presented in a dish like Santa Lucias and other incidents of scientific
inquiry are observed to be less incompatible with poetic love than a native
dulness or a lively addiction to the lowest prose As for Rosamond she was in
the waterlilys expanding wonderment at its own fuller life and she too was
spinning industriously at the mutual web All this went on in the corner of the
drawingroom where the piano stood and subtle as it was the light made it a
sort of rainbow visible to many observers besides Mr Farebrother The certainty
that Miss Vincy and Mr Lydgate were engaged became general in Middlemarch
without the aid of formal announcement
Aunt Bulstrode was again stirred to anxiety but this time she addressed
herself to her brother going to the warehouse expressly to avoid Mrs Vincys
volatility His replies were not satisfactory
»Walter you never mean to tell me that you have allowed all this to go on
without inquiry into Mr Lydgates prospects« said Mrs Bulstrode opening her
eyes with wider gravity at her brother who was in his peevish warehouse humour
»Think of this girl brought up in luxury in too worldly a way I am sorry to
say what will she do on a small income«
»Oh confound it Harriet what can I do when men come into the town without
any asking of mine Did you shut your house up against Lydgate Bulstrode has
pushed him forward more than anybody I never made any fuss about the young
fellow You should go and talk to your husband about it not me«
»Well really Walter how can Mr Bulstrode be to blame I am sure he did
not wish for the engagement«
»Oh if Bulstrode had not taken him by the hand I should never have invited
him«
»But you called him in to attend on Fred and I am sure that was a mercy«
said Mrs Bulstrode losing her clue in the intricacies of the subject
»I dont know about mercy« said Mr Vincy testily »I know I am worried
more than I like with my family I was a good brother to you Harriet before
you married Bulstrode and I must say he doesnt always show that friendly
spirit towards your family that might have been expected of him« Mr Vincy was
very little like a Jesuit but no accomplished Jesuit could have turned a
question more adroitly Harriet had to defend her husband instead of blaming her
brother and the conversation ended at a point as far from the beginning as some
recent sparring between the brothersinlaw at a vestry meeting
Mrs Bulstrode did not repeat her brothers complaints to her husband but
in the evening she spoke to him of Lydgate and Rosamond He did not share her
warm interest however and only spoke with resignation of the risks attendant
on the beginning of medical practice and the desirability of prudence
»I am sure we are bound to pray for that thoughtless girl brought up as
she has been« said Mrs Bulstrode wishing to rouse her husbands feelings
»Truly my dear« said Mr Bulstrode assentingly »Those who are not of
this world can do little else to arrest the errors of the obstinately worldly
That is what we must accustom ourselves to recognise with regard to your
brothers family I could have wished that Mr Lydgate had not entered into such
a union but my relations with him are limited to that use of his gifts for
Gods purposes which is taught us by the divine government under each
dispensation«
Mrs Bulstrode said no more attributing some dissatisfaction which she felt
to her own want of spirituality She believed that her husband was one of those
men whose memoirs should be written when they died
As to Lydgate himself having been accepted he was prepared to accept all
the consequences which he believed himself to foresee with perfect clearness Of
course he must be married in a year perhaps even in half a year This was not
what he had intended but other schemes would not be hindered they would simply
adjust themselves anew Marriage of course must be prepared for in the usual
way A house must be taken instead of the rooms he at present occupied and
Lydgate having heard Rosamond speak with admiration of old Mrs Brettons house
situated in Lowick Gate took notice when it fell vacant after the old ladys
death and immediately entered into treaty for it
He did this in an episodic way very much as he gave orders to his tailor
for every requisite of perfect dress without any notion of being extravagant
On the contrary he would have despised any ostentation of expense his
profession had familiarised him with all grades of poverty and he cared much
for those who suffered hardships He would have behaved perfectly at a table
where the sauce was served in a jug with the handle off and he would have
remembered nothing about a grand dinner except that a man was there who talked
well But it had never occurred to him that he should live in any other than
what he would have called an ordinary way with green glasses for hock and
excellent waiting at table In warming himself at French social theories he had
brought away no smell of scorching We may handle even extreme opinions with
impunity while our furniture our dinnergiving and preference for armorial
bearings in our own case link us indissolubly with the established order And
Lydgates tendency was not towards extreme opinions he would have liked no
barefooted doctrines being particular about his boots he was no radical in
relation to anything but medical reform and the prosecution of discovery In the
rest of practical life he walked by hereditary habit half from that personal
pride and unreflecting egoism which I have already called commonness and half
from that naïveté which belonged to preoccupation with favourite ideas
Any inward debate Lydgate had as to the consequences of this engagement
which had stolen upon him turned on the paucity of time rather than of money
Certainly being in love and being expected continually by some one who always
turned out to be prettier than memory could represent her to be did interfere
with the diligent use of spare hours which might serve some »plodding fellow of
a German« to make the great imminent discovery This was really an argument for
not deferring the marriage too long as he implied to Mr Farebrother one day
that the Vicar came to his room with some pondproducts which he wanted to
examine under a better microscope than his own and finding Lydgates tableful
of apparatus and specimens in confusion said sarcastically
»Eros has degenerated he began by introducing order and harmony and now he
brings back chaos«
»Yes at some stages« said Lydgate lifting his brows and smiling while he
began to arrange his microscope »But a better order will begin after«
»Soon« said the Vicar
»I hope so really This unsettled state of affairs uses up the time and
when one has notions in science every moment is an opportunity I feel sure
that marriage must be the best thing for a man who wants to work steadily He
has everything at home then no teasing with personal speculations he can get
calmness and freedom«
»You are an enviable dog« said the Vicar »to have such a prospect
Rosamond calmness and freedom all to your share Here am I with nothing but my
pipe and pond animalcules Now are you ready«
Lydgate did not mention to the Vicar another reason he had for wishing to
shorten the period of courtship It was rather irritating to him even with the
wine of love in his veins to be obliged to mingle so often with the family
party at the Vincys and to enter so much into Middlemarch gossip protracted
good cheer whistplaying and general futility He had to be deferential when
Mr Vincy decided questions with trenchant ignorance especially as to those
liquors which were the best inward pickle preserving you from the effects of
bad air Mrs Vincys openness and simplicity were quite unstreaked with
suspicion as to the subtle offence she might give to the taste of her intended
soninlaw and altogether Lydgate had to confess to himself that he was
descending a little in relation to Rosamonds family But that exquisite
creature herself suffered in the same sort of way it was at least one
delightful thought that in marrying her he could give her a muchneeded
transplantation
»Dear« he said to her one evening in his gentlest tone as he sat down by
her and looked closely at her face
But I must first say that he had found her alone in the drawingroom where
the great oldfashioned window almost as large as the side of the room was
opened to the summer scents of the garden at the back of the house Her father
and mother were gone to a party and the rest were all out with the butterflies
»Dear your eyelids are red«
»Are they« said Rosamond »I wonder why« It was not in her nature to pour
forth wishes or grievances They only came forth gracefully on solicitation
»As if you could hide it from me« said Lydgate laying his hand tenderly on
both of hers »Dont I see a tiny drop on one of the lashes Things trouble you
and you dont tell me That is unloving«
»Why should I tell you what you cannot alter They are everyday things
perhaps they have been a little worse lately«
»Family annoyances Dont fear speaking I guess them«
»Papa has been more irritable lately Fred makes him angry and this morning
there was a fresh quarrel because Fred threatens to throw his whole education
away and do something quite beneath him And besides «
Rosamond hesitated and her cheeks were gathering a slight flush Lydgate
had never seen her in trouble since the morning of their engagement and he had
never felt so passionately towards her as at this moment He kissed the
hesitating lips gently as if to encourage them
»I feel that papa is not quite pleased about our engagement« Rosamond
continued almost in a whisper »and he said last night that he should certainly
speak to you and say it must be given up«
»Will you give it up« said Lydgate with quick energy almost angrily
»I never give up anything that I choose to do« said Rosamond recovering
her calmness at the touching of this cord
»God bless you« said Lydgate kissing her again This constancy of purpose
in the right place was adorable He went on
»It is too late now for your father to say that our engagement must be given
up You are of age and I claim you as mine If anything is done to make you
unhappy that is a reason for hastening our marriage«
An unmistakable delight shone forth from the blue eyes that met his and the
radiance seemed to light up all his future with mild sunshine Ideal happiness
of the kind known in the Arabian Nights in which you are invited to step from
the labour and discord of the street into a paradise where everything is given
to you and nothing claimed seemed to be an affair of a few weeks waiting more
or less
»Why should we defer it« he said with ardent insistance »I have taken the
house now everything else can soon be got ready can it not You will not mind
about new clothes Those can be bought afterwards«
»What original notions you clever men have« said Rosamond dimpling with
more thorough laughter than usual at this humorous incongruity »This is the
first time I ever heard of weddingclothes being bought after marriage«
»But you dont mean to say you would insist on my waiting months for the
sake of clothes« said Lydgate half thinking that Rosamond was tormenting him
prettily and halt fearing that she really shrank from speedy marriage
»Remember we are looking forward to a better sort of happiness even than this
being continually together independent of others and ordering our lives as we
will Come dear tell me how soon you can be altogether mine«
There was a serious pleading in Lydgates tone as if he felt that she would
be injuring him by any fantastic delays Rosamond became serious too and
slightly meditative in fact she was going through many intricacies of
laceedging and hosiery and petticoattucking in order to give an answer that
would at least be approximative
»Six weeks would be ample say so Rosamond« insisted Lydgate releasing
her hands to put his arm gently round her
One little hand immediately went to pat her hair while she gave her neck a
meditative turn and then said seriously
»There would be the houselinen and the furniture to be prepared Still
mamma could see to those while we were away«
»Yes to be sure We must be away a week or so«
»Oh more than that« said Rosamond earnestly She was thinking of her
evening dresses for the visit to Sir Godwin Lydgates which she had long been
secretly hoping for as a delightful employment of at least one quarter of the
honeymoon even if she deferred her introduction to the uncle who was a doctor
of divinity also a pleasing though sober kind of rank when sustained by
blood She looked at her lover with some wondering remonstrance as she spoke
and he readily understood that she might wish to lengthen the sweet time of
double solitude
»Whatever you wish my darling when the day is fixed But let us take a
decided course and put an end to any discomfort you may be suffering Six
weeks I am sure they would be ample«
»I could certainly hasten the work« said Rosamond »Will you then mention
it to papa I think it would be better to write to him« She blushed and
looked at him as the garden flowers look at us when we walk forth happily among
them in the transcendent evening light is there not a soul beyond utterance
halfnymph halfchild in those delicate petals which glow and breathe about
the centres of deep colour
He touched her ear and a little bit of neck under it with his lips and they
sat quite still for many minutes which flowed by them like a small gurgling
brook with the kisses of the sun upon it Rosamond thought that no one could be
more in love than she was and Lydgate thought that after all his wild mistakes
and absurd credulity he had found perfect womanhood felt as if already
breathed upon by exquisite wedded affection such as would be bestowed by an
accomplished creature who venerated his high musings and momentous labours and
would never interfere with them who would create order in the home and accounts
with still magic yet keep her fingers ready to touch the lute and transform
life into romance at any moment who was instructed to the true womanly limit
and not a hairsbreadth beyond docile therefore and ready to carry out
behests which came from beyond that limit It was plainer now than ever that his
notion of remaining much longer a bachelor had been a mistake marriage would
not be an obstruction but a furtherance And happening the next day to accompany
a patient to Brassing he saw a dinnerservice there which struck him as so
exactly the right thing that he bought it at once It saved time to do these
things just when you thought of them and Lydgate hated ugly crockery The
dinnerservice in question was expensive but that might be in the nature of
dinnerservices Furnishing was necessarily expensive but then it had to be
done only once
»It must be lovely« said Mrs Vincy when Lydgate mentioned his purchase
with some descriptive touches »Just what Rosy ought to have I trust in heaven
it wont be broken«
»One must hire servants who will not break things« said Lydgate
Certainly this was reasoning with an imperfect vision of sequences But at
that period there was no sort of reasoning which was not more or less sanctioned
by men of science.)
Of course it was unnecessary to defer the mention of anything to mamma who
did not readily take views that were not cheerful and being a happy wife
herself had hardly any feeling but pride in her daughters marriage But
Rosamond had good reasons for suggesting to Lydgate that papa should be appealed
to in writing She prepared for the arrival of the letter by walking with her
papa to the warehouse the next morning and telling him on the way that Mr
Lydgate wished to be married soon
»Nonsense my dear« said Mr Vincy »What has he got to marry on Youd
much better give up the engagement Ive told you so pretty plainly before this
What have you had such an education for if you are to go and marry a poor man
Its a cruel thing for a father to see«
»Mr Lydgate is not poor papa He bought Mr Peacocks practice which
they say is worth eight or nine hundred ayear«
»Stuff and nonsense Whats buying a practice He might as well buy next
years swallows Itll all slip through his fingers«
»On the contrary papa he will increase the practice See how he has been
called in by the Chettams and Casaubons«
»I hope he knows I shant give anything with this disappointment about
Fred and Parliament going to be dissolved and machinebreaking everywhere and
an election coming on «
»Dear papa what can that have to do with my marriage«
»A pretty deal to do with it We may all be ruined for what I know the
countrys in that state Some say its the end of the world and be hanged if I
dont think it looks like it Anyhow its not a time for me to be drawing money
out of my business and I should wish Lydgate to know that«
»I am sure he expects nothing papa And he has such very high connections
he is sure to rise in one way or another He is engaged in making scientific
discoveries«
Mr Vincy was silent
»I cannot give up my only prospect of happiness papa Mr Lydgate is a
gentleman I could never love any one who was not a perfect gentleman You would
not like me to go into a consumption as Arabella Hawley did And you know that
I never change my mind«
Again papa was silent
»Promise me papa that you will consent to what we wish We shall never
give each other up and you know that you have always objected to long
courtships and late marriages«
There was a little more urgency of this kind till Mr Vincy said »Well
well child he must write to me first before I can answer him« and Rosamond
was certain that she had gained her point
Mr Vincys answer consisted chiefly in a demand that Lydgate should insure
his life a demand immediately conceded This was a delightfully reassuring
idea supposing that Lydgate died but in the mean time not a self-supporting
idea However it seemed to make everything comfortable about Rosamonds
marriage and the necessary purchases went on with much spirit Not without
prudential considerations however A bride who is going to visit at a
baronets must have a few firstrate pockethandkerchiefs but beyond the
absolutely necessary halfdozen Rosamond contented herself without the very
highest style of embroidery and Valenciennes Lydgate also finding that his sum
of eight hundred pounds had been considerably reduced since he had come to
Middlemarch restrained his inclination for some plate of an old pattern which
was shown to him when he went into Kibbles establishment at Brassing to buy
forks and spoons He was too proud to act as if he presupposed that Mr Vincy
would advance money to provide furniture and though since it would not be
necessary to pay for everything at once some bills would be left standing over
he did not waste time in conjecturing how much his fatherinlaw would give in
the form of dowry to make payment easy He was not going to do anything
extravagant but the requisite things must be bought and if would be bad
economy to buy them of a poor quality All these matters were by the by Lydgate
foresaw that science and his profession were the objects he should alone pursue
enthusiastically but he could not imagine himself pursuing them in such a home
as Wrench had the doors all open the oilcloth worn the children in soiled
pinafores and lunch lingering in the form of bones blackhandled knives and
willowpattern But Wrench had a wretched lymphatic wife who made a mummy of
herself indoors in a large shawl and he must have altogether begun with an
illchosen domestic apparatus
Rosamond however was on her side much occupied with conjectures though
her quick imitative perception warned her against betraying them too crudely
»I shall like so much to know your family« she said one day when the
weddingjourney was being discussed »We might perhaps take a direction that
would allow us to see them as we returned Which of your uncles do you like
best«
»Oh my uncle Godwin I think He is a goodnatured old fellow«
»You were constantly at his house at Quallingham when you were a boy were
you not I should so like to see the old spot and everything you were used to
Does he know you are going to be married«
»No« said Lydgate carelessly turning in his chair and rubbing his hair
up
»Do send him word of it you naughty undutiful nephew He will perhaps ask
you to take me to Quallingham and then you could show me about the grounds and
I could imagine you there when you were a boy Remember you see me in my home
just as it has been since I was a child It is not fair that I should be so
ignorant of yours But perhaps you would be a little ashamed of me I forgot
that«
Lydgate smiled at her tenderly and really accepted the suggestion that the
proud pleasure of showing so charming a bride was worth some trouble And now he
came to think of it he would like to see the old spots with Rosamond
»I will write to him then But my cousins are bores«
It seemed magnificent to Rosamond to be able to speak so slightingly of a
baronets family and she felt much contentment in the prospect of being able to
estimate them contemptuously on her own account
But mamma was near spoiling all a day or two later by saying
»I hope your uncle Sir Godwin will not look down on Rosy Mr Lydgate I
should think he would do something handsome A thousand or two can be nothing to
a baronet«
»Mamma« said Rosamond blushing deeply and Lydgate pitied her so much that
he remained silent and went to the other end of the room to examine a print
curiously as if he had been absentminded Mamma had a little filial lecture
afterwards and was docile as usual But Rosamond reflected that if any of those
highbred cousins who were bores should be induced to visit Middlemarch they
would see many things in her own family which might shock them Hence it seemed
desirable that Lydgate should byandby get some firstrate position elsewhere
than in Middlemarch and this could hardly be difficult in the case of a man who
had a titled uncle and could make discoveries Lydgate you perceive had talked
fervidly to Rosamond of his hopes as to the highest uses of his life and had
found it delightful to be listened to by a creature who would bring him the
sweet furtherance of satisfying affection beauty repose such help as our
thoughts get from the summer sky and the flowerfringed meadows
Lydgate relied much on the psychological difference between what for the
sake of variety I will call goose and gander especially on the innate
submissiveness of the goose as beautifully corresponding to the strength of the
gander
Chapter XXXVII
»Thrice happy she that is so well assured
Unto herself and settled so in heart
That neither will for better be allured
Ne fears to worse with any chance to start
But like a steddy ship doth strongly part
The raging waves and keeps her course aright
Ne aught for tempest doth from it depart
Ne aught for fairer weathers false delight
Such selfassurance need not fear the spight
Of grudging foes ne favour seek of friends
But in the stay of her own stedfast might
Neither to one herself nor other bends
Most happy she that most assured doth rest
But he most happy who such one loves best«
Spenser
The doubt hinted by Mr Vincy whether it were only the general election or the
end of the world that was coming on now that George the Fourth was dead
Parliament dissolved Wellington and Peel generally depreciated and the new King
apologetic was a feeble type of the uncertainties in provincial opinion at that
time With the glowworm lights of country places how could men see which were
their own thoughts in the confusion of a Tory Ministry passing Liberal measures
of Tory nobles and electors being anxious to return Liberals rather than friends
of the recreant Ministers and of outcries for remedies which seemed to have a
mysteriously remote bearing on private interest and were made suspicious by the
advocacy of disagreeable neighbours Buyers of the Middlemarch newspapers found
themselves in an anomalous position during the agitation on the Catholic
Question many had given up the Pioneer which had a motto from Charles James
Fox and was in the van of progress because it had taken Peels side about the
Papists and had thus blotted its Liberalism with a toleration of Jesuitry and
Baal but they were illsatisfied with the Trumpet which since its blasts
against Rome and in the general flaccidity of the public mind nobody knowing
who would support whom had become feeble in its blowing
It was a time according to a noticeable article in the Pioneer when the
crying needs of the country might well counteract a reluctance to public action
on the part of men whose minds had from long experience acquired breadth as well
as concentration decision of judgment as well as tolerance dispassionateness
as well as energy in fact all those qualities which in the melancholy
experience of mankind have been the least disposed to share lodgings
Mr Hackbutt whose fluent speech was at that time floating more widely than
usual and leaving much uncertainty as to its ultimate channel was heard to say
in Mr Hawleys office that the article in question »emanated« from Brooke of
Tipton and that Brooke had secretly bought the Pioneer some months ago
»That means mischief eh« said Mr Hawley »Hes got the freak of being a
popular man now after dangling about like a stray tortoise So much the worse
for him Ive had my eye on him for some time He shall be prettily pumped upon
Hes a damned bad landlord What business has an old county man to come currying
favour with a low set of darkblue freemen As to his paper I only hope he may
do the writing himself It would be worth our paying for«
»I understand he has got a very brilliant young fellow to edit it who can
write the highest style of leading article quite equal to anything in the
London papers And he means to take very high ground on Reform«
»Let Brooke reform his rentroll Hes a cursed old screw and the buildings
all over his estate are going to rack I suppose this young fellow is some loose
fish from London«
»His name is Ladislaw He is said to be of foreign extraction«
»I know the sort« said Mr Hawley »some emissary Hell begin with
flourishing about the Rights of Man and end with murdering a wench Thats the
style«
»You must concede that there are abuses Hawley« said Mr Hackbutt
foreseeing some political disagreement with his family lawyer »I myself should
never favour immoderate views in fact I take my stand with Huskisson but I
cannot blind myself to the consideration that the nonrepresentation of large
towns «
»Large towns be damned« said Mr Hawley impatient of exposition »I know a
little too much about Middlemarch elections Let em quash every pocket borough
tomorrow and bring in every mushroom town in the kingdom theyll only
increase the expense of getting into Parliament I go upon facts«
Mr Hawleys disgust at the notion of the Pioneer being edited by an
emissary and of Brooke becoming actively political as if a tortoise of
desultory pursuits should protrude its small head ambitiously and become rampant
was hardly equal to the annoyance felt by some members of Mr Brookes own
family The result had oozed forth gradually like the discovery that your
neighbour has set up an unpleasant kind of manufacture which will be permanently
under your nostrils without legal remedy The Pioneer had been secretly bought
even before Will Ladislaws arrival the expected opportunity having offered
itself in the readiness of the proprietor to part with a valuable property which
did not pay and in the interval since Mr Brooke had written his invitation
those germinal ideas of making his mind tell upon the world at large which had
been present in him from his younger years but had hitherto lain in some
obstruction had been sprouting under cover
The development was much furthered by a delight in his guest which proved
greater even than he had anticipated For it seemed that Will was not only at
home in all those artistic and literary subjects which Mr Brooke had gone into
at one time but that he was strikingly ready at seizing the points of the
political situation and dealing with them in that large spirit which aided by
adequate memory lends itself to quotation and general effectiveness of
treatment
»He seems to me a kind of Shelley you know« Mr Brooke took an opportunity
of saying for the gratification of Mr Casaubon »I dont mean as to anything
objectionable laxities or atheism or anything of that kind you know
Ladislaws sentiments in every way I am sure are good indeed we were talking
a great deal together last night But he has the same sort of enthusiasm for
liberty freedom emancipation a fine thing under guidance under guidance
you know I think I shall be able to put him on the right tack and I am the
more pleased because he is a relation of yours Casaubon«
If the right tack implied anything more precise than the rest of Mr
Brookes speech Mr Casaubon silently hoped that it referred to some occupation
at a great distance from Lowick He had disliked Will while he helped him but
he had begun to dislike him still more now that Will had declined his help That
is the way with us when we have any uneasy jealousy in our disposition if our
talents are chiefly of the burrowing kind our honeysipping cousin whom we
have grave reasons for objecting to is likely to have a secret contempt for us
and any one who admires him passes an oblique criticism on ourselves Having the
scruples of rectitude in our souls we are above the meanness of injuring him
rather we meet all his claims on us by active benefits and the drawing of
cheques for him being a superiority which he must recognise gives our
bitterness a milder infusion Now Mr Casaubon had been deprived of that
superiority as anything more than a remembrance in a sudden capricious
manner His antipathy to Will did not spring from the common jealousy of a
winterworn husband it was something deeper bred by his lifelong claims and
discontents but Dorothea now that she was present Dorothea as a young wife
who herself had shown an offensive capability of criticism necessarily gave
concentration to the uneasiness which had before been vague
Will Ladislaw on his side felt that his dislike was flourishing at the
expense of his gratitude and spent much inward discourse in justifying the
dislike Casaubon hated him he knew that very well on his first entrance he
could discern a bitterness in the mouth and a venom in the glance which would
almost justify declaring war in spite of past benefits He was much obliged to
Casaubon in the past but really the act of marrying this wife was a setoff
against the obligation It was a question whether gratitude which refers to what
is done for ones self ought not to give way to indignation at what is done
against another And Casaubon had done a wrong to Dorothea in marrying her A
man was bound to know himself better than that and if he chose to grow grey
crunching bones in a cavern he had no business to be luring a girl into his
companionship »It is the most horrible of virginsacrifices« said Will and he
painted to himself what were Dorotheas inward sorrows as if he had been writing
a choric wail But he would never lose sight of her he would watch over her
if he gave up everything else in life he would watch over her and she should
know that she had one slave in the world Will had to use Sir Thomas Brownes
phrase a »passionate prodigality« of statement both to himself and others The
simple truth was that nothing then invited him so strongly as the presence of
Dorothea
Invitations of the formal kind had been wanting however for Will had never
been asked to go to Lowick Mr Brooke indeed confident of doing everything
agreeable which Casaubon poor fellow was too much absorbed to think of had
arranged to bring Ladislaw to Lowick several times not neglecting meanwhile to
introduce him elsewhere on every opportunity as »a young relative of
Casaubons« And though Will had not seen Dorothea alone their interviews had
been enough to restore her former sense of young companionship with one who was
cleverer than herself yet seemed ready to be swayed by her Poor Dorothea
before her marriage had never found much room in other minds for what she cared
most to say and she had not as we know enjoyed her husbands superior
instruction so much as she had expected If she spoke with any keenness of
interest to Mr Casaubon he heard her with an air of patience as if she had
given a quotation from the Delectus familiar to him from his tender years and
sometimes mentioned curtly what ancient sects or personages had held similar
ideas, as if there were too much of that sort in stock already at other times
he would inform her that she was mistaken and reassert what her remark had
questioned
But Will Ladislaw always seemed to see more in what she said than she
herself saw Dorothea had little vanity but she had the ardent womans need to
rule beneficently by making the joy of another soul Hence the mere chance of
seeing Will occasionally was like a lunette opened in the wall of her prison
giving her a glimpse of the sunny air and this pleasure began to nullify her
original alarm at what her husband might think about the introduction of Will as
her uncles guest On this subject Mr Casaubon had remained dumb
But Will wanted to talk with Dorothea alone and was impatient of slow
circumstance However slight the terrestrial intercourse between Dante and
Beatrice or Petrarch and Laura time changes the proportion of things and in
later days it is preferable to have fewer sonnets and more conversation
Necessity excused stratagem but stratagem was limited by the dread of offending
Dorothea He found out at last that he wanted to take a particular sketch at
Lowick and one morning when Mr Brooke had to drive along the Lowick road on
his way to the county town Will asked to be set down with his sketchbook and
campstool at Lowick and without announcing himself at the Manor settled
himself to sketch in a position where he must see Dorothea if she came out to
walk and he knew that she usually walked an hour in the morning
But the stratagem was defeated by the weather Clouds gathered with
treacherous quickness the rain came down and Will was obliged to take shelter
in the house He intended on the strength of relationship to go into the
drawingroom and wait there without being announced and seeing his old
acquaintance the butler in the hall he said »Dont mention that I am here
Pratt I will wait till luncheon I know Mr Casaubon does not like to be
disturbed when he is in the library«
»Master is out sir theres only Mrs Casaubon in the library Id better
tell her youre here sir« said Pratt a redcheeked man given to lively
converse with Tantripp and often agreeing with her that it must be dull for
Madam
»Oh very well this confounded rain has hindered me from sketching« said
Will feeling so happy that he affected indifference with delightful ease
In another minute he was in the library and Dorothea was meeting him with
her sweet unconstrained smile
»Mr Casaubon has gone to the Archdeacons« she said at once »I dont
know whether he will be at home again long before dinner He was uncertain how
long he should be Did you want to say anything particular to him«
»No I came to sketch but the rain drove me in Else I would not have
disturbed you yet I supposed that Mr Casaubon was here and I know he dislikes
interruption at this hour«
»I am indebted to the rain then I am so glad to see you« Dorothea uttered
these common words with the simple sincerity of an unhappy child visited at
school
»I really came for the chance of seeing you alone« said Will mysteriously
forced to be just as simple as she was He could not stay to ask himself why
not »I wanted to talk about things as we did in Rome It always makes a
difference when other people are present«
»Yes« said Dorothea in her clear full tone of assent »Sit down« She
seated herself on a dark ottoman with the brown books behind her looking in her
plain dress of some thin woollenwhite material without a single ornament on
her besides her weddingring as if she were under a vow to be different from
all other women and Will sat down opposite her at two yards distance the
light falling on his bright curls and delicate but rather petulant profile with
its defiant curves of lip and chin Each looked at the other as if they had been
two flowers which had opened then and there Dorothea for the moment forgot her
husbands mysterious irritation against Will it seemed fresh water at her
thirsty lips to speak without fear to the one person whom she had found
receptive for in looking backward through sadness she exaggerated a past
solace
»I have often thought that I should like to talk to you again« she said
immediately »It seems strange to me how many things I said to you«
»I remember them all« said Will with the unspeakable content in his soul
of feeling that he was in the presence of a creature worthy to be perfectly
loved I think his own feelings at that moment were perfect for we mortals have
our divine moments when love is satisfied in the completeness of the beloved
object
»I have tried to learn a great deal since we were in Rome« said Dorothea
»I can read Latin a little and I am beginning to understand just a little
Greek I can help Mr Casaubon better now I can find out references for him and
save his eyes in many ways But it is very difficult to be learned it seems as
if people were worn out on the way to great thoughts and can never enjoy them
because they are too tired«
»If a man has a capacity for great thoughts he is likely to overtake them
before he is decrepit« said Will with irrepressible quickness But through
certain sensibilities Dorothea was as quick as he and seeing her face change
he added immediately »But it is quite true that the best minds have been
sometimes overstrained in working out their ideas«
»You correct me« said Dorothea »I expressed myself ill I should have said
that those who have great thoughts get too much worn in working them out I used
to feel about that even when I was a little girl and it always seemed to me
that the use I should like to make of my life would be to help some one who did
great works so that his burthen might be lighter«
Dorothea was led on to this bit of autobiography without any sense of making
a revelation But she had never before said anything to Will which threw so
strong a light on her marriage He did not shrug his shoulders and for want of
that muscular outlet he thought the more irritably of beautiful lips kissing
holy skulls and other emptinesses ecclesiastically enshrined Also he had to
take care that his speech should not betray that thought
»But you may easily carry the help too far« he said »and get overwrought
yourself Are you not too much shut up You already look paler It would be
better for Mr Casaubon to have a secretary he could easily get a man who would
do half his work for him It would save him more effectually and you need only
help him in lighter ways«
»How can you think of that« said Dorothea in a tone of earnest
remonstrance »I should have no happiness if I did not help him in his work
What could I do There is no good to be done in Lovick The only thing I desire
is to help him more And he objects to a secretary please not to mention that
again«
»Certainly not now I know your feeling But I have heard both Mr Brooke
and Sir James Chettam express the same wish«
»Yes« said Dorothea »but they dont understand they want me to be a
great deal on horseback and have the garden altered and new conservatories to
fill up my days I thought you could understand that ones mind has other
wants« she added rather impatiently »besides Mr Casaubon cannot bear to
hear of a secretary«
»My mistake is excusable« said Will »In old days I used to hear Mr
Casaubon speak as if he looked forward to having a secretary Indeed he held out
the prospect of that office to me But I turned out to be not good enough for
it«
Dorothea was trying to extract out of this an excuse for her husbands
evident repulsion as she said with a playful smile »You were not a steady
worker enough«
»No« said Will shaking his head backward somewhat after the manner of a
spirited horse And then the old irritable demon prompting him to give another
good pinch at the mothwings of poor Mr Casaubons glory he went on »And I
have seen since that Mr Casaubon does not like any one to overlook his work and
know thoroughly what he is doing He is too doubtful too uncertain of himself
I may not be good for much but he dislikes me because I disagree with him«
Will was not without his intentions to be always generous but our tongues
are little triggers which have usually been pulled before general intentions can
be brought to bear And it was too intolerable that Casaubons dislike of him
should not be fairly accounted for to Dorothea Yet when he had spoken he was
rather uneasy as to the effect on her
But Dorothea was strangely quiet not immediately indignant as she had
been on a like occasion in Rome And the cause lay deep She was no longer
struggling against the perception of facts but adjusting herself to their
clearest perception and now when she looked steadily at her husbands failure
still more at his possible consciousness of failure she seemed to be looking
along the one track where duty became tenderness Wills want of reticence might
have been met with more severity if he had not already been recommended to her
mercy by her husbands dislike which must seem hard to her till she saw better
reason for it
She did not answer at once but after looking down ruminatingly she said
with some earnestness »Mr Casaubon must have overcome his dislike of you so
far as his actions were concerned and that is admirable«
»Yes he has shown a sense of justice in family matters It was an
abominable thing that my grandmother should have been disinherited because she
made what they called a mésalliance though there was nothing to be said against
her husband except that he was a Polish refugee who gave lessons for his bread«
»I wish I knew all about her« said Dorothea »I wonder how she bore the
change from wealth to poverty I wonder whether she was happy with her husband
Do you know much about them«
»No only that my grandfather was a patriot a bright fellow could speak
many languages musical got his bread by teaching all sorts of things They
both died rather early And I never knew much of my father beyond what my
mother told me but he inherited the musical talents I remember his slow walk
and his long thin hands and one day remains with me when he was lying ill and
I was very hungry and had only a little bit of bread«
»Ah what a different life from mine« said Dorothea with keen interest
clasping her hands on her lap »I have always had too much of everything But
tell me how it was Mr Casaubon could not have known about you then«
»No but my father had made himself known to Mr Casaubon and that was my
last hungry day My father died soon after and my mother and I were well taken
care of Mr Casaubon always expressly recognised it as his duty to take care of
us because of the harsh injustice which had been shown to his mothers sister
But now I am telling you what is not new to you«
In his inmost soul Will was conscious of wishing to tell Dorothea what was
rather new even in his own construction of things namely that Mr Casaubon
had never done more than pay a debt towards him Will was much too good a fellow
to be easy under the sense of being ungrateful And when gratitude has become a
matter of reasoning there are many ways of escaping from its bonds
»No« answered Dorothea »Mr Casaubon has always avoided dwelling on his
own honourable actions« She did not feel that her husbands conduct was
depreciated but this notion of what justice had required in his relations with
Will Ladislaw took strong hold on her mind After a moments pause she added
»He had never told me that he supported your mother Is she still living«
»No she died by an accident a fall four years ago It is curious that
my mother too ran away from her family but not for the sake of her husband
She never would tell me anything about her family except that she forsook them
to get her own living went on the stage in fact She was a darkeyed
creature with crisp ringlets and never seemed to be getting old You see I
come of rebellious blood on both sides« Will ended smiling brightly at
Dorothea while she was still looking with serious intentness before her like a
child seeing a drama for the first time
But her face too broke into a smile as she said »That is your apology I
suppose for having yourself been rather rebellious I mean to Mr Casaubons
wishes You must remember that you have not done what he thought best for you
And if he dislikes you you were speaking of dislike a little while ago but I
should rather say if he has shown any painful feelings towards you you must
consider how sensitive he has become from the wearing effect of study Perhaps«
she continued getting into a pleading tone »my uncle has not told you how
serious Mr Casaubons illness was It would be very petty of us who are well
and can bear things to think much of small offences from those who carry a
weight of trial«
»You teach me better« said Will »I will never grumble on that subject
again« There was a gentleness in his tone which came from the unutterable
contentment of perceiving what Dorothea was hardly conscious of that she was
travelling into the remoteness of pure pity and loyalty towards her husband
Will was ready to adore her pity and loyalty if she would associate himself
with her in manifesting them »I have really sometimes been a perverse fellow«
he went on »but I will never again if I can help it do or say what you would
disapprove«
»That is very good of you« said Dorothea with another open smile »I shall
have a little kingdom then where I shall give laws But you will soon go away
out of my rule I imagine You will soon be tired of staying at the Grange«
»That is a point I wanted to mention to you one of the reasons why I
wished to speak to you alone Mr Brooke proposes that I should stay in this
neighbourhood He has bought one of the Middlemarch newspapers and he wishes
me to conduct that and also to help him in other ways«
»Would not that be a sacrifice of higher prospects for you« said Dorothea
»Perhaps but I have always been blamed for thinking of prospects and not
settling to anything And here is something offered to me If you would not like
me to accept it I will give it up Otherwise I would rather stay in this part
of the country than go away I belong to nobody anywhere else«
»I should like you to stay very much« said Dorothea at once as simply and
readily as she had spoken at Rome There was not the shadow of a reason in her
mind at the moment why she should not say so
»Then I will stay« said Ladislaw shaking his head backward rising and
going towards the window as if to see whether the rain had ceased
But the next moment Dorothea according to a habit which was getting
continually stronger began to reflect that her husband felt differently from
herself and she coloured deeply under the double embarrassment of having
expressed what might be in opposition to her husbands feeling and of having to
suggest this opposition to Will His face was not turned towards her and this
made it easier to say
»But my opinion is of little consequence on such a subject I think you
should be guided by Mr Casaubon I spoke without thinking of anything else than
my own feeling which has nothing to do with the real question But it now
occurs to me perhaps Mr Casaubon might see that the proposal was not wise
Can you not wait now and mention it to him«
»I cant wait today« said Will inwardly scared by the possibility that
Mr Casaubon would enter »The rain is quite over now I told Mr Brooke not to
call for me I would rather walk the five miles I shall strike across Halsell
Common and see the gleams on the wet grass I like that«
He approached her to shake hands quite hurriedly longing but not daring to
say »Dont mention the subject to Mr Casaubon« No he dared not could not
say it To ask her to be less simple and direct would be like breathing on the
crystal that you want to see the light through And there was always the other
great dread of himself becoming dimmed and for ever rayshorn in her eyes
»I wish you could have stayed« said Dorothea with a touch of mournfulness
as she rose and put out her hand She also had her thought which she did not
like to express Will certainly ought to lose no time in consulting Mr
Casaubons wishes but for her to urge this might seem an undue dictation
So they only said »Goodbye« and Will quitted the house striking across
the fields so as not to run any risk of encountering Mr Casaubons carriage
which however did not appear at the gate until four oclock That was an
unpropitious hour for coming home it was too early to gain the moral support
under ennui of dressing his person for dinner and too late to undress his mind
of the days frivolous ceremony and affairs so as to be prepared for a good
plunge into the serious business of study On such occasions he usually threw
himself into an easychair in the library and allowed Dorothea to read the
London papers to him closing his eyes the while Today however he declined
that relief observing that he had already had too many public details urged
upon him but he spoke more cheerfully than usual when Dorothea asked about his
fatigue and added with that air of formal effort which never forsook him even
when he spoke without his waistcoat and cravat
»I have had the gratification of meeting my former acquaintance Dr
Spanning today and of being praised by one who is himself a worthy recipient
of praise He spoke very handsomely of my late tractate on the Egyptian
Mysteries using in fact terms which it would not become me to repeat« In
uttering the last clause Mr Casaubon leaned over the elbow of his chair and
swayed his head up and down apparently as a muscular outlet instead of that
recapitulation which would not have been becoming
»I am very glad you have had that pleasure« said Dorothea delighted to see
her husband less weary than usual at this hour »Before you came I had been
regretting that you happened to be out today«
»Why so my dear« said Mr Casaubon throwing himself backward again
»Because Mr Ladislaw has been here and he has mentioned a proposal of my
uncles which I should like to know your opinion of« Her husband she felt was
really concerned in this question Even with her ignorance of the world she had
a vague impression that the position offered to Will was out of keeping with his
family connections and certainly Mr Casaubon had a claim to be consulted He
did not speak but merely bowed
»Dear uncle you know has many projects It appears that he has bought one
of the Middlemarch newspapers and he has asked Mr Ladislaw to stay in this
neighbourhood and conduct the paper for him besides helping him in other ways«
Dorothea looked at her husband while she spoke but he had at first blinked
and finally closed his eyes as if to save them while his lips became more
tense »What is your opinion« she added rather timidly after a slight pause
»Did Mr Ladislaw come on purpose to ask my opinion« said Mr Casaubon
opening his eyes narrowly with a knifeedged look at Dorothea She was really
uncomfortable on the point he inquired about but she only became a little more
serious and her eyes did not swerve
»No« she answered immediately »he did not say that he came to ask your
opinion But when he mentioned the proposal he of course expected me to tell
you of it«
Mr Casaubon was silent
»I feared that you might feel some objection But certainly a young man with
so much talent might be very useful to my uncle might help him to do good in a
better way And Mr Ladislaw wishes to have some fixed occupation He has been
blamed he says for not seeking something of that kind and he would like to
stay in this neighbourhood because no one cares for him elsewhere«
Dorothea felt that this was a consideration to soften her husband However
he did not speak and she presently recurred to Dr Spanning and the
Archdeacons breakfast But there was no longer sunshine on these subjects
The next morning without Dorotheas knowledge Mr Casaubon despatched the
following letter beginning »Dear Mr Ladislaw« he had always before addressed
him as »Will«
»Mrs Casaubon informs me that a proposal has been made to you and
according to an inference by no means stretched has on your part been
in some degree entertained which involves your residence in this
neighbourhood in a capacity which I am justified in saying touches my
own position in such a way as renders it not only natural and
warrantable in me when that effect is viewed under the influence of
legitimate feeling but incumbent on me when the same effect is
considered in the light of my responsibilities to state at once that
your acceptance of the proposal above indicated would be highly
offensive to me That I have some claim to the exercise of a veto here
would not I believe be denied by any reasonable person cognisant of
the relations between us relations which though thrown into the past
by your recent procedure are not thereby annulled in their character of
determining antecedents I will not here make reflections on any
persons judgment It is enough for me to point out to yourself that
there are certain social fitnesses and proprieties which should hinder a
somewhat near relative of mine from becoming in anywise conspicuous in
this vicinity in a status not only much beneath my own but associated
at best with the sciolism of literary or political adventurers At any
rate the contrary issue must exclude you from further reception at my
house Yours faithfully
EDWARD CASAUBON«
Meanwhile Dorotheas mind was innocently at work towards the further
embitterment of her husband dwelling with a sympathy that grew to agitation
on what Will had told her about his parents and grandparents Any private hours
in her day were usually spent in her bluegreen boudoir and she had come to be
very fond of its pallid quaintness Nothing had been outwardly altered there
but while the summer had gradually advanced over the western fields beyond the
avenue of elms the bare room had gathered within it those memories of an inward
life which fill the air as with a cloud of good or bad angels the invisible yet
active forms of our spiritual triumphs or our spiritual falls She had been so
used to struggle for and to find resolve in looking along the avenue towards the
arch of western light that the vision itself had gained a communicating power
Even the pale stag seemed to have reminding glances and to mean mutely »Yes we
know« And the group of delicatelytouched miniatures had made an audience as of
beings no longer disturbed about their own earthly lot but still humanly
interested Especially the mysterious »Aunt Julia« about whom Dorothea had never
found it easy to question her husband
And now since her conversation with Will many fresh images had gathered
round that Aunt Julia who was Wills grandmother the presence of that delicate
miniature so like a living face that she knew helping to concentrate her
feelings What a wrong to cut off the girl from the family protection and
inheritance only because she had chosen a man who was poor Dorothea early
troubling her elders with questions about the facts around her had wrought
herself into some independent clearness as to the historical political reasons
why eldest sons had superior rights and why land should be entailed those
reasons impressing her with a certain awe might be weightier than she knew
but here was a question of ties which left them uninfringed Here was a daughter
whose child even according to the ordinary aping of aristocratic institutions
by people who are no more aristocratic than retired grocers and who have no
more land to »keep together« than a lawn and a paddock would have a prior
claim Was inheritance a question of liking or of responsibility All the energy
of Dorotheas nature went on the side of responsibility the fulfilment of
claims founded on our own deeds such as marriage and parentage
It was true she said to herself that Mr Casaubon had a debt to the
Ladislaws that he had to pay back what the Ladislaws had been wronged of And
now she began to think of her husbands will which had been made at the time of
their marriage leaving the bulk of his property to her with proviso in case of
her having children That ought to be altered and no time ought to be lost
This very question which had just arisen about Will Ladislaws occupation was
the occasion for placing things on a new right footing Her husband she felt
sure according to all his previous conduct would be ready to take the just
view if she proposed it she in whose interest an unfair concentration of the
property had been urged His sense of right had surmounted and would continue to
surmount anything that might be called antipathy She suspected that her uncles
scheme was disapproved by Mr Casaubon and this made it seem all the more
opportune that a fresh understanding should be begun so that instead of Wills
starting penniless and accepting the first function that offered itself he
should find himself in possession of a rightful income which should be paid by
her husband during his life and by an immediate alteration of the will should
be secured at his death The vision of all this as what ought to be done seemed
to Dorothea like a sudden letting in of daylight waking her from her previous
stupidity and incurious selfabsorbed ignorance about her husbands relation to
others Will Ladislaw had refused Mr Casaubons future aid on a ground that no
longer appeared right to her and Mr Casaubon had never himself seen fully what
was the claim upon him »But he will« said Dorothea »The great strength of his
character lies here And what are we doing with our money We make no use of
half of our income My own money buys me nothing but an uneasy conscience«
There was a peculiar fascination for Dorothea in this division of property
intended for herself and always regarded by her as excessive She was blind
you see to many things obvious to others likely to tread in the wrong places
as Celia had warned her yet her blindness to whatever did not lie in her own
pure purpose carried her safely by the side of precipices where vision would
have been perilous with fear
The thoughts which had gathered vividness in the solitude of her boudoir
occupied her incessantly through the day on which Mr Casaubon had sent his
letter to Will Everything seemed hindrance to her till she could find an
opportunity of opening her heart to her husband To his preoccupied mind all
subjects were to be approached gently and she had never since his illness lost
from her consciousness the dread of agitating him But when young ardour is set
brooding over the conception of a prompt deed the deed itself seems to start
forth with independent life mastering ideal obstacles The day passed in a
sombre fashion not unusual though Mr Casaubon was perhaps unusually silent
but there were hours of the night which might be counted on as opportunities of
conversation for Dorothea when aware of her husbands sleeplessness had
established the habit of rising lighting a candle and reading him to sleep
again And this night she was from the beginning sleepless excited by resolves
He slept as usual for a few hours but she had risen softly and had sat in the
darkness for nearly an hour before he said
»Dorothea since you are up will you light a candle«
»Do you feel ill dear« was her first question as she obeyed him
»No not at all but I shall be obliged since you are up if you will read
me a few pages of Lowth«
»May I talk to you a little instead« said Dorothea
»Certainly«
»I have been thinking about money all day that I have always had too much
and especially the prospect of too much«
»These my dear Dorothea are providential arrangements«
»But if one has too much in consequence of others being wronged it seems to
me that the divine voice which tells us to set that wrong right must be obeyed«
»What my love is the bearing of your remark«
»That you have been too liberal in arrangements for me I mean with regard
to property and that makes me unhappy«
»How so I have none but comparatively distant connections«
»I have been led to think about your aunt Julia and how she was left in
poverty only because she married a poor man an act which was not disgraceful
since he was not unworthy It was on that ground I know that you educated Mr
Ladislaw and provided for his mother«
Dorothea waited a few moments for some answer that would help her onward
None came and her next words seemed the more forcible to her falling clear
upon the dark silence
»But surely we should regard his claim as a much greater one even to the
half of that property which I know that you have destined for me And I think he
ought at once to be provided for on that understanding It is not right that he
should be in the dependence of poverty while we are rich And if there is any
objection to the proposal he mentioned the giving him his true place and his
true share would set aside any motive for his accepting it«
»Mr Ladislaw has probably been speaking to you on this subject« said Mr
Casaubon with a certain biting quickness not habitual to him
»Indeed no« said Dorothea earnestly »How can you imagine it since he
has so lately declined everything from you I fear you think too hardly of him
dear He only told me a little about his parents and grandparents and almost
all in answer to my questions You are so good so just you have done
everything you thought to be right But it seems to me clear that more than that
is right and I must speak about it since I am the person who would get what is
called benefit by that more not being done«
There was a perceptible pause before Mr Casaubon replied not quickly as
before but with a still more biting emphasis
»Dorothea my love this is not the first occasion but it were well that it
should be the last on which you have assumed a judgment on subjects beyond your
scope Into the question how far conduct especially in the matter of alliances
constitutes a forfeiture of family claims I do not now enter Suffice it that
you are not here qualified to discriminate What I now wish you to understand
is that I accept no revision still less dictation within that range of affairs
which I have deliberated upon as distinctly and properly mine It is not for you
to interfere between me and Mr Ladislaw and still less to encourage
communications from him to you which constitute a criticism on my procedure«
Poor Dorothea shrouded in the darkness was in a tumult of conflicting
emotions Alarm at the possible effect on himself of her husbands
stronglymanifested anger would have checked any expression of her own
resentment even if she had been quite free from doubt and compunction under the
consciousness that there might be some justice in his last insinuation Hearing
him breathe quickly after he had spoken she sat listening frightened wretched
with a dumb inward cry for help to bear this nightmare of a life in which
every energy was arrested by dread But nothing else happened except that they
both remained a long while sleepless without speaking again
The next day Mr Casaubon received the following answer from Will Ladislaw
»Dear Mr Casaubon I have given all due consideration to your letter
of yesterday but I am unable to take precisely your view of our mutual
position With the fullest acknowledgment of your generous conduct to me
in the past I must still maintain that an obligation of this kind
cannot fairly fetter me as you appear to expect that it should Granted
that a benefactors wishes may constitute a claim there must always be
a reservation as to the quality of those wishes They may possibly clash
with more imperative considerations Or a benefactors veto might impose
such a negation on a mans life that the consequent blank might be more
cruel than the benefaction was generous I am merely using strong
illustrations In the present case I am unable to take your view of the
bearing which my acceptance of occupation not enriching certainly but
not dishonourable will have on your own position which seems to me
too substantial to be affected in that shadowy manner And though I do
not believe that any change in our relations will occur certainly none
has yet occurred which can nullify the obligations imposed on me by the
past pardon me for not seeing that those obligations should restrain me
from using the ordinary freedom of living where I choose and
maintaining myself by any lawful occupation I may choose Regretting
that there exists this difference between us as to a relation in which
the conferring of benefits has been entirely on your side I remain
yours with persistent obligation
WILL LADISLAW«
Poor Mr Casaubon felt and must not we being impartial feel with him a
little that no man had juster cause for disgust and suspicion than he Young
Ladislaw he was sure meant to defy and annoy him meant to win Dorotheas
confidence and sow her mind with disrespect and perhaps aversion towards her
husband Some motive beneath the surface had been needed to account for Wills
sudden change of course in rejecting Mr Casaubons aid and quitting his
travels and this defiant determination to fix himself in the neighbourhood by
taking up something so much at variance with his former choice as Mr Brookes
Middlemarch projects revealed clearly enough that the undeclared motive had
relation to Dorothea Not for one moment did Mr Casaubon suspect Dorothea of
any doubleness he had no suspicions of her but he had what was little less
uncomfortable the positive knowledge that her tendency to form opinions about
her husbands conduct was accompanied with a disposition to regard Will Ladislaw
favourably and be influenced by what he said His own proud reticence had
prevented him from ever being undeceived in the supposition that Dorothea had
originally asked her uncle to invite Will to his house
And now on receiving Wills letter Mr Casaubon had to consider his duty
He would never have been easy to call his action anything else than duty but in
this case contending motives thrust him back into negations
Should he apply directly to Mr Brooke and demand of that troublesome
gentleman to revoke his proposal Or should he consult Sir James Chettam and
get him to concur in remonstrance against a step which touched the whole family
In either case Mr Casaubon was aware that failure was just as probable as
success It was impossible for him to mention Dorotheas name in the matter and
without some alarming urgency Mr Brooke was as likely as not after meeting all
representations with apparent assent to wind up by saying »Never fear
Casaubon Depend upon it young Ladislaw will do you credit Depend upon it I
have put my finger on the right thing« And Mr Casaubon shrank nervously from
communicating on the subject with Sir James Chettam between whom and himself
there had never been any cordiality and who would immediately think of Dorothea
without any mention of her
Poor Mr Casaubon was distrustful of everybodys feeling towards him
especially as a husband To let any one suppose that he was jealous would be to
admit their suspected view of his disadvantages to let them know that he did
not find marriage particularly blissful would imply his conversion to their
probably earlier disapproval It would be as bad as letting Carp and
Brasenose generally know how backward he was in organising the matter for his
Key to all Mythologies All through his life Mr Casaubon had been trying not to
admit even to himself the inward sores of self-doubt and jealousy And on the
most delicate of all personal subjects the habit of proud suspicious reticence
told doubly
Thus Mr Casaubon remained proudly bitterly silent But he had forbidden
Will to come to Lowick Manor and he was mentally preparing other measures of
frustration
Chapter XXXVIII
»Cest beaucoup que le jugement des hommes sur les actions humaines
tôt ou tard il devient efficace«
Guizot
Sir James Chettam could not look with any satisfaction on Mr Brookes new
courses but it was easier to object than to hinder Sir James accounted for his
having come in alone one day to lunch with the Cadwalladers by saying
»I cant talk to you as I want before Celia it might hurt her Indeed it
would not be right«
»I know what you mean the Pioneer at the Grange« darted in Mrs
Cadwallader almost before the last word was off her friends tongue »It is
frightful this taking to buying whistles and blowing them in everybodys
hearing Lying in bed all day and playing at dominoes like poor Lord Plessy
would be more private and bearable«
»I see they are beginning to attack our friend Brooke in the Trumpet« said
the Rector lounging back and smiling easily as he would have done if he had
been attacked himself »There are tremendous sarcasms against a Landlord not a
hundred miles from Middlemarch who receives his own rents and makes no
returns«
»I do wish Brooke would leave that off« said Sir James with his little
frown of annoyance
»Is he really going to be put in nomination though« said Mr Cadwallader
»I saw Farebrother yesterday hes Whiggish himself hoists Brougham and Useful
Knowledge thats the worst I know of him and he says that Brooke is getting
up a pretty strong party Bulstrode the banker is his foremost man But he
thinks Brooke would come off badly at a nomination«
»Exactly« said Sir James with earnestness »I have been inquiring into the
thing for Ive never known anything about Middlemarch politics before the
county being my business What Brooke trusts to is that they are going to turn
out Oliver because he is a Peelite But Hawley tells me that if they send up a
Whig at all it is sure to be Bagster one of those candidates who come from
heaven knows where but dead against Ministers and an experienced Parliamentary
man Hawleys rather rough he forgot that he was speaking to me He said if
Brooke wanted a pelting he could get it cheaper than by going to the hustings«
»I warned you all of it« said Mrs Cadwallader waving her hands outward
»I said to Humphrey long ago Mr Brooke is going to make a splash in the mud
And now he has done it«
»Well he might have taken it into his head to marry« said the Rector
»That would have been a graver mess than a little flirtation with politics«
»He may do that afterwards« said Mrs Cadwallader »when he has come out
on the other side of the mud with an ague«
»What I care for most is his own dignity« said Sir James »Of course I care
the more because of the family But hes getting on in life now and I dont
like to think of his exposing himself They will be raking up everything against
him«
»I suppose its no use trying any persuasion« said the Rector »Theres
such an odd mixture of obstinacy and changeableness in Brooke Have you tried
him on the subject«
»Well no« said Sir James »I feel a delicacy in appearing to dictate But
I have been talking to this young Ladislaw that Brooke is making a factotum of
Ladislaw seems clever enough for anything I thought it as well to hear what he
had to say and he is against Brookes standing this time I think hell turn
him round I think the nomination may be staved off«
»I know« said Mrs Cadwallader nodding »The independent member hasnt got
his speeches well enough by heart«
»But this Ladislaw there again is a vexatious business« said Sir James
»We have had him two or three times to dine at the Hall you have met him by
the by as Brookes guest and a relation of Casaubons thinking he was only on
a flying visit And now I find hes in everybodys mouth in Middlemarch as the
editor of the Pioneer There are stories going about him as a quilldriving
alien a foreign emissary and what not«
»Casaubon wont like that« said the Rector
»There is some foreign blood in Ladislaw« returned Sir James »I hope he
wont go into extreme opinions and carry Brooke on«
»Oh hes a dangerous young sprig that Mr Ladislaw« said Mrs
Cadwallader »with his opera songs and his ready tongue A sort of Byronic hero
an amorous conspirator it strikes me And Thomas Aquinas is not fond of him
I could see that the day the picture was brought«
»I dont like to begin on the subject with Casaubon« said Sir James »He
has more right to interfere than I But its a disagreeable affair all round
What a character for anybody with decent connections to show himself in one
of those newspaper fellows You have only to look at Keck who manages the
Trumpet I saw him the other day with Hawley His writing is sound enough I
believe but hes such a low fellow that I wished he had been on the wrong
side«
»What can you expect with these peddling Middlemarch papers« said the
Rector »I dont suppose you could get a high style of man anywhere to be
writing up interests he doesnt really care about and for pay that hardly keeps
him in at elbows«
»Exactly that makes it so annoying that Brooke should have put a man who
has a sort of connection with the family in a position of that kind For my
part I think Ladislaw is rather a fool for accepting«
»It is Aquinass fault« said Mrs Cadwallader »Why didnt he use his
interest to get Ladislaw made an attaché or sent to India That is how families
get rid of troublesome sprigs«
»There is no knowing to what lengths the mischief may go« said Sir James
anxiously »But if Casaubon says nothing what can I do«
»Oh my dear Sir James« said the Rector »dont let us make too much of all
this It is likely enough to end in mere smoke After a month or two Brooke and
this Master Ladislaw will get tired of each other Ladislaw will take wing
Brooke will sell the Pioneer and everything will settle down again as usual«
»There is one good chance that he will not like to feel his money oozing
away« said Mrs Cadwallader »If I knew the items of election expenses I could
scare him Its no use plying him with wide words like Expenditure I wouldnt
talk of phlebotomy I would empty a pot of leeches upon him What we good stingy
people dont like is having our sixpences sucked away from us«
»And he will not like having things raked up against him« said Sir James
»There is the management of his estate They have begun upon that already And
it really is painful for me to see It is a nuisance under ones very nose I do
think one is bound to do the best for ones land and tenants especially in
these hard times«
»Perhaps the Trumpet may rouse him to make a change and some good may come
of it all« said the Rector »I know I should be glad I should hear less
grumbling when my tithe is paid I dont know what I should do if there were not
a modus in Tipton«
»I want him to have a proper man to look after things I want him to take
on Garth again« said Sir James »He got rid of Garth twelve years ago and
everything has been going wrong since I think of getting Garth to manage for me
he has made such a capital plan for my buildings and Lovegood is hardly up to
the mark But Garth would not undertake the Tipton estate again unless Brooke
left it entirely to him«
»In the right of it too« said the Rector »Garth is an independent fellow
an original simpleminded fellow One day when he was doing some valuation for
me he told me pointblank that clergymen seldom understood anything about
business and did mischief when they meddled but he said it as quietly and
respectfully as if he had been talking to me about sailors He would make a
different parish of Tipton if Brooke would let him manage I wish by the help
of the Trumpet you could bring that round«
»If Dorothea had kept near her uncle there would have been some chance«
said Sir James »She might have got some power over him in time and she was
always uneasy about the estate She had wonderfully good notions about such
things But now Casaubon takes her up entirely Celia complains a good deal We
can hardly get her to dine with us since he had that fit« Sir James ended with
a look of pitying disgust and Mrs Cadwallader shrugged her shoulders as much
as to say that she was not likely to see anything new in that direction
»Poor Casaubon« the Rector said »That was a nasty attack I thought he
looked shattered the other day at the Archdeacons«
»In point of fact,« resumed Sir James not choosing to dwell on »fits«
»Brooke doesnt mean badly by his tenants or any one else but he has got that
way of paring and clipping at expenses«
»Come thats a blessing« said Mrs Cadwallader »That helps him to find
himself in a morning He may not know his own opinions but he does know his own
pocket«
»I dont believe a man is in pocket by stinginess on his land« said Sir
James
»Oh stinginess may be abused like other virtues it will not do to keep
ones own pigs lean« said Mrs Cadwallader who had risen to look out of the
window »But talk of an independent politician and he will appear«
»What Brooke« said her husband
»Yes Now you ply him with the Trumpet Humphrey and I will put the
leeches on him What will you do Sir James«
»The fact is I dont like to begin about it with Brooke in our mutual
position the whole thing is so unpleasant I do wish people would behave like
gentlemen« said the good baronet feeling that this was a simple and
comprehensive programme for social wellbeing
»Here you all are eh« said Mr Brooke shuffling round and shaking hands
»I was going up to the hall byandby Chettam But its pleasant to find
everybody you know Well what do you think of things going on a little
fast It was true enough what Lafitte said Since yesterday a century has
passed away theyre in the next century you know on the other side of the
water Going on faster than we are«
»Why yes« said the Rector taking up the newspaper »Here is the Trumpet
accusing you of lagging behind did you see«
»Eh no« said Mr Brooke dropping his gloves into his hat and hastily
adjusting his eyeglass But Mr Cadwallader kept the paper in his hand saying
with a smile in his eyes
»Look here all this is about a landlord not a hundred miles from
Middlemarch who receives his own rents They say he is the most retrogressive
man in the county I think you must have taught them that word in the Pioneer«
»Oh that is Keck an illiterate fellow you know Retrogressive now
Come thats capital He thinks it means destructive they want to make me out a
destructive you know« said Mr Brooke with that cheerfulness which is usually
sustained by an adversarys ignorance
»I think he knows the meaning of the word Here is a sharp stroke or two If
we had to describe a man who is retrogressive in the most evil sense of the word
we should say he is one who would dub himself a reformer of our constitution
while every interest for which he is immediately responsible is going to decay
a philanthropist who cannot bear one rogue to be hanged but does not mind five
honest tenants being halfstarved a man who shrieks at corruption and keeps
his farms at rackrent who roars himself red at rotten boroughs and does not
mind if every field on his farms has a rotten gate a man very openhearted to
Leeds and Manchester no doubt he would give any number of representatives who
will pay for their seats out of their own pockets what he objects to giving is
a little return on rentdays to help a tenant to buy stock or an outlay on
repairs to keep the weather out at a tenants barndoor or make his house look a
little less like an Irish cottiers But we all know the wags definition of a
philanthropist a man whose charity increases directly as the square of the
distance And so on All the rest is to show what sort of legislator a
philanthropist is likely to make« ended the Rector throwing down the paper
and clasping his hands at the back of his head while he looked at Mr Brooke
with an air of amused neutrality
»Come thats rather good you know« said Mr Brooke taking up the paper
and trying to bear the attack as easily as his neighbour did but colouring and
smiling rather nervously »that about roaring himself red at rotten boroughs I
never made a speech about rotten boroughs in my life And as to roaring myself
red and that kind of thing these men never understand what is good satire
Satire you know should be true up to a certain point I recollect they said
that in The Edinburgh somewhere it must be true up to a certain point«
»Well that is really a hit about the gates« said Sir James anxious to
tread carefully »Dagley complained to me the other day that he hadnt got a
decent gate on his farm Garth has invented a new pattern of gate I wish you
would try it One ought to use some of ones timber in that way«
»You go in for fancy farming you know Chettam« said Mr Brooke appearing
to glance over the columns of the Trumpet »Thats your hobby and you dont
mind the expense«
»I thought the most expensive hobby in the world was standing for
Parliament« said Mrs Cadwallader »They said the last unsuccessful candidate
at Middlemarch Giles wasnt his name spent ten thousand pounds and failed
because he did not bribe enough What a bitter reflection for a man«
»Somebody was saying« said the Rector laughingly »that East Retford was
nothing to Middlemarch for bribery«
»Nothing of the kind« said Mr Brooke »The Tories bribe you know Hawley
and his set bribe with treating hot codlings and that sort of thing and they
bring the voters drunk to the poll But they are not going to have it their own
way in future not in future you know Middlemarch is a little backward I
admit the freemen are a little backward But we shall educate them we shall
bring them on you know The best people there are on our side«
»Hawley says you have men on your side who will do you harm« remarked Sir
James »He says Bulstrode the banker will do you harm«
»And that if you got pelted« interposed Mrs Cadwallader »half the rotten
eggs would mean hatred of your committeeman Good heavens Think what it must
be to be pelted for wrong opinions And I seem to remember a story of a man they
pretended to chair and let him fall into a dustheap on purpose«
»Pelting is nothing to their finding holes in ones coat« said the Rector
»I confess thats what I should be afraid of if we parsons had to stand at the
hustings for preferment I should be afraid of their reckoning up all my fishing
days Upon my word I think the truth is the hardest missile one can be pelted
with«
»The fact is« said Sir James »if a man goes into public life he must be
prepared for the consequences He must make himself proof against calumny«
»My dear Chettam that is all very fine you know« said Mr Brooke »But
how will you make yourself proof against calumny You should read history look
at ostracism persecution martyrdom and that kind of thing They always happen
to the best men you know But what is that in Horace fiat justitia ruat
something or other«
»Exactly« said Sir James with a little more heat than usual »What I mean
by being proof against calumny is being able to point to the fact as a
contradiction.«
»And it is not martyrdom to pay bills that one has run into ones self«
said Mrs Cadwallader
But it was Sir Jamess evident annoyance that most stirred Mr Brooke
»Well you know Chettam« he said rising taking up his hat and leaning on his
stick »you and I have a different system You are all for outlay with your
farms I dont want to make out that my system is good under all circumstances
under all circumstances you know«
»There ought to be a new valuation made from time to time« said Sir James
»Returns are very well occasionally but I like a fair valuation What do you
say Cadwallader«
»I agree with you If I were Brooke I would choke the Trumpet at once by
getting Garth to make a new valuation of the farms and giving him carte blanche
about gates and repairs thats my view of the political situation« said the
Rector broadening himself by sticking his thumbs in his armholes and laughing
towards Mr Brooke
»Thats a showy sort of thing to do you know« said Mr Brooke »But I
should like you to tell me of another landlord who has distressed his tenants
for arrears as little as I have I let the old tenants stay on Im uncommonly
easy let me tell you uncommonly easy I have my own ideas, and I take my
stand on them you know A man who does that is always charged with
eccentricity inconsistency and that kind of thing When I change my line of
action I shall follow my own ideas«
After that Mr Brooke remembered that there was a packet which he had
omitted to send off from the Grange and he bade everybody hurriedly goodbye
»I didnt want to take a liberty with Brooke« said Sir James »I see he is
nettled But as to what he says about old tenants in point of fact no new
tenant would take the farms on the present terms«
»I have a notion that he will be brought round in time« said the Rector
»But you were pulling one way Elinor and we were pulling another You wanted
to frighten him away from expense and we want to frighten him into it Better
let him try to be popular and see that his character as a landlord stands in his
way I dont think it signifies two straws about the Pioneer or Ladislaw or
Brookes speechifying to the Middlemarchers But it does signify about the
parishioners in Tipton being comfortable«
»Excuse me it is you two who are on the wrong tack« said Mrs Cadwallader
»You should have proved to him that he loses money by bad management and then
we should all have pulled together If you put him ahorseback on politics I
warn you of the consequences It was all very well to ride on sticks at home and
call them ideas«
Chapter XXXIX
»If as I have you also doe
Vertue attired in woman see
And dare love that and say so too
And forget the He and She
And if this love though placed so
From prophane men you hide
Which will no faith on this bestow
Or if they doe deride
Then you have done a braver thing
Than all the Worthies did
And a braver thence will spring
Which is to keep that hid«
Dr Donne
Sir James Chettams mind was not fruitful in devices but his growing anxiety to
»act on Brooke« once brought close to his constant belief in Dorotheas
capacity for influence became formative and issued in a little plan namely
to plead Celias indisposition as a reason for fetching Dorothea by herself to
the Hall and to leave her at the Grange with the carriage on the way after
making her fully aware of the situation concerning the management of the estate
In this way it happened that one day near four oclock when Mr Brooke and
Ladislaw were seated in the library the door opened and Mrs Casaubon was
announced
Will the moment before had been low in the depths of boredom and obliged
to help Mr Brooke in arranging »documents« about hanging sheepstealers was
exemplifying the power our minds have of riding several horses at once by
inwardly arranging measures towards getting a lodging for himself in Middlemarch
and cutting short his constant residence at the Grange while there flitted
through all these steadier images a tickling vision of a sheepstealing epic
written with Homeric particularity When Mrs Casaubon was announced he started
up as from an electric shock and felt a tingling at his fingerends Any one
observing him would have seen a change in his complexion in the adjustment of
his facial muscles in the vividness of his glance which might have made them
imagine that every molecule in his body had passed the message of a magic touch
And so it had For effective magic is transcendent nature and who shall measure
the subtlety of those touches which convey the quality of soul as well as body
and make a mans passion for one woman differ from his passion for another as
joy in the morning light over valley and river and white mountaintop differs
from joy among Chinese lanterns and glass pannels Will too was made of very
impressible stuff The bow of a violin drawn near him cleverly would at one
stroke change the aspect of the world for him and his point of view shifted as
easily as his mood Dorotheas entrance was the freshness of morning
»Well my dear this is pleasant now« said Mr Brooke meeting and kissing
her »You have left Casaubon with his books I suppose Thats right We must
not have you getting too learned for a woman you know«
»There is no fear of that uncle« said Dorothea turning to Will and
shaking hands with open cheerfulness while she made no other form of greeting
but went on answering her uncle »I am very slow When I want to be busy with
books I am often playing truant among my thoughts I find it is not so easy to
be learned as to plan cottages«
She seated herself beside her uncle opposite to Will and was evidently
preoccupied with something that made her almost unmindful of him He was
ridiculously disappointed as if he had imagined that her coming had anything to
do with him
»Why yes my dear it was quite your hobby to draw plans But it was good
to break that off a little Hobbies are apt to run away with us you know it
doesnt do to be run away with We must keep the reins I have never let myself
be run away with I always pulled up That is what I tell Ladislaw He and I are
alike you know he likes to go into everything We are working at capital
punishment We shall do a great deal together Ladislaw and I«
»Yes« said Dorothea with characteristic directness »Sir James has been
telling me that he is in hope of seeing a great change made soon in your
management of the estate that you are thinking of having the farms valued and
repairs made and the cottages improved so that Tipton may look quite another
place Oh how happy« she went on clasping her hands with a return to that
more childlike impetuous manner which had been subdued since her marriage »If I
were at home still I should take to riding again that I might go about with
you and see all that And you are going to engage Mr Garth who praised my
cottages Sir James says«
»Chettam is a little hasty my dear« said Mr Brooke colouring slightly
»A little hasty you know I never said I should do anything of the kind I
never said I should not do it you know«
»He only feels confident that you will do it« said Dorothea in a voice as
clear and unhesitating as that of a young chorister chanting a credo »because
you mean to enter Parliament as a member who cares for the improvement of the
people and one of the first things to be made better is the state of the land
and the labourers Think of Kit Downes uncle who lives with his wife and seven
children in a house with one sittingroom and one bedroom hardly larger than
this table and those poor Dagleys in their tumbledown farmhouse where they
live in the back kitchen and leave the other rooms to the rats That is one
reason why I did not like the pictures here dear uncle which you think me
stupid about I used to come from the village with all that dirt and coarse
ugliness like a pain within me and the simpering pictures in the drawingroom
seemed to me like a wicked attempt to find delight in what is false while we
dont mind how hard the truth is for the neighbours outside our walls I think
we have no right to come forward and urge wider changes for good until we have
tried to alter the evils which lie under our own hands«
Dorothea had gathered emotion as she went on and had forgotten everything
except the relief of pouring forth her feelings unchecked an experience once
habitual with her but hardly ever present since her marriage which had been a
perpetual struggle of energy with fear For the moment Wills admiration was
accompanied with a chilling sense of remoteness A man is seldom ashamed of
feeling that he cannot love a woman so well when he sees a certain greatness in
her nature having intended greatness for men But nature has sometimes made sad
oversights in carrying out her intention as in the case of good Mr Brooke
whose masculine consciousness was at this moment in rather a stammering
condition under the eloquence of his niece He could not immediately find any
other mode of expressing himself than that of rising fixing his eyeglass and
fingering the papers before him At last he said
»There is something in what you say my dear something in what you say
but not everything eh Ladislaw You and I dont like our pictures and statues
being found fault with Young ladies are a little ardent you know a little
onesided my dear Fine art poetry that kind of thing elevates a nation
emollit mores you understand a little Latin now But eh what«
These interrogatives were addressed to the footman who had come in to say
that the keeper had found one of Dagleys boys with a leveret in his hand just
killed
»Ill come Ill come I shall let him off easily you know« said Mr
Brooke aside to Dorothea shuffling away very cheerfully
»I hope you feel how right this change is that I that Sir James wishes
for« said Dorothea to Will as soon as her uncle was gone
»I do now I have heard you speak about it I shall not forget what you have
said But can you think of something else at this moment I may not have another
opportunity of speaking to you about what has occurred« said Will rising with
a movement of impatience and holding the back of his chair with both hands
»Pray tell me what it is« said Dorothea anxiously also rising and going
to the open window where Monk was looking in panting and wagging his tail She
leaned her back against the windowframe and laid her hand on the dogs head
for though as we know she was not fond of pets that must be held in the hands
or trodden on she was always attentive to the feelings of dogs and very polite
if she had to decline their advances
Will followed her only with his eyes and said »I presume you know that Mr
Casaubon has forbidden me to go to his house«
»No I did not« said Dorothea after a moments pause She was evidently
much moved »I am very very sorry« she added mournfully She was thinking of
what Will had no knowledge of the conversation between her and her husband in
the darkness and she was anew smitten with hopelessness that she could
influence Mr Casaubons action But the marked expression of her sorrow
convinced Will that it was not all given to him personally and that Dorothea
had not been visited by the idea that Mr Casaubons dislike and jealousy of him
turned upon herself He felt an odd mixture of delight and vexation of delight
that he could dwell and be cherished in her thought as in a pure home without
suspicion and without stint of vexation because he was of too little account
with her was not formidable enough was treated with an unhesitating
benevolence which did not flatter him But his dread of any change in Dorothea
was stronger than his discontent and he began to speak again in a tone of mere
explanation
»Mr Casaubons reason is, his displeasure at my taking a position here
which he considers unsuited to my rank as his cousin I have told him that I
cannot give way on this point It is a little too hard on me to expect that my
course in life is to be hampered by prejudices which I think ridiculous
Obligation may be stretched till it is no better than a brand of slavery stamped
on us when we were too young to know its meaning I would not have accepted the
position if I had not meant to make it useful and honourable I am not bound to
regard family dignity in any other light«
Dorothea felt wretched She thought her husband altogether in the wrong on
more grounds than Will had mentioned
»It is better for us not to speak on the subject« she said with a
tremulousness not common in her voice »since you and Mr Casaubon disagree You
intend to remain« She was looking out on the lawn with melancholy meditation
»Yes but I shall hardly ever see you now« said Will in a tone of almost
boyish complaint
»No« said Dorothea turning her eyes full upon him »hardly ever But I
shall hear of you I shall know what you are doing for my uncle«
»I shall know hardly anything about you« said Will »No one will tell me
anything«
»Oh my life is very simple« said Dorothea her lips curling with an
exquisite smile which irradiated her melancholy »I am always at Lowick«
»That is a dreadful imprisonment« said Will impetuously
»No dont think that« said Dorothea »I have no longings«
He did not speak but she replied to some change in his expression »I mean
for myself Except that I should like not to have so much more than my share
without doing anything for others But I have a belief of my own and it
comforts me«
»What is that« said Will rather jealous of the belief
»That by desiring what is perfectly good even when we dont quite know what
it is and cannot do what we would we are part of the divine power against evil
widening the skirts of light and making the struggle with darkness narrower«
»That is a beautiful mysticism it is a «
»Please not to call it by any name« said Dorothea putting out her hands
entreatingly »You will say it is Persian or something else geographical It is
my life I have found it out and cannot part with it I have always been
finding out my religion since I was a little girl I used to pray so much now
I hardly ever pray I try not to have desires merely for myself because they
may not be good for others and I have too much already I only told you that
you might know quite well how my days go at Lowick«
»God bless you for telling me« said Will ardently and rather wondering at
himself They were looking at each other like two fond children who were talking
confidentially of birds
»What is your religion« said Dorothea »I mean not what you know about
religion but the belief that helps you most«
»To love what is good and beautiful when I see it« said Will »But I am a
rebel I dont feel bound as you do to submit to what I dont like«
»But if you like what is good that comes to the same thing« said Dorothea
smiling
»Now you are subtle« said Will
»Yes Mr Casaubon often says I am too subtle I dont feel as if I were
subtle« said Dorothea playfully »But how long my uncle is I must go and look
for him I must really go on to the Hall Celia is expecting me«
Will offered to tell Mr Brooke who presently came and said that he would
step into the carriage and go with Dorothea as far as Dagleys to speak about
the small delinquent who had been caught with the leveret Dorothea renewed the
subject of the estate as they drove along but Mr Brooke not being taken
unawares got the talk under his own control
»Chettam now« he replied »he finds fault with me my dear but I should
not preserve my game if it were not for Chettam and he cant say that that
expense is for the sake of the tenants you know Its a little against my
feeling poaching now if you come to look into it I have often thought of
getting up the subject Not long ago Flavell the Methodist preacher was
brought up for knocking down a hare that came across his path when he and his
wife were walking out together He was pretty quick and knocked it on the
neck«
»That was very brutal I think« said Dorothea
»Well now it seemed rather black to me I confess in a Methodist
preacher you know And Johnson said You may judge what a hypocrite he is And
upon my word I thought Flavell looked very little like the highest style of man
as somebody calls the Christian Young the poet Young I think you know
Young Well now Flavell in his shabby black gaiters pleading that he thought
the Lord had sent him and his wife a good dinner and he had a right to knock it
down though not a mighty hunter before the Lord as Nimrod was I assure you
it was rather comic Fielding would have made something of it or Scott now
Scott might have worked it up But really when I came to think of it I
couldnt help liking that the fellow should have a bit of hare to say grace
over Its all a matter of prejudice prejudice with the law on its side you
know about the stick and the gaiters and so on However it doesnt do to
reason about things and law is law But I got Johnson to be quiet and I hushed
the matter up I doubt whether Chettam would not have been more severe and yet
he comes down on me as if I were the hardest man in the county But here we are
at Dagleys«
Mr Brooke got down at a farmyardgate and Dorothea drove on It is
wonderful how much uglier things will look when we only suspect that we are
blamed for them Even our own persons in the glass are apt to change their
aspect for us after we have heard some frank remark on their less admirable
points and on the other hand it is astonishing how pleasantly conscience takes
our encroachments on those who never complain or have nobody to complain for
them Dagleys homestead never before looked so dismal to Mr Brooke as it did
today with his mind thus sore about the faultfinding of the Trumpet echoed
by Sir James
It is true that an observer under that softening influence of the fine arts
which makes other peoples hardships picturesque might have been delighted with
this homestead called Freemans End the old house had dormerwindows in the
darkred roof two of the chimneys were choked with ivy the large porch was
blocked up with bundles of sticks and half the windows were closed with grey
wormeaten shutters about which the jasmineboughs grew in wild luxuriance the
mouldering garden wall with hollyhocks peeping over it was a perfect study of
highlymingled subdued colour and there was an aged goat kept doubtless on
interesting superstitious grounds lying against the open backkitchen door The
mossy thatch of the cowshed the broken grey barndoors the pauper labourers
in ragged breeches who had nearly finished unloading a waggon of corn into the
barn ready for early thrashing the scanty dairy of cows being tethered for
milking and leaving one half of the shed in brown emptiness the very pigs and
white ducks seeming to wander about the uneven neglected yard as if in low
spirits from feeding on a too meagre quality of rinsings all these objects
under the quiet light of a sky marbled with high clouds would have made a sort
of picture which we have all paused over as a »charming bit« touching other
sensibilities than those which are stirred by the depression of the agricultural
interest with the sad lack of farming capital as seen constantly in the
newspapers of that time But these troublesome associations were just now
strongly present to Mr Brooke and spoiled the scene for him Mr Dagley
himself made a figure in the landscape carrying a pitchfork and wearing his
milkinghat a very old beaver flattened in front His coat and breeches were
the best he had and he would not have been wearing them on this weekday
occasion if he had not been to market and returned later than usual having
given himself the rare treat of dining at the public table of the Blue Bull How
he came to fall into this extravagance would perhaps be matter of wonderment to
himself on the morrow but before dinner something in the state of the country
a slight pause in the harvest before the Far Dips were cut the stories about
the new King and the numerous handbills on the walls had seemed to warrant a
little recklessness It was a maxim about Middlemarch and regarded as
selfevident that good meat should have good drink which last Dagley
interpreted as plenty of table ale well followed up by rumandwater These
liquors have so far truth in them that they were not false enough to make poor
Dagley seem merry they only made his discontent less tonguetied than usual He
had also taken too much in the shape of muddy political talk a stimulant
dangerously disturbing to his farming conservatism which consisted in holding
that whatever is is bad and any change is likely to be worse He was flushed
and his eyes had a decidedly quarrelsome stare as he stood still grasping his
pitchfork while the landlord approached with his easy shuffling walk one hand
in his trouserpocket and the other swinging round a thin walkingstick
»Dagley my good fellow« began Mr Brooke conscious that he was going to
be very friendly about the boy
»Oh ay Im a good feller am I Thank ye sir thank ye« said Dagley
with a loud snarling irony which made Fag the sheepdog stir from his seat and
prick his ears but seeing Monk enter the yard after some outside loitering Fag
seated himself again in an attitude of observation »Im glad to hear Im a good
feller«
Mr Brooke reflected that it was marketday and that his worthy tenant had
probably been dining but saw no reason why he should not go on since he could
take the precaution of repeating what he had to say to Mrs Dagley
»Your little lad Jacob has been caught killing a leveret Dagley I have
told Johnson to lock him up in the empty stable an hour or two just to frighten
him you know But he will be brought home byandby before night and youll
just look after him will you and give him a reprimand you know«
»No I woont Ill be deed if Ill leather my boy to please you or anybody
else not if you was twenty landlords istid o one and that a bad un«
Dagleys words were loud enough to summon his wife to the backkitchen door
the only entrance ever used and one always open except in bad weather and
Mr Brooke saying soothingly »Well well Ill speak to your wife I didnt
mean beating you know« turned to walk to the house But Dagley only the more
inclined to »have his say« with a gentleman who walked away from him followed
at once with Fag slouching at his heels and sullenly evading some small and
probably charitable advances on the part of Monk
»How do you do Mrs Dagley« said Mr Brooke making some haste »I came to
tell you about your boy I dont want you to give him the stick you know« He
was careful to speak quite plainly this time
Overworked Mrs Dagley a thin worn woman from whose life pleasure had so
entirely vanished that she had not even any Sunday clothes which could give her
satisfaction in preparing for church had already had a misunderstanding with
her husband since he had come home and was in low spirits expecting the worst
But her husband was beforehand in answering
»No nor he woont hev the stick whether you want it or no« pursued
Dagley throwing out his voice as if he wanted it to hit hard »Youve got no
call to come an talk about sticks o these primises as you woont give a stick
towrt mending Go to Middlemarch to ax for your charrickter«
»Youd far better hold your tongue Dagley« said the wife »and not kick
your own trough over When a man as is father of a family has been an spent
money at market and made himself the worse for liquor hes done enough mischief
for one day But I should like to know what my boys done sir«
»Niver do you mind what hes done« said Dagley more fiercely »its my
business to speak an not yourn An I wull speak too Ill hev my say
supper or no An what I say is as Ive lived upo your ground from my father
and grandfather afore me an hev dropped our money intot an me an my
children might lie an rot on the ground for topdressin as we cant find the
money to buy if the King wasnt to put a stop«
»My good fellow youre drunk you know« said Mr Brooke confidentially
but not judiciously »Another day another day« he added turning as if to go
But Dagley immediately fronted him and Fag at his heels growled low as his
masters voice grew louder and more insulting while Monk also drew close in
silent dignified watch The labourers on the waggon were pausing to listen and
it seemed wiser to be quite passive than to attempt a ridiculous flight pursued
by a bawling man
»Im no more drunk nor you are nor so much« said Dagley »I can carry my
liquor an I know what I meean An I meean as the King ull put a stop tot
for them say it as knows it as theres to be a Rinform and them landlords as
never done the right thing by their tenants ull be treated i that way as
theyll hev to scuttle off An theres them i Middlemarch knows what the
Rinform is an as knows wholl hev to scuttle Says they I know who your
landlord is An says I I hope youre the better for knowin him I arnt Says
they Hes a closefisted un Ay ay says I Hes a man for the Rinform says
they Thats what they says An I made out what the Rinform were an it were
to send you an your likes ascuttlin an wi pretty strongsmellin things
too An you may do as you like now for Im none afeard on you An youd
better let my boy aloan an look to yoursen afore the Rinform has got upo
your back Thats what In got to say« concluded Mr Dagley striking his fork
into the ground with a firmness which proved inconvenient as he tried to draw it
up again
At this last action Monk began to bark loudly and it was a moment for Mr
Brooke to escape He walked out of the yard as quickly as he could in some
amazement at the novelty of his situation He had never been insulted on his own
land before and had been inclined to regard himself as a general favourite we
are all apt to do so when we think of our own amiability more than of what
other people are likely to want of us When he had quarrelled with Caleb Garth
twelve years before he had thought that the tenants would be pleased at the
landlords taking everything into his own hands
Some who follow the narrative of his experience may wonder at the midnight
darkness of Mr Dagley but nothing was easier in those times than for an
hereditary farmer of his grade to be ignorant in spite somehow of having a
rector in the twin parish who was a gentleman to the backbone a curate nearer
at hand who preached more learnedly than the rector a landlord who had gone
into everything especially fine art and social improvement and all the lights
of Middlemarch only three miles off As to the facility with which mortals
escape knowledge try an average acquaintance in the intellectual blaze of
London and consider what that eligible person for a dinnerparty would have
been if he had learned scant skill in »summing« from the parishclerk of Tipton
and read a chapter in the Bible with immense difficulty because such names as
Isaiah or Apollos remained unmanageable after twice spelling Poor Dagley read a
few verses sometimes on a Sunday evening and the world was at least not darker
to him than it had been before Some things he knew thoroughly namely the
slovenly habits of farming and the awkwardness of weather stock and crops at
Freemans End so called apparently by way of sarcasm to imply that a man was
free to quit it if he chose but that there was no earthly »beyond« open to him
Chapter XL
Wise in his daily work was he
To fruits of diligence
And not to faiths or polity
He plied his utmost sense
These perfect in their little parts
Whose work is all their prize
Without them how could laws or arts
Or towered cities rise
In watching effects if only of an electric battery it is often necessary to
change our place and examine a particular mixture or group at some distance from
the point where the movement we are interested in was set up The group I am
moving towards is at Caleb Garths breakfasttable in the large parlour where
the maps and desk were father mother and five of the children Mary was just
now at home waiting for a situation while Christy the boy next to her was
getting cheap learning and cheap fare in Scotland having to his fathers
disappointment taken to books instead of that sacred calling »business«
The letters had come nine costly letters for which the postman had been
paid three and twopence and Mr Garth was forgetting his tea and toast while he
read his letters and laid them open one above the other sometimes swaying his
head slowly sometimes screwing up his mouth in inward debate but not
forgetting to cut off a large red seal unbroken which Letty snatched up like an
eager terrier
The talk among the rest went on unrestrainedly for nothing disturbed
Calebs absorption except shaking the table when he was writing
Two letters of the nine had been for Mary After reading them she had
passed them to her mother and sat playing with her teaspoon absently till
with a sudden recollection she returned to her sewing which she had kept on her
lap during breakfast
»Oh dont sew Mary« said Ben pulling her arm down »Make me a peacock
with this breadcrumb« He had been kneading a small mass for the purpose
»No no Mischief« said Mary goodhumouredly while she pricked his hand
lightly with her needle »Try and mould it yourself you have seen me do it
often enough I must get this sewing done It is for Rosamond Vincy she is to
be married next week and she cant be married without this handkerchief« Mary
ended merrily amused with the last notion
»Why cant she Mary« said Letty seriously interested in this mystery and
pushing her head so close to her sister that Mary now turned the threatening
needle toward Lettys nose
»Because this is one of a dozen and without it there would only be eleven«
said Mary with a grave air of explanation so that Letty sank back with a sense
of knowledge.
»Have you made up your mind my dear« said Mrs Garth laying the letters
down
»I shall go to the school at York« said Mary »I am less unfit to teach in
a school than in a family I like to teach classes best And you see I must
teach there is nothing else to be done«
»Teaching seems to me the most delightful work in the world« said Mrs
Garth with a touch of rebuke in her tone »I could understand your objection to
it if you had not knowledge enough Mary or if you disliked children«
»I suppose we never quite understand why another dislikes what we like
mother« said Mary rather curtly »I am not fond of a schoolroom I like the
outside world better It is a very inconvenient fault of mine«
»It must be very stupid to be always in a girls school« said Alfred »Such
a set of nincompoops like Mrs Ballards pupils walking two and two«
»And they have no games worth playing at« said Jim »They can neither throw
nor leap I dont wonder at Marys not liking it«
»What is that Mary doesnt like eh« said the father looking over his
spectacles and pausing before he opened his next letter
»Being among a lot of nincompoop girls« said Alfred
»Is it the situation you had heard of Mary« said Caleb gently looking at
his daughter
»Yes father the school at York I have determined to take it It is quite
the best Thirtyfive pounds ayear and extra pay for teaching the smallest
strummers at the piano«
»Poor child I wish she could stay at home with us Susan« said Caleb
looking plaintively at his wife
»Mary would not be happy without doing her duty« said Mrs Garth
magisterially conscious of having done her own
»It wouldnt make me happy to do such a nasty duty as that« said Alfred
at which Mary and her father laughed silently but Mrs Garth said gravely
»Do find a fitter word than nasty my dear Alfred for everything that you
think disagreeable And suppose that Mary could help you to go to Mr Hanmers
with the money she gets«
»That seems to me a great shame But shes an old brick« said Alfred
rising from his chair and pulling Marys head backward to kiss her
Mary coloured and laughed but could not conceal that the tears were coming
Caleb looking on over his spectacles with the angles of his eyebrows falling
had an expression of mingled delight and sorrow as he returned to the opening of
his letter and even Mrs Garth her lips curling with a calm contentment
allowed that inappropriate language to pass without correction although Ben
immediately took it up and sang »Shes an old brick old brick old brick« to
a cantering measure which he beat out with his fist on Marys arm
But Mrs Garths eyes were now drawn towards her husband who was already
deep in the letter he was reading His face had an expression of grave surprise
which alarmed her a little but he did not like to be questioned while he was
reading and she remained anxiously watching till she saw him suddenly shaken by
a little joyous laugh as he turned back to the beginning of the letter and
looking at her above his spectacles said in a low tone »What do you think
Susan«
She went and stood behind him putting her hand on his shoulder while they
read the letter together It was from Sir James Chettam offering to Mr Garth
the management of the family estates at Freshitt and elsewhere and adding that
Sir James had been requested by Mr Brooke of Tipton to ascertain whether Mr
Garth would be disposed at the same time to resume the agency of the Tipton
property The Baronet added in very obliging words that he himself was
particularly desirous of seeing the Freshitt and Tipton estates under the same
management and he hoped to be able to show that the double agency might be held
on terms agreeable to Mr Garth whom he would be glad to see at the Hall at
twelve oclock on the following day
»He writes handsomely doesnt he Susan« said Caleb turning his eyes
upward to his wife who raised her hand from his shoulder to his ear while she
rested her chin on his head »Brooke didnt like to ask me himself I can see«
he continued laughing silently
»Here is an honour to your father children« said Mrs Garth looking round
at the five pair of eyes all fixed on the parents »He is asked to take a post
again by those who dismissed him long ago That shows that he did his work well
so that they feel the want of him«
»Like Cincinnatus hooray« said Ben riding on his chair with a pleasant
confidence that discipline was relaxed
»Will they come to fetch him mother« said Letty thinking of the Mayor and
Corporation in their robes
Mrs Garth patted Lettys head and smiled but seeing that her husband was
gathering up his letters and likely soon to be out of reach in that sanctuary
»business« she pressed his shoulder and said emphatically
»Now mind you ask fair pay Caleb«
»Oh yes« said Caleb in a deep voice of assent as if it would be
unreasonable to suppose anything else of him »Itll come to between four and
five hundred the two together« Then with a little start of remembrance he
said »Mary write and give up that school Stay and help your mother Im as
pleased as Punch now Ive thought of that«
No manner could have been less like that of Punch triumphant than Calebs
but his talents did not lie in finding phrases though he was very particular
about his letterwriting and regarded his wife as a treasury of correct
language
There was almost an uproar among the children now and Mary held up the
cambric embroidery towards her mother entreatingly that it might be put out of
reach while the boys dragged her into a dance Mrs Garth in placid joy began
to put the cups and plates together while Caleb pushing his chair from the
table as if he were going to move to the desk still sat holding his letters in
his hand and looking on the ground meditatively stretching out the fingers of
his left hand according to a mute language of his own At last he said
»Its a thousand pities Christy didnt take to business Susan I shall want
help byandby And Alfred must go off to the engineering Ive made up my mind
to that« He fell into meditation and fingerrhetoric again for a little while
and then continued »I shall make Brooke have new agreements with the tenants
and I shall draw up a rotation of crops And Ill lay a wager we can get fine
bricks out of the clay at Botts corner I must look into that it would cheapen
the repairs Its a fine hit of work Susan A man without a family would be
glad to do it for nothing«
»Mind you dont though« said his wife lifting up her finger
»No no but its a fine thing to come to a man when hes seen into the
nature of business to have the chance of getting a bit of the country into good
fettle as they say and putting men into the right way with their farming and
getting a bit of good contriving and solid building done that those who are
living and those who come after will be the better for Id sooner have it than
a fortune I hold it the most honourable work that is« Here Caleb laid down his
letters thrust his fingers between the buttons of his waistcoat and sat
upright but presently proceeded with some awe in his voice and moving his head
slowly aside »Its a great gift of God Susan«
»That it is Caleb« said his wife with answering fervour »And it will be
a blessing to your children to have had a father who did such work a father
whose good work remains though his name may be forgotten« She could not say any
more to him then about the pay
In the evening when Caleb rather tired with his days work was seated in
silence with his pocketbook open on his knee while Mrs Garth and Mary were at
their sewing and Letty in a corner was whispering a dialogue with her doll Mr
Farebrother came up the orchard walk dividing the bright August lights and
shadows with the tufted grass and the appletree boughs We know that he was
fond of his parishioners the Garths and had thought Mary worth mentioning to
Lydgate He used to the full the clergymans privilege of disregarding the
Middlemarch discrimination of ranks and always told his mother that Mrs Garth
was more of a lady than any matron in the town Still you see he spent his
evenings at the Vincys where the matron though less of a lady presided over
a welllit drawingroom and whist In those days human intercourse was not
determined solely by respect But the Vicar did heartily respect the Garths and
a visit from him was no surprise to that family Nevertheless he accounted for
it even while he was shaking hands by saying »I come as an envoy Mrs Garth
I have something to say to you and Garth on behalf of Fred Vincy The fact is
poor fellow« he continued as he seated himself and looked round with his
bright glance at the three who were listening to him »he has taken me into his
confidence«
Marys heart beat rather quickly she wondered how far Freds confidence had
gone
»We havent seen the lad for months« said Caleb »I couldnt think what was
become of him«
»He has been away on a visit« said the Vicar »because home was a little
too hot for him and Lydgate told his mother that the poor fellow must not begin
to study yet But yesterday he came and poured himself out to me I am very glad
he did because I have seen him grow up from a youngster of fourteen and I am
so much at home in the house that the children are like nephews and nieces to
me But it is a difficult case to advise upon However he has asked me to come
and tell you that he is going away and that he is so miserable about his debt
to you and his inability to pay that he cant bear to come himself even to bid
you goodbye«
»Tell him it doesnt signify a farthing« said Caleb waving his hand
»Weve had the pinch and have got over it And now Im going to be as rich as a
Jew«
»Which means« said Mrs Garth smiling at the Vicar »that we are going to
have enough to bring up the boys well and to keep Mary at home«
»What is the treasuretrove« said Mr Farebrother
»Im going to be agent for two estates Freshitt and Tipton and perhaps for
a pretty little bit of land in Lowick besides its all the same family
connection and employment spreads like water if its once set going It makes
me very happy Mr Farebrother« here Caleb threw back his head a little and
spread his arms on the elbows of his chair »that Ive got an opportunity again
with the letting of the land and carrying out a notion or two with
improvements Its a most uncommonly cramping thing as Ive often told Susan
to sit on horseback and look over the hedges at the wrong thing and not be able
to put your hand to it to make it right What people do who go into politics I
cant think it drives me almost mad to see mismanagement over only a few
hundred acres«
It was seldom that Caleb volunteered so long a speech but his happiness had
the effect of mountain air his eyes were bright and the words came without
effort
»I congratulate you heartily Garth« said the Vicar »This is the best sort
of news I could have had to carry to Fred Vincy for he dwelt a good deal on the
injury he had done you in causing you to part with money robbing you of it he
said which you wanted for other purposes I wish Fred were not such an idle
dog he has some very good points and his father is a little hard upon him«
»Where is he going« said Mrs Garth rather coldly
»He means to try again for his degree and he is going up to study before
term I have advised him to do that I dont urge him to enter the Church on
the contrary But if he will go and work so as to pass that will be some
guarantee that he has energy and a will and he is quite at sea he doesnt know
what else to do So far he will please his father and I have promised in the
mean time to try and reconcile Vincy to his sons adopting some other line of
life Fred says frankly he is not fit for a clergyman and I would do anything I
could to hinder a man from the fatal step of choosing the wrong profession He
quoted to me what you said Miss Garth do you remember it« Mr Farebrother
used to say »Mary« instead of »Miss Garth« but it was part of his delicacy to
treat her with the more deference because according to Mrs Vincys phrase she
worked for her bread
Mary felt uncomfortable but determined to take the matter lightly
answered at once »I have said so many impertinent things to Fred we are such
old playfellows«
»You said according to him that he would be one of those ridiculous
clergymen who help to make the whole clergy ridiculous Really that was so
cutting that I felt a little cut myself«
Caleb laughed »She gets her tongue from you Susan« he said with some
enjoyment
»Not its flippancy father« said Mary quickly fearing that her mother
would be displeased »It is rather too bad of Fred to repeat my flippant
speeches to Mr Farebrother«
»It was certainly a hasty speech my dear« said Mrs Garth with whom
speaking evil of dignities was a high misdemeanour »We should not value our
Vicar the less because there was a ridiculous curate in the next parish«
»Theres something in what she says though« said Caleb not disposed to
have Marys sharpness undervalued »A bad workman of any sort makes his fellows
mistrusted Things hang together« he added looking on the floor and moving his
feet uneasily with a sense that words were scantier than thoughts
»Clearly« said the Vicar amused »By being contemptible we set mens minds
to the tune of contempt I certainly agree with Miss Garths view of the matter
whether I am condemned by it or not But as to Fred Vincy it is only fair he
should be excused a little old Featherstones delusive behaviour did help to
spoil him There was something quite diabolical in not leaving him a farthing
after all But Fred has the good taste not to dwell on that And what he cares
most about is having offended you Mrs Garth he supposes you will never think
well of him again«
»I have been disappointed in Fred« said Mrs Garth with decision »But I
shall be ready to think well of him again when he gives me good reason to do
so«
At this point Mary went out of the room taking Letty with her
»Oh we must forgive young people when theyre sorry« said Caleb watching
Mary close the door »And as you say Mr Farebrother there was the very devil
in that old man Now Marys gone out I must tell you a thing its only known
to Susan and me and youll not tell it again The old scoundrel wanted Mary to
burn one of the wills the very night he died when she was sitting up with him
by herself and he offered her a sum of money that he had in the box by him if
she would do it But Mary you understand could do no such thing would not be
handling his iron chest and so on Now you see the will he wanted burnt was
this last so that if Mary had done what he wanted Fred Vincy would have had
ten thousand pounds The old man did turn to him at the last That touches poor
Mary close she couldnt help it she was in the right to do what she did but
she feels as she says much as if she had knocked down somebodys property and
broken it against her will when she was rightfully defending herself I feel
with her somehow and if I could make any amends to the poor lad instead of
bearing him a grudge for the harm he did us I should be glad to do it Now
what is your opinion sir Susan doesnt agree with me She says tell what you
say Susan«
»Mary could not have acted otherwise even if she had known what would be
the effect on Fred« said Mrs Garth pausing from her work and looking at Mr
Farebrother »And she was quite ignorant of it It seems to me a loss which
falls on another because we have done right is not to lie upon our conscience«
The Vicar did not answer immediately and Caleb said »Its the feeling The
child feels in that way and I feel with her You dont mean your horse to tread
on a dog when youre backing out of the way but it goes through you when its
done«
»I am sure Mrs Garth would agree with you there« said Mr Farebrother who
for some reason seemed more inclined to ruminate than to speak »One could
hardly say that the feeling you mention about Fred is wrong or rather
mistaken though no man ought to make a claim on such feeling«
»Well well« said Caleb »its a secret You will not tell Fred«
»Certainly not But I shall carry the other good news that you can afford
the loss he caused you«
Mr Farebrother left the house soon after and seeing Mary in the orchard
with Letty went to say goodbye to her They made a pretty picture in the
western light which brought out the brightness of the apples on the old
scantleaved boughs Mary in her lavender gingham and black ribbons holding a
basket while Letty in her wellworn nankin picked up the fallen apples If you
want to know more particularly how Mary looked ten to one you will see a face
like hers in the crowded street tomorrow if you are there on the watch she
will not be among those daughters of Zion who are haughty and walk with
stretchedout necks and wanton eyes mincing as they go let all those pass and
fix your eyes on some small plump brownish person of firm but quiet carriage
who looks about her but does not suppose that anybody is looking at her If she
has a broad face and square brow wellmarked eyebrows and curly dark hair a
certain expression of amusement in her glance which her mouth keeps the secret
of and for the rest features entirely insignificant take that ordinary but
not disagreeable person for a portrait of Mary Garth If you made her smile she
would show you perfect little teeth if you made her angry she would not raise
her voice but would probably say one of the bitterest things you have ever
tasted the flavour of if you did her a kindness she would never forget it
Mary admired the keenfaced handsome little Vicar in his wellbrushed threadbare
clothes more than any man she had had the opportunity of knowing She had never
heard him say a foolish thing though she knew that he did unwise ones and
perhaps foolish sayings were more objectionable to her than any of Mr
Farebrothers unwise doings At least it was remarkable that the actual
imperfections of the Vicars clerical character never seemed to call forth the
same scorn and dislike which she showed beforehand for the predicted
imperfections of the clerical character sustained by Fred Vincy These
irregularities of judgment I imagine are found even in riper minds than Mary
Garths our impartiality is kept for abstract merit and demerit which none of
us ever saw Will any one guess towards which of those widely different men Mary
had the peculiar womans tenderness the one she was most inclined to be
severe on or the contrary
»Have you any message for your old playfellow Miss Garth« said the Vicar
as he took a fragrant apple from the basket which she held towards him and put
it in his pocket »Something to soften down that harsh judgment I am going
straight to see him«
»No« said Mary shaking her head and smiling »If I were to say that he
would not be ridiculous as a clergyman I must say that he would be something
worse than ridiculous But I am very glad to hear that he is going away to
work«
»On the other hand I am very glad to hear that you are not going away to
work My mother I am sure will be all the happier if you will come to see her
at the vicarage you know she is fond of having young people to talk to and she
has a great deal to tell about old times You will really be doing a kindness«
»I should like it very much if I may« said Mary »Everything seems too
happy for me all at once I thought it would always be part of my life to long
for home and losing that grievance makes me feel rather empty I suppose it
served instead of sense to fill up my mind«
»May I go with you Mary« whispered Letty a most inconvenient child who
listened to everything But she was made exultant by having her chin pinched and
her cheek kissed by Mr Farebrother an incident which she narrated to her
mother and father
As the Vicar walked to Lowick any one watching him closely might have seen
him twice shrug his shoulders I think that the rare Englishmen who have this
gesture are never of the heavy type for fear of any lumbering instance to the
contrary I will say hardly ever they have usually a fine temperament and much
tolerance towards the smaller errors of men themselves inclusive The Vicar
was holding an inward dialogue in which he told himself that there was probably
something more between Fred and Mary Garth than the regard of old playfellows
and replied with a question whether that bit of womanhood were not a great deal
too choice for that crude young gentleman The rejoinder to this was the first
shrug Then he laughed at himself for being likely to have felt jealous as if
he had been a man able to marry which added he it is as clear as any
balancesheet that I am not Whereupon followed the second shrug
What could two men so different from each other see in this »brown patch«
as Mary called herself It was certainly not her plainness that attracted them
and let all plain young ladies be warned against the dangerous encouragement
given them by Society to confide in their want of beauty A human being in this
aged nation of ours is a very wonderful whole the slow creation of long
interchanging influences and charm is a result of two such wholes the one
loving and the one loved
When Mr and Mrs Garth were sitting alone Caleb said »Susan guess what
Im thinking of«
»The rotation of crops« said Mrs Garth smiling at him above her
knitting »or else the backdoors of the Tipton cottages«
»No« said Caleb gravely »I am thinking that I could do a great turn for
Fred Vincy Christys gone Alfred will be gone soon and it will be five years
before Jim is ready to take to business I shall want help and Fred might come
in and learn the nature of things and act under me and it might be the making
of him into a useful man if he gives up being a parson What do you think«
»I think there is hardly anything honest that his family would object to
more« said Mrs Garth decidedly
»What care I about their objecting« said Caleb with a sturdiness which he
was apt to show when he had an opinion »The lad is of age and must get his
bread He has sense enough and quickness enough he likes being on the land and
its my belief that he could learn business well if he gave his mind to it«
»But would he His father and mother wanted him to be a fine gentleman and
I think he has the same sort of feeling himself They all think us beneath them
And if the proposal came from you I am sure Mrs Vincy would say that we wanted
Fred for Mary«
»Life is a poor tale if it is to be settled by nonsense of that sort« said
Caleb with disgust
»Yes but there is a certain pride which is proper Caleb«
»I call it improper pride to let fools notions hinder you from doing a good
action Theres no sort of work« said Caleb with fervour putting out his hand
and moving it up and down to mark his emphasis »that could ever be done well
if you minded what fools say You must have it inside you that your plan is
right and that plan you must follow«
»I will not oppose any plan you have set your mind on Caleb« said Mrs
Garth who was a firm woman but knew that there were some points on which her
mild husband was yet firmer »Still it seems to be fixed that Fred is to go
back to college will it not be better to wait and see what he will choose to do
after that It is not easy to keep people against their will And you are not
yet quite sure enough of your own position or what you will want«
»Well it may be better to wait a bit But as to my getting plenty of work
for two Im pretty sure of that Ive always had my hands full with scattered
things and theres always something fresh turning up Why only yesterday
bless me I dont think I told you it was rather odd that two men should have
been at me on different sides to do the same bit of valuing And who do you
think they were« said Caleb taking a pinch of snuff and holding it up between
his fingers as if it were a part of his exposition He was fond of a pinch when
it occurred to him but he usually forgot that this indulgence was at his
command
His wife held down her knitting and looked attentive
»Why that Rigg or Rigg Featherstone was one But Bulstrode was before
him so Im going to do it for Bulstrode Whether its mortgage or purchase
theyre going for I cant tell yet«
»Can that man be going to sell the land just left him which he has taken
the name for« said Mrs Garth
»Deuce knows« said Caleb who never referred the knowledge of discreditable
doings to any higher power than the deuce »But Bulstrode has long been wanting
to get a handsome bit of land under his fingers that I know And its a
difficult matter to get in this part of the country«
Caleb scattered his snuff carefully instead of taking it and then added
»The ins and outs of things are curious Here is the land theyve been all along
expecting for Fred which it seems the old man never meant to leave him a foot
of but left it to this sideslip of a son that he kept in the dark and thought
of his sticking there and vexing everybody as well as he could have vexed em
himself if he could have kept alive I say it would be curious if it got into
Bulstrodes hands after all The old man hated him and never would bank with
him«
»What reason could the miserable creature have for hating a man whom he had
nothing to do with« said Mrs Garth
»Pooh wheres the use of asking for such fellows reasons The soul of
man« said Caleb with the deep tone and grave shake of the head which always
came when he used this phrase »the soul of man when it gets fairly rotten
will bear you all sorts of poisonous toadstools and no eye can see whence came
the seed thereof«
It was one of Calebs quaintnesses that in his difficulty of finding speech
for his thought he caught as it were snatches of diction which he associated
with various points of view or states of mind and whenever he had a feeling of
awe he was haunted by a sense of Biblical phraseology though he could hardly
have given a strict quotation
Chapter XLI
»By swaggering could I never thrive
For the rain it raineth every day«
Twelfth Night
The transactions referred to by Caleb Garth as having gone forward between Mr
Bulstrode and Mr Joshua Rigg Featherstone concerning the land attached to Stone
Court had occasioned the interchange of a letter or two between these
personages
Who shall tell what may be the effect of writing If it happens to have been
cut in stone though it lie face downmost for ages on a forsaken beach or »rest
quietly under the drums and tramplings of many conquests« it may end by letting
us into the secret of usurpations and other scandals gossiped about long empires
ago this world being apparently a huge whisperinggallery Such conditions
are often minutely represented in our petty lifetimes As the stone which has
been kicked by generations of clowns may come by curious little links of effect
under the eyes of a scholar through whose labours it may at last fix the date
of invasions and unlock religions so a bit of ink and paper which has long been
an innocent wrapping or stopgap may at last be laid open under the one pair of
eyes which have knowledge enough to turn it into the opening of a catastrophe
To Uriel watching the progress of planetary history from the Sun the one result
would be just as much of a coincidence as the other
Having made this rather lofty comparison I am less uneasy in calling
attention to the existence of low people by whose interference however little
we may like it the course of the world is very much determined It would be
well certainly if we could help to reduce their number and something might
perhaps be done by not lightly giving occasion to their existence Socially
speaking Joshua Rigg would have been generally pronounced a superfluity But
those who like Peter Featherstone never had a copy of themselves demanded are
the very last to wait for such a request either in prose or verse The copy in
this case bore more of outside resemblance to the mother in whose sex
frogfeatures accompanied with freshcoloured cheeks and a wellrounded figure
are compatible with much charm for a certain order of admirers The result is
sometimes a frogfaced male desirable surely to no order of intelligent
beings Especially when he is suddenly brought into evidence to frustrate other
peoples expectations the very lowest aspect in which a social superfluity can
present himself
But Mr Rigg Featherstones low characteristics were all of the sober
waterdrinking kind From the earliest to the latest hour of the day he was
always as sleek neat and cool as the frog he resembled and old Peter had
secretly chuckled over an offshoot almost more calculating and far more
imperturbable than himself I will add that his fingernails were scrupulously
attended to and that he meant to marry a welleducated young lady as yet
unspecified whose person was good and whose connections in a solid
middleclass way were undeniable Thus his nails and modesty were comparable to
those of most gentlemen though his ambition had been educated only by the
opportunities of a clerk and accountant in the smaller commercial houses of a
seaport He thought the rural Featherstones very simple absurd people and they
in their turn regarded his »bringing up« in a seaport town as an exaggeration of
the monstrosity that their brother Peter and still more Peters property
should have had such belongings
The garden and gravel approach as seen from the two windows of the
wainscoated parlour at Stone Court were never in better trim than now when Mr
Rigg Featherstone stood with his hands behind him looking out on these grounds
as their master But it seemed doubtful whether he looked out for the sake of
contemplation or of turning his back to a person who stood in the middle of the
room with his legs considerably apart and his hands in his trouserpockets a
person in all respects a contrast to the sleek and cool Rigg He was a man
obviously on the way towards sixty very florid and hairy with much grey in his
bushy whiskers and thick curly hair a stoutish body which showed to
disadvantage the somewhat worn joinings of his clothes and the air of a
swaggerer who would aim at being noticeable even at a show of fireworks
regarding his own remarks on any other persons performance as likely to be more
interesting than the performance itself
His name was John Raffles and he sometimes wrote jocosely WAG after his
signature observing when he did so that he was once taught by Leonard Lamb of
Finsbury who wrote B.A. after his name and that he Raffles originated the
witticism of calling that celebrated principal BaLamb Such were the appearance
and mental flavour of Mr Raffles both of which seemed to have a stale odour of
travellers rooms in the commercial hotels of that period
»Come now Josh« he was saying in a full rumbling tone »look at it in
this light here is your poor mother going into the vale of years and you could
afford something handsome now to make her comfortable«
»Not while you live Nothing would make her comfortable while you live«
returned Rigg in his cool high voice »What I give her youll take«
»You bear me a grudge Josh that I know But come now as between man and
man without humbug a little capital might enable me to make a firstrate
thing of the shop The tobacco trade is growing I should cut my own nose off in
not doing the best I could at it I should stick to it like a flea to a fleece
for my own sake I should always be on the spot And nothing would make your
poor mother so happy Ive pretty well done with my wild oats turned
fiftyfive I want to settle down in my chimneycorner And if I once buckled to
the tobacco trade I could bring an amount of brains and experience to bear on
it that would not be found elsewhere in a hurry I dont want to be bothering
you one time after another but to get things once for all into the right
channel Consider that Josh as between man and man and with your poor
mother to be made easy for her life I was always fond of the old woman by
Jove«
»Have you done« said Mr Rigg quietly without looking away from the
window
»Yes Ive done« said Raffles taking hold of his hat which stood before
him on the table and giving it a sort of oratorical push
»Then just listen to me The more you say anything the less I shall believe
it The more you want me to do a thing the more reason I shall have for never
doing it Do you think I mean to forget your kicking me when I was a lad and
eating all the best victual away from me and my mother Do you think I forget
your always coming home to sell and pocket everything and going off again
leaving us in the lurch I should be glad to see you whipped at the carttail
My mother was a fool to you shed no right to give me a fatherinlaw and
shes been punished for it She shall have her weekly allowance paid and no
more and that shall be stopped if you dare to come on to these premises again
or to come into this country after me again The next time you show yourself
inside the gates here you shall be driven off with the dogs and the waggoners
whip«
As Rigg pronounced the last words he turned round and looked at Raffles with
his prominent frozen eyes The contrast was as striking as it could have been
eighteen years before when Rigg was a most unengaging kickable boy and Raffles
was the rather thickset Adonis of barrooms and backparlours But the
advantage now was on the side of Rigg and auditors of this conversation might
probably have expected that Raffles would retire with the air of a defeated dog
Not at all He made a grimace which was habitual with him whenever he was »out«
in a game then subsided into a laugh and drew a brandy from his pocket
»Come Josh« he said in a cajoling tone »give us a spoonful of brandy
and a sovereign to pay the way back and Ill go Honour bright Ill go like a
bullet by Jove«
»Mind« said Rigg drawing out a bunch of keys »if I ever see you again I
shant speak to you I dont own you any more than if I saw a crow and if you
want to own me youll get nothing by it but a character for being what you are
a spiteful brassy bullying rogue«
»Thats a pity now Josh« said Raffles affecting to scratch his head and
wrinkle his brows upward as if he were nonplussed »Im very fond of you by
Jove I am Theres nothing I like better than plaguing you youre so like
your mother and I must do without it But the brandy and the sovereigns a
bargain«
He jerked forward the flask and Rigg went to a fine old oaken bureau with
his keys But Raffles had reminded himself by his movement with the flask that
it had become dangerously loose from its leather covering and catching sight of
a folded paper which had fallen within the fender he took it up and shoved it
under the leather so as to make the glass firm
By that time Rigg came forward with a brandybottle filled the flask and
handed Raffles a sovereign neither looking at him nor speaking to him After
locking up the bureau again he walked to the window and gazed out as impassibly
as he had done at the beginning of the interview while Raffles took a small
allowance from the flask screwed it up and deposited it in his sidepocket
with provoking slowness making a grimace at his stepsons back
»Farewell Josh and if for ever« said Raffles turning back his head as
he opened the door
Rigg saw him leave the grounds and enter the lane The grey day had turned
to a light drizzling rain which freshened the hedgerows and the grassy borders
of the byroads and hastened the labourers who were loading the last shocks of
corn Raffles walking with the uneasy gait of a town loiterer obliged to do a
bit of country journeying on foot looked as incongruous amid this moist rural
quiet and industry as if he had been a baboon escaped from a menagerie But
there were none to stare at him except the longweaned calves and none to show
dislike of his appearance except the little waterrats which rustled away at his
approach
He was fortunate enough when he got on to the highroad to be overtaken by
the stagecoach which carried him to Brassing and there he took the newmade
railway observing to his fellowpassengers that he considered it pretty well
seasoned now it had done for Huskisson Mr Raffles on most occasions kept up
the sense of having been educated at an academy and being able if he chose to
pass well everywhere indeed there was not one of his fellowmen whom he did
not feel himself in a position to ridicule and torment confident of the
entertainment which he thus gave to all the rest of the company
He played this part now with as much spirit as if his journey had been
entirely successful resorting at frequent intervals to his flask The paper
with which he had wedged it was a letter signed Nicholas Bulstrode but Raffles
was not likely to disturb it from its present useful position
Chapter XLII
»How much methinks I could despise this man
Were I not bound in charity against it«
Shakespeare Henry VIII
One of the professional calls made by Lydgate soon after his return from his
weddingjourney was to Lowick Manor in consequence of a letter which had
requested him to fix a time for his visit
Mr Casaubon had never put any question concerning the nature of his illness
to Lydgate nor had he even to Dorothea betrayed any anxiety as to how far it
might be likely to cut short his labours or his life On this point as on all
others he shrank from pity and if the suspicion of being pitied for anything
in his lot surmised or known in spite of himself was embittering the idea of
calling forth a show of compassion by frankly admitting an alarm or a sorrow was
necessarily intolerable to him Every proud mind knows something of this
experience, and perhaps it is only to be overcome by a sense of fellowship deep
enough to make all efforts at isolation seem mean and petty instead of exalting
But Mr Casaubon was now brooding over something through which the question
of his health and life haunted his silence with a more harassing importunity
even than through the autumnal unripeness of his authorship It is true that
this last might be called his central ambition but there are some kinds of
authorship in which by far the largest result is the uneasy susceptibility
accumulated in the consciousness of the author one knows of the river by a few
streaks amid a longgathered deposit of uncomfortable mud That was the way with
Mr Casaubons hard intellectual labours Their most characteristic result was
not the Key to all Mythologies but a morbid consciousness that others did not
give him the place which he had not demonstrably merited a perpetual
suspicious conjecture that the views entertained of him were not to his
advantage a melancholy absence of passion in his efforts at achievement and a
passionate resistance to the confession that he had achieved nothing
Thus his intellectual ambition which seemed to others to have absorbed and
dried him was really no security against wounds least of all against those
which came from Dorothea And he had begun now to frame possibilities for the
future which were somehow more embittering to him than anything his mind had
dwelt on before
Against certain facts he was helpless against Will Ladislaws existence
his defiant stay in the neighbourhood of Lowick and his flippant state of mind
with regard to the possessors of authentic wellstamped erudition against
Dorotheas nature always taking on some new shape of ardent activity and even
in submission and silence covering fervid reasons which it was an irritation to
think of against certain notions and likings which had taken possession of her
mind in relation to subjects that he could not possibly discuss with her There
was no denying that Dorothea was as virtuous and lovely a young lady as he could
have obtained for a wife but a young lady turned out to be something more
troublesome than he had conceived She nursed him she read to him she
anticipated his wants and was solicitous about his feelings but there had
entered into the husbands mind the certainty that she judged him and that her
wifely devotedness was like a penitential expiation of unbelieving thoughts
was accompanied with a power of comparison by which himself and his doings were
seen too luminously as a part of things in general His discontent passed
vapourlike through all her gentle loving manifestations and clung to that
inappreciative world which she had only brought nearer to him
Poor Mr Casaubon This suffering was the harder to bear because it seemed
like a betrayal the young creature who had worshipped him with perfect trust
had quickly turned into the critical wife and early instances of criticism and
resentment had made an impression which no tenderness and submission afterwards
could remove To his suspicious interpretation Dorotheas silence now was a
suppressed rebellion a remark from her which he had not in any way anticipated
was an assertion of conscious superiority her gentle answers had an irritating
cautiousness in them and when she acquiesced it was a self-approved effort of
forbearance The tenacity with which he strove to hide this inward drama made it
the more vivid for him as we hear with the more keenness what we wish others
not to hear
Instead of wondering at this result of misery in Mr Casaubon I think it
quite ordinary Will not a tiny speck very close to our vision blot out the
glory of the world and leave only a margin by which we see the blot I know no
speck so troublesome as self And who if Mr Casaubon had chosen to expound his
discontents his suspicions that he was not any longer adored without criticism
could have denied that they were founded on good reasons On the contrary
there was a strong reason to be added which he had not himself taken explicitly
into account namely that he was not unmixedly adorable He suspected this
however as he suspected other things without confessing it and like the rest
of us felt how soothing it would have been to have a companion who would never
find it out
This sore susceptibility in relation to Dorothea was thoroughly prepared
before Will Ladislaw had returned to Lowick and what had occurred since then
had brought Mr Casaubons power of suspicious construction into exasperated
activity To all the facts which he knew he added imaginary facts both present
and future which became more real to him than those because they called up a
stronger dislike a more predominating bitterness Suspicion and jealousy of
Will Ladislaws intentions suspicion and jealousy of Dorotheas impressions
were constantly at their weaving work It would be quite unjust to him to
suppose that he could have entered into any coarse misinterpretation of
Dorothea his own habits of mind and conduct quite as much as the open
elevation of her nature saved him from any such mistake What he was jealous of
was her opinion the sway that might be given to her ardent mind in its
judgments and the future possibilities to which these might lead her As to
Will though until his last defiant letter he had nothing definite which he
would choose formally to allege against him he felt himself warranted in
believing that he was capable of any design which could fascinate a rebellious
temper and an undisciplined impulsiveness He was quite sure that Dorothea was
the cause of Wills return from Rome and his determination to settle in the
neighbourhood and he was penetrating enough to imagine that Dorothea had
innocently encouraged this course It was as clear as possible that she was
ready to be attached to Will and to be pliant to his suggestions they had never
had a têteà tête without her bringing away from it some new troublesome
impression and the last interview that Mr Casaubon was aware of Dorothea on
returning from Freshitt Hall had for the first time been silent about having
seen Will had led to a scene which roused an angrier feeling against them both
than he had ever known before Dorotheas outpouring of her notions about money
in the darkness of the night had done nothing but bring a mixture of more
odious foreboding into her husbands mind
And there was the shock lately given to his health always sadly present with
him He was certainly much revived he had recovered all his usual power of
work the illness might have been mere fatigue and there might still be twenty
years of achievement before him which would justify the thirty years of
preparation That prospect was made the sweeter by a flavour of vengeance
against the hasty sneers of Carp amp Company for even when Mr Casaubon was
carrying his taper among the tombs of the past those modern figures came
athwart the dim light and interrupted his diligent exploration To convince
Carp of his mistake so that he would have to eat his own words with a good deal
of indigestion would be an agreeable accident of triumphant authorship which
the prospect of living to future ages on earth and to all eternity in heaven
could not exclude from contemplation Since thus the prevision of his own
unending bliss could not nullify the bitter savours of irritated jealousy and
vindictiveness it is the less surprising that the probability of a transient
earthly bliss for other persons when he himself should have entered into glory
had not a potently sweetening effect If the truth should be that some
undermining disease was at work within him there might be large opportunity for
some people to be the happier when he was gone and if one of those people
should be Will Ladislaw Mr Casaubon objected so strongly that it seemed as if
the annoyance would make part of his disembodied existence
This is a very bare and therefore a very incomplete way of putting the case
The human soul moves in many channels and Mr Casaubon we know had a sense of
rectitude and an honourable pride in satisfying the requirements of honour
which compelled him to find other reasons for his conduct than those of jealousy
and vindictiveness The way in which Mr Casaubon put the case was this
»In marrying Dorothea Brooke I had to care for her wellbeing in case of my
death But wellbeing is not to be secured by ample independent possession of
property on the contrary occasions might arise in which such possession might
expose her to the more danger She is ready prey to any man who knows how to
play adroitly either on her affectionate ardour or her Quixotic enthusiasm and
a man stands by with that very intention in his mind a man with no other
principle than transient caprice and who has a personal animosity towards me
I am sure of it an animosity which is fed by the consciousness of his
ingratitude and which he has constantly vented in ridicule of which I am as
well assured as if I had heard it Even if I live I shall not be without
uneasiness as to what he may attempt through indirect influence This man has
gained Dorotheas ear he has fascinated her attention he has evidently tried
to impress her mind with the notion that he has claims beyond anything I have
done for him If I die and he is waiting here on the watch for that he will
persuade her to marry him That would be calamity for her and success for him
She would not think it calamity he would make her believe anything she has a
tendency to immoderate attachment which she inwardly reproaches me for not
responding to and already her mind is occupied with his fortunes He thinks of
an easy conquest and of entering into my nest That I will hinder Such a
marriage would be fatal to Dorothea Has he ever persisted in anything except
from contradiction In knowledge he has always tried to be showy at small cost
In religion he could be as long as it suited him the facile echo of Dorotheas
vagaries When was sciolism ever dissociated from laxity I utterly distrust his
morals and it is my duty to hinder to the utmost the fulfilment of his
designs«
The arrangements made by Mr Casaubon on his marriage left strong measures
open to him but in ruminating on them his mind inevitably dwelt so much on the
probabilities of his own life that the longing to get the nearest possible
calculation had at last overcome his proud reticence and had determined him to
ask Lydgates opinion as to the nature of his illness
He had mentioned to Dorothea that Lydgate was coming by appointment at
halfpast three and in answer to her anxious question whether he had felt ill
replied »No I merely wish to have his opinion concerning some habitual
symptoms You need not see him my dear I shall give orders that he may be sent
to me in the YewTree walk where I shall be taking my usual exercise«
When Lydgate entered the YewTree walk he saw Mr Casaubon slowly receding
with his hands behind him according to his habit and his head bent forward It
was a lovely afternoon the leaves from the lofty limes were falling silently
across the sombre evergreens while the lights and shadows slept side by side
there was no sound but the cawing of the rooks which to the accustomed ear is a
lullaby or that last solemn lullaby a dirge Lydgate conscious of an
energetic frame in its prime felt some compassion when the figure which he was
likely soon to overtake turned round and in advancing towards him showed more
markedly than ever the signs of premature age the students bent shoulders
the emaciated limbs and the melancholy lines of the mouth »Poor fellow« he
thought »some men with his years are like lions one can tell nothing of their
age except that they are full grown«
»Mr Lydgate« said Mr Casaubon with his invariably polite air »I am
exceedingly obliged to you for your punctuality We will if you please carry
on our conversation in walking to and fro«
»I hope your wish to see me is not due to the return of unpleasant
symptoms« said Lydgate filling up a pause
»Not immediately no In order to account for that wish I must mention
what it were otherwise needless to refer to that my life on all collateral
accounts insignificant derives a possible importance from the incompleteness of
labours which have extended through all its best years In short I have long
had on hand a work which I would fain leave behind me in such a state at least
that it might be committed to the press by others Were I assured that this is
the utmost I can reasonably expect that assurance would be a useful
circumscription of my attempts and a guide in both the positive and negative
determination of my course«
Here Mr Casaubon paused removed one hand from his back and thrust it
between the buttons of his singlebreasted coat To a mind largely instructed in
the human destiny hardly anything could be more interesting than the inward
conflict implied in his formal measured address delivered with the usual
singsong and motion of the head Nay are there many situations more sublimely
tragic than the struggle of the soul with the demand to renounce a work which
has been all the significance of its life a significance which is to vanish as
the waters which come and go where no man has need of them But there was
nothing to strike others as sublime about Mr Casaubon and Lydgate who had
some contempt at hand for futile scholarship felt a little amusement mingling
with his pity He was at present too ill acquainted with disaster to enter into
the pathos of a lot where everything is below the level of tragedy except the
passionate egoism of the sufferer
»You refer to the possible hindrances from want of health« he said wishing
to help forward Mr Casaubons purpose which seemed to be clogged by some
hesitation
»I do You have not implied to me that the symptoms which I am bound to
testify you watched with scrupulous care were those of a fatal disease But
were it so Mr Lydgate I should desire to know the truth without reservation
and I appeal to you for an exact statement of your conclusions I request it as
a friendly service If you can tell me that my life is not threatened by
anything else than ordinary casualties I shall rejoice on grounds which I have
already indicated If not knowledge of the truth is even more important to me«
»Then I can no longer hesitate as to my course« said Lydgate »but the
first thing I must impress on you is that my conclusions are doubly uncertain
uncertain not only because of my fallibility but because diseases of the heart
are eminently difficult to found predictions on In any case one can hardly
increase appreciably the tremendous uncertainty of life«
Mr Casaubon winced perceptibly but bowed
»I believe that you are suffering from what is called fatty degeneration of
the heart a disease which was first divined and explored by Laennec the man
who gave us the stethoscope not so very many years ago A good deal of
experience a more lengthened observation is wanting on the subject But
after what you have said it is my duty to tell you that death from this disease
is often sudden At the same time no such result can be predicted Your
condition may be consistent with a tolerably comfortable life for another
fifteen years or even more I could add no information to this beyond
anatomical or medical details which would leave expectation at precisely the
same point«
Lydgates instinct was fine enough to tell him that plain speech quite free
from ostentatious caution would be felt by Mr Casaubon as a tribute of
respect
»I thank you Mr Lydgate« said Mr Casaubon after a moments pause »One
thing more I have still to ask did you communicate what you have now told me to
Mrs Casaubon«
»Partly I mean as to the possible issues« Lydgate was going to explain
why he had told Dorothea but Mr Casaubon with an unmistakable desire to end
the conversation waved his hand slightly and said again »I thank you«
proceeding to remark on the rare beauty of the day
Lydgate certain that his patient wished to be alone soon left him and the
black figure with hands behind and head bent forward continued to pace the walk
where the dark yewtrees gave him a mute companionship in melancholy and the
little shadows of bird or leaf that fleeted across the isles of sunlight stole
along in silence as in the presence of a sorrow Here was a man who now for the
first time found himself looking into the eyes of death who was passing
through one of those rare moments of experience when we feel the truth of a
commonplace which is as different from what we call knowing it as the vision
of waters upon the earth is different from the delirious vision of the water
which cannot be had to cool the burning tongue When the commonplace »We must
all die« transforms itself suddenly into the acute consciousness »I must die
and soon« then death grapples us and his fingers are cruel afterwards he may
come to fold us in his arms as our mother did and our last moment of dim
earthly discerning may be like the first To Mr Casaubon now it was as if he
suddenly found himself on the dark riverbrink and heard the plash of the
oncoming oar not discerning the forms but expecting the summons In such an
hour the mind does not change its lifelong bias but carries it onward in
imagination to the other side of death gazing backward perhaps with the
divine calm of beneficence perhaps with the petty anxieties of self-assertion
What was Mr Casaubons bias his acts will give us a clue to He held himself to
be with some private scholarly reservations a believing Christian as to
estimates of the present and hopes of the future But what we strive to gratify
though we may call it a distant hope is an immediate desire the future estate
for which men drudge up city alleys exists already in their imagination and
love And Mr Casaubons immediate desire was not for divine communion and light
divested of earthly conditions his passionate longings poor man clung low and
mistlike in very shady places
Dorothea had been aware when Lydgate had ridden away and she had stepped
into the garden with the impulse to go at once to her husband But she
hesitated fearing to offend him by obtruding herself for her ardour
continually repulsed served with her intense memory to heighten her dread as
thwarted energy subsides into a shudder and she wandered slowly round the
nearer clumps of trees until she saw him advancing Then she went towards him
and might have represented a heavensent angel coming with a promise that the
short hours remaining should yet be filled with that faithful love which clings
the closer to a comprehended grief His glance in reply to hers was so chill
that she felt her timidity increased yet she turned and passed her hand through
his arm
Mr Casaubon kept his hands behind him and allowed her pliant arm to cling
with difficulty against his rigid arm
There was something horrible to Dorothea in the sensation which this
unresponsive hardness inflicted on her That is a strong word but not too
strong it is in these acts called trivialities that the seeds of joy are for
ever wasted until men and women look round with haggard faces at the
devastation their own waste has made and say the earth bears no harvest of
sweetness calling their denial knowledge You may ask why in the name of
manliness Mr Casaubon should have behaved in that way Consider that his was a
mind which shrank from pity have you ever watched in such a mind the effect of
a suspicion that what is pressing it as a grief may be really a source of
contentment either actual or future to the being who already offends by
pitying Besides he knew little of Dorotheas sensations and had not reflected
that on such an occasion as the present they were comparable in strength to his
own sensibilities about Carps criticisms
Dorothea did not withdraw her arm but she could not venture to speak Mr
Casaubon did not say »I wish to be alone« but he directed his steps in silence
towards the house and as they entered by the glass door on this eastern side
Dorothea withdrew her arm and lingered on the matting that she might leave her
husband quite free He entered the library and shut himself in alone with his
sorrow
She went up to her boudoir The open bowwindow let in the serene glory of
the afternoon lying in the avenue where the limetrees cast long shadows But
Dorothea knew nothing of the scene She threw herself on a chair not heeding
that she was in the dazzling sunrays if there were discomfort in that how
could she tell that it was not part of her inward misery
She was in the reaction of a rebellious anger stronger than any she had felt
since her marriage Instead of tears there came words
»What have I done what am I that he should treat me so He never knows
what is in my mind he never cares What is the use of anything I do He wishes
he had never married me«
She began to hear herself and was checked into stillness Like one who has
lost his way and is weary she sat and saw as in one glance all the paths of her
young hope which she should never find again And just as clearly in the
miserable light she saw her own and her husbands solitude how they walked
apart so that she was obliged to survey him If he had drawn her towards him
she would never have surveyed him never have said »Is he worth living for«
but would have felt him simply a part of her own life Now she said bitterly
»It is his fault not mine« In the jar of her whole being Pity was overthrown
Was it her fault that she had believed in him had believed in his worthiness
And what exactly was he She was able enough to estimate him she who
waited on his glances with trembling and shut her best soul in prison paying
it only hidden visits that she might be petty enough to please him In such a
crisis as this some women begin to hate
The sun was low when Dorothea was thinking that she would not go down again
but would send a message to her husband saying that she was not well and
preferred remaining upstairs She had never deliberately allowed her
resentment to govern her in this way before but she believed now that she could
not see him again without telling him the truth about her feeling and she must
wait till she could do it without interruption He might wonder and be hurt at
her message It was good that he should wonder and be hurt Her anger said as
anger is apt to say that God was with her that all heaven though it were
crowded with spirits watching them must be on her side She had determined to
ring her bell when there came a rap at the door
Mr Casaubon had sent to say that he would have his dinner in the library
He wished to be quite alone this evening being much occupied
»I shall not dine then Tantripp«
»Oh madam let me bring you a little something«
»No I am not well Get everything ready in my dressingroom but pray do
not disturb me again«
Dorothea sat almost motionless in her meditative struggle while the evening
slowly deepened into night But the struggle changed continually as that of a
man who begins with a movement towards striking and ends with conquering his
desire to strike The energy that would animate a crime is not more than is
wanted to inspire a resolved submission when the noble habit of the soul
reasserts itself That thought with which Dorothea had gone out to meet her
husband her conviction that he had been asking about the possible arrest of
all his work and that the answer must have wrung his heart could not be long
without rising beside the image of him like a shadowy monitor looking at her
anger with sad remonstrance It cost her a litany of pictured sorrows and of
silent cries that she might be the mercy for those sorrows but the resolved
submission did come and when the house was still and she knew that it was near
the time when Mr Casaubon habitually went to rest she opened her door gently
and stood outside in the darkness waiting for his coming upstairs with a light
in his hand If he did not come soon she thought that she would go down and even
risk incurring another pang She would never again expect anything else But she
did hear the library door open and slowly the light advanced up the staircase
without noise from the footsteps on the carpet When her husband stood opposite
to her she saw that his face was more haggard He started slightly on seeing
her and she looked up at him beseechingly without speaking
»Dorothea« he said with a gentle surprise in his tone »Were you waiting
for me«
»Yes I did not like to disturb you«
»Come my dear come You are young and need not to extend your life by
watching«
When the kind quiet melancholy of that speech fell on Dorotheas ears she
felt something like the thankfulness that might well up in us if we had narrowly
escaped hurting a lamed creature She put her hand into her husbands and they
went along the broad corridor together
Book V
The Dead Hand
Chapter XLIII
This figure hath high price twas wrought with love
Ages ago in finest ivory
Nought modish in it pure and noble lines
Of generous womanhood that fits all time
That too is costly ware majolica
Of deft design to please a lordly eye
The smile you see is perfect wonderful
As mere Faience a table ornament
To suit the richest mounting
Dorothea seldom left home without her husband but she did occasionally drive
into Middlemarch alone on little errands of shopping or charity such as occur
to every lady of any wealth when she lives within three miles of a town Two
days after that scene in the YewTree Walk she determined to use such an
opportunity in order if possible to see Lydgate and learn from him whether her
husband had really felt any depressing change of symptoms which he was
concealing from her and whether he had instated on knowing the utmost about
himself She felt almost guilty in asking for knowledge about him from another
but the dread of being without it the dread of that ignorance which would make
her unjust or hard overcame every scruple That there had been some crisis in
her husbands mind she was certain he had the very next day begun a new method
of arranging his notes and had associated her quite newly in carrying out his
plan Poor Dorothea needed to lay up stores of patience
It was about four oclock when she drove to Lydgates house in Lowick Gate
wishing in her immediate doubt of finding him at home that she had written
beforehand And he was not at home
»Is Mrs Lydgate at home« said Dorothea who had never that she knew of
seen Rosamond but now remembered the fact of the marriage Yes Mrs Lydgate
was at home
»I will go in and speak to her if she will allow me Will you ask her if
she can see me see Mrs Casaubon for a few minutes«
When the servant had gone to deliver that message Dorothea could hear
sounds of music through an open window a few notes from a mans voice and then
a piano bursting into roulades But the roulades broke off suddenly and then
the servant came back saying that Mrs Lydgate would be happy to see Mrs
Casaubon
When the drawingroom door opened and Dorothea entered there was a sort of
contrast not infrequent in country life when the habits of the different ranks
were less blent than now Let those who know tell us exactly what stuff it was
that Dorothea wore in those days of mild autumn that thin white woollen stuff
soft to the touch and soft to the eye It always seemed to have been lately
washed and to smell of the sweet hedges was always in the shape of a pelisse
with sleeves hanging all out of the fashion Yet if she had entered before a
still audience as Imogene or Catos daughter the dress might have seemed right
enough the grace and dignity were in her limbs and neck and about her simply
parted hair and candid eyes the large round poke which was then in the fate of
women seemed no more odd as a headdress than the gold trencher we call a halo
By the present audience of two persons no dramatic heroine could have been
expected with more interest than Mrs Casaubon To Rosamond she was one of those
county divinities not mixing with Middlemarch mortality whose slightest marks
of manner or appearance were worthy of her study moreover Rosamond was not
without satisfaction that Mrs Casaubon should have an opportunity of studying
her What is the use of being exquisite if you are not seen by the best judges
and since Rosamond had received the highest compliments at Sir Godwin Lydgates
she felt quite confident of the impression she must make on people of good
birth Dorothea put out her hand with her usual simple kindness and looked
admiringly at Lydgates lovely bride aware that there was a gentleman standing
at a distance but seeing him merely as a coated figure at a wide angle The
gentleman was too much occupied with the presence of the one woman to reflect on
the contrast between the two a contrast that would certainly have been
striking to a calm observer They were both tall and their eyes were on a
level but imagine Rosamonds infantine blondness and wondrous crown of
hairplaits with her paleblue dress of a fit and fashion so perfect that no
dressmaker could look at it without emotion a large embroidered collar which it
was to be hoped all beholders would know the price of her small hands duly set
off with rings and that controlled selfconsciousness of manner which is the
expensive substitute for simplicity
»Thank you very much for allowing me to interrupt you« said Dorothea
immediately »I am anxious to see Mr Lydgate if possible before I go home
and I hoped that you might possibly tell me where I could find him or even
allow me to wait for him if you expect him soon«
»He is at the New Hospital« said Rosamond »I am not sure how soon he will
come home But I can send for him«
»Will you let me go and fetch him« said Will Ladislaw coming forward He
had already taken up his hat before Dorothea entered She coloured with
surprise but put out her hand with a smile of unmistakable pleasure saying
»I did not know it was you I had no thought of seeing you here«
»May I go to the Hospital and tell Mr Lydgate that you wish to see him«
said Will
»It would be quicker to send the carriage for him« said Dorothea »if you
will be kind enough to give the message to the coachman«
Will was moving to the door when Dorothea whose mind had flashed in an
instant over many connected memories turned quickly and said »I will go
myself thank you I wish to lose no time before getting home again I will
drive to the Hospital and see Mr Lydgate there Pray excuse me Mrs Lydgate I
am very much obliged to you«
Her mind was evidently arrested by some sudden thought and she left the
room hardly conscious of what was immediately around her hardly conscious that
Will opened the door for her and offered her his arm to lead her to the
carriage She took the arm but said nothing Will was feeling rather vexed and
miserable and found nothing to say on his side He handed her into the carriage
in silence they said goodbye and Dorothea drove away
In the five minutes drive to the Hospital she had time for some reflections
that were quite new to her Her decision to go and her preoccupation in leaving
the room had come from the sudden sense that there would be a sort of deception
in her voluntarily allowing any farther intercourse between herself and Will
which she was unable to mention to her husband and already her errand in
seeking Lydgate was a matter of concealment That was all that had been
explicitly in her mind but she had been urged also by a vague discomfort Now
that she was alone in her drive she heard the notes of the mans voice and the
accompanying piano which she had not noted much at the time returning on her
inward sense and she found herself thinking with some wonder that Will Ladislaw
was passing his time with Mrs Lydgate in her husbands absence And then she
could not help remembering that he had passed some time with her under like
circumstances so why should there be any unfitness in the fact But Will was
Mr Casaubons relative and one towards whom she was bound to show kindness
Still there had been signs which perhaps she ought to have understood as
implying that Mr Casaubon did not like his cousins visits during his own
absence »Perhaps I have been mistaken in many things« said poor Dorothea to
herself while the tears came rolling and she had to dry them quickly She felt
confusedly unhappy and the image of Will which had been so clear to her before
was mysteriously spoiled But the carriage stopped at the gate of the Hospital
She was soon walking round the grass plots with Lydgate and her feelings
recovered the strong bent which had made her seek for this interview
Will Ladislaw meanwhile was mortified and knew the reason of it clearly
enough His chances of meeting Dorothea were rare and here for the first time
there had come a chance which had set him at a disadvantage It was not only as
it had been hitherto that she was not supremely occupied with him but that she
had seen him under circumstances in which he might appear not to be supremely
occupied with her He felt thrust to a new distance from her amongst the
circles of Middlemarchers who made no part of her life But that was not his
fault of course since he had taken his lodgings in the town he had been
making as many acquaintances as he could his position requiring that he should
know everybody and everything Lydgate was really better worth knowing than any
one else in the neighbourhood and he happened to have a wife who was musical
and altogether worth calling upon Here was the whole history of the situation
in which Diana had descended too unexpectedly on her worshipper It was
mortifying Will was conscious that he should not have been at Middlemarch but
for Dorothea and yet his position there was threatening to divide him from her
with those barriers of habitual sentiment which are more fatal to the
persistence of mutual interest than all the distance between Rome and Britain
Prejudices about rank and status were easy enough to defy in the form of a
tyrannical letter from Mr Casaubon but prejudices like odorous bodies have a
double existence both solid and subtle solid as the pyramids subtle as the
twentieth echo of an echo or as the memory of hyacinths which once scented the
darkness And Will was of a temperament to feel keenly the presence of
subtleties a man of clumsier perceptions would not have felt as he did that
for the first time some sense of unfitness in perfect freedom with him had
sprung up in Dorotheas mind and that their silence as he conducted her to the
carriage had had a chill in it Perhaps Casaubon in his hatred and jealousy
had been insisting to Dorothea that Will had slid below her socially Confound
Casaubon
Will reentered the drawingroom took up his hat and looking irritated as
he advanced towards Mrs Lydgate who had seated herself at her worktable said
»It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted May I come another
day and just finish about the rendering of Lungi dal caro bene«
»I shall be happy to be taught« said Rosamond »But I am sure you admit
that the interruption was a very beautiful one I quite envy your acquaintance
with Mrs Casaubon Is she very clever She looks as if she were«
»Really I never thought about it« said Will sulkily
»That is just the answer Tertius gave me when I first asked him if she were
handsome What is it that you gentlemen are thinking of when you are with Mrs
Casaubon«
»Herself« said Will not indisposed to provoke the charming Mrs Lydgate
»When one sees a perfect woman one never thinks of her attributes one is
conscious of her presence«
»I shall be jealous when Tertius goes to Lowick« said Rosamond dimpling
and speaking with aëry lightness »He will come back and think nothing of me«
»That does not seem to have been the effect on Lydgate hitherto Mrs
Casaubon is too unlike other women for them to be compared with her«
»You are a devout worshipper I perceive You often see her I suppose«
»No« said Will almost pettishly »Worship is usually a matter of theory
rather than of practice But I am practising it to excess just at this moment
I must really tear myself away«
»Pray come again some evening Mr Lydgate will like to hear the music and
I cannot enjoy it so well without him«
When her husband was at home again Rosamond said standing in front of him
and holding his coatcollar with both her hands »Mr Ladislaw was here singing
with me when Mrs Casaubon came in He seemed vexed Do you think he disliked
her seeing him at our house Surely your position is more than equal to his
whatever may be his relation to the Casaubons«
»No no it must be something else if he were really vexed Ladislaw is a
sort of gypsy he thinks nothing of leather and prunella«
»Music apart he is not always very agreeable Do you like him«
»Yes I think he is a good fellow rather miscellaneous and bricàbrac but
likable«
»Do you know I think he adores Mrs Casaubon«
»Poor devil« said Lydgate smiling and pinching his wifes ears
Rosamond felt herself beginning to know a great deal of the world
especially in discovering what when she was in her unmarried girlhood had been
inconceivable to her except as a dim tragedy in bygone costumes that women
even after marriage might make conquests and enslave men At that time young
ladies in the country even when educated at Mrs Lemons read little French
literature later than Racine and public prints had not cast their present
magnificent illumination over the scandals of life Still vanity with a
womans whole mind and day to work in can construct abundantly on slight hints
especially on such a hint as the possibility of indefinite conquests How
delightful to make captives from the throne of marriage with a husband as
crownprince by your side himself in fact a subject while the captives look
up for ever hopeless losing their rest probably and if their appetite too so
much the better But Rosamonds romance turned at present chiefly on her
crownprince and it was enough to enjoy his assured subjection When he said
»Poor devil« she asked with playful curiosity
»Why so«
»Why what can a man do when he takes to adoring one of you mermaids He
only neglects his work and runs up bills«
»I am sure you do not neglect your work You are always at the Hospital or
seeing poor patients or thinking about some doctors quarrel and then at home
you always want to pore over your microscope and phials Confess you like those
things better than me«
»Havent you ambition enough to wish that your husband should be something
better than a Middlemarch doctor« said Lydgate letting his hands fall on to
his wifes shoulders and looking at her with affectionate gravity »I shall
make you learn my favourite bit from an old poet
Why should our pride make such a stir to be
And be forgot What good is like to this
To do worthy the writing and to write
Worthy the reading and the worlds delight
What I want Rosy is to do worthy the writing and to write out myself what I
have done A man must work to do that my pet«
»Of course I wish you to make discoveries no one could more wish you to
attain a high position in some better place than Middlemarch You cannot say
that I have ever tried to hinder you from working But we cannot live like
hermits You are not discontented with me Tertius«
»No dear no I am too entirely contented«
»But what did Mrs Casaubon want to say to you«
»Merely to ask about her husbands health But I think she is going to be
splendid to our New Hospital I think she will give us two hundred ayear«
Chapter XLIV
I would not creep along the coast but steer
Out in midsea by guidance of the stars
When Dorothea walking round the laurelplanted plots of the New Hospital with
Lydgate had learned from him that there were no signs of change in Mr
Casaubons bodily condition beyond the mental sign of anxiety to know the truth
about his illness she was silent for a few moments wondering whether she had
said or done anything to rouse this new anxiety Lydgate not willing to let
slip an opportunity of furthering a favourite purpose ventured to say
»I dont know whether your or Mr Casaubons attention has been drawn to the
needs of our New Hospital Circumstances have made it seem rather egotistic in
me to urge the subject but that is not my fault it is because there is a fight
being made against it by the other medical men I think you are generally
interested in such things for I remember that when I first had the pleasure of
seeing you at Tipton Grange before your marriage you were asking me some
questions about the way in which the health of the poor was affected by their
miserable housing«
»Yes indeed« said Dorothea brightening »I shall be quite grateful to you
if you will tell me how I can help to make things a little better Everything of
that sort has slipped away from me since I have been married I mean« she said
after a moments hesitation »that the people in our village are tolerably
comfortable and my mind has been too much taken up for me to inquire further
But here in such a place as Middlemarch there must be a great deal to be
done«
»There is everything to be done« said Lydgate with abrupt energy »And
this Hospital is a capital piece of work due entirely to Mr Bulstrodes
exertions and in a great degree to his money But one man cant do everything
in a scheme of this sort Of course he looked forward to help And now theres a
mean petty feud set up against the thing in the town by certain persons who
want to make it a failure«
»What can be their reasons« said Dorothea with naïve surprise
»Chiefly Mr Bulstrodes unpopularity to begin with Half the town would
almost take trouble for the sake of thwarting him In this stupid world most
people never consider that a thing is good to be done unless it is done by their
own set I had no connection with Bulstrode before I came here I look at him
quite impartially and I see that he has some notions that he has set things
on foot which I can turn to good public purpose If a fair number of the
better educated men went to work with the belief that their observations might
contribute to the reform of medical doctrine and practice we should soon see a
change for the better Thats my point of view I hold that by refusing to work
with Mr Bulstrode I should be turning my back on an opportunity of making my
profession more generally serviceable«
»I quite agree with you« said Dorothea at once fascinated by the situation
sketched in Lydgates words »But what is there against Mr Bulstrode I know
that my uncle is friendly with him«
»People dont like his religious tone« said Lydgate breaking off there
»That is all the stronger reason for despising such an opposition« said
Dorothea looking at the affairs of Middlemarch by the light of the great
persecutions
»To put the matter quite fairly they have other objections to him he is
masterful and rather unsociable and he is concerned with trade which has
complaints of its own that I know nothing about But what has that to do with
the question whether it would not be a fine thing to establish here a more
valuable hospital than any they have in the county The immediate motive to the
opposition, however, is the fact that Bulstrode has put the medical direction
into my hands Of course I am glad of that It gives me an opportunity of doing
some good work and I am aware that I have to justify his choice of me But
the consequence is that the whole profession in Middlemarch have set themselves
tooth and nail against the Hospital and not only refuse to cooperate
themselves but try to blacken the whole affair and hinder subscriptions«
»How very petty« exclaimed Dorothea indignantly
»I suppose one must expect to fight ones way there is hardly anything to
be done without it And the ignorance of people about here is stupendous I
dont lay claim to anything else than having used some opportunities which have
not come within everybodys reach but there is no stifling the offence of being
young and a newcomer and happening to know something more than the old
inhabitants Still if I believe that I can set going a better method of
treatment if I believe that I can pursue certain observations and inquiries
which may be a lasting benefit to medical practice I should be a base truckler
if I allowed any consideration of personal comfort to hinder me And the course
is all the clearer from there being no salary in question to put my persistence
in an equivocal light«
»I am glad you have told me this Mr Lydgate« said Dorothea cordially »I
feel sure I can help a little I have some money and dont know what to do with
it that is often an uncomfortable thought to me I am sure I can spare two
hundred ayear for a grand purpose like this How happy you must be to know
things that you feel sure will do great good I wish I could awake with that
knowledge every morning There seems to be so much trouble taken that one can
hardly see the good of«
There was a melancholy cadence in Dorotheas voice as she spoke these last
words But she presently added more cheerfully »Pray come to Lowick and tell
us more of this I will mention the subject to Mr Casaubon I must hasten home
now«
She did mention it that evening and said that she should like to subscribe
two hundred ayear she had seven hundred ayear as the equivalent of her own
fortune settled on her at her marriage Mr Casaubon made no objection beyond a
passing remark that the sum might be disproportionate in relation to other good
objects but when Dorothea in her ignorance resisted that suggestion he
acquiesced He did not care himself about spending money and was not reluctant
to give it If he ever felt keenly any question of money it was through the
medium of another passion than the love of material property
Dorothea told him that she had seen Lydgate and recited the gist of her
conversation with him about the Hospital Mr Casaubon did not question her
further but he felt sure that she had wished to know what had passed between
Lydgate and himself »She knows that I know« said the everrestless voice
within but that increase of tacit knowledge only thrust further off any
confidence between them He distrusted her affection and what loneliness is
more lonely than distrust
Chapter XLV
»It is the humour of many heads to extol the days of their
forefathers and declaim against the wickedness of times present
Which notwithstanding they cannot handsomely do without the
borrowed help and satire of times past condemning the vices of
their own times by the expressions of vices in times which they
commend which cannot but argue the community of vice in both
Horace therefore Juvenal and Persius were no prophets although
their lines did seem to indigitate and point at our times«
Sir Thomas Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica
That opposition to the New Fever Hospital which Lydgate had sketched to Dorothea
was like other oppositions to be viewed in many different lights He regarded
it as a mixture of jealousy and dunderheaded prejudice Mr Bulstrode saw in it
not only medical jealousy but a determination to thwart himself prompted mainly
by a hatred of that vital religion of which he had striven to be an effectual
lay representative a hatred which certainly found pretexts apart from religion
such as were only too easy to find in the entanglements of human action These
might be called the ministerial views But oppositions have the illimitable
range of objections at command which need never stop short at the boundary of
knowledge, but can draw for ever on the vasts of ignorance What the opposition
in Middlemarch said about the New Hospital and its administration had certainly
a great deal of echo in it for heaven has taken care that everybody shall not
be an originator but there were differences which represented every social
shade between the polished moderation of Dr Minchin and the trenchant assertion
of Mrs Dollop the landlady of the Tankard in Slaughter Lane
Mrs Dollop became more and more convinced by her own asseveration that
Doctor Lydgate meant to let the people die in the Hospital if not to poison
them for the sake of cutting them up without saying by your leave or with your
leave for it was a known »fac« that he had wanted to cut up Mrs Goby as
respectable a woman as any in Parley Street who had money in trust before her
marriage a poor tale for a doctor who if he was good for anything should know
what was the matter with you before you died and not want to pry into your
inside after you were gone If that was not reason Mrs Dollop wished to know
what was but there was a prevalent feeling in her audience that her opinion was
a bulwark and that if it were overthrown there would be no limits to the
cuttingup of bodies, as had been well seen in Burke and Hare with their
pitchplaisters such a hanging business as that was not wanted in Middlemarch
And let it not be supposed that opinion at the Tankard in Slaughter Lane was
unimportant to the medical profession that old authentic publichouse the
original Tankard known by the name of Dollops was the resort of a great
Benefit Club which had some months before put to the vote whether its
longstanding medical man »Doctor Gambit« should not be cashiered in favour of
»this Doctor Lydgate« who was capable of performing the most astonishing cures
and rescuing people altogether given up by other practitioners But the balance
had been turned against Lydgate by two members who for some private reasons
held that this power of resuscitating persons as good as dead was an equivocal
recommendation and might interfere with providential favours In the course of
the year however there had been a change in the public sentiment of which the
unanimity at Dollops was an index
A good deal more than a year ago before anything was known of Lydgates
skill the judgments on it had naturally been divided depending on a sense of
likelihood situated perhaps in the pit of the stomach or in the pineal gland
and differing in its verdicts but not the less valuable as a guide in the total
deficit of evidence Patients who had chronic diseases or whose lives had long
been worn threadbare like old Featherstones had been at once inclined to try
him also many who did not like paying their doctors bills thought agreeably
of opening an account with a new doctor and sending for him without stint if the
childrens temper wanted a dose occasions when the old practitioners were often
crusty and all persons thus inclined to employ Lydgate held it likely that he
was clever Some considered that he might do more than others »where there was
liver« at least there would be no harm in getting a few bottles of »stuff«
from him since if these proved useless it would still be possible to return to
the Purifying Pills which kept you alive if they did not remove the
yellowness But these were people of minor importance Good Middlemarch families
were of course not going to change their doctor without reason shown and
everybody who had employed Mr Peacock did not feel obliged to accept a new man
merely in the character of his successor objecting that he was »not likely to
be equal to Peacock«
But Lydgate had not been long in the town before there were particulars
enough reported of him to breed much more specific expectations and to intensify
differences into partisanship some of the particulars being of that impressive
order of which the significance is entirely hidden like a statistical amount
without a standard of comparison but with a note of exclamation at the end The
cubic feet of oxygen yearly swallowed by a fullgrown man what a shudder they
might have created in some Middlemarch circles »Oxygen nobody knows what that
may be is it any wonder the cholera has got to Dantzic And yet there are
people who say quarantine is no good«
One of the facts quickly rumoured was that Lydgate did not dispense drugs
This was offensive both to the physicians whose exclusive distinction seemed
infringed on and to the surgeonapothecaries with whom he ranged himself and
only a little while before they might have counted on having the law on their
side against a man who without calling himself a Londonmade MD dared to ask
for pay except as a charge on drugs But Lydgate had not been experienced enough
to foresee that his new course would be even more offensive to the laity and to
Mr Mawmsey an important grocer in the Top Market who though not one of his
patients questioned him in an affable manner on the subject he was
injudicious enough to give a hasty popular explanation of his reasons pointing
out to Mr Mawmsey that it must lower the character of practitioners and be a
constant injury to the public if their only mode of getting paid for their work
was by their making out long bills for draughts boluses and mixtures
»It is in that way that hardworking medical men may come to be almost as
mischievous as quacks« said Lydgate rather thoughtlessly »To get their own
bread they must overdose the kings lieges and thats a bad sort of treason
Mr Mawmsey undermines the constitution in a fatal way«
Mr Mawmsey was not only an overseer it was about a question of outdoor pay
that he was having an interview with Lydgate he was also asthmatic and had an
increasing family thus from a medical point of view as well as from his own
he was an important man indeed an exceptional grocer whose hair was arranged
in a flamelike pyramid and whose retail deference was of the cordial
encouraging kind jocosely complimentary and with a certain considerate
abstinence from letting out the full force of his mind It was Mr Mawmseys
friendly jocoseness in questioning him which had set the tone of Lydgates
reply But let the wise be warned against too great readiness at explanation it
multiplies the sources of mistake lengthening the sum for reckoners sure to go
wrong
Lydgate smiled as he ended his speech putting his foot into the stirrup
and Mr Mawmsey laughed more than he would have done if he had known who the
kings lieges were giving his »Good morning sir good morning sir« with the
air of one who saw everything clearly enough But in truth his views were
perturbed For years he had been paying bills with strictlymade items so that
for every halfcrown and eighteenpence he was certain something measurable had
been delivered He had done this with satisfaction including it among his
responsibilities as a husband and father and regarding a longer bill than usual
as a dignity worth mentioning Moreover in addition to the massive benefit of
the drugs to »self and family« he had enjoyed the pleasure of forming an acute
judgment as to their immediate effects so as to give an intelligent statement
for the guidance of Mr Gambit a practitioner just a little lower in status
than Wrench or Toller and especially esteemed as an accoucheur of whose
ability Mr Mawmsey had the poorest opinion on all other points but in
doctoring he was wont to say in an undertone he placed Gambit above any of
them
Here were deeper reasons than the superficial talk of a new man which
appeared still flimsier in the drawingroom over the shop when they were
recited to Mrs Mawmsey a woman accustomed to be made much of as a fertile
mother generally under attendance more or less frequent from Mr Gambit and
occasionally having attacks which required Dr Minchin
»Does this Mr Lydgate mean to say there is no use in taking medicine« said
Mrs Mawmsey who was slightly given to drawling »I should like him to tell me
how I could bear up at Fair time if I didnt take strengthening medicine for a
month beforehand Think of what I have to provide for calling customers my
dear« here Mrs Mawmsey turned to an intimate female friend who sat by »a
large veal pie a stuffed fillet a round of beef ham tongue et cetera et
cetera But what keeps me up best is the pink mixture not the brown I wonder
Mr Mawmsey with your experience you could have patience to listen I should
have told him at once that I knew a little better than that«
»No no no« said Mr Mawmsey »I was not going to tell him my opinion
Hear everything and judge for yourself is my motto But he didnt know who he
was talking to I was not to be turned on his finger People often pretend to
tell me things when they might as well say Mawmsey youre a fool But I smile
at it I humour everybodys weak place If physic had done harm to self and
family I should have found it out by this time«
The next day Mr Gambit was told that Lydgate went about saying physic was
of no use
»Indeed« said he lifting his eyebrows with cautious surprise He was a
stout husky man with a large ring on his fourth finger »How will he cure his
patients then«
»That is what I say« returned Mrs Mawmsey who habitually gave weight to
her speech by loading her pronouns »Does he suppose that people will pay him
only to come and sit with them and go away again«
Mrs Mawmsey had had a great deal of sitting from Mr Gambit including very
full accounts of his own habits of body and other affairs but of course he knew
there was no innuendo in her remark since his spare time and personal narrative
had never been charged for So he replied humorously
»Well Lydgate is a goodlooking young fellow you know«
»Not one that I would employ« said Mrs Mawmsey »Others may do as they
please«
Hence Mr Gambit could go away from the chief grocers without fear of
rivalry but not without a sense that Lydgate was one of those hypocrites who
try to discredit others by advertising their own honesty and that it might be
worth some peoples while to show him up Mr Gambit however had a
satisfactory practice much pervaded by the smells of retail trading which
suggested the reduction of cash payments to a balance And he did not think it
worth his while to show Lydgate up until he knew how He had not indeed great
resources of education and had had to work his own way against a good deal of
professional contempt but he made none the worse accoucheur for calling the
breathing apparatus »longs«
Other medical men felt themselves more capable Mr Toller shared the
highest practice in the town and belonged to an old Middlemarch family there
were Tollers in the law and everything else above the line of retail trade
Unlike our irascible friend Wrench he had the easiest way in the world of
taking things which might be supposed to annoy him being a wellbred quietly
facetious man who kept a good house was very fond of a little sporting when he
could get it very friendly with Mr Hawley and hostile to Mr Bulstrode It
may seem odd that with such pleasant habits he should have been given to the
heroic treatment bleeding and blistering and starving his patients with a
dispassionate disregard to his personal example but the incongruity favoured
the opinion of his ability among his patients who commonly observed that Mr
Toller had lazy manners but his treatment was as active as you could desire
no man said they carried more seriousness into his profession he was a little
slow in coming but when he came he did something He was a great favourite in
his own circle and whatever he implied to any ones disadvantage told doubly
from his careless ironical tone
He naturally got tired of smiling and saying »Ah« when he was told that
Mr Peacocks successor did not mean to dispense medicines and Mr Hackbutt one
day mentioning it over the wine at a dinnerparty Mr Toller said laughingly
»Dibbitts will get rid of his stale drugs then Im fond of little Dibbitts
Im glad hes in luck«
»I see your meaning Toller« said Mr Hackbutt »and I am entirely of your
opinion I shall take an opportunity of expressing myself to that effect A
medical man should be responsible for the quality of the drugs consumed by his
patients That is the rationale of the system of charging which has hitherto
obtained and nothing is more offensive than this ostentation of reform where
there is no real amelioration«
»Ostentation Hackbutt« said Mr Toller ironically »I dont see that A
man cant very well be ostentatious of what nobody believes in Theres no
reform in the matter the question is whether the profit on the drugs is paid
to the medical man by the druggist or by the patient and whether there shall be
extra pay under the name of attendance«
»Ah to be sure one of your damned new versions of old humbug« said Mr
Hawley passing the decanter to Mr Wrench
Mr Wrench generally abstemious often drank wine rather freely at a party
getting the more irritable in consequence
»As to humbug Hawley« he said »thats a word easy to fling about But
what I contend against is the way medical men are fouling their own nest and
setting up a cry about the country as if a general practitioner who dispenses
drugs couldnt be a gentleman I throw back the imputation with scorn I say
the most ungentlemanly trick a man can be guilty of is to come among the members
of his profession with innovations which are a libel on their timehonoured
procedure That is my opinion and I am ready to maintain it against any one who
contradicts me« Mr Wrenchs voice had become exceedingly sharp
»I cant oblige you there Wrench« said Mr Hawley thrusting his hands
into his trouserpockets
»My dear fellow« said Mr Toller striking in pacifically and looking at
Mr Wrench »the physicians have their toes trodden on more than we have If you
come to dignity it is a question for Minchin and Sprague«
»Does medical jurisprudence provide nothing against these infringements«
said Mr Hackbutt with a disinterested desire to offer his lights »How does
the law stand eh Hawley«
»Nothing to be done there« said Mr Hawley »I looked into it for Sprague
Youd only break your nose against a damned judges decision«
»Pooh no need of law« said Mr Toller »So far as practice is concerned
the attempt is an absurdity No patient will like it certainly not Peacocks
who have been used to depletion Pass the wine«
Mr Tollers prediction was partly verified If Mr and Mrs Mawmsey who
had no idea of employing Lydgate were made uneasy by his supposed declaration
against drugs it was inevitable that those who called him in should watch a
little anxiously to see whether he did »use all the means he might use« in the
case Even good Mr Powderell who in his constant charity of interpretation was
inclined to esteem Lydgate the more for what seemed a conscientious pursuit of a
better plan had his mind disturbed with doubts during his wifes attack of
erysipelas and could not abstain from mentioning to Lydgate that Mr Peacock on
a similar occasion had administered a series of boluses which were not otherwise
definable than by their remarkable effect in bringing Mrs Powderell round
before Michaelmas from an illness which had begun in a remarkably hot August At
last indeed in the conflict between his desire not to hurt Lydgate and his
anxiety that no »means« should be lacking he induced his wife privately to take
Widgeons Purifying Pills an esteemed Middlemarch medicine which arrested
every disease at the fountain by setting to work at once upon the blood This
cooperative measure was not to be mentioned to Lydgate and Mr Powderell
himself had no certain reliance on it only hoping that it might be attended
with a blessing
But in this doubtful stage of Lydgates introduction he was helped by what
we mortals rashly call good fortune I suppose no doctor ever came newly to a
place without making cures that surprised somebody cures which may be called
fortunes testimonials and deserve as much credit as the written or printed
kind Various patients got well while Lydgate was attending them some even of
dangerous illnesses and it was remarked that the new doctor with his new ways
had at least the merit of bringing people back from the brink of death The
trash talked on such occasions was the more vexatious to Lydgate because it
gave precisely the sort of prestige which an incompetent and unscrupulous man
would desire and was sure to be imputed to him by the simmering dislike of the
other medical men as an encouragement on his own part of ignorant puffing But
even his proud outspokenness was checked by the discernment that it was as
useless to fight against the interpretations of ignorance as to whip the fog
and »good fortune« insisted on using those interpretations
Mrs Larcher having just become charitably concerned about alarming symptoms
in her charwoman when Dr Minchin called asked him to see her then and there
and to give her a certificate for the Infirmary whereupon after examination he
wrote a statement of the case as one of tumour and recommended the bearer Nancy
Nash as an outpatient Nancy calling at home on her way to the Infirmary
allowed the staymaker and his wife in whose attic she lodged to read Dr
Minchins paper and by this means became a subject of compassionate
conversation in the neighbouring shops of Churchyard Lane as being afflicted
with a tumour at first declared to be as large and hard as a ducks egg but
later in the day to be about the size of »your fist« Most hearers agreed that
it would have to be cut out but one had known of oil and another of
»squitchineal« as adequate to soften and reduce any lump in the body when taken
enough of into the inside the oil by gradually »soopling« the squitchineal by
eating away
Meanwhile when Nancy presented herself at the Infirmary it happened to be
one of Lydgates days there After questioning and examining her Lydgate said
to the housesurgeon in an undertone »Its not tumour its cramp« He ordered
her a blister and some steel mixture and told her to go home and rest giving
her at the same time a note to Mrs Larcher who she said was her best
employer to testify that she was in need of good food
But byandby Nancy in her attic became portentously worse the supposed
tumour having indeed given way to the blister but only wandered to another
region with angrier pain The staymakers wife went to fetch Lydgate and he
continued for a fortnight to attend Nancy in her own home until under his
treatment she got quite well and went to work again But the case continued to
be described as one of tumour in Churchyard Lane and other streets nay by
Mrs Larcher also for when Lydgates remarkable cure was mentioned to Dr
Minchin he naturally did not like to say »The case was not one of tumour and
I was mistaken in describing it as such« but answered »Indeed ah I saw it
was a surgical case not of a fatal kind« He had been inwardly annoyed
however when he had asked at the Infirmary about the woman he had recommended
two days before to hear from the housesurgeon a youngster who was not sorry
to vex Minchin with impunity exactly what had occurred he privately pronounced
that it was indecent in a general practitioner to contradict a physicians
diagnosis in that open manner and afterwards agreed with Wrench that Lydgate
was disagreeably inattentive to etiquette Lydgate did not make the affair a
ground for valuing himself or very particularly despising Minchin such
rectification of misjudgments often happening among men of equal qualifications
But report took up this amazing case of tumour not clearly distinguished from
cancer and considered the more awful for being of the wandering sort till much
prejudice against Lydgates method as to drugs was overcome by the proof of his
marvellous skill in the speedy restoration of Nancy Nash after she had been
rolling and rolling in agonies from the presence of a tumour both hard and
obstinate but nevertheless compelled to yield
How could Lydgate help himself It is offensive to tell a lady when she is
expressing her amazement at your skill that she is altogether mistaken and
rather foolish in her amazement And to have entered into the nature of diseases
would only have added to his breaches of medical propriety Thus he had to wince
under a promise of success given by that ignorant praise which misses every
valid quality
In the case of a more conspicuous patient Mr Borthrop Trumbull Lydgate
was conscious of having shown himself something better than an everyday doctor
though here too it was an equivocal advantage that he won The eloquent
auctioneer was seized with pneumonia and having been a patient of Mr
Peacocks sent for Lydgate whom he had expressed his intention to patronise
Mr Trumbull was a robust man a good subject for trying the expectant theory
upon watching the course of an interesting disease when left as much as
possible to itself, so that the stages might be noted for future guidance and
from the air with which he described his sensations Lydgate surmised that he
would like to be taken into his medical mans confidence and be represented as
a partner in his own cure The auctioneer heard without much surprise that his
was a constitution which always with due watching might be left to itself, so
as to offer a beautiful example of a disease with all its phases seen in clear
delineation and that he probably had the rare strength of mind voluntarily to
become the test of a rational procedure and thus make the disorder of his
pulmonary functions a general benefit to society
Mr Trumbull acquiesced at once and entered strongly into the view that an
illness of his was no ordinary occasion for medical science
»Never fear sir you are not speaking to one who is altogether ignorant of
the vis medicatrix« said he with his usual superiority of expression made
rather pathetic by difficulty of breathing And he went without shrinking
through his abstinence from drugs much sustained by application of the
thermometer which implied the importance of his temperature by the sense that
he furnished objects for the microscope and by learning many new words which
seemed suited to the dignity of his secretions For Lydgate was acute enough to
indulge him with a little technical talk
It may be imagined that Mr Trumbull rose from his couch with a disposition
to speak of an illness in which he had manifested the strength of his mind as
well as constitution and he was not backward in awarding credit to the medical
man who had discerned the quality of patient he had to deal with The auctioneer
was not an ungenerous man and liked to give others their due feeling that he
could afford it He had caught the words »expectant method« and rang chimes on
this and other learned phrases to accompany the assurance that Lydgate »knew a
thing or two more than the rest of the doctors was far better versed in the
secrets of his profession than the majority of his compeers«
This had happened before the affair of Fred Vincys illness had given to Mr
Wrenchs enmity towards Lydgate more definite personal ground The new comer
already threatened to be a nuisance in the shape of rivalry and was certainly a
nuisance in the shape of practical criticism or reflections on his harddriven
elders who had had something else to do than to busy themselves with untried
notions His practice had spread in one or two quarters and from the first the
report of his high family had led to his being pretty generally invited so that
the other medical men had to meet him at dinner in the best houses and having
to meet a man whom you dislike is not observed always to end in a mutual
attachment There was hardly ever so much unanimity among them as in the opinion
that Lydgate was an arrogant young fellow and yet ready for the sake of
ultimately predominating to show a crawling subservience to Bulstrode That Mr
Farebrother whose name was a chief flag of the antiBulstrode party always
defended Lydgate and made a friend of him was referred to Farebrothers
unaccountable way of fighting on both sides
Here was plenty of preparation for the outburst of professional disgust at
the announcement of the laws Mr Bulstrode was laying down for the direction of
the New Hospital which were the more exasperating because there was no present
possibility of interfering with his will and pleasure everybody except Lord
Medlicote having refused help towards the building on the ground that they
preferred giving to the Old Infirmary Mr Bulstrode met all the expenses and
had ceased to be sorry that he was purchasing the right to carry out his notions
of improvement without hindrance from prejudiced coadjutors but he had had to
spend large sums and the building had lingered Caleb Garth had undertaken it
had failed during its progress and before the interior fittings were begun had
retired from the management of the business and when referring to the Hospital
he often said that however Bulstrode might ring if you tried him he liked good
solid carpentry and masonry and had a notion both of drains and chimneys In
fact the Hospital had become an object of intense interest to Bulstrode and he
would willingly have continued to spare a large yearly sum that he might rule it
dictatorially without any Board but he had another favourite object which also
required money for its accomplishment he wished to buy some land in the
neighbourhood of Middlemarch and therefore he wished to get considerable
contributions towards maintaining the Hospital Meanwhile he framed his plan of
management The Hospital was to be reserved for fever in all its forms Lydgate
was to be chief medical superintendent that he might have free authority to
pursue all comparative investigations which his studies particularly in Paris
had shown him the importance of the other medical visitors having a
consultative influence but no power to contravene Lydgates ultimate decisions
and the general management was to be lodged exclusively in the hands of five
directors associated with Mr Bulstrode who were to have votes in the ratio of
their contributions the Board itself filling up any vacancy in its numbers and
no mob of small contributors being admitted to a share of government
There was an immediate refusal on the part of every medical man in the town
to become a visitor at the Fever Hospital
»Very well« said Lydgate to Mr Bulstrode »we have a capital housesurgeon
and dispenser a clearhanded neathanded fellow well get Webbe from
Crabsley as good a country practitioner as any of them to come over twice
aweek and in case of any exceptional operation Protheroe will come from
Brassing I must work the harder thats all and I have given up my post at the
Infirmary The plan will flourish in spite of them and then theyll be glad to
come in Things cant last as they are there must be all sorts of reform soon
and then young fellows may be glad to come and study here« Lydgate was in high
spirits
»I shall not flinch you may depend upon it Mr Lydgate« said Mr
Bulstrode »While I see you carrying out high intentions with vigour you shall
have my unfailing support And I have humble confidence that the blessing which
has hitherto attended my efforts against the spirit of evil in this town will
not be withdrawn Suitable directors to assist me I have no doubt of securing
Mr Brooke of Tipton has already given me his concurrence and a pledge to
contribute yearly he has not specified the sum probably not a great one But
he will be a useful member of the Board«
A useful member was perhaps to be defined as one who would originate
nothing and always vote with Mr Bulstrode
The medical aversion to Lydgate was hardly disguised now Neither Dr
Sprague nor Dr Minchin said that he disliked Lydgates knowledge or his
disposition to improve treatment what they disliked was his arrogance which
nobody felt to be altogether deniable They implied that he was insolent
pretentious and given to that reckless innovation for the sake of noise and
show which was the essence of the charlatan
The word charlatan once thrown on the air could not be let drop In those
days the world was agitated about the wondrous doings of Mr St John Long
»noblemen and gentlemen« attesting his extraction of a fluid like mercury from
the temples of a patient
Mr Toller remarked one day smilingly to Mrs Taft that »Bulstrode had
found a man to suit him in Lydgate a charlatan in religion is sure to like
other sorts of charlatans«
»Yes indeed I can imagine« said Mrs Taft keeping the number of thirty
stitches carefully in her mind all the while »there are so many of that sort I
remember Mr Cheshire with his irons trying to make people straight when the
Almighty had made them crooked«
»No no« said Mr Toller »Cheshire was all right all fair and above
board But theres St John Long thats the kind of fellow we call a charlatan
advertising cures in ways nobody knows anything about a fellow who wants to
make a noise by pretending to go deeper than other people The other day he was
pretending to tap a mans brain and get quicksilver out of it«
»Good gracious what dreadful trifling with peoples constitutions« said
Mrs Taft
After this it came to be held in various quarters that Lydgate played even
with respectable constitutions for his own purposes and how much more likely
that in his flighty experimenting he should make sixes and sevens of hospital
patients Especially it was to be expected as the landlady of the Tankard had
said that he would recklessly cut up their dead bodies For Lydgate having
attended Mrs Goby who died apparently of a heartdisease not very clearly
expressed in the symptoms too daringly asked leave of her relatives to open the
body and thus gave an offence quickly spreading beyond Parley Street where
that lady had long resided on an income such as made this association of her
body with the victims of Burke and Hare a flagrant insult to her memory
Affairs were in this stage when Lydgate opened the subject of the Hospital
to Dorothea We see that he was bearing enmity and silly misconception with much
spirit aware that they were partly created by his good share of success
»They will not drive me away« he said talking confidentially in Mr
Farebrothers study »I have got a good opportunity here for the ends I care
most about and I am pretty sure to get income enough for our wants Byandby I
shall go on as quietly as possible I have no seductions now away from home and
work And I am more and more convinced that it will be possible to demonstrate
the homogeneous origin of all the tissues Raspail and others are on the same
track and I have been losing time«
»I have no power of prophecy there« said Mr Farebrother who had been
puffing at his pipe thoughtfully while Lydgate talked »but as to the hostility
in the town youll weather it if you are prudent«
»How am I to be prudent« said Lydgate »I just do what comes before me to
do I cant help peoples ignorance and spite any more than Vesalius could It
isnt possible to square ones conduct to silly conclusions which nobody can
foresee«
»Quite true I didnt mean that I meant only two things One is keep
yourself as separable from Bulstrode as you can of course you can go on doing
good work of your own by his help but dont get tied Perhaps it seems like
personal feeling in me to say so and theres a good deal of that I own but
personal feeling is not always in the wrong if you boil it down to the
impressions which make it simply an opinion«
»Bulstrode is nothing to me« said Lydgate carelessly »except on public
grounds As to getting very closely united to him I am not fond enough of him
for that But what was the other thing you meant« said Lydgate who was nursing
his leg as comfortably as possible and feeling in no great need of advice
»Why this Take care experto crede take care not to get hampered about
money matters I know by a word you let fall one day that you dont like my
playing at cards so much for money You are right enough there But try and keep
clear of wanting small sums that you havent got I am perhaps talking rather
superfluously but a man likes to assume superiority over himself by holding up
his bad example and sermonising on it«
Lydgate took Mr Farebrothers hints very cordially though he would hardly
have borne them from another man He could not help remembering that he had
lately made some debts but these had seemed inevitable and he had no intention
now to do more than keep house in a simple way The furniture for which he owed
would not want renewing nor even the stock of wine for a long while
Many thoughts cheered him at that time and justly A man conscious of
enthusiasm for worthy aims is sustained under petty hostilities by the memory of
great workers who had to fight their way not without wounds and who hover in
his mind as patron saints invisibly helping At home that same evening when he
had been chatting with Mr Farebrother he had his long legs stretched on the
sofa his head thrown back and his hands clasped behind it according to his
favourite ruminating attitude while Rosamond sat at the piano and played one
tune after another of which her husband only knew like the emotional elephant
he was that they fell in with his mood as if they had been melodious
seabreezes
There was something very fine in Lydgates look just then and any one might
have been encouraged to bet on his achievement In his dark eyes and on his
mouth and brow there was that placidity which comes from the fulness of
contemplative thought the mind not searching but beholding and the glance
seeming to be filled with what is behind it
Presently Rosamond left the piano and seated herself on a chair close to the
sofa and opposite her husbands face
»Is that enough music for you my lord« she said folding her hands before
her and putting on a little air of meekness
»Yes dear if you are tired« said Lydgate gently turning his eyes and
resting them on her but not otherwise moving Rosamonds presence at that
moment was perhaps no more than a spoonful brought to the lake and her womans
instinct in this matter was not dull
»What is absorbing you« she said leaning forward and bringing her face
nearer to his
He moved his hands and placed them gently behind her shoulders
»I am thinking of a great fellow who was about as old as I am three hundred
years ago and had already begun a new era in anatomy«
»I cant guess« said Rosamond shaking her head »We used to play at
guessing historical characters at Mrs Lemons but not anatomists«
»Ill tell you His name was Vesalius And the only way he could get to know
anatomy as he did was by going to snatch bodies at night from graveyards and
places of execution«
»Oh« said Rosamond with a look of disgust on her pretty face »I am very
glad you are not Vesalius I should have thought he might find some less
horrible way than that«
»No he couldnt« said Lydgate going on too earnestly to take much notice
of her answer »He could only get a complete skeleton by snatching the whitened
bones of a criminal from the gallows and burying them and fetching them away
by bits secretly in the dead of night«
»I hope he is not one of your great heroes« said Rosamond halfplayfully
halfanxiously »else I shall have you getting up in the night to go to St
Peters churchyard You know how angry you told me the people were about Mrs
Goby You have enemies enough already«
»So had Vesalius Rosy No wonder the medical fogies in Middlemarch are
jealous when some of the greatest doctors living were fierce upon Vesalius
because they had believed in Galen and he showed that Galen was wrong They
called him a liar and a poisonous monster But the facts of the human frame were
on his side and so he got the better of them«
»And what happened to him afterwards« said Rosamond with some interest
»Oh he had a good deal of fighting to the last And they did exasperate him
enough at one time to make him burn a good deal of his work Then he got
shipwrecked just as he was coming from Jerusalem to take a great chair at Padua
He died rather miserably«
There was a moments pause before Rosamond said »Do you know Tertius I
often wish you had not been a medical man«
»Nay Rosy dont say that« said Lydgate drawing her closer to him »That
is like saying you wish you had married another man«
»Not at all you are clever enough for anything you might easily have been
something else And your cousins at Quallingham all think that you have sunk
below them in your choice of a profession«
»The cousins at Quallingham may go to the devil« said Lydgate with scorn
»It was like their impudence if they said anything of the sort to you«
»Still« said Rosamond »I do not think it is a nice profession dear« We
know that she had much quiet perseverance in her opinion
»It is the grandest profession in the world Rosamond« said Lydgate
gravely »And to say that you love me without loving the medical man in me is
the same sort of thing as to say that you like eating a peach but dont like its
flavour Dont say that again dear it pains me«
»Very well Doctor Graveface« said Rosy dimpling »I will declare in
future that I dote on skeletons and bodysnatchers and bits of things in
phials and quarrels with everybody that end in your dying miserably«
»No no not so bad as that« said Lydgate giving up remonstrance and
petting her resignedly
Chapter XLVI
»Pues no podemos haber aquello
que queremos queramos aquello que podremos«
»Since we cannot get what we like
let us like what we can get«
Spanish Proverb
While Lydgate safely married and with the Hospital under his command felt
himself struggling for Medical Reform against Middlemarch Middlemarch was
becoming more and more conscious of the national struggle for another kind of
Reform
By the time that Lord John Russells measure was being debated in the House
of Commons there was a new political animation in Middlemarch and a new
definition of parties which might show a decided change of balance if a new
election came And there were some who already predicted this event declaring
that a Reform Bill would never be carried by the actual Parliament This was
what Will Ladislaw dwelt on to Mr Brooke as a reason for congratulation that he
had not yet tried his strength at the hustings
»Things will grow and ripen as if it were a comet year« said Will »The
public temper will soon get to a cometary heat now the question of Reform has
set in There is likely to be another election before long and by that time
Middlemarch will have got more ideas into its head What we have to work at now
is the Pioneer and political meetings«
»Quite right Ladislaw we shall make a new thing of opinion here« said Mr
Brooke »Only I want to keep myself independent about Reform you know I dont
want to go too far I want to take up Wilberforces and Romillys line you
know and work at Negro Emancipation Criminal Law that kind of thing But of
course I should support Grey«
»If you go in for the principle of Reform you must be prepared to take what
the situation offers« said Will »If everybody pulled for his own bit against
everybody else the whole question would go to tatters«
»Yes yes I agree with you I quite take that point of view I should put
it in that light I should support Grey you know But I dont want to change
the balance of the constitution and I dont think Grey would«
»But that is what the country wants« said Will »Else there would be no
meaning in political unions or any other movement that knows what its about It
wants to have a house of Commons which is not weighted with nominees of the
landed class but with representatives of the other interests And as to
contending for a reform short of that it is like asking for a bit of an
avalanche which has already begun to thunder«
»That is fine Ladislaw that is the way to put it Write that down now We
must begin to get documents about the feeling of the country as well as the
machinebreaking and general distress«
»As to documents« said Will »a twoinch card will hold plenty A few rows
of figures are enough to deduce misery from and a few more will show the rate
at which the political determination of the people is growing«
»Good draw that out a little more at length Ladislaw That is an idea
now write it out in the Pioneer Put the figures and deduce the misery you
know and put the other figures and deduce and so on You have a way of
putting things Burke now when I think of Burke I cant help wishing
somebody had a pocketborough to give you Ladislaw Youd never get elected
you know And we shall always want talent in the House reform as we will we
shall always want talent That avalanche and the thunder now was really a
little like Burke I want that sort of thing not ideas you know but a way of
putting them«
»Pocketboroughs would be a fine thing« said Ladislaw »if they were always
in the right pocket and there were always a Burke at hand«
Will was not displeased with that complimentary comparison even from Mr
Brooke for it is a little too trying to human flesh to be conscious of
expressing ones self better than others and never to have it noticed and in
the general dearth of admiration for the right thing even a chance bray of
applause falling exactly in time is rather fortifying Will felt that his
literary refinements were usually beyond the limits of Middlemarch perception
nevertheless he was beginning thoroughly to like the work of which when he
began he had said to himself rather languidly »Why not« and he studied the
political situation with as ardent an interest as he had ever given to poetic
metres or mediævalism It is undeniable that but for the desire to be where
Dorothea was and perhaps the want of knowing what else to do Will would not at
this time have been meditating on the needs of the English people or criticising
English statesmanship he would probably have been rambling in Italy sketching
plans for several dramas trying prose and finding it too jejune trying verse
and finding it too artificial beginning to copy »bits« from old pictures
leaving off because they were »no good« and observing that after all
selfculture was the principal point while in politics he would have been
sympathising warmly with liberty and progress in general Our sense of duty must
often wait for some work which shall take the place of dilettanteism and make us
feel that the quality of our action is not a matter of indifference
Ladislaw had now accepted his bit of work though it was not that
indeterminate loftiest thing which he had once dreamed of as alone worthy of
continuous effort His nature warmed easily in the presence of subjects which
were visibly mixed with life and action and the easilystirred rebellion in him
helped the glow of public spirit In spite of Mr Casaubon and the banishment
from Lowick he was rather happy getting a great deal of fresh knowledge in a
vivid way and for practical purposes and making the Pioneer celebrated as far
as Brassing never mind the smallness of the area the writing was not worse
than much that reaches the four corners of the earth
Mr Brooke was occasionally irritating but Wills impatience was relieved
by the division of his time between visits to the Grange and retreats to his
Middlemarch lodgings which gave variety to his life
»Shift the pegs a little« he said to himself »and Mr Brooke might be in
the Cabinet while I was UnderSecretary That is the common order of things
the little waves make the large ones and are of the same pattern I am better
here than in the sort of life Mr Casaubon would have trained me for where the
doing would be all laid down by a precedent too rigid for me to react upon I
dont care for prestige or high pay«
As Lydgate had said of him he was a sort of gypsy rather enjoying the
sense of belonging to no class he had a feeling of romance in his position and
a pleasant consciousness of creating a little surprise wherever he went That
sort of enjoyment had been disturbed when he had felt some new distance between
himself and Dorothea in their accidental meeting at Lydgates and his
irritation had gone out towards Mr Casaubon who had declared beforehand that
Will would lose caste »I never had any caste« he would have said if that
prophecy had been uttered to him and the quick blood would have come and gone
like breath in his transparent skin But it is one thing to like defiance and
another thing to like its consequences
Meanwhile the town opinion about the new editor of the Pioneer was tending
to confirm Mr Casaubons view Wills relationship in that distinguished
quarter did not like Lydgates high connections serve as an advantageous
introduction if it was rumoured that young Ladislaw was Mr Casaubons nephew
or cousin it was also rumoured that »Mr Casaubon would have nothing to do with
him«
»Brooke has taken him up« said Mr Hawley »because that is what no man in
his senses could have expected Casaubon has devilish good reasons you may be
sure for turning the cold shoulder on a young fellow whose bringingup he paid
for Just like Brooke one of those fellows who would praise a cat to sell a
horse«
And some oddities of Wills more or less poetical appeared to support Mr
Keck the editor of the Trumpet in asserting that Ladislaw if the truth were
known was not only a Polish emissary but crackbrained which accounted for the
preternatural quickness and glibness of his speech when he got on to a platform
as he did whenever he had an opportunity speaking with a facility which cast
reflections on solid Englishmen generally It was disgusting to Keck to see a
strip of a fellow with light curls round his head get up and speechify by the
hour against institutions »which had existed when he was in his cradle« And in
a leading article of the Trumpet Keck characterised Ladislaws speech at a
Reform meeting as »the violence of an energumen a miserable effort to shroud
in the brilliancy of fireworks the daring of irresponsible statements and the
poverty of a knowledge which was of the cheapest and most recent description«
»That was a rattling article yesterday Keck« said Dr Sprague with
sarcastic intentions »But what is an energumen«
»Oh a term that came up in the French Revolution« said Keck
This dangerous aspect of Ladislaw was strangely contrasted with other habits
which became matter of remark He had a fondness half artistic half
affectionate for little children the smaller they were on tolerably active
legs and the funnier their clothing the better Will liked to surprise and
please them We know that in Rome he was given to ramble about among the poor
people and the taste did not quit him in Middlemarch
He had somehow picked up a troop of droll children little hatless boys with
their galligaskins much worn and scant shirting to hang out little girls who
tossed their hair out of their eyes to look at him and guardian brothers at the
mature age of seven This troop he had led out on gypsy excursions to Halsell
Wood at nuttingtime and since the cold weather had set in he had taken them on
a clear day to gather sticks for a bonfire in the hollow of a hillside where he
drew out a small feast of gingerbread for them and improvised a PunchandJudy
drama with some private homemade puppets Here was one oddity Another was
that in houses where he got friendly he was given to stretch himself at full
length on the rug while he talked and was apt to be discovered in this attitude
by occasional callers for whom such an irregularity was likely to confirm the
notions of his dangerously mixed blood and general laxity
But Wills articles and speeches naturally recommended him in families which
the new strictness of party division had marked off on the side of Reform He
was invited to Mr Bulstrodes but here he could not lie down on the rug and
Mrs Bulstrode felt that his mode of talking about Catholic countries as if
there were any truce with Antichrist illustrated the usual tendency to
unsoundness in intellectual men
At Mr Farebrothers however whom the irony of events had brought on the
same side with Bulstrode in the national movement Will became a favourite with
the ladies especially with little Miss Noble whom it was one of his oddities
to escort when he met her in the street with her little basket giving her his
arm in the eyes of the town and insisting on going with her to pay some call
where she distributed her small filchings from her own share of sweet things
But the house where he visited oftenest and lay most on the rug was
Lydgates The two men were not at all alike but they agreed none the worse
Lydgate was abrupt but not irritable taking little notice of megrims in healthy
people and Ladislaw did not usually throw away his susceptibilities on those
who took no notice of them With Rosamond on the other hand he pouted and was
wayward nay often uncomplimentary much to her inward surprise nevertheless
he was gradually becoming necessary to her entertainment by his companionship in
her music his varied talk and his freedom from the grave preoccupation which
with all her husbands tenderness and indulgence often made his manners
unsatisfactory to her and confirmed her dislike of the medical profession
Lydgate inclined to be sarcastic on the superstitious faith of the people
in the efficacy of »the bill« while nobody cared about the low state of
pathology sometimes assailed Will with troublesome questions One evening in
March Rosamond in her cherrycoloured dress with swansdown trimming about the
throat sat at the teatable Lydgate lately come in tired from his outdoor
work was seated sideways on an easychair by the fire with one leg over the
elbow his brow looking a little troubled as his eyes rambled over the columns
of the Pioneer while Rosamond having noticed that he was perturbed avoided
looking at him and inwardly thanked heaven that she herself had not a moody
disposition Will Ladislaw was stretched on the rug contemplating the
curtainpole abstractedly and humming very low the notes of »When first I saw
thy face« while the house spaniel also stretched out with small choice of
room looked from between his paws at the usurper of the rug with silent but
strong objection
Rosamond bringing Lydgate his cup of tea he threw down the paper and said
to Will who had started up and gone to the table
»Its no use your puffing Brooke as a reforming landlord Ladislaw they
only pick the more holes in his coat in the Trumpet«
»No matter those who read the Pioneer dont read the Trumpet« said Will
swallowing his tea and walking about »Do you suppose the public reads with a
view to its own conversion We should have a witches brewing with a vengeance
then Mingle mingle mingle mingle You that mingle may and nobody would
know which side he was going to take«
»Farebrother says he doesnt believe Brooke would get elected if the
opportunity came the very men who profess to be for him would bring another
member out of the bag at the right moment«
»Theres no harm in trying Its good to have resident members«
»Why« said Lydgate who was much given to use that inconvenient word in a
curt tone
»They represent the local stupidity better« said Will laughing and
shaking his curls »and they are kept on their best behaviour in the
neighbourhood Brooke is not a bad fellow but he has done some good things on
his estate that he never would have done but for this Parliamentary bite«
»Hes not fitted to be a public man« said Lydgate with contemptuous
decision »He would disappoint everybody who counted on him I can see that at
the Hospital Only there Bulstrode holds the reins and drives him«
»That depends on how you fix your standard of public men« said Will »Hes
good enough for the occasion when the people have made up their mind as they
are making it up now they dont want a man they only want a vote«
»That is the way with you political writers Ladislaw crying up a measure
as if it were a universal cure and crying up men who are a part of the very
disease that wants curing«
»Why not Men may help to cure themselves off the face of the land without
knowing it« said Will who could find reasons impromptu when he had not
thought of a question beforehand
»That is no excuse for encouraging the superstitious exaggeration of hopes
about this particular measure helping the cry to swallow it whole and to send
up voting popinjays who are good for nothing but to carry it You go against
rottenness and there is nothing more thoroughly rotten than making people
believe that society can be cured by a political hocus
»Thats very fine my dear fellow But your cure must begin somewhere and
put it that a thousand things which debase a population can never be reformed
without this particular reform to begin with Look what Stanley said the other
day that the House had been tinkering long enough at small questions of
bribery inquiring whether this or that voter has had a guinea when everybody
knows that the seats have been sold wholesale Wait for wisdom and conscience in
public agents fiddlestick The only conscience we can trust to is the massive
sense of wrong in a class and the best wisdom that will work is the wisdom of
balancing claims Thats my text which side is injured I support the man who
supports their claims not the virtuous upholder of the wrong«
»That general talk about a particular case is mere questionbegging
Ladislaw When I say I go in for the dose that cures it doesnt follow that I
go in for opium in a given case of gout«
»I am not begging the question we are upon whether we are to try for
nothing till we find immaculate men to work with Should you go on that plan If
there were one man who would carry you a medical reform and another who would
oppose it should you inquire which had the better motives or even the better
brains«
»Oh of course« said Lydgate seeing himself checkmated by a move which he
had often used himself »if one did not work with such men as are at hand
things must come to a deadlock Suppose the worst opinion in the town about
Bulstrode were a true one that would not make it less true that he has the
sense and the resolution to do what I think ought to be done in the matters I
know and care most about but that is the only ground on which I go with him«
Lydgate added rather proudly bearing in mind Mr Farebrothers remarks »He is
nothing to me otherwise I would not cry him up on any personal ground I would
keep clear of that«
»Do you mean that I cry up Brooke on any personal ground« said Will
Ladislaw nettled and turning sharp round For the first time he felt offended
with Lydgate not the less so perhaps because he would have declined any close
inquiry into the growth of his relation to Mr Brooke
»Not at all« said Lydgate »I was simply explaining my own action I meant
that a man may work for a special end with others whose motives and general
course are equivocal if he is quite sure of his personal independence and that
he is not working for his private interest either place or money«
»Then why dont you extend your liberality to others« said Will still
nettled »My personal independence is as important to me as yours is to you You
have no more reason to imagine that I have personal expectations from Brooke
than I have to imagine that you have personal expectations from Bulstrode
Motives are points of honour I suppose nobody can prove them But as to money
and place in the world« Will ended tossing back his head »I think it is
pretty clear that I am not determined by considerations of that sort«
»You quite mistake me Ladislaw« said Lydgate surprised He had been
preoccupied with his own vindication and had been blind to what Ladislaw might
infer on his own account »I beg your pardon for unintentionally annoying you
In fact I should rather attribute to you a romantic disregard of your own
worldly interests On the political question I referred simply to intellectual
bias«
»How very unpleasant you both are this evening« said Rosamond »I cannot
conceive why money should have been referred to Politics and medicine are
sufficiently disagreeable to quarrel upon You can both of you go on quarrelling
with all the world and with each other on those two topics«
Rosamond looked mildly neutral as she said this rising to ring the bell
and then crossing to her worktable
»Poor Rosy« said Lydgate putting out his hand to her as she was passing
him »Disputation is not amusing to cherubs Have some music Ask Ladislaw to
sing with you«
When Will was gone Rosamond said to her husband »What put you out of temper
this evening Tertius«
»Me It was Ladislaw who was out of temper He is like a bit of tinder«
»But I mean before that Something had vexed you before you came in you
looked cross And that made you begin to dispute with Mr Ladislaw You hurt me
very much when you look so Tertius«
»Do I Then I am a brute« said Lydgate caressing her penitently
»What vexed you«
»Oh outdoor things business«
It was really a letter insisting on the payment of a bill for furniture But
Rosamond was expecting to have a baby and Lydgate wished to save her from any
perturbation
Chapter XLVII
Was never true love loved in vain
For truest love is highest gain
No art can make it it must spring
Where elements are fostering
So in heavens spot and hour
Springs the little native flower
Downward root and upward eye
Shapen by the earth and sky
It happened to be on a Saturday evening that Will Ladislaw had that little
discussion with Lydgate Its effect when he went to his own rooms was to make
him sit up half the night thinking over again under a new irritation all that
he had before thought of his having settled in Middlemarch and harnessed himself
with Mr Brooke Hesitations before he had taken the step had since turned into
susceptibility to every hint that he would have been wiser not to take it and
hence came his heat towards Lydgate a heat which still kept him restless Was
he not making a fool of himself and at a time when he was more than ever
conscious of being something better than a fool And for what end
Well for no definite end True he had dreamy visions of possibilities
there is no human being who having both passions and thoughts does not think in
consequence of his passions does not find images rising in his mind which
soothe the passion with hope or sting it with dread But this which happens to
us all happens to some with a wide difference and Will was not one of those
whose wit »keeps the roadway« he had his bypaths where there were little joys
of his own choosing such as gentlemen cantering on the highroad might have
thought rather idiotic The way in which he made a sort of happiness for himself
out of his feeling for Dorothea was an example of this It may seem strange but
it is the fact that the ordinary vulgar vision of which Mr Casaubon suspected
him namely that Dorothea might become a widow and that the interest he had
established in her mind might turn into acceptance of him as a husband had no
tempting arresting power over him he did not live in the scenery of such an
event and follow it out as we all do with that imagined »otherwise« which is
our practical heaven It was not only that he was unwilling to entertain
thoughts which could be accused of baseness and was already uneasy in the sense
that he had to justify himself from the charge of ingratitude the latent
consciousness of many other barriers between himself and Dorothea besides the
existence of her husband had helped to turn away his imagination from
speculating on what might befall Mr Casaubon And there were yet other reasons
Will we know could not bear the thought of any flaw appearing in his crystal
he was at once exasperated and delighted by the calm freedom with which Dorothea
looked at him and spoke to him and there was something so exquisite in thinking
of her just as she was that he could not long for a change which must somehow
change her Do we not shun the street version of a fine melody or shrink from
the news that the rarity some bit of chiselling or engraving perhaps which
we have dwelt on even with exultation in the trouble it has cost us to snatch
glimpses of it is really not an uncommon thing and may be obtained as an
everyday possession Our good depends on the quality and breadth of our emotion
and to Will a creature who cared little for what are called the solid things of
life and greatly for its subtler influences to have within him such a feeling
as he had towards Dorothea was like the inheritance of a fortune What others
might have called the futility of his passion made an additional delight for
his imagination he was conscious of a generous movement and of verifying in
his own experience that higher lovepoetry which had charmed his fancy
Dorothea he said to himself was for ever enthroned in his soul no other woman
could sit higher than her footstool and if he could have written out in
immortal syllables the effect she wrought within him he might have boasted
after the example of old Drayton that
»Queens hereafter might be glad to live
Upon the alms of her superfluous praise«
But this result was questionable And what else could he do for Dorothea What
was his devotion worth to her It was impossible to tell He would not go out of
her reach He saw no creature among her friends to whom he could believe that
she spoke with the same simple confidence as to him She had once said that she
would like him to stay and stay he would whatever firebreathing dragons might
hiss around her
This had always been the conclusion of Wills hesitations But he was not
without contradictoriness and rebellion even towards his own resolve He had
often got irritated as he was on this particular night by some outside
demonstration that his public exertions with Mr Brooke as a chief could not
seem as heroic as he would like them to be and this was always associated with
the other ground of irritation that notwithstanding his sacrifice of dignity
for Dorotheas sake he could hardly ever see her Whereupon not being able to
contradict these unpleasant facts he contradicted his own strongest bias and
said »I am a fool«
Nevertheless since the inward debate necessarily turned on Dorothea he
ended as he had done before only by getting a livelier sense of what her
presence would be to him and suddenly reflecting that the morrow would be
Sunday he determined to go to Lowick Church and see her He slept upon that
idea but when he was dressing in the rational morning light Objection said
»That will be a virtual defiance of Mr Casaubons prohibition to visit
Lowick and Dorothea will be displeased«
»Nonsense« argued Inclination »it would be too monstrous for him to hinder
me from going out to a pretty country church on a spring morning And Dorothea
will be glad«
»It will be clear to Mr Casaubon that you have come either to annoy him or
to see Dorothea«
»It is not true that I go to annoy him and why should I not go to see
Dorothea Is he to have everything to himself and be always comfortable Let him
smart a little as other people are obliged to do I have always liked the
quaintness of the church and congregation besides I know the Tuckers I shall
go into their pew«
Having silenced Objection by force of unreason Will walked to Lowick as if
he had been on the way to Paradise crossing Halsell Common and skirting the
wood where the sunlight fell broadly under the budding boughs bringing out the
beauties of moss and lichen and fresh green growths piercing the brown
Everything seemed to know that it was Sunday and to approve of his going to
Lowick Church Will easily felt happy when nothing crossed his humour and by
this time the thought of vexing Mr Casaubon had become rather amusing to him
making his face break into its merry smile pleasant to see as the breaking of
sunshine on the water though the occasion was not exemplary But most of us
are apt to settle within ourselves that the man who blocks our way is odious
and not to mind causing him a little of the disgust which his personality
excites in ourselves Will went along with a small book under his arm and a hand
in each sidepocket never reading but chanting a little as he made scenes of
what would happen in church and coming out He was experimenting in tunes to
suit some words of his own sometimes trying a readymade melody sometimes
improvising The words were not exactly a hymn but they certainly fitted his
Sunday experience
O me O me what frugal cheer
My love doth feed upon
A touch a ray that is not here
A shadow that is gone
A dream of breath that might be near
An inlyechoed tone
The thought that one may think me dear
The place where one was known
The tremor of a banished fear
An ill that was not done
O me O me what frugal cheer
My love doth feed upon
Sometimes when he took off his hat shaking his head backward and showing his
delicate throat as he sang he looked like an incarnation of the spring whose
spirit filled the air a bright creature abundant in uncertain promises
The bells were still ringing when he got to Lowick and he went into the
curates pew before any one else arrived there But he was still left alone in
it when the congregation had assembled The curates pew was opposite the
rectors at the entrance of the small chancel and Will had time to fear that
Dorothea might not come while he looked round at the group of rural faces which
made the congregation from year to year within the whitewashed walls and dark
old pews hardly with more change than we see in the boughs of a tree which
breaks here and there with age but yet has young shoots Mr Riggs frogface
was something alien and unaccountable but notwithstanding this shock to the
order of things there were still the Waules and the rural stock of the
Powderells in their pews side by side brother Samuels cheek had the same
purple round as ever and the three generations of decent cottagers came as of
old with a sense of duty to their betters generally the smaller children
regarding Mr Casaubon who wore the black gown and mounted to the highest box
as probably the chief of all betters and the one most awful if offended Even
in 1831 Lowick was at peace not more agitated by Reform than by the solemn
tenor of the Sunday sermon The congregation had been used to seeing Will at
church in former days and no one took much note of him except the quire who
expected him to make a figure in the singing
Dorothea did at last appear on this quaint background walking up the short
aisle in her white beaver bonnet and grey cloak the same she had worn in the
Vatican Her face being from her entrance towards the chancel even her
shortsighted eyes soon discerned Will but there was no outward show of her
feeling except a slight paleness and a grave bow as she passed him To his own
surprise Will felt suddenly uncomfortable and dared not look at her after they
had bowed to each other Two minutes later when Mr Casaubon came out of the
vestry and entering the pew seated himself in face of Dorothea Will felt his
paralysis more complete He could look nowhere except at the quire in the little
gallery over the vestrydoor Dorothea was perhaps pained and he had made a
wretched blunder It was no longer amusing to vex Mr Casaubon who had the
advantage probably of watching him and seeing that he dared not turn his head
Why had he not imagined this beforehand but he could not expect that he
should sit in that square pew alone unrelieved by any Tuckers who had
apparently departed from Lowick altogether for a new clergyman was in the desk
Still he called himself stupid now for not foreseeing that it would be
impossible for him to look towards Dorothea nay that she might feel his
coming an impertinence There was no delivering himself from his cage however
and Will found his places and looked at his book as if he had been a
schoolmistress feeling that the morning service had never been so immeasurably
long before that he was utterly ridiculous out of temper and miserable This
was what a man got by worshipping the sight of a woman The clerk observed with
surprise that Mr Ladislaw did not join in the tune of Hanover and reflected
that he might have a cold
Mr Casaubon did not preach that morning and there was no change in Wills
situation until the blessing had been pronounced and every one rose It was the
fashion at Lowick for »the betters« to go out first With a sudden determination
to break the spell that was upon him Will looked straight at Mr Casaubon But
that gentlemans eyes were on the button of the pewdoor which he opened
allowing Dorothea to pass and following her immediately without raising his
eyelids Wills glance had caught Dorotheas as she turned out of the pew and
again she bowed but this time with a look of agitation as if she were
repressing tears Will walked out after them but they went on towards the
little gate leading out of the churchyard into the shrubbery never looking
round
It was impossible for him to follow them and he could only walk back sadly
at midday along the same road which he had trodden hopefully in the morning
The lights were all changed for him both without and within
Chapter XLVIII
Surely the golden hours are turning grey
And dance no more and vainly strive to run
I see their white locks streaming in the wind
Each face is haggard as it looks at me
Slow turning in the constant clasping round
Stormdriven
Dorotheas distress when she was leaving the church came chiefly from the
perception that Mr Casaubon was determined not to speak to his cousin and that
Wills presence at church had served to mark more strongly the alienation
between them Wills coming seemed to her quite excusable nay she thought it
an amiable movement in him towards a reconciliation which she herself had been
constantly wishing for He had probably imagined as she had that if Mr
Casaubon and he could meet easily they would shake hands and friendly
intercourse might return But now Dorothea felt quite robbed of that hope Will
was banished further than ever for Mr Casaubon must have been newly embittered
by this thrusting upon him of a presence which he refused to recognise
He had not been very well that morning suffering from some difficulty in
breathing and had not preached in consequence she was not surprised
therefore that he was nearly silent at luncheon still less that he made no
allusion to Will Ladislaw For her own part she felt that she could never again
introduce that subject They usually spent apart the hours between luncheon and
dinner on a Sunday Mr Casaubon in the library dozing chiefly and Dorothea in
her boudoir where she was wont to occupy herself with some of her favourite
books There was a little heap of them on the table in the bowwindow of
various sorts from Herodotus which she was learning to read with Mr Casaubon
to her old companion Pascal and Kebles Christian Year But today she opened
one after another and could read none of them Everything seemed dreary the
portents before the birth of Cyrus Jewish antiquities oh dear devout
epigrams the sacred chime of favourite hymns all alike were as flat as tunes
beaten on wood even the spring flowers and the grass had a dull shiver in them
under the afternoon clouds that hid the sun fitfully even the sustaining
thoughts which had become habits seemed to have in them the weariness of long
future days in which she would still live with them for her sole companions It
was another or rather a fuller sort of companionship that poor Dorothea was
hungering for and the hunger had grown from the perpetual effort demanded by
her married life She was always trying to be what her husband wished and never
able to repose on his delight in what she was The thing that she liked that
she spontaneously cared to have seemed to be always excluded from her life for
if it was only granted and not shared by her husband it might as well have been
denied About Will Ladislaw there had been a difference between them from the
first and it had ended since Mr Casaubon had so severely repulsed Dorotheas
strong feeling about his claims on the family property by her being convinced
that she was in the right and her husband in the wrong but that she was
helpless This afternoon the helplessness was more wretchedly benumbing than
ever she longed for objects who could be dear to her and to whom she could be
dear She longed for work which would be directly beneficent like the sunshine
and the rain and now it appeared that she was to live more and more in a
virtual tomb where there was the apparatus of a ghastly labour producing what
would never see the light Today she had stood at the door of the tomb and seen
Will Ladislaw receding into the distant world of warm activity and fellowship
turning his face towards her as he went
Books were of no use Thinking was of no use It was Sunday and she could
not have the carriage to go to Celia who had lately had a baby There was no
refuge now from spiritual emptiness and discontent and Dorothea had to bear her
bad mood as she would have borne a headache
After dinner at the hour when she usually began to read aloud Mr Casaubon
proposed that they should go into the library where he said he had ordered a
fire and lights He seemed to have revived and to be thinking intently
In the library Dorothea observed that he had newly arranged a row of his
notebooks on a table and now he took up and put into her hand a wellknown
volume which was a table of contents to all the others
»You will oblige me my dear« he said seating himself »if instead of
other reading this evening you will go through this aloud pencil in hand and
at each point where I say mark will make a cross with your pencil This is the
first step in a sifting process which I have long had in view and as we go on I
shall be able to indicate to you certain principles of selection whereby you
will I trust have an intelligent participation in my purpose«
This proposal was only one more sign added to many since his memorable
interview with Lydgate that Mr Casaubons original reluctance to let Dorothea
work with him had given place to the contrary disposition namely to demand
much interest and labour from her
After she had read and marked for two hours he said »We will take the
volume upstairs and the pencil if you please and in case of reading in the
night we can pursue this task It is not wearisome to you I trust Dorothea«
»I prefer always reading what you like best to hear« said Dorothea who
told the simple truth for what she dreaded was to exert herself in reading or
anything else which left him as joyless as ever
It was a proof of the force with which certain characteristics in Dorothea
impressed those around her that her husband with all his jealousy and
suspicion had gathered implicit trust in the integrity of her promises and her
power of devoting herself to her idea of the right and best Of late he had
begun to feel that these qualities were a peculiar possession for himself and
he wanted to engross them
The reading in the night did come Dorothea in her young weariness had slept
soon and fast she was awakened by a sense of light which seemed to her at
first like a sudden vision of sunset after she had climbed a steep hill she
opened her eyes and saw her husband wrapped in his warm gown seating himself in
the armchair near the fireplace where the embers were still glowing He had
lit two candles expecting that Dorothea would awake but not liking to rouse
her by more direct means
»Are you ill Edward« she said rising immediately
»I felt some uneasiness in a reclining posture I will sit here for a time«
She threw wood on the fire wrapped herself up and said »You would like me to
read to you«
»You would oblige me greatly by doing so Dorothea« said Mr Casaubon with
a shade more meekness than usual in his polite manner »I am wakeful my mind is
remarkably lucid«
»I fear that the excitement may be too great for you« said Dorothea
remembering Lydgates cautions
»No I am not conscious of undue excitement Thought is easy« Dorothea
dared not insist and she read for an hour or more on the same plan as she had
done in the evening but getting over the pages with more quickness Mr
Casaubons mind was more alert and he seemed to anticipate what was coming
after a very slight verbal indication saying »That will do mark that« or
»Pass on to the next head I omit the second excursus on Crete« Dorothea was
amazed to think of the birdlike speed with which his mind was surveying the
ground where it had been creeping for years At last he said
»Close the book now my dear We will resume our work tomorrow I have
deferred it too long and would gladly see it completed But you observe that
the principle on which my selection is made is to give adequate and not
disproportionate illustration to each of the theses enumerated in my
introduction as at present sketched You have perceived that distinctly
Dorothea«
»Yes« said Dorothea rather tremulously She felt sick at heart
»And now I think that I can take some repose« said Mr Casaubon He lay
down again and begged her to put out the lights When she had lain down too and
there was a darkness only broken by a dull glow on the hearth he said
»Before I sleep I have a request to make Dorothea«
»What is it« said Dorothea with dread in her mind
»It is that you will let me know deliberately whether in case of my
death you will carry out my wishes whether you will avoid doing what I should
deprecate and apply yourself to do what I should desire«
Dorothea was not taken by surprise many incidents had been leading her to
the conjecture of some intention on her husbands part which might make a new
yoke for her She did not answer immediately
»You refuse« said Mr Casaubon with more edge in his tone
»No I do not yet refuse« said Dorothea in a clear voice the need of
freedom asserting itself within her »but it is too solemn I think it is not
right to make a promise when I am ignorant what it will bind me to Whatever
affection prompted I would do without promising«
»But you would use your own judgment I ask you to obey mine you refuse«
»No dear no« said Dorothea beseechingly crushed by opposing fears »But
may I wait and reflect a little while I desire with my whole soul to do what
will comfort you but I cannot give any pledge suddenly still less a pledge to
do I know not what«
»You cannot then confide in the nature of my wishes«
»Grant me till tomorrow« said Dorothea beseechingly
»Till tomorrow then« said Mr Casaubon
Soon she could hear that he was sleeping but there was no more sleep for
her While she constrained herself to lie still lest she should disturb him her
mind was carrying on a conflict in which imagination ranged its forces first on
one side and then on the other She had no presentiment that the power which her
husband wished to establish over her future action had relation to anything else
than his work But it was clear enough to her that he would expect her to
devote herself to sifting those mixed heaps of material which were to be the
doubtful illustration of principles still more doubtful The poor child had
become altogether unbelieving as to the trustworthiness of that Key which had
made the ambition and the labour of her husbands life It was not wonderful
that in spite of her small instruction her judgment in this matter was truer
than his for she looked with unbiassed comparison and healthy sense at
probabilities on which he had risked all his egoism And now she pictured to
herself the days and months and years which she must spend in sorting what
might be called shattered mummies and fragments of a tradition which was itself
a mosaic wrought from crushed ruins sorting them as food for a theory which
was already withered in the birth like an elfin child Doubtless a vigorous
error vigorously pursued has kept the embryos of truth abreathing the quest of
gold being at the same time a questioning of substances, the body of chemistry
is prepared for its soul and Lavoisier is born But Mr Casaubons theory of
the elements which made the seed of all tradition was not likely to bruise
itself unawares against discoveries it floated among flexible conjectures no
more solid than those etymologies which seemed strong because of likeness in
sound until it was shown that likeness in sound made them impossible it was a
method of interpretation which was not tested by the necessity of forming
anything which had sharper collisions than an elaborate notion of Gog and Magog
it was as free from interruption as a plan for threading the stars together And
Dorothea had so often had to check her weariness and impatience over this
questionable riddleguessing as it revealed itself to her instead of the
fellowship in high knowledge which was to make life worthier She could
understand well enough now why her husband had come to cling to her as possibly
the only hope left that his labours would ever take a shape in which they could
be given to the world At first it had seemed that he wished to keep even her
aloof from any close knowledge of what he was doing but gradually the terrible
stringency of human need the prospect of a too speedy death
And here Dorotheas pity turned from her own future to her husbands past
nay to his present hard struggle with a lot which had grown out of that past
the lonely labour the ambition breathing hardly under the pressure of
self-distrust the goal receding and the heavier limbs and now at last the
sword visibly trembling above him And had she not wished to marry him that she
might help him in his lifes labour But she had thought the work was to be
something greater which she could serve in devoutly for its own sake Was it
right even to soothe his grief would it be possible even if she promised
to work as in a treadmill fruitlessly
And yet could she deny him Could she say »I refuse to content this pining
hunger« It would be refusing to do for him dead what she was almost sure to do
for him living If he lived as Lydgate had said he might for fifteen years or
more her life would certainly be spent in helping him and obeying him
Still there was a deep difference between that devotion to the living and
that indefinite promise of devotion to the dead While he lived he could claim
nothing that she would not still be free to remonstrate against and even to
refuse But the thought passed through her mind more than once though she
could not believe in it might he not mean to demand something more from her
than she had been able to imagine since he wanted her pledge to carry out his
wishes without telling her exactly what they were No his heart was bound up in
his work only that was the end for which his failing life was to be eked out by
hers
And now if she were to say »No if you die I will put no finger to your
work« it seemed as if she would be crushing that bruised heart
For four hours Dorothea lay in this conflict till she felt ill and
bewildered unable to resolve praying mutely Helpless as a child which has
sobbed and sought too long she fell into a late morning sleep and when she
waked Mr Casaubon was already up Tantripp told her that he had read prayers
breakfasted and was in the library
»I never saw you look so pale madam« said Tantripp a solidfigured woman
who had been with the sisters at Lausanne
»Was I ever highcoloured Tantripp« said Dorothea smiling faintly
»Well not to say highcoloured but with a bloom like a Chiny rose But
always smelling those leather books what can be expected Do rest a little this
morning madam Let me say you are ill and not able to go into that close
library«
»Oh no no let me make haste« said Dorothea »Mr Casaubon wants me
particularly«
When she went down she felt sure that she should promise to fulfil his
wishes but that would be later in the day not yet
As Dorothea entered the library Mr Casaubon turned round from the table
where he had been placing some books and said
»I was waiting for your appearance my dear I had hoped to set to work at
once this morning but I find myself under some indisposition probably from too
much excitement yesterday I am going now to take a turn in the shrubbery since
the air is milder«
»I am glad to hear that« said Dorothea »Your mind I feared was too
active last night«
»I would fain have it set at rest on the point I last spoke of Dorothea
You can now I hope give me an answer«
»May I come out to you in the garden presently« said Dorothea winning a
little breathing space in that way
»I shall be in the YewTree Walk for the next halfhour« said Mr Casaubon
and then he left her
Dorothea feeling very weary rang and asked Tantripp to bring her some
wraps She had been sitting still for a few minutes but not in any renewal of
the former conflict she simply felt that she was going to say »Yes« to her own
doom she was too weak too full of dread at the thought of inflicting a
keenedged blow on her husband to do anything but submit completely She sat
still and let Tantripp put on her bonnet and shawl a passivity which was
unusual with her for she liked to wait on herself
»God bless you madam« said Tantripp with an irrepressible movement of
love towards the beautiful gentle creature for whom she felt unable to do
anything more now that she had finished tying the bonnet
This was too much for Dorotheas highlystrung feeling and she burst into
tears sobbing against Tantripps arm But soon she checked herself dried her
eyes and went out at the glass door into the shrubbery
»I wish every book in that library was built into a caticom for your
master« said Tantripp to Pratt the butler finding him in the breakfastroom
She had been at Rome and visited the antiquities as we know and she always
declined to call Mr Casaubon anything but »your master« when speaking to the
other servants
Pratt laughed He liked his master very well but he liked Tantripp better
When Dorothea was out on the gravel walks she lingered among the nearer
clumps of trees hesitating as she had done once before though from a
different cause Then she had feared lest her effort at fellowship should be
unwelcome now she dreaded going to the spot where she foresaw that she must
bind herself to a fellowship from which she shrank Neither law nor the worlds
opinion compelled her to this only her husbands nature and her own
compassion only the ideal and not the real yoke of marriage She saw clearly
enough the whole situation yet she was fettered she could not smite the
stricken soul that entreated hers If that were weakness Dorothea was weak But
the halfhour was passing and she must not delay longer When she entered the
YewTree Walk she could not see her husband but the walk had bends and she
went expecting to catch sight of his figure wrapped in a blue cloak which
with a warm velvet cap was his outer garment on chill days for the garden It
occurred to her that he might be resting in the summerhouse towards which the
path diverged a little Turning the angle she could see him seated on the
bench close to a stone table His arms were resting on the table and his brow
was bowed down on them the blue cloak being dragged forward and screening his
face on each side
»He exhausted himself last night« Dorothea said to herself thinking at
first that he was asleep and that the summerhouse was too damp a place to rest
in But then she remembered that of late she had seen him take that attitude
when she was reading to him as if he found it easier than any other and that
he would sometimes speak as well as listen with his face down in that way She
went into the summerhouse and said »I am come Edward I am ready«
He took no notice and she thought that he must be fast asleep She laid her
hand on his shoulder and repeated »I am ready« Still he was motionless and
with a sudden confused fear she leaned down to him took off his velvet cap
and leaned her cheek close to his head crying in a distressed tone
»Wake dear wake Listen to me I am come to answer«
But Dorothea never gave her answer
Later in the day Lydgate was seated by her bedside and she was talking
deliriously thinking aloud and recalling what had gone through her mind the
night before She knew him and called him by his name but appeared to think it
right that she should explain everything to him and again and again begged
him to explain everything to her husband
»Tell him I shall go to him soon I am ready to promise Only thinking
about it was so dreadful it has made me ill Not very ill I shall soon be
better Go and tell him«
But the silence in her husbands ear was never more to be broken
Chapter XLIX
A task too strong for wizard spells
This squire had brought about
Tis easy dropping stones in wells
But who shall get them out
»I wish to God we could hinder Dorothea from knowing this« said Sir James
Chettam with the little frown on his brow and an expression of intense disgust
about his mouth
He was standing on the hearthrug in the library at Lowick Grange and
speaking to Mr Brooke It was the day after Mr Casaubon had been buried and
Dorothea was not yet able to leave her room
»That would be difficult you know Chettam as she is an executrix and she
likes to go into these things property land that kind of thing She has her
notions you know« said Mr Brooke sticking his eyeglasses on nervously and
exploring the edges of a folded paper which he held in his hand »and she would
like to act depend upon it as an executrix Dorothea would want to act And
she was twentyone last December you know I can hinder nothing«
Sir James looked at the carpet for a minute in silence and then lifting his
eyes suddenly fixed them on Mr Brooke saying »I will tell you what we can do
Until Dorothea is well all business must be kept from her and as soon as she
is able to be moved she must come to us Being with Celia and the baby will be
the best thing in the world for her and will pass away the time And meanwhile
you must get rid of Ladislaw you must send him out of the country« Here Sir
Jamess look of disgust returned in all its intensity
Mr Brooke put his hands behind him walked to the window and straightened
his back with a little shake before he replied
»That is easily said Chettam easily said you know«
»My dear sir« persisted Sir James restraining his indignation within
respectful forms »it was you who brought him here and you who keep him here
I mean by the occupation you give him«
»Yes but I cant dismiss him in an instant without assigning reasons my
dear Chettam Ladislaw has been invaluable most satisfactory I consider that I
have done this part of the country a service by bringing him by bringing him
you know« Mr Brooke ended with a nod turning round to give it
»Its a pity this part of the country didnt do without him thats all I
have to say about it At any rate as Dorotheas brotherinlaw I feel
warranted in objecting strongly to his being kept here by any action on the part
of her friends You admit I hope that I have a right to speak about what
concerns the dignity of my wifes sister«
Sir James was getting warm
»Of course my dear Chettam of course But you and I have different ideas
different «
»Not about this action of Casaubons I should hope« interrupted Sir James
»I say that he has most unfairly compromised Dorothea I say that there never
was a meaner more ungentlemanly action than this a codicil of this sort to a
will which he made at the time of his marriage with the knowledge and reliance
of her family a positive insult to Dorothea«
»Well you know Casaubon was a little twisted about Ladislaw Ladislaw has
told me the reason dislike of the bent he took you know Ladislaw didnt
think much of Casaubons notions Thoth and Dagon that sort of thing and I
fancy that Casaubon didnt like the independent position Ladislaw had taken up
I saw the letters between them you know Poor Casaubon was a little buried in
books he didnt know the world«
»Its all very well for Ladislaw to put that colour on it« said Sir James
»But I believe Casaubon was only jealous of him on Dorotheas account and the
world will suppose that she gave him some reason and that is what makes it so
abominable coupling her name with this young fellows«
»My dear Chettam it wont lead to anything you know« said Mr Brooke
seating himself and sticking on his eyeglass again »Its all of a piece with
Casaubons oddity This paper now Synoptical Tabulation and so on for the use
of Mrs Casaubon it was locked up in the desk with the will I suppose he meant
Dorothea to publish his researches eh and shell do it you know she has gone
into his studies uncommonly«
»My dear sir« said Sir James impatiently »that is neither here nor there
The question is whether you dont see with me the propriety of sending young
Ladislaw away«
»Well no not the urgency of the thing Byandby perhaps it may come
round As to gossip you know sending him away wont hinder gossip People say
what they like to say not what they have chapter and verse for« said Mr
Brooke becoming acute about the truths that lay on the side of his own wishes
»I might get rid of Ladislaw up to a certain point take away the Pioneer from
him and that sort of thing but I couldnt send him out of the country if he
didnt choose to go didnt choose you know«
Mr Brooke persisting as quietly as if he were only discussing the nature
of last years weather and nodding at the end with his usual amenity was an
exasperating form of obstinacy
»Good God« said Sir James with as much passion as he ever showed »let us
get him a post let us spend money on him If he could go in the suite of some
Colonial Governor Grampus might take him and I could write to Fulke about
it«
»But Ladislaw wont be shipped off like a head of cattle my dear fellow
Ladislaw has his ideas. It's my opinion that if he were to part from me
tomorrow youd only hear the more of him in the country With his talent for
speaking and drawing up documents there are few men who could come up to him as
an agitator an agitator you know«
»Agitator« said Sir James with bitter emphasis feeling that the syllables
of this word properly repeated were a sufficient exposure of its hatefulness
»But be reasonable Chettam Dorothea now As you say she had better go to
Celia as soon as possible She can stay under your roof and in the mean time
things may come round quietly Dont let us be firing off our guns in a hurry
you know Standish will keep our counsel and the news will be old before its
known Twenty things may happen to carry off Ladislaw without my doing
anything you know«
»Then I am to conclude that you decline to do anything«
»Decline Chettam no I didnt say decline But I really dont see what
I could do Ladislaw is a gentleman«
»I am glad to hear it« said Sir James his irritation making him forget
himself a little »I am sure Casaubon was not«
»Well it would have been worse if he had made the codicil to hinder her
from marrying again at all you know«
»I dont know that« said Sir James »It would have been less indelicate«
»One of poor Casaubons freaks That attack upset his brain a little It all
goes for nothing She doesnt want to marry Ladislaw«
»But this codicil is framed so as to make everybody believe that she did I
dont believe anything of the sort about Dorothea« said Sir James then
frowningly »but I suspect Ladislaw I tell you frankly I suspect Ladislaw«
»I couldnt take any immediate action on that ground Chettam In fact if
it were possible to pack him off send him to Norfolk Island that sort of
thing it would look all the worse for Dorothea to those who knew about it It
would seem as if we distrusted her distrusted her you know«
That Mr Brooke had hit on an undeniable argument did not tend to soothe
Sir James He put out his hand to reach his hat implying that he did not mean
to contend further and said still with some heat
»Well I can only say that I think Dorothea was sacrificed once because her
friends were too careless I shall do what I can as her brother to protect her
now«
»You cant do better than get her to Freshitt as soon as possible Chettam
I approve that plan altogether« said Mr Brooke well pleased that he had won
the argument It would have been highly inconvenient to him to part with
Ladislaw at that time when a dissolution might happen any day and electors
were to be convinced of the course by which the interests of the country would
be best served Mr Brooke sincerely believed that this end could be secured by
his own return to Parliament he offered the forces of his mind honestly to the
nation
Chapter L
»This Loller here wol prechen us somewhat
Nay by my fathers soule that schal he nat
Sayde the Schipman here schal he not preche
He schal no gospel glosen here ne teche
We leven all in the gret God quod he
He wolden sowen some diffcultee«
Canterbury Tales
Dorothea had been safe at Freshitt Hall nearly a week before she had asked any
dangerous questions Every morning now she sat with Celia in the prettiest of
upstairs sittingrooms opening into a small conservatory Celia all in white
and lavender like a bunch of mixed violets watching the remarkable acts of the
baby which were so dubious to her inexperienced mind that all conversation was
interrupted by appeals for their interpretation made to the oracular nurse
Dorothea sat by in her widows dress with an expression which rather provoked
Celia as being much too sad for not only was baby quite well but really when
a husband had been so dull and troublesome while he lived and besides that had
well well Sir James of course had told Celia everything with a strong
representation how important it was that Dorothea should not know it sooner than
was inevitable
But Mr Brooke had been right in predicting that Dorothea would not long
remain passive where action had been assigned to her she knew the purport of
her husbands will made at the time of their marriage and her mind as soon as
she was clearly conscious of her position was silently occupied with what she
ought to do as the owner of Lowick Manor with the patronage of the living
attached to it
One morning when her uncle paid his usual visit though with an unusual
alacrity in his manner which he accounted for by saying that it was now pretty
certain Parliament would be dissolved forthwith Dorothea said
»Uncle it is right now that I should consider who is to have the living at
Lowick After Mr Tucker had been provided for I never heard my husband say
that he had any clergyman in his mind as a successor to himself I think I ought
to have the keys now and go to Lowick to examine all my husbands papers There
may be something that would throw light on his wishes«
»No hurry my dear« said Mr Brooke quietly »Byandby you know you can
go if you like But I cast my eyes over things in the desks and drawers there
was nothing nothing but deep subjects you know besides the will Everything
can be done by As to the living I have had an application for interest already
I should say rather good Mr Tyke has been strongly recommended to me I had
something to do with getting him an appointment before An apostolic man I
believe the sort of thing that would suit you my dear«
»I should like to have fuller knowledge about him uncle and judge for
myself if Mr Casaubon has not left any expression of his wishes He has
perhaps made some addition to his will there may be some instructions for me«
said Dorothea who had all the while had this conjecture in her mind with
relation to her husbands work
»Nothing about the rectory my dear nothing« said Mr Brooke rising to
go away and putting out his hand to his nieces »nor about his researches you
know Nothing in the will«
Dorotheas lip quivered
»Come you must not think of these things yet my dear Byandby you
know«
»I am quite well now uncle I wish to exert myself«
»Well well we shall see But I must run away now I have no end of work
now its a crisis a political crisis you know And here is Celia and her
little man you are an aunt you know now and I am a sort of grandfather«
said Mr Brooke with placid hurry anxious to get away and tell Chettam that it
would not be his Mr Brookes fault if Dorothea insisted on looking into
everything
Dorothea sank back in her chair when her uncle had left the room and cast
her eyes down meditatively on her crossed hands
»Look Dodo look at him Did you ever see anything like that« said Celia
in her comfortable staccato
»What Kitty« said Dorothea lifting her eyes rather absently
»What why his upper lip see how he is drawing it down as if he meant to
make a face Isnt it wonderful He may have his little thoughts I wish nurse
were here Do look at him«
A large tear which had been for some time gathering rolled down Dorotheas
cheek as she looked up and tried to smile
»Dont be sad Dodo kiss baby What are you brooding over so I am sure you
did everything and a great deal too much You should be happy now«
»I wonder if Sir James would drive me to Lowick I want to look over
everything to see if there were any words written for me«
»You are not to go till Mr Lydgate says you may go And he has not said so
yet here you are nurse take baby and walk up and down the gallery Besides
you have got a wrong notion in your head as usual Dodo I can see that it
vexes me«
»Where am I wrong Kitty« said Dorothea quite meekly She was almost ready
now to think Celia wiser than herself and was really wondering with some fear
what her wrong notion was Celia felt her advantage and was determined to use
it None of them knew Dodo as well as she did or knew how to manage her Since
Celias baby was born she had had a new sense of her mental solidity and calm
wisdom It seemed clear that where there was a baby things were right enough
and that error in general was a mere lack of that central poising force
»I can see what you are thinking of as well as can be Dodo« said Celia
»You are wanting to find out if there is anything uncomfortable for you to do
now only because Mr Casaubon wished it As if you had not been uncomfortable
enough before And he doesnt deserve it and you will find that out He has
behaved very badly James is as angry with him as can be And I had better tell
you to prepare you«
»Celia« said Dorothea entreatingly »you distress me Tell me at once what
you mean« It glanced through her mind that Mr Casaubon had left the property
away from her which would not be so very distressing
»Why he has made a codicil to his will to say the property was all to go
away from you if you married I mean «
»That is of no consequence« said Dorothea breaking in impetuously
»But if you married Mr Ladislaw not anybody else« Celia went on with
persevering quietude »Of course that is of no consequence in one way you
never would marry Mr Ladislaw but that only makes it worse of Mr Casaubon«
The blood rushed to Dorotheas face and neck painfully But Celia was
administering what she thought a sobering dose of fact. It was taking up notions
that had done Dodos health so much harm So she went on in her neutral tone as
if she had been remarking on babys robes
»James says so He says it is abominable and not like a gentleman And
there never was a better judge than James It is as if Mr Casaubon wanted to
make people believe that you would wish to marry Mr Ladislaw which is
ridiculous Only James says it was to hinder Mr Ladislaw from wanting to marry
you for your money just as if he ever would think of making you an offer Mrs
Cadwallader said you might as well marry an Italian with white mice But I must
just go and look at baby« Celia added without the least change of tone
throwing a light shawl over her and tripping away
Dorothea by this time had turned cold again and now threw herself back
helplessly in her chair She might have compared her experience at that moment
to the vague alarmed consciousness that her life was taking on a new form that
she was undergoing a metamorphosis in which memory would not adjust itself to
the stirring of new organs Everything was changing its aspect her husbands
conduct her own duteous feeling towards him every struggle between them and
yet more her whole relation to Will Ladislaw Her world was in a state of
convulsive change the only thing she could say distinctly to herself was that
she must wait and think anew One change terrified her as if it had been a sin
it was a violent shock of repulsion from her departed husband who had had
hidden thoughts perhaps perverting everything she said and did Then again she
was conscious of another change which also made her tremulous it was a sudden
strange yearning of heart towards Will Ladislaw It had never before entered her
mind that he could under any circumstances be her lover conceive the effect
of the sudden revelation that another had thought of him in that light that
perhaps he himself had been conscious of such a possibility and this with the
hurrying crowding vision of unfitting conditions and questions not soon to be
solved
It seemed a long while she did not know how long before she heard Celia
saying »That will do nurse he will be quiet on my lap now You can go to
lunch and let Garratt stay in the next room« »What I think Dodo« Celia went
on observing nothing more than that Dorothea was leaning back in her chair and
likely to be passive »is that Mr Casaubon was spiteful I never did like him
and James never did I think the corners of his mouth were dreadfully spiteful
And now he has behaved in this way I am sure religion does not require you to
make yourself uncomfortable about him If he has been taken away that is a
mercy and you ought to be grateful We should not grieve should we baby«
said Celia confidentially to that unconscious centre and poise of the world who
had the most remarkable fists all complete even to the nails and hair enough
really when you took his cap off to make you didnt know what in short
he was Bouddha in a Western form
At this crisis Lydgate was announced and one of the first things he said
was »I fear you are not so well as you were Mrs Casaubon have you been
agitated allow me to feel your pulse« Dorotheas hand was of a marble
coldness
»She wants to go to Lowick to look over papers« said Celia »She ought
not ought she«
Lydgate did not speak for a few moments Then he said looking at Dorothea
»I hardly know In my opinion Mrs Casaubon should do what would give her the
most repose of mind That repose will not always come from being forbidden to
act«
»Thank you« said Dorothea exerting herself »I am sure that is wise There
are so many things which I ought to attend to Why should I sit here idle«
Then with an effort to recall subjects not connected with her agitation she
added abruptly »You know every one in Middlemarch I think Mr Lydgate I
shall ask you to tell me a great deal I have serious things to do now I have a
living to give away You know Mr Tyke and all the « But Dorotheas effort was
too much for her she broke off and burst into sobs
Lydgate made her drink a dose of sal volatile
»Let Mrs Casaubon do as she likes« he said to Sir James whom he asked to
see before quitting the house »She wants perfect freedom I think more than
any other prescription«
His attendance on Dorothea while her brain was excited had enabled him to
form some true conclusions concerning the trials of her life He felt sure that
she had been suffering from the strain and conflict of self-repression and that
she was likely now to feel herself only in another sort of pinfold than that
from which she had been released
Lydgates advice was all the easier for Sir James to follow when he found
that Celia had already told Dorothea the unpleasant fact about the will There
was no help for it now no reason for any further delay in the execution of
necessary business And the next day Sir James complied at once with her request
that he would drive her to Lowick
»I have no wish to stay there at present« said Dorothea »I could hardly
bear it I am much happier at Freshitt with Celia I shall be able to think
better about what should be done at Lowick by looking at it from a distance And
I should like to be at the Grange a little while with my uncle and go about in
all the old walks and among the people in the village«
»Not yet I think Your uncle is having political company and you are
better out of the way of such doings« said Sir James who at that moment
thought of the Grange chiefly as a haunt of young Ladislaws But no word passed
between him and Dorothea about the objectionable part of the will indeed both
of them felt that the mention of it between them would be impossible Sir James
was shy even with men about disagreeble subjects and the one thing that
Dorothea would have chosen to say if she had spoken on the matter at all was
forbidden to her at present because it seemed to be a further exposure of her
husbands injustice Yet she did wish that Sir James could know what had passed
between her and her husband about Will Ladislaws moral claim on the property
it would then she thought be apparent to him as it was to her that her
husbands strange indelicate proviso had been chiefly urged by his bitter
resistance to that idea of claim and not merely by personal feelings more
difficult to talk about Also it must be admitted Dorothea wished that this
could be known for Wills sake since her friends seemed to think of him as
simply an object of Mr Casaubons charity Why should he be compared with an
Italian carrying white mice That word quoted from Mrs Cadwallader seemed like
a mocking travesty wrought in the dark by an impish finger
At Lowick Dorothea searched desk and drawer searched all her husbands
places of deposit for private writing but found no paper addressed especially
to her except that »Synoptical Tabulation« which was probably only the
beginning of many intended directions for her guidance In carrying out this
bequest of labour to Dorothea as in all else Mr Casaubon had been slow and
hesitating oppressed in the plan of transmitting his work as he had been in
executing it by the sense of moving heavily in a dim and clogging medium
distrust of Dorotheas competence to arrange what he had prepared was subdued
only by distrust of any other redactor But he had come at last to create a
trust for himself out of Dorotheas nature she could do what she resolved to
do and he willingly imagined her toiling under the fetters of a promise to
erect a tomb with his name upon it Not that Mr Casaubon called the future
volumes a tomb he called them the Key to all Mythologies But the months
gained on him and left his plans belated he had only had time to ask for that
promise by which he sought to keep his cold grasp on Dorotheas life
The grasp had slipped away Bound by a pledge given from the depths of her
pity she would have been capable of undertaking a toil which her judgment
whispered was vain for all uses except that consecration of faithfulness which
is a supreme use But now her judgment instead of being controlled by duteous
devotion was made active by the imbittering discovery that in her past union
there had lurked the hidden alienation of secrecy and suspicion The living
suffering man was no longer before her to awaken her pity there remained only
the retrospect of painful subjection to a husband whose thoughts had been lower
than she had believed whose exorbitant claims for himself had even blinded his
scrupulous care for his own character and made him defeat his own pride by
shocking men of ordinary honour As for the property which was the sign of that
broken tie she would have been glad to be free from it and have nothing more
than her original fortune which had been settled on her if there had not been
duties attached to ownership which she ought not to flinch from About this
property many troublous questions insisted on rising had she not been right in
thinking that the half of it ought to go to Will Ladislaw but was it not
impossible now for her to do that act of justice Mr Casaubon had taken a
cruelly effective means of hindering her even with indignation against him in
her heart any act that seemed a triumphant eluding of his purpose revolted her
After collecting papers of business which she wished to examine she locked
up again the desks and drawers all empty of personal words for her empty of
any sign that in her husbands lonely brooding his heart had gone out to her in
excuse or explanation and she went back to Freshitt with the sense that around
his last hard demand and his last injurious assertion of his power the silence
was unbroken
Dorothea tried now to turn her thoughts towards immediate duties and one of
these was of a kind which others were determined to remind her of Lydgates ear
had caught eagerly her mention of the living and as soon as he could he
reopened the subject seeing here a possibility of making amends for the
castingvote he had once given with an illsatisfied conscience
»Instead of telling you anything about Mr Tyke« he said »I should like to
speak of another man Mr Farebrother the Vicar of St Botolphs His living is
a poor one and gives him a stinted provision for himself and his family His
mother aunt and sister all live with him and depend upon him I believe he
has never married because of them I never heard such good preaching as his
such plain easy eloquence He would have done to preach at St Pauls Cross
after old Latimer His talk is just as good about all subjects original
simple clear I think him a remarkable fellow he ought to have done more than
he has done«
»Why has he not done more« said Dorothea interested now in all who had
slipped below their own intention
»Thats a hard question« said Lydgate »I find myself that its uncommonly
difficult to make the right thing work there are so many strings pulling at
once Farebrother often hints that he has got into the wrong profession he
wants a wider range than that of a poor clergyman and I suppose he has no
interest to help him on He is very fond of Natural History and various
scientific matters and he is hampered in reconciling these tastes with his
position He has no money to spare hardly enough to use and that has led him
into cardplaying Middlemarch is a great place for whist He does play for
money and he wins a good deal Of course that takes him into company a little
beneath him and makes him slack about some things and yet with all that
looking at him as a whole I think he is one of the most blameless men I ever
knew He has neither venom nor doubleness in him and those often go with a more
correct outside«
»I wonder whether he suffers in his conscience because of that habit« said
Dorothea »I wonder whether he wishes he could leave it off«
»I have no doubt he would leave it off if he were transplanted into plenty
he would be glad of the time for other things«
»My uncle says that Mr Tyke is spoken of as an apostolic man« said
Dorothea meditatively She was wishing it were possible to restore the times of
primitive zeal and yet thinking of Mr Farebrother with a strong desire to
rescue him from his chancegotten money
»I dont pretend to say that Farebrother is apostolic« said Lydgate »His
position is not quite like that of the Apostles he is only a parson among
parishioners whose lives he has to try and make better Practically I find that
what is called being apostolic now is an impatience of everything in which the
parson doesnt cut the principal figure I see something of that in Mr Tyke at
the Hospital a good deal of his doctrine is a sort of pinching hard to make
people uncomfortably aware of him Besides an apostolic man at Lowick he
ought to think as St Francis did that it is needful to preach to the birds«
»True« said Dorothea »It is hard to imagine what sort of notions our
farmers and labourers get from their teaching I have been looking into a volume
of sermons by Mr Tyke such sermons would be of no use at Lowick I mean
about imputed righteousness and the prophecies in the Apocalypse I have always
been thinking of the different ways in which Christianity is taught and
whenever I find one way that makes it a wider blessing than any other I cling
to that as the truest I mean that which takes in the most good of all kinds
and brings in the most people as sharers in it It is surely better to pardon
too much than to condemn too much But I should like to see Mr Farebrother and
hear him preach«
»Do« said Lydgate »I trust to the effect of that He is very much beloved
but he has his enemies too there are always people who cant forgive an able
man for differing from them And that moneywinning business is really a blot
You dont of course see many Middlemarch people but Mr Ladislaw who is
constantly seeing Mr Brooke is a great friend of Mr Farebrothers old ladies
and would be glad to sing the Vicars praises One of the old ladies Miss
Noble the aunt is a wonderfully quaint picture of self-forgetful goodness
and Ladislaw gallants her about sometimes I met them one day in a back street
you know Ladislaws look a sort of Daphnis in coat and waistcoat and this
little old maid reaching up to his arm they looked like a couple dropped out
of a romantic comedy But the best evidence about Farebrother is to see him and
hear him«
Happily Dorothea was in her private sittingroom when this conversation
occurred and there was no one present to make Lydgates innocent introduction
of Ladislaw painful to her As was usual with him in matters of personal gossip
Lydgate had quite forgotten Rosamonds remark that she thought Will adored Mrs
Casaubon At that moment he was only caring for what would recommend the
Farebrother family and he had purposely given emphasis to the worst that could
be said about the Vicar in order to forestall objections In the weeks since
Mr Casaubons death he had hardly seen Ladislaw and he had heard no rumour to
warn him that Mr Brookes confidential secretary was a dangerous subject with
Mrs Casaubon When he was gone his picture of Ladislaw lingered in her mind
and disputed the ground with that question of the Lowick living What was Will
Ladislaw thinking about her Would he hear of that fact which made her cheeks
burn as they never used to do And how would he feel when he heard it But she
could see as well as possible how he smiled down at the little old maid An
Italian with white mice on the contrary he was a creature who entered into
every ones feelings and could take the pressure of their thought instead of
urging his own with iron resistance
Chapter LI
Party is Nature too and you shall see
By force of Logic how they both agree
The Many in the One the One in Many
All is not Some nor Some the same as Any
Genus holds species both are great or small
One genus highest one not high at all
Each species has its differentia too
This is not That and He was never You
Though this and that are ayes and you and he
Are like as one to one or three to three
No gossip about Mr Casaubons will had yet reached Ladislaw the air seemed to
be filled with the dissolution of Parliament and the coming election as the old
wakes and fairs were filled with the rival clatter of itinerant shows and more
private noises were taken little notice of The famous »dry election« was at
hand in which the depths of public feeling might be measured by the low
floodmark of drink Will Ladislaw was one of the busiest at this time and
though Dorotheas widowhood was continually in his thought he was so far from
wishing to be spoken to on the subject that when Lydgate sought him out to tell
him what had passed about the Lowick living he answered rather waspishly
»Why should you bring me into the matter I never see Mrs Casaubon and am
not likely to see her since she is at Freshitt I never go there It is Tory
ground where I and the Pioneer are no more welcome than a poacher and his gun«
The fact was that Will had been made the more susceptible by observing that
Mr Brooke instead of wishing him as before to come to the Grange oftener
than was quite agreeable to himself seemed now to contrive that he should go
there as little as possible This was a shuffling concession of Mr Brookes to
Sir James Chettams indignant remonstrance and Will awake to the slightest
hint in this direction concluded that he was to be kept away from the Grange on
Dorotheas account Her friends then regarded him with some suspicion Their
fears were quite superfluous they were very much mistaken if they imagined that
he would put himself forward as a needy adventurer trying to win the favour of a
rich woman
Until now Will had never fully seen the chasm between himself and Dorothea
until now that he was come to the brink of it and saw her on the other side He
began not without some inward rage to think of going away from the
neighbourhood it would be impossible for him to show any further interest in
Dorothea without subjecting himself to disagreeable imputations perhaps even
in her mind which others might try to poison
»We are for ever divided« said Will »I might as well be at Rome she would
be no farther from me« But what we call our despair is often only the painful
eagerness of unfed hope There were plenty of reasons why he should not go
public reasons why he should not quit his post at this crisis leaving Mr
Brooke in the lurch when he needed »coaching« for the election and when there
was so much canvassing direct and indirect to be carried on Will could not
like to leave his own chessmen in the heat of a game and any candidate on the
right side even if his brain and marrow had been as soft as was consistent with
a gentlemanly bearing might help to turn a majority To coach Mr Brooke and
keep him steadily to the idea that he must pledge himself to vote for the actual
Reform Bill instead of insisting on his independence and power of pulling up in
time was not an easy task Mr Farebrothers prophecy of a fourth candidate »in
the bag« had not yet been fulfilled neither the Parliamentary Candidate Society
nor any other power on the watch to secure a reforming majority seeing a worthy
nodus for interference while there was a second reforming candidate like Mr
Brooke who might be returned at his own expense and the fight lay entirely
between Pinkerton the old Tory member Bagster the new Whig member returned at
the last election and Brooke the future independent member who was to fetter
himself for this occasion only Mr Hawley and his party would bend all their
forces to the return of Pinkerton and Mr Brookes success must depend either
on plumpers which would leave Bagster in the rear or on the new minting of Tory
votes into reforming votes The latter means of course would be preferable
This prospect of converting votes was a dangerous distraction to Mr Brooke
his impression that waverers were likely to be allured by wavering statements
and also the liability of his mind to stick afresh at opposing arguments as they
turned up in his memory gave Will Ladislaw much trouble
»You know there are tactics in these things« said Mr Brooke »meeting
people halfway tempering your ideas saying Well now theres something in
that and so on I agree with you that this is a peculiar occasion the country
with a will of its own political unions that sort of thing but we
sometimes cut with rather too sharp a knife Ladislaw These tenpound
householders now why ten Draw the line somewhere yes but why just at ten
Thats a difficult question now if you go into it«
»Of course it is« said Will impatiently »But if you are to wait till we
get a logical Bill you must put yourself forward as a revolutionist and then
Middlemarch would not elect you I fancy As for trimming this is not a time
for trimming«
Mr Brooke always ended by agreeing with Ladislaw who still appeared to him
a sort of Burke with a leaven of Shelley but after an interval the wisdom of
his own methods reasserted itself, and he was again drawn into using them with
much hopefulness At this stage of affairs he was in excellent spirits which
even supported him under large advances of money for his powers of convincing
and persuading had not yet been tested by anything more difficult than a
chairmans speech introducing other orators or a dialogue with a Middlemarch
voter from which he came away with a sense that he was a tactician by nature
and that it was a pity he had not gone earlier into this kind of thing He was a
little conscious of defeat however with Mr Mawmsey a chief representative in
Middlemarch of that great social power the retail trader and naturally one of
the most doubtful voters in the borough willing for his own part to supply an
equal quality of teas and sugars to reformer and antireformer as well as to
agree impartially with both and feeling like the burgesses of old that this
necessity of electing members was a great burthen to a town for even if there
were no danger in holding out hopes to all parties beforehand there would be
the painful necessity at last of disappointing respectable people whose names
were on his books He was accustomed to receive large orders from Mr Brooke of
Tipton but then there were many of Pinkertons committee whose opinions had a
great weight of grocery on their side Mr Mawmsey thinking that Mr Brooke as
not too »clever in his intellects« was the more likely to forgive a grocer who
gave a hostile vote under pressure had become confidential in his back parlour
»As to Reform sir put it in a family light« he said rattling the small
silver in his pocket and smiling affably »Will it support Mrs Mawmsey and
enable her to bring up six children when I am no more I put the question
fictiously knowing what must be the answer Very well sir I ask you what as
a husband and a father I am to do when gentlemen come to me and say Do as you
like Mawmsey but if you vote against us I shall get my groceries elsewhere
when I sugar my liquor I like to feel that I am benefiting the country by
maintaining tradesmen of the right colour Those very words have been spoken to
me sir in the very chair where you are now sitting I dont mean by your
honourable self Mr Brooke«
»No no no thats narrow you know Until my butler complains to me of
your goods Mr Mawmsey« said Mr Brooke soothingly »until I hear that you
send bad sugars spices that sort of thing I shall never order him to go
elsewhere«
»Sir I am your humble servant and greatly obliged« said Mr Mawmsey
feeling that politics were clearing up a little »There would be some pleasure
in voting for a gentleman who speaks in that honourable manner«
»Well you know Mr Mawmsey you would find it the right thing to put
yourself on our side This Reform will touch everybody byandby a thoroughly
popular measure a sort of A, B, C, you know that must come first before the
rest can follow I quite agree with you that youve got to look at the thing in
a family light but public spirit now Were all one family you know its
all one cupboard Such a thing as a vote now why it may help to make mens
fortunes at the Cape theres no knowing what may be the effect of a vote« Mr
Brooke ended with a sense of being a little out at sea though finding it still
enjoyable But Mr Mawmsey answered in a tone of decisive check
»I beg your pardon sir but I cant afford that When I give a vote I must
know what Im doing I must look to what will be the effects on my till and
ledger speaking respectfully Prices Ill admit are what nobody can know the
merits of and the sudden falls after youve bought in currants which are a
goods that will not keep Ive never myself seen into the ins and outs there
which is a rebuke to human pride But as to one family theres debtor and
creditor I hope theyre not going to reform that away else I should vote for
things staying as they are Few men have less need to cry for change than I
have personally speaking that is for self and family I am not one of those
who have nothing to lose I mean as to respectability both in parish and private
business and noways in respect of your honourable self and custom which you
was good enough to say you would not withdraw from me vote or no vote while
the article sent in was satisfactory«
After this conversation Mr Mawmsey went up and boasted to his wife that he
had been rather too many for Brooke of Tipton and that he didnt mind so much
now about going to the poll
Mr Brooke on this occasion abstained from boasting of his tactics to
Ladislaw who for his part was glad enough to persuade himself that he had no
concern with any canvassing except the purely argumentative sort and that he
worked no meaner engine than knowledge Mr Brooke necessarily had his agents
who understood the nature of the Middlemarch voter and the means of enlisting
his ignorance on the side of the Bill which were remarkably similar to the
means of enlisting it on the side against the Bill Will stopped his ears
Occasionally Parliament like the rest of our lives even to our eating and
apparel could hardly go on if our imaginations were too active about processes
There were plenty of dirtyhanded men in the world to do dirty business and
Will protested to himself that his share in bringing Mr Brooke through would be
quite innocent
But whether he should succeed in that mode of contributing to the majority
on the right side was very doubtful to him He had written out various speeches
and memoranda for speeches but he had begun to perceive that Mr Brookes mind
if it had the burthen of remembering any train of thought would let it drop
run away in search of it and not easily come back again To collect documents
is one mode of serving your country and to remember the contents of a document
is another No the only way in which Mr Brooke could be coerced into thinking
of the right arguments at the right time was to be well plied with them till
they took up all the room in his brain But here there was the difficulty of
finding room so many things having been taken in beforehand Mr Brooke himself
observed that his ideas stood rather in his way when he was speaking
However Ladislaws coaching was forthwith to be put to the test for before
the day of nomination Mr Brooke was to explain himself to the worthy electors
of Middlemarch from the balcony of the White Hart which looked out
advantageously at an angle of the marketplace commanding a large area in front
and two converging streets It was a fine May morning and everything seemed
hopeful there was some prospect of an understanding between Bagsters committee
and Brookes to which Mr Bulstrode Mr Standish as a Liberal lawyer and such
manufacturers as Mr Plymdale and Mr Vincy gave a solidity which almost
counterbalanced Mr Hawley and his associates who sat for Pinkerton at the Green
Dragon Mr Brooke conscious of having weakened the blasts of the Trumpet
against him by his reforms as a landlord in the last half year and hearing
himself cheered a little as he drove into the town felt his heart tolerably
light under his buffcoloured waistcoat But with regard to critical occasions
it often happens that all moments seem comfortably remote until the last
»This looks well eh« said Mr Brooke as the crowd gathered »I shall have
a good audience at any rate I like this now this kind of public made up of
ones own neighbours you know«
The weavers and tanners of Middlemarch unlike Mr Mawmsey had never
thought of Mr Brooke as a neighbour and were not more attached to him than if
he had been sent in a box from London But they listened without much
disturbance to the speakers who introduced the candidate though one of them a
political personage from Brassing who came to tell Middlemarch its duty spoke
so fully that it was alarming to think what the candidate could find to say
after him Meanwhile the crowd became denser and as the political personage
neared the end of his speech Mr Brooke felt a remarkable change in his
sensations while he still handled his eyeglass trifled with documents before
him and exchanged remarks with his committee as a man to whom the moment of
summons was indifferent
»Ill take another glass of sherry Ladislaw« he said with an easy air to
Will who was close behind him and presently handed him the supposed fortifier
It was illchosen for Mr Brooke was an abstemious man and to drink a second
glass of sherry quickly at no great interval from the first was a surprise to
his system which tended to scatter his energies instead of collecting them Pray
pity him so many English gentlemen make themselves miserable by speechifying on
entirely private grounds whereas Mr Brooke wished to serve his country by
standing for Parliament which indeed may also be done on private grounds
but being once undertaken does absolutely demand some speechifying
It was not about the beginning of his speech that Mr Brooke was at all
anxious this he felt sure would be all right he should have it quite pat
cut out as neatly as a set of couplets from Pope Embarking would be easy but
the vision of open sea that might come after was alarming »And questions now«
hinted the demon just waking up in his stomach »somebody may put questions
about the schedules Ladislaw« he continued aloud »just hand me the
memorandum of the schedules«
When Mr Brooke presented himself on the balcony the cheers were quite loud
enough to counterbalance the yells groans brayings and other expressions of
adverse theory which were so moderate that Mr Standish decidedly an old bird
observed in the ear next to him »This looks dangerous by God Hawley has got
some deeper plan than this« Still the cheers were exhilarating and no
candidate could look more amiable than Mr Brooke with the memorandum in his
breastpocket his left hand on the rail of the balcony and his right trifling
with his eyeglass The striking points in his appearance were his buff
waistcoat shortclipped blond hair and neutral physiognomy He began with some
confidence
»Gentlemen Electors of Middlemarch«
This was so much the right thing that a little pause after it seemed
natural
»Im uncommonly glad to be here I was never so proud and happy in my life
never so happy you know«
This was a bold figure of speech but not exactly the right thing for
unhappily the pat opening had slipped away even couplets from Pope may be but
»fallings from us vanishings« when fear clutches us and a glass of sherry is
hurrying like smoke among our ideas. Ladislaw who stood at the window behind
the speaker thought »its all up now The only chance is that since the best
thing wont always do floundering may answer for once« Mr Brooke meanwhile
having lost other clues fell back on himself and his qualifications always an
appropriate graceful subject for a candidate
»I am a close neighbour of yours my good friends youve known me on the
bench a good while Ive always gone a good deal into public questions
machinery now and machinebreaking youre many of you concerned with
machinery and Ive been going into that lately It wont do you know breaking
machines everything must go on trade manufactures commerce interchange of
staples that kind of thing since Adam Smith that must go on We must look
all over the globe Observation with extensive view must look everywhere
from China to Peru as somebody says Johnson I think The Rambler you know
That is what I have done up to a certain point not as far as Peru but Ive
not always stayed at home I saw it wouldnt do Ive been in the Levant where
some of your Middlemarch goods go and then again in the Baltic The Baltic
now«
Plying among his recollections in this way Mr Brooke might have got along
easily to himself and would have come back from the remotest seas without
trouble but a diabolical procedure had been set up by the enemy At one and the
same moment there had risen above the shoulders of the crowd nearly opposite
Mr Brooke and within ten yards of him the effigy of himself buffcoloured
waistcoat eyeglass and neutral physiognomy painted on rag and there had
arisen apparently in the air like the note of the cuckoo a parrotlike
Punchvoiced echo of his words Everybody looked up at the open windows in the
houses at the opposite angles of the converging streets but they were either
blank or filled by laughing listeners The most innocent echo has an impish
mockery in it when it follows a gravely persistent speaker and this echo was
not at all innocent if it did not follow with the precision of a natural echo
it had a wicked choice of the words it overtook By the time it said »The
Baltic now« the laugh which had been running through the audience became a
general shout and but for the sobering effects of party and that great public
cause which the entanglement of things had identified with »Brooke of Tipton«
the laugh might have caught his committee Mr Bulstrode asked reprehensively
what the new police was doing but a voice could not well be collared and an
attack on the effigy of the candidate would have been too equivocal since
Hawley probably meant it to be pelted
Mr Brooke himself was not in a position to be quickly conscious of anything
except a general slipping away of ideas within himself he had even a little
singing in the ears and he was the only person who had not yet taken distinct
account of the echo or discerned the image of himself Few things hold the
perceptions more thoroughly captive than anxiety about what we have got to say
Mr Brooke heard the laughter but he had expected some Tory efforts at
disturbance and he was at this moment additionally excited by the tickling
stinging sense that his lost exordium was coming back to fetch him from the
Baltic
»That reminds me« he went on thrusting a hand into his sidepocket with
an easy air »if I wanted a precedent you know but we never want a precedent
for the right thing but there is Chatham now I cant say I should have
supported Chatham or Pitt the younger Pitt he was not a man of ideas, and we
want ideas you know«
»Blast your ideas! we want the Bill« said a loud rough voice from the crowd
below
Immediately the invisible Punch who had hitherto followed Mr Brooke
repeated »Blast your ideas! we want the Bill« The laugh was louder than ever
and for the first time Mr Brooke being himself silent heard distinctly the
mocking echo But it seemed to ridicule his interrupter and in that light was
encouraging so he replied with amenity
»There is something in what you say my good friend and what do we meet for
but to speak our minds freedom of opinion freedom of the press liberty
that kind of thing The Bill now you shall have the Bill« here Mr Brooke
paused a moment to fix on his eyeglass and take the paper from his
breastpocket with a sense of being practical and coming to particulars The
invisible Punch followed
»You shall have the Bill Mr Brooke per electioneering contest and a seat
outside Parliament as delivered five thousand pounds seven shillings and
fourpence«
Mr Brooke amid the roars of laughter turned red let his eyeglass fall
and looking about him confusedly saw the image of himself which had come
nearer The next moment he saw it dolorously bespattered with eggs His spirit
rose a little and his voice too
»Buffoonery tricks ridicule the test of truth all that is very well«
here an unpleasant egg broke on Mr Brookes shoulder as the echo said »All
that is very well« then came a hail of eggs chiefly aimed at the image but
occasionally hitting the original as if by chance There was a stream of new
men pushing among the crowd whistles yells bellowings and fifes made all the
greater hubbub because there was shouting and struggling to put them down No
voice would have had wing enough to rise above the uproar and Mr Brooke
disagreeably anointed stood his ground no longer The frustration would have
been less exasperating if it had been less gamesome and boyish a serious
assault of which the newspaper reporter »can aver that it endangered the learned
gentlemans ribs« or can respectfully bear witness to »the soles of that
gentlemans boots having been visible above the railing« has perhaps more
consolations attached to it
Mr Brooke reentered the committeeroom saying as carelessly as he could
»This is a little too bad you know I should have got the ear of the people
byandby but they didnt give me time I should have gone into the Bill
byandby you know« he added glancing at Ladislaw »However things will come
all right at the nomination«
But it was not resolved unanimously that things would come right on the
contrary the committee looked rather grim and the political personage from
Brassing was writing busily as if he were brewing new devices
»It was Bowyer who did it« said Mr Standish evasively »I know it as well
as if he had been advertised Hes uncommonly good at ventriloquism and he did
it uncommonly well by God Hawley has been having him to dinner lately theres
a fund of talent in Bowyer«
»Well you know you never mentioned him to me Standish else I would have
invited him to dine« said poor Mr Brooke who had gone through a great deal of
inviting for the good of his country
»Theres not a more paltry fellow in Middlemarch than Bowyer« said
Ladislaw indignantly »but it seems as if the paltry fellows were always to
turn the scale«
Will was thoroughly out of temper with himself as well as with his
»principal« and he went to shut himself in his rooms with a halfformed resolve
to throw up the Pioneer and Mr Brooke together Why should he stay If the
impassable gulf between himself and Dorothea were ever to be filled up it must
rather be by his going away and getting into a thoroughly different position
than by staying here and slipping into deserved contempt as an understrapper of
Brookes Then came the young dream of wonders that he might do in five years
for example: political writing political speaking would get a higher value now
public life was going to be wider and more national and they might give him
such distinction that he would not seem to be asking Dorothea to step down to
him Five years if he could only be sure that she cared for him more than for
others if he could only make her aware that he stood aloof until he could tell
his love without lowering himself then he could go away easily and begin a
career which at fiveandtwenty seemed probable enough in the inward order of
things where talent brings fame and fame everything else which is delightful
He could speak and he could write he could master any subject if he chose and
he meant always to take the side of reason and justice on which he would carry
all his ardour Why should he not one day be lifted above the shoulders of the
crowd and feel that he had won that eminence well Without doubt he would leave
Middlemarch go to town and make himself fit for celebrity by »eating his
dinners«
But not immediately not until some kind of sign had passed between him and
Dorothea He could not be satisfied until she knew why even if he were the man
she would choose to marry he would not marry her Hence he must keep his post
and bear with Mr Brooke a little longer
But he soon had reason to suspect that Mr Brooke had anticipated him in the
wish to break up their connection Deputations without and voices within had
concurred in inducing that philanthropist to take a stronger measure than usual
for the good of mankind namely to withdraw in favour of another candidate to
whom he left the advantages of his canvassing machinery He himself called this
a strong measure but observed that his health was less capable of sustaining
excitement than he had imagined
»I have felt uneasy about the chest it wont do to carry that too far« he
said to Ladislaw in explaining the affair »I must pull up Poor Casaubon was a
warning you know Ive made some heavy advances but Ive dug a channel Its
rather coarse work this electioneering eh Ladislaw I daresay you are tired
of it However we have dug a channel with the Pioneer put things in a track
and so on A more ordinary man than you might carry it on now more ordinary
you know«
»Do you wish me to give it up« said Will the quick colour coming in his
face as he rose from the writingtable and took a turn of three steps with his
hands in his pockets »I am ready to do so whenever you wish it«
»As to wishing my dear Ladislaw I have the highest opinion of your powers
you know But about the Pioneer I have been consulting a little with some of
the men on our side and they are inclined to take it into their hands
indemnify me to a certain extent carry it on in fact And under the
circumstances you might like to give up might find a better field These
people might not take that high view of you which I have always taken as an
alter ego a right hand though I always looked forward to your doing something
else I think of having a run into France But Ill write you any letters you
know to Althorpe and people of that kind Ive met Althorpe«
»I am exceedingly obliged to you« said Ladislaw proudly »Since you are
going to part with the Pioneer I need not trouble you about the steps I shall
take I may choose to continue here for the present«
After Mr Brooke had left him Will said to himself »The rest of the family
have been urging him to get rid of me and he doesnt care now about my going I
shall stay as long as I like I shall go of my own movement and not because
they are afraid of me«
Chapter LII
»His heart
The lowliest duties on itself did lay«
Wordsworth
On that June evening when Mr Farebrother knew that he was to have the Lowick
living there was joy in the oldfashioned parlour and even the portraits of
the great lawyers seemed to look on with satisfaction His mother left her tea
and toast untouched but sat with her usual pretty primness only showing her
emotion by that flush in the cheeks and brightness in the eyes which give an old
woman a touching momentary identity with her faroff youthful self and saying
decisively
»The greatest comfort Camden is that you have deserved it«
»When a man gets a good berth mother half the deserving must come after«
said the son brimful of pleasure and not trying to conceal it The gladness in
his face was of that active kind which seems to have energy enough not only to
flash outwardly but to light up busy vision within one seemed to see thoughts
as well as delight in his glances
»Now aunt« he went on rubbing his hands and looking at Miss Noble who
was making tender little beaverlike noises »there shall be sugarcandy always
on the table for you to steal and give to the children and you shall have a
great many new stockings to make presents of and you shall darn your own more
than ever«
Miss Noble nodded at her nephew with a subdued halffrightened laugh
conscious of having already dropped an additional lump of sugar into her basket
on the strength of the new preferment
»As for you Winny« the Vicar went on »I shall make no difficulty about
your marrying any Lowick bachelor Mr Solomon Featherstone for example, as
soon as I find you are in love with him«
Miss Winifred who had been looking at her brother all the while and crying
heartily which was her way of rejoicing smiled through her tears and said
»You must set me the example Cam you must marry now«
»With all my heart But who is in love with me I am a seedy old fellow«
said the Vicar rising pushing his chair away and looking down at himself
»What do you say mother«
»You are a handsome man Camden though not so fine a figure of a man as
your father« said the old lady
»I wish you would marry Miss Garth brother« said Miss Winifred »She would
make us so lively at Lowick«
»Very fine You talk as if young women were tied up to be chosen like
poultry at market as if I had only to ask and everybody would have me« said
the Vicar not caring to specify
»We dont want everybody« said Miss Winifred »But you would like Miss
Garth mother shouldnt you«
»My sons choice shall be mine« said Mrs Farebrother with majestic
discretion »and a wife would be most welcome Camden You will want your whist
at home when we go to Lowick and Henrietta Noble never was a whistplayer«
Mrs Farebrother always called her tiny old sister by that magnificent name
»I shall do without whist now mother«
»Why so Camden In my time whist was thought an undeniable amusement for a
good churchman« said Mrs Farebrother innocent of the meaning that whist had
for her son and speaking rather sharply as at some dangerous countenancing of
new doctrine
»I shall be too busy for whist I shall have two parishes« said the Vicar
preferring not to discuss the virtues of that game
He had already said to Dorothea »I dont feel bound to give up St
Botolphs It is protest enough against the pluralism they want to reform if I
give somebody else most of the money The stronger thing is not to give up
power but to use it well«
»I have thought of that« said Dorothea »So far as self is concerned I
think it would be easier to give up power and money than to keep them It seems
very unfitting that I should have this patronage yet I felt that I ought not to
let it be used by some one else instead of me«
»It is I who am bound to act so that you will not regret your power« said
Mr Farebrother
His was one of the natures in which conscience gets the more active when the
yoke of life ceases to gall them He made no display of humility on the subject
but in his heart he felt rather ashamed that his conduct had shown laches which
others who did not get benefices were free from
»I used often to wish I had been something else than a clergyman« he said
to Lydgate »but perhaps it will be better to try and make as good a clergyman
out of myself as I can That is the wellbeneficed point of view you perceive
from which difficulties are much simplified« he ended smiling
The Vicar did feel then as if his share of duties would be easy But Duty
has a trick of behaving unexpectedly something like a heavy friend whom we
have amiably asked to visit us and who breaks his leg within our gates
Hardly a week later Duty presented itself in his study under the disguise
of Fred Vincy now returned from Omnibus College with his bachelors degree
»I am ashamed to trouble you Mr Farebrother« said Fred whose fair open
face was propitiating »but you are the only friend I can consult I told you
everything once before and you were so good that I cant help coming to you
again«
»Sit down Fred Im ready to hear and do anything I can« said the Vicar
who was busy packing some small objects for removal and went on with his work
»I wanted to tell you « Fred hesitated an instant and then went on
plungingly »I might go into the Church now and really look where I may I
cant see anything else to do I dont like it but I know its uncommonly hard
on my father to say so after he has spent a good deal of money in educating me
for it« Fred paused again an instant and then repeated »and I cant see
anything else to do«
»I did talk to your father about it Fred but I made little way with him
He said it was too late But you have got over one bridge now what are your
other difficulties«
»Merely that I dont like it I dont like divinity and preaching and
feeling obliged to look serious I like riding across country and doing as
other men do I dont mean that I want to be a bad fellow in any way but Ive
no taste for the sort of thing people expect of a clergyman And yet what else
am I to do My father cant spare me any capital else I might go into farming
And he has no room for me in his trade And of course I cant begin to study for
law or physic now when my father wants me to earn something Its all very well
to say Im wrong to go into the Church but those who say so might as well tell
me to go into the backwoods«
Freds voice had taken a tone of grumbling remonstrance and Mr Farebrother
might have been inclined to smile if his mind had not been too busy in imagining
more than Fred told him
»Have you any difficulties about doctrines about the Articles« he said
trying hard to think of the question simply for Freds sake
»No I suppose the Articles are right I am not prepared with any arguments
to disprove them and much better cleverer fellows than I am go in for them
entirely I think it would be rather ridiculous in me to urge scruples of that
sort as if I were a judge« said Fred quite simply
»I suppose then it has occurred to you that you might be a fair parish
priest without being much of a divine«
»Of course if I am obliged to be a clergyman I shall try and do my duty
though I maynt like it Do you think anybody ought to blame me«
»For going into the Church under the circumstances That depends on your
conscience Fred how far you have counted the cost and seen what your
position will require of you I can only tell you about myself that I have
always been too lax and have been uneasy in consequence«
»But there is another hindrance« said Fred colouring »I did not tell you
before though perhaps I may have said things that made you guess it There is
somebody I am very fond of I have loved her ever since we were children«
»Miss Garth I suppose« said the Vicar examining some labels very closely
»Yes I shouldnt mind anything if she would have me And I know I could be
a good fellow then«
»And you think she returns the feeling«
»She never will say so and a good while ago she made me promise not to
speak to her about it again And she has set her mind especially against my
being a clergyman I know that But I cant give her up I do think she cares
about me I saw Mrs Garth last night and she said that Mary was staying at
Lowick Rectory with Miss Farebrother«
»Yes she is very kindly helping my sister Do you wish to go there«
»No I want to ask a great favour of you I am ashamed to bother you in this
way but Mary might listen to what you said if you mentioned the subject to her
I mean about my going into the Church«
»That is rather a delicate task my dear Fred I shall have to presuppose
your attachment to her and to enter on the subject as you wish me to do will
be asking her to tell me whether she returns it«
»That is what I want her to tell you« said Fred bluntly »I dont know
what to do unless I can get at her feeling«
»You mean that you would be guided by that as to your going into the
Church«
»If Mary said she would never have me I might as well go wrong in one way as
another«
»That is nonsense Fred Men outlive their love but they dont outlive the
consequences of their recklessness«
»Not my sort of love I have never been without loving Mary If I had to
give her up it would be like beginning to live on wooden legs«
»Will she not be hurt at my intrusion«
»No I feel sure she will not She respects you more than any one and she
would not put you off with fun as she does me Of course I could not have told
any one else or asked any one else to speak to her but you There is no one
else who could be such a friend to both of us« Fred paused a moment and then
said rather complainingly »And she ought to acknowledge that I have worked in
order to pass She ought to believe that I would exert myself for her sake«
There was a moments silence before Mr Farebrother laid down his work and
putting out his hand to Fred said
»Very well my boy I will do what you wish«
That very day Mr Farebrother went to Lowick parsonage on the nag which he
had just set up »Decidedly I am an old stalk« he thought »the young growths
are pushing me aside«
He found Mary in the garden gathering roses and sprinkling the petals on a
sheet The sun was low and tall trees sent their shadows across the grassy
walks where Mary was moving without bonnet or parasol She did not observe Mr
Farebrothers approach along the grass and had just stooped down to lecture a
small blackandtan terrier which would persist in walking on the sheet and
smelling at the roseleaves as Mary sprinkled them She took his forepaws in
one hand and lifted up the forefinger of the other while the dog wrinkled his
brows and looked embarrassed »Fly Fly I am ashamed of you« Mary was saying
in a grave contralto »This is not becoming in a sensible dog anybody would
think you were a silly young gentleman«
»You are unmerciful to young gentlemen Miss Garth« said the Vicar within
two yards of her
Mary started up and blushed »It always answers to reason with Fly« she
said laughingly
»But not with young gentlemen«
»Oh with some I suppose since some of them turn into excellent men«
»I am glad of that admission because I want at this very moment to interest
you in a young gentleman«
»Not a silly one I hope« said Mary beginning to pluck the roses again
and feeling her heart beat uncomfortably
»No though perhaps wisdom is not his strong point but rather affection and
sincerity However wisdom lies more in those two qualities than people are apt
to imagine I hope you know by those marks what young gentleman I mean«
»Yes I think I do« said Mary bravely her face getting more serious and
her hands cold »it must be Fred Vincy«
»He has asked me to consult you about his going into the Church I hope you
will not think that I consented to take a liberty in promising to do so«
»On the contrary Mr Farebrother« said Mary giving up the roses and
folding her arms but unable to look up »whenever you have anything to say to
me I feel honoured«
»But before I enter on that question let me just touch a point on which
your father took me into confidence by the way it was that very evening on
which I once before fulfilled a mission from Fred just after he had gone to
college Mr Garth told me what happened on the night of Featherstones death
how you refused to burn the will and he said that you had some heartprickings
on that subject because you had been the innocent means of hindering Fred from
getting his ten thousand pounds I have kept that in mind and I have heard
something that may relieve you on that score may show you that no sinoffering
is demanded from you there«
Mr Farebrother paused a moment and looked at Mary He meant to give Fred
his full advantage but it would be well he thought to clear her mind of any
superstitions such as women sometimes follow when they do a man the wrong of
marrying him as an act of atonement Marys cheeks had begun to burn a little
and she was mute
»I mean that your action made no real difference to Freds lot I find that
the first will would not have been legally good after the burning of the last
it would not have stood if it had been disputed and you may be sure it would
have been disputed So on that score you may feel your mind free«
»Thank you Mr Farebrother« said Mary earnestly »I am grateful to you
for remembering my feelings«
»Well now I may go on Fred you know has taken his degree He has worked
his way so far and now the question is what is he to do That question is so
difficult that he is inclined to follow his fathers wishes and enter the
Church though you know better than I do that he was quite set against that
formerly I have questioned him on the subject and I confess I see no
insuperable objection to his being a clergyman as things go He says that he
could turn his mind to doing his best in that vocation on one condition If
that condition were fulfilled I would do my utmost in helping Fred on After a
time not of course at first he might be with me as my curate and he would
have so much to do that his stipend would be nearly what I used to get as vicar
But I repeat that there is a condition without which all this good cannot come
to pass He has opened his heart to me Miss Garth and asked me to plead for
him The condition lies entirely in your feeling«
Mary looked so much moved that he said after a moment »Let us walk a
little« and when they were walking he added »To speak quite plainly Fred will
not take any course which would lessen the chance that you would consent to be
his wife but with that prospect he will try his best at anything you approve«
»I cannot possibly say that I will ever be his wife Mr Farebrother but I
certainly never will be his wife if he becomes a clergyman What you say is most
generous and kind I dont mean for a moment to correct your judgment It is
only that I have my girlish mocking way of looking at things« said Mary with
a returning sparkle of playfulness in her answer which only made its modesty
more charming
»He wishes me to report exactly what you think« said Mr Farebrother
»I could not love a man who is ridiculous« said Mary not choosing to go
deeper »Fred has sense and knowledge enough to make him respectable if he
likes in some good worldly business but I can never imagine him preaching and
exhorting and pronouncing blessings and praying by the sick without feeling
as if I were looking at a caricature His being a clergyman would be only for
gentilitys sake and I think there is nothing more contemptible than such
imbecile gentility I used to think that of Mr Crowse with his empty face and
neat umbrella and mincing little speeches What right have such men to
represent Christianity as if it were an institution for getting up idiots
genteelly as if « Mary checked herself She had been carried along as if she
had been speaking to Fred instead of Mr Farebrother
»Young women are severe they dont feel the stress of action as men do
though perhaps I ought to make you an exception there But you dont put Fred
Vincy on so low a level as that«
»No indeed he has plenty of sense, but I think he would not show it as a
clergyman He would be a piece of professional affectation«
»Then the answer is quite decided As a clergyman he could have no hope«
Mary shook her head
»But if he braved all the difficulties of getting his bread in some other
way will you give him the support of hope May he count on winning you«
»I think Fred ought not to need telling again what I have already said to
him« Mary answered with a slight resentment in her manner »I mean that he
ought not to put such questions until he has done something worthy instead of
saying that he could do it«
Mr Farebrother was silent for a minute or more and then as they turned
and paused under the shadow of a maple at the end of a grassy walk said »I
understand that you resist any attempt to fetter you but either your feeling
for Fred Vincy excludes your entertaining another attachment or it does not
either he may count on your remaining single until he shall have earned your
hand or he may in any case be disappointed Pardon me Mary you know I used
to catechise you under that name but when the state of a womans affections
touches the happiness of another life of more lives than one I think it
would be the nobler course for her to be perfectly direct and open«
Mary in her turn was silent wondering not at Mr Farebrothers manner but
at his tone which had a grave restrained emotion in it When the strange idea
flashed across her that his words had reference to himself she was incredulous
and ashamed of entertaining it She had never thought that any man could love
her except Fred who had espoused her with the umbrella ring when she wore
socks and little strapped shoes still less that she could be of any importance
to Mr Farebrother the cleverest man in her narrow circle She had only time to
feel that all this was hazy and perhaps illusory but one thing was clear and
determined her answer
»Since you think it my duty Mr Farebrother I will tell you that I have
too strong a feeling for Fred to give him up for any one else I should never be
quite happy if I thought he was unhappy for the loss of me It has taken such
deep root in me my gratitude to him for always loving me best and minding so
much if I hurt myself from the time when we were very little I cannot imagine
any new feeling coming to make that weaker I should like better than anything
to see him worthy of every ones respect But please tell him I will not promise
to marry him till then I should shame and grieve my father and mother He is
free to choose some one else«
»Then I have fulfilled my commission thoroughly« said Mr Farebrother
putting out his hand to Mary »and I shall ride back to Middlemarch forthwith
With this prospect before him we shall get Fred into the right niche somehow
and I hope I shall live to join your hands God bless you«
»Oh please stay and let me give you some tea« said Mary Her eyes filled
with tears for something indefinable something like the resolute suppression
of a pain in Mr Farebrothers manner made her feel suddenly miserable as she
had once felt when she saw her fathers hands trembling in a moment of trouble
»No my dear no I must get back«
In three minutes the Vicar was on horseback again having gone magnanimously
through a duty much harder than the renunciation of whist or even than the
writing of penitential meditations
Chapter LIII
It is but a shallow haste which concludeth insincerity from what
outsiders call inconsistency putting a dead mechanism of »ifs« and
»therefores« for the living myriad of hidden suckers whereby the
belief and the conduct are wrought into mutual sustainment
Mr Bulstrode when he was hoping to acquire a new interest in Lowick had
naturally had an especial wish that the new clergyman should be one whom he
thoroughly approved and he believed it to be a chastisement and admonition
directed to his own shortcomings and those of the nation at large that just
about the time when he came in possession of the deeds which made him the
proprietor of Stone Court Mr Farebrother »read himself« into the quaint little
church and preached his first sermon to the congregation of farmers labourers
and village artisans It was not that Mr Bulstrode intended to frequent Lowick
Church or to reside at Stone Court for a good while to come he had bought the
excellent farm and fine homestead simply as a retreat which he might gradually
enlarge as to the land and beautify as to the dwelling until it should be
conducive to the divine glory that he should enter on it as a residence
partially withdrawing from his present exertions in the administration of
business and throwing more conspicuously on the side of Gospel truth the weight
of local landed proprietorship which Providence might increase by unforeseen
occasions of purchase A strong leading in this direction seemed to have been
given in the surprising facility of getting Stone Court when every one had
expected that Mr Rigg Featherstone would have clung to it as the Garden of
Eden That was what poor old Peter himself had expected having often in
imagination looked up through the sods above him and unobstructed by
perspective seen his frogfaced legatee enjoying the fine old place to the
perpetual surprise and disappointment of other survivors
But how little we know what would make paradise for our neighbours We judge
from our own desires and our neighbours themselves are not always open enough
even to throw out a hint of theirs The cool and judicious Joshua Rigg had not
allowed his parent to perceive that Stone Court was anything less than the chief
good in his estimation and he had certainly wished to call it his own But as
Warren Hastings looked at gold and thought of buying Daylesford so Joshua Rigg
looked at Stone Court and thought of buying gold He had a very distinct and
intense vision of his chief good the vigorous greed which he had inherited
having taken a special form by dint of circumstance and his chief good was to
be a moneychanger From his earliest employment as an errandboy in a seaport
he had looked through the windows of the moneychangers as other boys look
through the windows of the pastrycooks the fascination had wrought itself
gradually into a deep special passion he meant when he had property to do
many things one of them being to marry a genteel young person but these were
all accidents and joys that imagination could dispense with The one joy after
which his soul thirsted was to have a moneychangers shop on a muchfrequented
quay to have locks all round him of which he held the keys and to look
sublimely cool as he handled the breeding coins of all nations while helpless
Cupidity looked at him enviously from the other side of an iron lattice The
strength of that passion had been a power enabling him to master all the
knowledge necessary to gratify it And when others were thinking that he had
settled at Stone Court for life Joshua himself was thinking that the moment now
was not far off when he should settle on the North Quay with the best
appointments in safes and locks
Enough We are concerned with looking at Joshua Riggs sale of his land from
Mr Bulstrodes point of view and he interpreted it as a cheering dispensation
conveying perhaps a sanction to a purpose which he had for some time entertained
without external encouragement he interpreted it thus but not too confidently
offering up his thanksgiving in guarded phraseology His doubts did not arise
from the possible relations of the event to Joshua Riggs destiny which
belonged to the unmapped regions not taken under the providential government
except perhaps in an imperfect colonial way but they arose from reflecting that
this dispensation too might be a chastisement for himself as Mr Farebrothers
induction to the living clearly was
This was not what Mr Bulstrode said to any man for the sake of deceiving
him it was what he said to himself it was as genuinely his mode of explaining
events as any theory of yours may be if you happen to disagree with him For
the egoism which enters into our theories does not affect their sincerity
rather the more our egoism is satisfied the more robust is our belief
However whether for sanction or for chastisement Mr Bulstrode hardly
fifteen months after the death of Peter Featherstone had become the proprietor
of Stone Court and what Peter would say »if he were worthy to know« had become
an inexhaustible and consolatory subject of conversation to his disappointed
relatives The tables were now turned on that dear brother departed and to
contemplate the frustration of his cunning by the superior cunning of things in
general was a cud of delight to Solomon Mrs Waule had a melancholy triumph in
the proof that it did not answer to make false Featherstones and cut off the
genuine and Sister Martha receiving the news in the Chalky Flats said »Dear
dear then the Almighty could have been none so pleased with the almshouses
after all«
Affectionate Mrs Bulstrode was particularly glad of the advantage which her
husbands health was likely to get from the purchase of Stone Court Few days
passed without his riding thither and looking over some part of the farm with
the bailiff and the evenings were delicious in that quiet spot when the new
hayricks lately set up were sending forth odours to mingle with the breath of
the rich old garden One evening while the sun was still above the horizon and
burning in golden lamps among the great walnut boughs Mr Bulstrode was pausing
on horseback outside the front gate waiting for Caleb Garth who had met him by
appointment to give an opinion on a question of stable drainage and was now
advising the bailiff in the rickyard
Mr Bulstrode was conscious of being in a good spiritual frame and more than
usually serene under the influence of his innocent recreation He was
doctrinally convinced that there was a total absence of merit in himself but
that doctrinal conviction may be held without pain when the sense of demerit
does not take a distinct shape in memory and revive the tingling of shame or the
pang of remorse Nay it may be held with intense satisfaction when the depth of
our sinning is but a measure for the depth of forgiveness and a clenching proof
that we are peculiar instruments of the divine intention The memory has as many
moods as the temper and shifts its scenery like a diorama At this moment Mr
Bulstrode felt as if the sunshine were all one with that of faroff evenings
when he was a very young man and used to go out preaching beyond Highbury And
he would willingly have had that service of exhortation in prospect now The
texts were there still and so was his own facility in expounding them His
brief reverie was interrupted by the return of Caleb Garth who also was on
horseback and was just shaking his bridle before starting when he exclaimed
»Bless my heart whats this fellow in black coming along the lane Hes
like one of those men one sees about after the races«
Mr Bulstrode turned his horse and looked along the lane but made no reply
The comer was our slight acquaintance Mr Raffles whose appearance presented no
other change than such as was due to a suit of black and a crape hatband He
was within three yards of the horsemen now and they could see the flash of
recognition in his face as he whirled his stick upward looking all the while at
Mr Bulstrode and at last exclaiming
»By Jove Nick its you I couldnt be mistaken though the fiveandtwenty
years have played old Boguy with us both How are you eh you didnt expect to
see me here Come shake us by the hand«
To say that Mr Raffles manner was rather excited would be only one mode of
saying that it was evening Caleb Garth could see that there was a moment of
struggle and hesitation in Mr Bulstrode but it ended in his putting out his
hand coldly to Raffles and saying
»I did not indeed expect to see you in this remote country place«
»Well it belongs to a stepson of mine« said Raffles adjusting himself in
a swaggering attitude »I came to see him here before Im not so surprised at
seeing you old fellow because I picked up a letter what you may call a
providential thing Its uncommonly fortunate I met you though for I dont
care about seeing my stepson hes not affectionate and his poor mothers gone
now To tell the truth I came out of love to you Nick I came to get your
address for look here« Raffles drew a crumpled paper from his pocket
Almost any other man than Caleb Garth might have been tempted to linger on
the spot for the sake of hearing all he could about a man whose acquaintance
with Bulstrode seemed to imply passages in the bankers life so unlike anything
that was known of him in Middlemarch that they must have the nature of a secret
to pique curiosity But Caleb was peculiar certain human tendencies which are
commonly strong were almost absent from his mind and one of these was curiosity
about personal affairs Especially if there was anything discreditable to be
found out concerning another man Caleb preferred not to know it and if he had
to tell anybody under him that his evil doings were discovered he was more
embarrassed than the culprit He now spurred his horse and saying »I wish you
good evening Mr Bulstrode I must be getting home« set off at a trot
»You didnt put your full address to this letter« Raffles continued »That
was not like the firstrate man of business you used to be The Shrubs they
may be anywhere you live near at hand eh have cut the London concern
altogether perhaps turned country squire have a rural mansion to invite me
to Lord how many years it is ago The old lady must have been dead a pretty
long while gone to glory without the pain of knowing how poor her daughter
was eh But by Jove youre very pale and pasty Nick Come if youre going
home Ill walk by your side«
Mr Bulstrodes usual paleness had in fact taken an almost deathly hue Five
minutes before the expanse of his life had been submerged in its evening
sunshine which shone backward to its remembered morning sin seemed to be a
question of doctrine and inward penitence humiliation an exercise of the
closet the bearing of his deeds a matter of private vision adjusted solely by
spiritual relations and conceptions of the divine purposes And now as if by
some hideous magic this loud red figure had risen before him in unmanageable
solidity an incorporate past which had not entered into his imagination of
chastisements But Mr Bulstrodes thought was busy and he was not a man to act
or speak rashly
»I was going home« he said »but I can defer my ride a little And you can
if you please rest here«
»Thank you« said Raffles making a grimace »I dont care now about seeing
my stepson Id rather go home with you«
»Your stepson if Mr Rigg Featherstone was he is here no longer I am
master here now«
Raffles opened wide eyes and gave a long whistle of surprise before he
said »Well then Ive no objection Ive had enough walking from the coach I
never was much of a walker or rider either What I like is a smart vehicle and
a spirited cob I was always a little heavy in the saddle What a pleasant
surprise it must be to you to see me old fellow« he continued as they turned
towards the house »You dont say so but you never took your luck heartily
you were always thinking of improving the occasion youd such a gift for
improving your luck«
Mr Raffles seemed greatly to enjoy his own wit and swung his leg in a
swaggering manner which was rather too much for his companions judicious
patience
»If I remember rightly« Mr Bulstrode observed with chill anger »our
acquaintance many years ago had not the sort of intimacy which you are now
assuming Mr Raffles Any services you desire of me will be the more readily
rendered if you will avoid a tone of familiarity which did not lie in our former
intercourse and can hardly be warranted by more than twenty years of
separation«
»You dont like being called Nick Why I always called you Nick in my
heart and though lost to sight to memory dear By Jove my feelings have
ripened for you like fine old cognac I hope youve got some in the house now
Josh filled my flask well the last time«
Mr Bulstrode had not yet fully learned that even the desire for cognac was
not stronger in Raffles than the desire to torment and that a hint of annoyance
always served him as a fresh cue But it was at least clear that further
objection was useless and Mr Bulstrode in giving orders to the housekeeper
for the accommodation of the guest had a resolute air of quietude
There was the comfort of thinking that this housekeeper had been in the
service of Rigg also and might accept the idea that Mr Bulstrode entertained
Raffles merely as a friend of her former master When there was food and drink
spread before his visitor in the wainscoated parlour and no witness in the
room Mr Bulstrode said
»Your habits and mine are so different Mr Raffles that we can hardly
enjoy each others society The wisest plan for both of us will therefore be to
part as soon as possible Since you say that you wished to meet me you probably
considered that you had some business to transact with me But under the
circumstances I will invite you to remain here for the night and I will myself
ride over here early tomorrow morning before breakfast in fact when I can
receive any communication you have to make to me«
»With all my heart« said Raffles »this is a comfortable place a little
dull for a continuance but I can put up with it for a night with this good
liquor and the prospect of seeing you again in the morning Youre a much better
host than my stepson was but Josh owed me a bit of a grudge for marrying his
mother and between you and me there was never anything but kindness«
Mr Bulstrode hoping that the peculiar mixture of joviality and sneering in
Raffles manner was a good deal the effect of drink had determined to wait till
he was quite sober before he spent more words upon him But he rode home with a
terribly lucid vision of the difficulty there would be in arranging any result
that could be permanently counted on with this man It was inevitable that he
should wish to get rid of John Raffles though his reappearance could not be
regarded as lying outside the divine plan The spirit of evil might have sent
him to threaten Mr Bulstrodes subversion as an instrument of good but the
threat must have been permitted and was a chastisement of a new kind It was an
hour of anguish for him very different from the hours in which his struggle had
been securely private and which had ended with a sense that his secret misdeeds
were pardoned and his services accepted Those misdeeds even when committed
had they not been half sanctified by the singleness of his desire to devote
himself and all he possessed to the furtherance of the divine scheme And was he
after all to become a mere stone of stumbling and a rock of offence For who
would understand the work within him Who would not when there was the pretext
of casting disgrace upon him confound his whole life and the truths he had
espoused in one heap of obloquy
In his closest meditations the lifelong habit of Mr Bulstrodes mind clad
his most egoistic terrors in doctrinal references to superhuman ends But even
while we are talking and meditating about the earths orbit and the solar
system what we feel and adjust our movements to is the stable earth and the
changing day And now within all the automatic succession of theoretic phrases
distinct and inmost as the shiver and the ache of oncoming fever when we are
discussing abstract pain was the forecast of disgrace in the presence of his
neighbours and of his own wife For the pain as well as the public estimate of
disgrace depends on the amount of previous profession To men who only aim at
escaping felony nothing short of the prisoners dock is disgrace But Mr
Bulstrode had aimed at being an eminent Christian
It was not more than halfpast seven in the morning when he again reached
Stone Court The fine old place never looked more like a delightful home than at
that moment the great white lilies were in flower the nasturtiums their
pretty leaves all silvered with dew were running away over the low stone wall
the very noises all around had a heart of peace within them But everything was
spoiled for the owner as he walked on the gravel in front and awaited the
descent of Mr Raffles with whom he was condemned to breakfast
It was not long before they were seated together in the wainscoated parlour
over their tea and toast which was as much as Raffles cared to take at that
early hour The difference between his morning and evening self was not so great
as his companion had imagined that it might be the delight in tormenting was
perhaps even the stronger because his spirits were rather less highly pitched
Certainly his manners seemed more disagreeble by the morning light
»As I have little time to spare Mr Raffles« said the banker who could
hardly do more than sip his tea and break his toast without eating it »I shall
be obliged if you will mention at once the ground on which you wished to meet
with me I presume that you have a home elsewhere and will be glad to return to
it«
»Why if a man has got any heart doesnt he want to see an old friend
Nick I must call you Nick we always did call you young Nick when we knew
you meant to marry the old widow Some said you had a handsome family likeness
to old Nick but that was your mothers fault calling you Nicholas Arent you
glad to see me again I expected an invite to stay with you at some pretty
place My own establishment is broken up now my wifes dead Ive no particular
attachment to any spot I would as soon settle hereabout as anywhere«
»May I ask why you returned from America I considered that the strong wish
you expressed to go there when an adequate sum was furnished was tantamount to
an engagement that you would remain there for life«
»Never knew that a wish to go to a place was the same thing as a wish to
stay But I did stay a matter of ten years it didnt suit me to stay any
longer And Im not going again Nick« Here Mr Raffles winked slowly as he
looked at Mr Bulstrode
»Do you wish to be settled in any business What is your calling now«
»Thank you my calling is to enjoy myself as much as I can I dont care
about working any more If I did anything it would be a little travelling in the
tobacco line or something of that sort which takes a man into agreeable
company But not without an independence to fall back upon Thats what I want
Im not so strong as I was Nick though Ive got more colour than you I want
an independence«
»That could be supplied to you if you would engage to keep at a distance«
said Mr Bulstrode perhaps with a little too much eagerness in his undertone
»That must be as it suits my convenience« said Raffles coolly »I see no
reason why I shouldnt make a few acquaintances hereabout Im not ashamed of
myself as company for anybody I dropped my portmanteau at the turnpike when I
got down change of linen genuine honour bright more than fronts and
wristbands and with this suit of mourning straps and everything I should do
you credit among the nobs here« Mr Raffles had pushed away his chair and
looked down at himself particularly at his straps His chief intention was to
annoy Bulstrode but he really thought that his appearance now would produce a
good effect and that he was not only handsome and witty but clad in a mourning
style which implied solid connections
»If you intend to rely on me in any way Mr Raffles« said Bulstrode after
a moments pause »you will expect to meet my wishes«
»Ah to be sure« said Raffles with a mocking cordiality »Didnt I always
do it Lord you made a pretty thing out of me and I got but little Ive often
thought since I might have done better by telling the old woman that Id found
her daughter and her grandchild it would have suited my feelings better Ive
got a soft place in my heart But youve buried the old lady by this time I
suppose it s all one to her now And youve got your fortune out of that
profitable business which had such a blessing on it Youve taken to being a
nob buying land being a country bashaw Still in the Dissenting line eh
Still godly Or taken to the Church as more genteel«
This time Mr Raffles slow wink and slight protrusion of his tongue was
worse than a nightmare because it held the certitude that it was not a
nightmare but a waking misery Mr Bulstrode felt a shuddering nausea and did
not speak but was considering diligently whether he should not leave Raffles to
do as he would and simply defy him as a slanderer The man would soon show
himself disreputable enough to make people disbelieve him »But not when he
tells any uglylooking truth about you« said discerning consciousness. And
again it seemed no wrong to keep Raffles at a distance but Mr Bulstrode
shrank from the direct falsehood of denying true statements It was one thing to
look back on forgiven sins nay to explain questionable conformity to lax
customs and another to enter deliberately on the necessity of falsehood
But since Bulstrode did not speak Raffles ran on by way of using time to
the utmost
»Ive not had such fine luck as you by Jove Things went confoundedly with
me in New York those Yankees are cool hands and a man of gentlemanly feelings
has no chance with them I married when I came back a nice woman in the
tobacco trade very fond of me but the trade was restricted as we say. She
had been settled there a good many years by a friend but there was a son too
much in the case Josh and I never hit it off However I made the most of the
position and Ive always taken my glass in good company Its been all on the
square with me Im as open as the day You wont take it ill of me that I
didnt look you up before Ive got a complaint that makes me a little dilatory
I thought you were trading and praying away in London still and didnt find you
there But you see I was sent to you Nick perhaps for a blessing to both of
us«
Mr Raffles ended with a jocose snuffle no man felt his intellect more
superior to religious cant And if the cunning which calculates on the meanest
feelings in men could be called intellect he had his share for under the
blurting rallying tone with which he spoke to Bulstrode there was an evident
selection of statements as if they had been so many moves at chess Meanwhile
Bulstrode had determined on his move and he said with gathered resolution
»You will do well to reflect Mr Raffles that it is possible for a man to
overreach himself in the effort to secure undue advantage Although I am not in
any way bound to you I am willing to supply you with a regular annuity in
quarterly payments so long as you fulfil a promise to remain at a distance
from this neighbourhood It is in your power to choose If you insist on
remaining here even for a short time you will get nothing from me I shall
decline to know you«
»Ha ha« said Raffles with an affected explosion »that reminds me of a
droll dog of a thief who declined to know the constable«
»Your allusions are lost on me sir« said Bulstrode with white heat »the
law has no hold on me either through your agency or any other«
»You cant understand a joke my good fellow I only meant that I should
never decline to know you But let us be serious Your quarterly payment wont
quite suit me I like my freedom«
Here Raffles rose and stalked once or twice up and down the room swinging
his leg and assuming an air of masterly meditation At last he stopped opposite
Bulstrode and said »Ill tell you what Give us a couple of hundreds come
thats modest and Ill go away honour bright pick up my portmanteau and
go away But I shall not give up my liberty for a dirty annuity I shall come
and go where I like Perhaps it may suit me to stay away and correspond with a
friend perhaps not Have you the money with you«
»No I have one hundred« said Bulstrode feeling the immediate riddance too
great a relief to be rejected on the ground of future uncertainties »I will
forward you the other if you will mention an address«
»No Ill wait here till you bring it« said Raffles »Ill take a stroll
and have a snack and youll be back by that time«
Mr Bulstrodes sickly body shattered by the agitations he had gone through
since the last evening made him feel abjectly in the power of this loud
invulnerable man At that moment he snatched at a temporary repose to be won on
any terms He was rising to do what Raffles suggested when the latter said
lifting up his finger as if with a sudden recollection
»I did have another look after Sarah again though I didnt tell you Id a
tender conscience about that pretty young woman I didnt find her but I found
out her husbands name and I made a note of it But hang it I lost my
pocketbook However if I heard it I should know it again Ive got my
faculties as if I was in my prime but names wear out by Jove Sometimes Im no
better than a confounded taxpaper before the names are filled in However if I
hear of her and her family you shall know Nick Youd like to do something for
her now shes your stepdaughter«
»Doubtless« said Mr Bulstrode with the usual steady look of his
lightgrey eyes »though that might reduce my power of assisting you«
As he walked out of the room Raffles winked slowly at his back and then
turned towards the window to watch the banker riding away virtually at his
command His lips first curled with a smile and then opened with a short
triumphant laugh
»But what the deuce was the name« he presently said half aloud scratching
his head and wrinkling his brows horizontally He had not really cared or
thought about this point of forgetfulness until it occurred to him in his
invention of annoyances for Bulstrode
»It began with L it was almost all ls I fancy« he went on with a sense
that he was getting hold of the slippery name But the hold was too slight and
he soon got tired of this mental chase for few men were more impatient of
private occupation or more in need of making themselves continually heard than
Mr Raffles He preferred using his time in pleasant conversation with the
bailiff and the housekeeper from whom he gathered as much as he wanted to know
about Mr Bulstrodes position in Middlemarch
After all however there was a dull space of time which needed relieving
with bread and cheese and ale and when he was seated alone with these resources
in the wainscoated parlour he suddenly slapped his knee and exclaimed
»Ladislaw« That action of memory which he had tried to set going and had
abandoned in despair had suddenly completed itself without conscious effort a
common experience agreeable as a completed sneeze even if the name remembered
is of no value Raffles immediately took out his pocketbook and wrote down the
name not because he expected to use it but merely for the sake of not being at
a loss if he ever did happen to want it He was not going to tell Bulstrode
there was no actual good in telling and to a mind like that of Mr Raffles
there is always probable good in a secret
He was satisfied with his present success and by three oclock that day he
had taken up his portmanteau at the turnpike and mounted the coach relieving
Mr Bulstrodes eyes of an ugly black spot on the landscape at Stone Court but
not relieving him of the dread that the black spot might reappear and become
inseparable even from the vision of his hearth
Book VI
The Widow and the Wife
Chapter LIV
»Negli occhi porta la mia donna Amore
Per che si fa gentil ciò chella mira
Ovella passa ogni uom ver lei si gira
E cui saluta fa tremar lo core
Sicchè bassando il viso tutto smore
E d ogni suo difetto allor sospira
Fuggon dinanzi a lei Superbia ed Ira
Aiutatemi donne a farle onore
Ogni dolcezza ogni pensiero umile
Nasce nel core a chi parlar la sente
Ond è beato chi prima la vide
Quel chella par quand un poco sorride
Non si può dicer nè tener a mente
Si è nuovo miracolo gentile«
Dante La Vita Nuova
By that delightful morning when the hayricks at Stone Court were scenting the
air quite impartially as if Mr Raffles had been a guest worthy of finest
incense Dorothea had again taken up her abode at Lowick Manor After three
months Freshitt had become rather oppressive to sit like a model for Saint
Catherine looking rapturously at Celias baby would not do for many hours in the
day and to remain in that momentous babes presence with persistent disregard
was a course that could not have been tolerated in a childless sister Dorothea
would have been capable of carrying baby joyfully for a mile if there had been
need and of loving it the more tenderly for that labour but to an aunt who
does not recognise her infant nephew as Bouddha and has nothing to do for him
but to admire his behaviour is apt to appear monotonous and the interest of
watching him exhaustible
This possibility was quite hidden from Celia who felt that Dorotheas
childless widowhood fell in quite prettily with the birth of little Arthur baby
was named after Mr Brooke
»Dodo is just the creature not to mind about having anything of her own
children or anything« said Celia to her husband »And if she had had a baby it
never could have been such a dear as Arthur Could it James«
»Not if it had been like Casaubon« said Sir James conscious of some
indirectness in his answer and of holding a strictly private opinion as to the
perfections of his firstborn
»No just imagine Really it was a mercy« said Celia »and I think it is
very nice for Dodo to be a widow She can be just as fond of our baby as if it
were her own and she can have as many notions of her own as she likes«
»It is a pity she was not a queen« said the devout Sir James
»But what should we have been then We must have been something else« said
Celia objecting to so laborious a flight of imagination »I like her better as
she is«
Hence when she found that Dorothea was making arrangements for her final
departure to Lowick Celia raised her eyebrows with disappointment and in her
quiet unemphatic way shot a needlearrow of sarcasm
»What will you do at Lowick Dodo You say yourself there is nothing to be
done there everybody is so clean and well off it makes you quite melancholy
And here you have been so happy going all about Tipton with Mr Garth into the
worst backyards And now uncle is abroad you and Mr Garth can have it all your
own way and I am sure James does everything you tell him«
»I shall often come here and I shall see how baby grows all the better«
said Dorothea
»But you will never see him washed« said Celia »and that is quite the best
part of the day« She was almost pouting it did seem to her very hard in Dodo
to go away from the baby when she might stay
»Dear Kitty I will come and stay all night on purpose« said Dorothea »but
I want to be alone now and in my own home I wish to know the Farebrothers
better and to talk to Mr Farebrother about what there is to be done in
Middlemarch«
Dorotheas native strength of will was no longer all converted into resolute
submission She had a great yearning to be at Lowick and was simply determined
to go not feeling bound to tell all her reasons But every one around her
disapproved Sir James was much pained and offered that they should all migrate
to Cheltenham for a few months with the sacred ark otherwise called a cradle
at that period a man could hardly know what to propose if Cheltenham were
rejected
The Dowager Lady Chettam just returned from a visit to her daughter in
town wished at least that Mrs Vigo should be written to and invited to
accept the office of companion to Mrs Casaubon it was not credible that
Dorothea as a young widow would think of living alone in the house at Lowick
Mrs Vigo had been reader and secretary to royal personages and in point of
knowledge and sentiments even Dorothea could have nothing to object to her
Mrs Cadwallader said privately »You will certainly go mad in that house
alone my dear You will see visions We have all got to exert ourselves a
little to keep sane and call things by the same names as other people call them
by To be sure for younger sons and women who have no money it is a sort of
provision to go mad they are taken care of then But you must not run into
that I daresay you are a little bored here with our good dowager but think
what a bore you might become yourself to your fellowcreatures if you were
always playing tragedy queen and taking things sublimely Sitting alone in that
library at Lowick you may fancy yourself ruling the weather you must get a few
people round you who wouldnt believe you if you told them That is a good
lowering medicine«
»I never called everything by the same name that all the people about me
did« said Dorothea stoutly
»But I suppose you have found out your mistake my dear« said Mrs
Cadwallader »and that is a proof of sanity«
Dorothea was aware of the sting but it did not hurt her »No« she said »I
still think that the greater part of the world is mistaken about many things
Surely one may be sane and yet think so since the greater part of the world has
often had to come round from its opinion«
Mrs Cadwallader said no more on that point to Dorothea but to her husband
she remarked »It will be well for her to marry again as soon as it is proper
if one could get her among the right people Of course the Chettams would not
wish it But I see clearly a husband is the best thing to keep her in order If
we were not so poor I would invite Lord Triton He will be marquis some day and
there is no denying that she would make a good marchioness she looks handsomer
than ever in her mourning«
»My dear Elinor do let the poor woman alone Such contrivances are of no
use« said the easy Rector
»No use How are matches made except by bringing men and women together
And it is a shame that her uncle should have run away and shut up the Grange
just now There ought to be plenty of eligible matches invited to Freshitt and
the Grange Lord Triton is precisely the man full of plans for making the
people happy in a softheaded sort of way That would just suit Mrs Casaubon«
»Let Mrs Casaubon choose for herself Elinor«
»That is the nonsense you wise men talk How can she choose if she has no
variety to choose from A womans choice usually means taking the only man she
can get Mark my words Humphrey If her friends dont exert themselves there
will be a worse business than the Casaubon business yet«
»For heavens sake dont touch on that topic Elinor It is a very sore
point with Sir James He would be deeply offended if you entered on it to him
unnecessarily«
»I have never entered on it« said Mrs Cadwallader opening her hands
»Celia told me all about the will at the beginning without any asking of mine«
»Yes yes but they want the thing hushed up and I understand that the
young fellow is going out of the neighbourhood«
Mrs Cadwallader said nothing but gave her husband three significant nods
with a very sarcastic expression in her dark eyes
Dorothea quietly persisted in spite of remonstrance and persuasion So by
the end of June the shutters were all opened at Lowick Manor and the morning
gazed calmly into the library shining on the rows of notebooks as it shines on
the weary waste planted with huge stones the mute memorial of a forgotten
faith and the evening laden with roses entered silently into the bluegreen
boudoir where Dorothea chose oftenest to sit At first she walked into every
room questioning the eighteen months of her married life and carrying on her
thoughts as if they were a speech to be heard by her husband Then she lingered
in the library and could not be at rest till she had carefully ranged all the
notebooks as she imagined that he would wish to see them in orderly sequence
The pity which had been the restraining compelling motive in her life with him
still clung about his image even while she remonstrated with him in indignant
thought and told him that he was unjust One little act of hers may perhaps be
smiled at as superstitious The Synoptical Tabulation for the use of Mrs
Casaubon she carefully enclosed and sealed writing within the envelope »I
could not use it Do you not see now that I could not submit my soul to yours
by working hopelessly at what I have no belief in Dorothea« Then she
deposited the paper in her own desk
That silent colloquy was perhaps only the more earnest because underneath
and through it all there was always the deep longing which had really determined
her to come to Lowick The longing was to see Will Ladislaw She did not know
any good that could come of their meeting she was helpless her hands had been
tied from making up to him for any unfairness in his lot But her soul thirsted
to see him How could it be otherwise If a princess in the days of enchantment
had seen a fourfooted creature from among those which live in herds come to her
once and again with a human gaze which rested upon her with choice and
beseeching what would she think of in her journeying what would she look for
when the herds passed her Surely for the gaze which had found her and which
she would know again Life would be no better than candlelight tinsel and
daylight rubbish if our spirits were not touched by what has been to issues of
longing and constancy It was true that Dorothea wanted to know the Farebrothers
better and especially to talk to the new rector but also true that remembering
what Lydgate had told her about Will Ladislaw and little Miss Noble she counted
on Wills coming to Lowick to see the Farebrother family The very first Sunday
before she entered the church she saw him as she had seen him the last time she
was there alone in the clergymans pew but when she entered his figure was
gone
In the weekdays when she went to see the ladies at the Rectory she
listened in vain for some word that they might let fall about Will but it
seemed to her that Mrs Farebrother talked of every one else in the
neighbourhood and out of it
»Probably some of Mr Farebrothers Middlemarch hearers may follow him to
Lowick sometimes Do you not think so« said Dorothea rather despising herself
for having a secret motive in asking the question
»If they are wise they will Mrs Casaubon« said the old lady »I see that
you set a right value on my sons preaching His grandfather on my side was an
excellent clergyman but his father was in the law most exemplary and honest
nevertheless which is a reason for our never being rich They say Fortune is a
woman and capricious But sometimes she is a good woman and gives to those who
merit which has been the case with you Mrs Casaubon who have given a living
to my son«
Mrs Farebrother recurred to her knitting with a dignified satisfaction in
her neat little effort at oratory but this was not what Dorothea wanted to
hear Poor thing she did not even know whether Will Ladislaw was still at
Middlemarch and there was no one whom she dared to ask unless it were Lydgate
But just now she could not see Lydgate without sending for him or going to seek
him Perhaps Will Ladislaw having heard of that strange ban against him left by
Mr Casaubon had felt it better that he and she should not meet again and
perhaps she was wrong to wish for a meeting that others might find many good
reasons against Still »I do wish it« came at the end of those wise reflections
as naturally as a sob after holding the breath And the meeting did happen but
in a formal way quite unexpected by her
One morning about eleven Dorothea was seated in her boudoir with a map of
the land attached to the manor and other papers before her which were to help
her in making an exact statement for herself of her income and affairs She had
not yet applied herself to her work but was seated with her hands folded on her
lap looking out along the avenue of limes to the distant fields Every leaf was
at rest in the sunshine the familiar scene was changeless and seemed to
represent the prospect of her life full of motiveless ease motiveless if her
own energy could not seek out reasons for ardent action The widows cap of
those times made an oval frame for the face and had a crown standing up the
dress was an experiment in the utmost laying on of crape but this heavy
solemnity of clothing made her face look all the younger with its recovered
bloom and the sweet inquiring candour of her eyes
Her reverie was broken by Tantripp who came to say that Mr Ladislaw was
below and begged permission to see Madam if it were not too early
»I will see him« said Dorothea rising immediately »Let him be shown into
the drawingroom«
The drawingroom was the most neutral room in the house to her the one
least associated with the trials of her married life the damask matched the
woodwork which was all white and gold there were two tall mirrors and tables
with nothing on them in brief it was a room where you had no reason for
sitting in one place rather than in another It was below the boudoir and had
also a bowwindow looking out on the avenue But when Pratt showed Will Ladislaw
into it the window was open and a winged visitor buzzing in and out now and
then without minding the furniture made the room look less formal and
uninhabited
»Glad to see you here again sir« said Pratt lingering to adjust a blind
»I am only come to say goodbye Pratt« said Will who wished even the
butler to know that he was too proud to hang about Mrs Casaubon now she was a
rich widow
»Very sorry to hear it sir« said Pratt retiring Of course as a servant
who was to be told nothing he knew the fact of which Ladislaw was still
ignorant and had drawn his inferences indeed had not differed from his
betrothed Tantripp when she said »Your master was as jealous as a fiend and
no reason Madam would look higher than Mr Ladislaw else I dont know her
Mrs Cadwalladers maid says theres a lord coming who is to marry her when the
mournings over«
There were not many moments for Will to walk about with his hat in his hand
before Dorothea entered The meeting was very different from that first meeting
in Rome when Will had been embarrassed and Dorothea calm This time he felt
miserable but determined while she was in a state of agitation which could not
be hidden Just outside the door she had felt that this longedfor meeting was
after all too difficult and when she saw Will advancing towards her the deep
blush which was rare in her came with painful suddenness Neither of them knew
how it was but neither of them spoke She gave her hand for a moment and then
they went to sit down near the window she on one settee and he on another
opposite Will was peculiarly uneasy it seemed to him not like Dorothea that
the mere fact of her being a widow should cause such a change in her manner of
receiving him and he knew of no other condition which could have affected their
previous relation to each other except that as his imagination at once told
him her friends might have been poisoning her mind with their suspicions of
him
»I hope I have not presumed too much in calling« said Will »I could not
bear to leave the neighbourhood and begin a new life without seeing you to say
goodbye«
»Presumed Surely not I should have thought it unkind if you had not wished
to see me« said Dorothea her habit of speaking with perfect genuineness
asserting itself through all her uncertainty and agitation »Are you going away
immediately«
»Very soon I think I intend to go to town and eat my dinners as a
barrister since they say that is the preparation for all public business
There will be a great deal of political work to be done byandby and I mean to
try and do some of it Other men have managed to win an honourable position for
themselves without family or money«
»And that will make it all the more honourable« said Dorothea ardently
»Besides you have so many talents I have heard from my uncle how well you
speak in public so that every one is sorry when you leave off and how clearly
you can explain things And you care that justice should be done to every one I
am so glad When we were in Rome I thought you only cared for poetry and art
and the things that adorn life for us who are well of But now I know you think
about the rest of the world«
While she was speaking Dorothea had lost her personal embarrassment and had
become like her former self She looked at Will with a direct glance full of
delighted confidence
»You approve of my going away for years then and never coming here again
till I have made myself of some mark in the world« said Will trying hard to
reconcile the utmost pride with the utmost effort to get an expression of strong
feeling from Dorothea
She was not aware how long it was before she answered She had turned her
head and was looking out of the window on the rosebushes which seemed to have
in them the summers of all the years when Will would be away This was not
judicious behaviour But Dorothea never thought of studying her manners she
thought only of bowing to a sad necessity which divided her from Will Those
first words of his about his intentions had seemed to make everything clear to
her he knew she supposed all about Mr Casaubons final conduct in relation
to him and it had come to him with the same sort of shock as to herself He had
never felt more than friendship for her had never had anything in his mind to
justify what she felt to be her husbands outrage on the feelings of both and
that friendship he still felt Something which may be called an inward silent
sob had gone on in Dorothea before she said with a pure voice just trembling in
the last words as if only from its liquid flexibility
»Yes it must be right for you to do as you say I shall be very happy when
I hear that you have made your value felt But you must have patience It will
perhaps be a long while«
Will never quite knew how it was that he saved himself from falling down at
her feet when the »long while« came forth with its gentle tremor He used to
say that the horrible hue and surface of her crape dress was most likely the
sufficient controlling force He sat still however and only said
»I shall never hear from you And you will forget all about me«
»No« said Dorothea »I shall never forget you I have never forgotten any
one whom I once knew My life has never been crowded and seems not likely to be
so And I have a great deal of space for memory at Lowick havent I« She
smiled
»Good God« Will burst out passionately rising with his hat still in his
hand and walking away to a marble table where he suddenly turned and leaned
his back against it The blood had mounted to his face and neck and he looked
almost angry It had seemed to him as if they were like two creatures slowly
turning to marble in each others presence while their hearts were conscious
and their eyes were yearning But there was no help for it It should never be
true of him that in this meeting to which he had come with bitter resolution he
had ended by a confession which might be interpreted into asking for her
fortune Moreover it was actually true that he was fearful of the effect which
such confessions might have on Dorothea herself
She looked at him from that distance in some trouble imagining that there
might have been an offence in her words But all the while there was a current
of thought in her about his probable want of money and the impossibility of her
helping him If her uncle had been at home something might have been done
through him It was this preoccupation with the hardship of Wills wanting
money while she had what ought to have been his share which led her to say
seeing that he remained silent and looked away from her
»I wonder whether you would like to have that miniature which hangs
upstairs I mean that beautiful miniature of your grandmother I think it is
not right for me to keep it if you would wish to have it It is wonderfully
like you«
»You are very good« said Will irritably »No I dont mind about it It is
not very consoling to have ones own likeness It would be more consoling if
others wanted to have it«
»I thought you would like to cherish her memory I thought « Dorothea
broke off an instant her imagination suddenly warning her away from Aunt
Julias history »you would surely like to have the miniature as a family
memorial«
»Why should I have that when I have nothing else A man with only a
portmanteau for his stowage must keep his memorials in his head«
Will spoke at random he was merely venting his petulance it was a little
too exasperating to have his grandmothers portrait offered him at that moment
But to Dorotheas feeling his words had a peculiar sting She rose and said with
a touch of indignation as well as hauteur
»You are much the happier of us two Mr Ladislaw to have nothing«
Will was startled Whatever the words might be the tone seemed like a
dismissal and quitting his leaning posture he walked a little way towards her
Their eyes met but with a strange questioning gravity Something was keeping
their minds aloof and each was left to conjecture what was in the other Will
had really never thought of himself as having a claim of inheritance on the
property which was held by Dorothea and would have required a narrative to make
him understand her present feeling
»I never felt it a misfortune to have nothing till now« he said »But
poverty may be as bad as leprosy if it divides us from what we most care for«
The words cut Dorothea to the heart and made her relent She answered in a
tone of sad fellowship
»Sorrow comes in so many ways Two years ago I had no notion of that I
mean of the unexpected way in which trouble comes and ties our hands and makes
us silent when we long to speak I used to despise women a little for not
shaping their lives more and doing better things I was very fond of doing as I
liked but I have almost given it up« she ended smiling playfully
»I have not given up doing as I like but I can very seldom do it« said
Will He was standing two yards from her with his mind full of contradictory
desires and resolves desiring some unmistakable proof that she loved him and
yet dreading the position into which such a proof might bring him »The thing
one most longs for may be surrounded with conditions that would be intolerable«
At this moment Pratt entered and said »Sir James Chettam is in the library
madam«
»Ask Sir James to come in here« said Dorothea immediately It was as if
the same electric shock had passed through her and Will Each of them felt
proudly resistant and neither looked at the other while they awaited Sir
Jamess entrance
After shaking hands with Dorothea he bowed as slightly as possible to
Ladislaw who repaid the slightness exactly and then going towards Dorothea
said
»I must say goodbye Mrs Casaubon and probably for a long while«
Dorothea put out her hand and said her goodbye cordially The sense that
Sir James was depreciating Will and behaving rudely to him roused her
resolution and dignity there was no touch of confusion in her manner And when
Will had left the room she looked with such calm selfpossession at Sir James
saying »How is Celia« that he was obliged to behave as if nothing had annoyed
him And what would be the use of behaving otherwise Indeed Sir James shrank
with so much dislike from the association even in thought of Dorothea with
Ladislaw as her possible lover that he would himself have wished to avoid an
outward show of displeasure which would have recognised the disagreeable
possibility If any one had asked him why he shrank in that way I am not sure
that he would at first have said anything fuller or more precise than »that
Ladislaw« though on reflection he might have urged that Mr Casaubons
codicil barring Dorotheas marriage with Will except under a penalty was
enough to cast unfitness over any relation at all between them His aversion was
all the stronger because he felt himself unable to interfere
But Sir James was a power in a way unguessed by himself Entering at that
moment he was an incorporation of the strongest reasons through which Wills
pride became a repellent force keeping him asunder from Dorothea
Chapter LV
Hath she her faults I would you had them too
They are the fruity must of soundest wine
Or say they are regenerating fire
Such as hath turned the dense black element
Into a crystal pathway for the sun
If youth is the season of hope it is often so only in the sense that our elders
are hopeful about us for no age is so apt as youth to think its emotions
partings and resolves are the last of their kind Each crisis seems final
simply because it is new We are told that the oldest inhabitants in Peru do not
cease to be agitated by the earthquakes but they probably see beyond each
shock and reflect that there are plenty more to come
To Dorothea still in that time of youth when the eyes with their long full
lashes look out after their rain of tears unsoiled and unwearied as a
freshlyopened passionflower that mornings parting with Will Ladislaw seemed
to be the close of their personal relations He was going away into the distance
of unknown years and if ever he came back he would be another man The actual
state of his mind his proud resolve to give the lie beforehand to any
suspicion that he would play the needy adventurer seeking a rich woman lay
quite out of her imagination and she had interpreted all his behaviour easily
enough by her supposition that Mr Casaubons codicil seemed to him as it did
to her a gross and cruel interdict on any active friendship between them Their
young delight in speaking to each other and saying what no one else would care
to hear was for ever ended and become a treasure of the past For this very
reason she dwelt on it without inward check That unique happiness too was dead
and in its shadowed silent chamber she might vent the passionate grief which she
herself wondered at For the first time she took down the miniature from the
wall and kept it before her liking to blend the woman who had been too hardly
judged with the grandson whom her own heart and judgment defended Can any one
who has rejoiced in womans tenderness think it a reproach to her that she took
the little oval picture in her palm and made a bed for it there and leaned her
cheek upon it as if that would soothe the creatures who had suffered unjust
condemnation She did not know then that it was Love who had come to her
briefly as in a dream before awaking with the hues of morning on his wings
that it was Love to whom she was sobbing her farewell as his image was banished
by the blameless rigour of irresistible day She only felt that there was
something irrevocably amiss and lost in her lot and her thoughts about the
future were the more readily shapen into resolve Ardent souls ready to
construct their coming lives are apt to commit themselves to the fulfilment of
their own visions
One day that she went to Freshitt to fulfil her promise of staying all night
and seeing baby washed Mrs Cadwallader came to dine the Rector being gone on
a fishing excursion It was a warm evening and even in the delightful
drawingroom where the fine old turf sloped from the open window towards a
lilied pool and wellplanted mounds the heat was enough to make Celia in her
white muslin and light curls reflect with pity on what Dodo must feel in her
black dress and close cap But this was not until some episodes with baby were
over and had left her mind at leisure She had seated herself and taken up a
fan for some time before she said in her quiet guttural
»Dear Dodo do throw off that cap I am sure your dress must make you feel
ill«
»I am so used to the cap it has become a sort of shell« said Dorothea
smiling »I feel rather bare and exposed when it is off«
»I must see you without it it makes us all warm« said Celia throwing down
her fan and going to Dorothea It was a pretty picture to see this little lady
in white muslin unfastening the widows cap from her more majestic sister and
tossing it on to a chair Just as the coils and braids of darkbrown hair had
been set free Sir James entered the room He looked at the released head and
said »Ah« in a tone of satisfaction
»It was I who did it James« said Celia »Dodo need not make such a slavery
of her mourning she need not wear that cap any more among her friends«
»My dear Celia« said Lady Chettam »a widow must wear her mourning at least
a year«
»Not if she marries again before the end of it« said Mrs Cadwallader who
had some pleasure in startling her good friend the Dowager Sir James was
annoyed and leaned forward to play with Celias Maltese dog
»That is very rare I hope« said Lady Chettam in a tone intended to guard
against such events »No friend of ours ever committed herself in that way
except Mrs Beevor and it was very painful to Lord Grinsell when she did so
Her first husband was objectionable which made it the greater wonder And
severely she was punished for it They said Captain Beevor dragged her about by
the hair and held up loaded pistols at her«
»Oh if she took the wrong man« said Mrs Cadwallader who was in a
decidedly wicked mood »Marriage is always bad then first or second Priority
is a poor recommendation in a husband if he has got no other I would rather
have a good second husband than an indifferent first«
»My dear your clever tongue runs away with you« said Lady Chettam »I am
sure you would be the last woman to marry again prematurely if our dear Rector
were taken away«
»Oh I make no vows it might be a necessary economy It is lawful to marry
again I suppose else we might as well be Hindoos instead of Christians Of
course if a woman accepts the wrong man she must take the consequences and one
who does it twice over deserves her fate But if she can marry blood beauty
and bravery the sooner the better«
»I think the subject of our conversation is very illchosen« said Sir
James with a look of disgust »Suppose we change it«
»Not on my account Sir James« said Dorothea determined not to lose the
opportunity of freeing herself from certain oblique references to excellent
matches »If you are speaking on my behalf I can assure you that no question
can be more indifferent and impersonal to me than second marriage It is no more
to me than if you talked of women going foxhunting whether it is admirable in
them or not I shall not follow them Pray let Mrs Cadwallader amuse herself on
that subject as much as on any other«
»My dear Mrs Casaubon« said Lady Chettam in her stateliest way »you do
not I hope think there was any allusion to you in my mentioning Mrs Beevor
It was only an instance that occurred to me She was stepdaughter to Lord
Grinsell he married Mrs Teveroy for his second wife There could be no
possible allusion to you«
»Oh no« said Celia »Nobody chose the subject it all came out of Dodos
cap Mrs Cadwallader only said what was quite true A woman could not be
married in a widows cap James«
»Hush my dear« said Mrs Cadwallader »I will not offend again I will not
even refer to Dido or Zenobia Only what are we to talk about I for my part
object to the discussion of Human Nature because that is the nature of rectors
wives«
Later in the evening after Mrs Cadwallader was gone Celia said privately
to Dorothea »Really Dodo taking your cap off made you like yourself again in
more ways than one You spoke up just as you used to do when anything was said
to displease you But I could hardly make out whether it was James that you
thought wrong or Mrs Cadwallader«
»Neither« said Dorothea »James spoke out of delicacy to me but he was
mistaken in supposing that I minded what Mrs Cadwallader said I should only
mind if there were a law obliging me to take any piece of blood and beauty that
she or anybody else recommended«
»But you know Dodo if you ever did marry it would be all the better to
have blood and beauty« said Celia reflecting that Mr Casaubon had not been
richly endowed with those gifts and that it would be well to caution Dorothea
in time
»Dont be anxious Kitty I have quite other thoughts about my life I shall
never marry again« said Dorothea touching her sisters chin and looking at
her with indulgent affection Celia was nursing her baby and Dorothea had come
to say goodnight to her
»Really quite« said Celia »Not anybody at all if he were very
wonderful indeed«
Dorothea shook her head slowly »Not anybody at all I have delightful
plans I should like to take a great deal of land and drain it and make a
little colony where everybody should work and all the work should be done
well I should know every one of the people and be their friend I am going to
have great consultations with Mr Garth he can tell me almost everything I want
to know«
»Then you will be happy if you have a plan Dodo« said Celia »Perhaps
little Arthur will like plans when he grows up and then he can help you«
Sir James was informed that same night that Dorothea was really quite set
against marrying anybody at all and was going to take to »all sorts of plans«
just like what she used to have Sir James made no remark To his secret
feeling there was something repulsive in a womans second marriage and no
match would prevent him from feeling it a sort of desecration for Dorothea He
was aware that the world would regard such a sentiment as preposterous
especially in relation to a woman of oneandtwenty the practice of »the world«
being to treat of a young widows second marriage as certain and probably near
and to smile with meaning if the widow acts accordingly But if Dorothea did
choose to espouse her solitude he felt that the resolution would well become
her
Chapter LVI
»How happy is he born and taught
That serveth not anothers will
Whose armour is his honest thought
And simple truth his utmost skill
This man is freed from servile hands
Of hope to rise or fear to fall
Lord of himself though not of lands
And having nothing yet hath all«
Sir Henry Wotton
Dorotheas confidence in Caleb Garths knowledge which had begun on her hearing
that he approved of her cottages had grown fast during her stay at Freshitt
Sir James having induced her to take rides over the two estates in company with
himself and Caleb who quite returned her admiration and told his wife that
Mrs Casaubon had a head for business most uncommon in a woman It must be
remembered that by »business« Caleb never meant money transactions but the
skilful application of labour
»Most uncommon« repeated Caleb »She said a thing I often used to think
myself when I was a lad Mr Garth I should like to feel if I lived to be
old that I had improved a great piece of land and built a great many good
cottages because the work is of a healthy kind while it is being done and
after it is done men are the better for it Those were the very words she sees
into things in that way«
»But womanly I hope« said Mrs Garth half suspecting that Mrs Casaubon
might not hold the true principle of subordination
»Oh you cant think« said Caleb shaking his head »You would like to hear
her speak Susan She speaks in such plain words and a voice like music Bless
me it reminds me of bits in the Messiah and straightway there appeared a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying it has a tone with it
that satisfies your ear«
Caleb was very fond of music and when he could afford it went to hear an
oratorio that came within his reach returning from it with a profound reverence
for this mighty structure of tones which made him sit meditatively looking on
the floor and throwing much unutterable language into his outstretched hands
With this good understanding between them it was natural that Dorothea
asked Mr Garth to undertake any business connected with the three farms and the
numerous tenements attached to Lowick Manor indeed his expectation of getting
work for two was being fast fulfilled As he said »Business breeds« And one
form of business which was beginning to breed just then was the construction of
railways A projected line was to run through Lowick parish where the cattle had
hitherto grazed in a peace unbroken by astonishment and thus it happened that
the infant struggles of the railway system entered into the affairs of Caleb
Garth and determined the course of this history with regard to two persons who
were dear to him
The submarine railway may have its difficulties but the bed of the sea is
not divided among various landed proprietors with claims for damages not only
measurable but sentimental In the hundred to which Middlemarch belonged
railways were as exciting a topic as the Reform Bill or the imminent horrors of
Cholera and those who held the most decided views on the subject were women and
landholders Women both old and young regarded travelling by steam as
presumptuous and dangerous and argued against it by saying that nothing should
induce them to get into a railway carriage while proprietors differing from
each other in their arguments as much as Mr Solomon Featherstone differed from
Lord Medlicote were yet unanimous in the opinion that in selling land whether
to the Enemy of mankind or to a company obliged to purchase these pernicious
agencies must be made to pay a very high price to landowners for permission to
injure mankind
But the slower wits such as Mr Solomon and Mrs Waule who both occupied
land of their own took a long time to arrive at this conclusion their minds
halting at the vivid conception of what it would be to cut the Big Pasture in
two and turn it into threecornered bits which would be »nohow« while
accommodationbridges and high payments were remote and incredible
»The cows will all cast their calves brother« said Mrs Waule in a tone
of deep melancholy »if the railway comes across the Near Close and I shouldnt
wonder at the mare too if she was in foal Its a poor tale if a widows
property is to be spaded away and the law say nothing to it Whats to hinder
em from cutting right and left if they begin Its well known I cant fight«
»The best way would be to say nothing and set somebody on to send em away
with a flea in their ear when they came spying and measuring« said Solomon
»Folks did that about Brassing by what I can understand Its all a pretence
if the truth was known about their being forced to take one way Let em go
cutting in another parish And I dont believe in any pay to make amends for
bringing a lot of ruffians to trample your crops Wheres a companys pocket«
»Brother Peter God forgive him got money out of a company« said Mrs
Waule »But that was for the manganese That wasnt for railways to blow you to
pieces right and left«
»Well theres this to be said Jane« Mr Solomon concluded lowering his
voice in a cautious manner »the more spokes we put in their wheel the more
theyll pay us to let em go on if they must come whether or not«
This reasoning of Mr Solomons was perhaps less thorough than he imagined
his cunning bearing about the same relation to the course of railways as the
cunning of a diplomatist bears to the general chill or catarrh of the solar
system But he set about acting on his views in a thoroughly diplomatic manner
by stimulating suspicion His side of Lowick was the most remote from the
village and the houses of the labouring people were either lone cottages or
were collected in a hamlet called Frick where a watermill and some stonepits
made a little centre of slow heavyshouldered industry
In the absence of any precise idea as to what railways were public opinion
in Frick was against them for the human mind in that grassy corner had not the
proverbial tendency to admire the unknown holding rather that it was likely to
be against the poor man and that suspicion was the only wise attitude with
regard to it Even the rumour of Reform had not yet excited any millennial
expectations in Frick there being no definite promise in it as of gratuitous
grains to fatten Hiram Fords pig or of a publican at the »Weights and Scales«
who would brew beer for nothing or of an offer on the part of the three
neighbouring farmers to raise wages during winter And without distinct good of
this kind in its promises Reform seemed on a footing with the bragging of
pedlars which was a hint for distrust to every knowing person The men of Frick
were not illfed and were less given to fanaticism than to a strong muscular
suspicion less inclined to believe that they were peculiarly cared for by
heaven than to regard heaven itself as rather disposed to take them in a
disposition observable in the weather
Thus the mind of Frick was exactly of the sort for Mr Solomon Featherstone
to work upon he having more plenteous ideas of the same order with a suspicion
of heaven and earth which was better fed and more entirely at leisure Solomon
was overseer of the roads at that time and on his slowpaced cob often took his
rounds by Frick to look at the workmen getting the stones there pausing with a
mysterious deliberation which might have misled you into supposing that he had
some other reason for staying than the mere want of impulse to move After
looking for a long while at any work that was going on he would raise his eyes
a little and look at the horizon finally he would shake his bridle touch his
horse with the whip and get it to move slowly onward The hourhand of a clock
was quick by comparison with Mr Solomon who had an agreeable sense that he
could afford to be slow He was in the habit of pausing for a cautious
vaguelydesigning chat with every hedger or ditcher on his way and was
especially willing to listen even to news which he had heard before feeling
himself at an advantage over all narrators in partially disbelieving them One
day however he got into a dialogue with Hiram Ford a waggoner in which he
himself contributed information He wished to know whether Hiram had seen
fellows with staves and instruments spying about they called themselves
railroad people but there was no telling what they were or what they meant to
do The least they pretended was that they were going to cut Lowick Parish into
sixes and sevens
»Why therell be no stirrin from one plaace to another« said Hiram
thinking of his waggon and horses
»Not a bit« said Mr Solomon »And cutting up fine land such as this
parish Let em go into Tipton say I But theres no knowing what there is at
the bottom of it Traffick is what they put forard but its to do harm to the
land and the poor man in the long
»Why theyre Lunnon chaps I reckon« said Hiram who had a dim notion of
London as a centre of hostility to the country
»Ay to be sure And in some parts against Brassing by what Ive heard say
the folks fell on em when they were spying and broke their peepholes as they
carry and drove em away so as they knew better than come again«
»It war good foon Id be bound« said Hiram whose fun was much restricted
by circumstances
»Well I wouldnt meddle with em myself« said Solomon »But some say this
countrys seen its best days and the sign is as its being overrun with these
fellows trampling right and left and wanting to cut it up into railways and
all for the big traffic to swallow up the little so as there shant be a team
left on the land nor a whip to crack«
»Ill crack my whip about their earn afore they bring it to that though«
said Hiram while Mr Solomon shaking his bridle moved onward
Nettleseed needs no digging The ruin of this countryside by railroads was
discussed not only at the »Weights and Scales« but in the hayfield where the
muster of working hands gave opportunities for talk such as were rarely had
through the rural year
One morning not long after that interview between Mr Farebrother and Mary
Garth in which she confessed to him her feeling for Fred Vincy it happened
that her father had some business which took him to Yoddrells farm in the
direction of Frick it was to measure and value an outlying piece of land
belonging to Lowick Manor which Caleb expected to dispose of advantageously for
Dorothea it must be confessed that his bias was towards getting the best
possible terms from railroad companies He put up his gig at Yoddrells and in
walking with his assistant and measuringchain to the scene of his work he
encountered the party of the companys agents who were adjusting their
spiritlevel After a little chat he left them observing that byandby they
would reach him again where he was going to measure It was one of those grey
mornings after light rains which become delicious about twelve oclock when
the clouds part a little and the scent of the earth is sweet along the lanes
and by the hedgerows
The scent would have been sweeter to Fred Vincy who was coming along the
lanes on horseback if his mind had not been worried by unsuccessful efforts to
imagine what he was to do with his father on one side expecting him straightway
to enter the Church with Mary on the other threatening to forsake him if he did
enter it and with the workingday world showing no eager need whatever of a
young gentleman without capital and generally unskilled It was the harder to
Freds disposition because his father satisfied that he was no longer
rebellious was in good humour with him and had sent him on this pleasant ride
to see after some greyhounds Even when he had fixed on what he should do there
would be the task of telling his father But it must be admitted that the
fixing which had to come first was the more difficult task what secular
avocation on earth was there for a young man whose friends could not get him an
»appointment« which was at once gentlemanly lucrative and to be followed
without special knowledge Riding along the lanes by Frick in this mood and
slackening his pace while he reflected whether he should venture to go round by
Lowick Parsonage to call on Mary he could see over the hedges from one field to
another Suddenly a noise roused his attention and on the far side of a field
on his left hand he could see six or seven men in smockfrocks with hayforks in
their hands making an offensive approach towards the four railway agents who
were facing them while Caleb Garth and his assistant were hastening across the
field to join the threatened group Fred delayed a few moments by having to
find the gate could not gallop up to the spot before the party in smockfrocks
whose work of turning the hay had not been too pressing after swallowing their
midday beer were driving the men in coats before them with their hayforks
while Caleb Garths assistant a lad of seventeen who had snatched up the
spiritlevel at Calebs order had been knocked down and seemed to be lying
helpless The coated men had the advantage as runners and Fred covered their
retreat by getting in front of the smockfrocks and charging them suddenly
enough to throw their chase into confusion »What do you confounded fools mean«
shouted Fred pursuing the divided group in a zigzag and cutting right and left
with his whip »Ill swear to every one of you before the magistrate Youve
knocked the lad down and killed him for what I know Youll every one of you be
hanged at the next assizes if you dont mind« said Fred who afterwards
laughed heartily as he remembered his own phrases
The labourers had been driven through the gateway into their hayfield and
Fred had checked his horse when Hiram Ford observing himself at a safe
challenging distance turned back and shouted a defiance which he did not know
to be Homeric
»Yore a coward yo are Yo git off your horse young measter and Ill have
a round wi ye I wull Yo darednt come on wiout your hoss an whip Id soon
knock the breath out on ye I would«
»Wait a minute and Ill come back presently and have a round with you all
in turn if you like« said Fred who felt confidence in his power of boxing
with his dearlybeloved brethren But just now he wanted to hasten back to Caleb
and the prostrate youth
The lads ankle was strained and he was in much pain from it but he was no
further hurt and Fred placed him on the horse that he might ride to Yoddrells
and be taken care of there
»Let them put the horse in the stable and tell the surveyors they can come
back for their traps« said Fred »The ground is clear now«
»No no« said Caleb »heres a breakage Theyll have to give up for
today and it will be as well Here take the things before you on the horse
Tom Thell see you coming and theyll turn back«
»Im glad I happened to be here at the right moment Mr Garth« said Fred
as Tom rode away »No knowing what might have happened if the cavalry had not
come up in time«
»Ay ay it was lucky« said Caleb speaking rather absently and looking
towards the spot where he had been at work at the moment of interruption »But
deuce take it this is what comes of men being fools Im hindered of my days
work I cant get along without somebody to help me with the measuringchain
However« He was beginning to move towards the spot with a look of vexation as
if he had forgotten Freds presence but suddenly he turned round and said
quickly »What have you got to do today young fellow«
»Nothing Mr Garth Ill help you with pleasure can I« said Fred with a
sense that he should be courting Mary when he was helping her father
»Well you mustnt mind stooping and getting hot«
»I dont mind anything Only I want to go first and have a round with that
hulky fellow who turned to challenge me It would be a good lesson for him I
shall not be five minutes«
»Nonsense« said Caleb with his most peremptory intonation »I shall go and
speak to the men myself Its all ignorance Somebody has been telling them
lies The poor fools dont know any better«
»I shall go with you then« said Fred
»No no stay where you are I dont want your young blood I can take care
of myself«
Caleb was a powerful man and knew little of any fear except the fear of
hurting others and the fear of having to speechify But he felt it his duty at
this moment to try and give a little harangue There was a striking mixture in
him which came from his having always been a hardworking man himself of
rigorous notions about workmen and practical indulgence towards them To do a
good days work and to do it well he held to be part of their welfare as it
was the chief part of his own happiness but he had a strong sense of fellowship
with them When he advanced towards the labourers they had not gone to work
again but were standing in that form of rural grouping which consists in each
turning a shoulder towards the other at a distance of two or three yards They
looked rather sulkily at Caleb who walked quickly with one hand in his pocket
and the other thrust between the buttons of his waistcoat and had his everyday
mild air when he paused among them
»Why my lads hows this« he began taking as usual to brief phrases
which seemed pregnant to himself because he had many thoughts lying under them
like the abundant roots of a plant that just manages to peep above the water
»How came you to make such a mistake as this Somebody has been telling you
lies You thought those men up there wanted to do mischief«
»Aw« was the answer dropped at intervals by each according to his degree
of unreadiness
»Nonsense No such thing Theyre looking out to see which way the railroad
is to take Now my lads you cant hinder the railroad it will be made whether
you like it or not And if you go fighting against it youll get yourselves
into trouble The law gives those men leave to come here on the land The owner
has nothing to say against it and if you meddle with them youll have to do
with the constable and Justice Blakesley and with the handcuffs and Middlemarch
jail And you might be in for it now if anybody informed against you«
Caleb paused here and perhaps the greatest orator could not have chosen
either his pause or his images better for the occasion
»But come you didnt mean any harm Somebody told you the railroad was a
bad thing That was a lie It may do a bit of harm here and there to this and
to that and so does the sun in heaven But the railways a good thing«
»Aw good for the big folks to make money out on« said old Timothy Cooper
who had stayed behind turning his hay while the others had been gone on their
spree »In seen lots o things turn up sin I war a young un the war an
the peace and the canells an the oald King George an the Regen an the
new King George an the new un as has got a new neame an its been all
aloike to the poor mon Whats the canells been t him They n brought him
neyther meat nor beacon nor wage to lay by if he didnt save it wi clemmin
his own inside Times ha got wusser for him sin I war a young un An so itll
be wi the railroads Theyll ony leave the poor mon furder behind But them
are fools as meddle and so I told the chaps here This is the big folkss
world this is But yore for the big folks Muster Garth yo are«
Timothy was a wiry old labourer of a type lingering in those times who
had his savings in a stockingfoot lived in a lone cottage and was not to be
wrought on by any oratory having as little of the feudal spirit and believing
as little as if he had not been totally unacquainted with the Age of Reason and
the Rights of Man Caleb was in a difficulty known to any person attempting in
dark times and unassisted by miracle to reason with rustics who are in
possession of an undeniable truth which they know through a hard process of
feeling and can let it fall like a giants club on your neatlycarved argument
for a social benefit which they do not feel Caleb had no cant at command even
if he could have chosen to use it and he had been accustomed to meet all such
difficulties in no other way than by doing his »business« faithfully He
answered
»If you dont think well of me Tim never mind thats neither here nor
there now Things may be bad for the poor man bad they are but I want the
lads here not to do what will make things worse for themselves The cattle may
have a heavy load but it wont help em to throw it over into the roadside pit
when its partly their own fodder«
»We war ony for a bit o foon« said Hiram who was beginning to see
consequences »That war all we war arter«
»Well promise me not to meddle again and Ill see that nobody informs
against you«
»In neer meddled an In no call to promise« said Timothy
»No but the rest Come Im as hard at work as any of you today and I
cant spare much time Say youll be quiet without the constable«
»Aw we wooant meddle they may do as they loike for oos« were the forms
in which Caleb got his pledges and then he hastened back to Fred who had
followed him and watched him in the gateway
They went to work and Fred helped vigorously His spirits had risen and he
heartily enjoyed a good slip in the moist earth under the hedgerow which soiled
his perfect summer trousers Was it his successful onset which had elated him
or the satisfaction of helping Marys father Something more The accidents of
the morning had helped his frustrated imagination to shape an employment for
himself which had several attractions I am not sure that certain fibres in Mr
Garths mind had not resumed their old vibration towards the very end which now
revealed itself to Fred For the effective accident is but the touch of fire
where there is oil and tow and it always appeared to Fred that the railway
brought the needed touch But they went on in silence except when their business
demanded speech At last when they had finished and were walking away Mr
Garth said
»A young fellow neednt be a B.A. to do this sort of work eh Fred«
»I wish I had taken to it before I had thought of being a B.A.,« said Fred
He paused a moment and then added more hesitatingly »Do you think I am too
old to learn your business Mr Garth«
»My business is of many sorts my boy« said Mr Garth smiling »A good
deal of what I know can only come from experience: you cant learn it off as you
learn things out of a book But you are young enough to lay a foundation yet«
Caleb pronounced the last sentence emphatically but paused in some uncertainty
He had been under the impression lately that Fred had made up his mind to enter
the Church
»You do think I could do some good at it if I were to try« said Fred more
eagerly
»That depends« said Caleb turning his head on one side and lowering his
voice with the air of a man who felt himself to be saying something deeply
religious »You must be sure of two things you must love your work and not be
always looking over the edge of it wanting your play to begin And the other
is you must not be ashamed of your work and think it would be more honourable
to you to be doing something else You must have a pride in your own work and in
learning to do it well and not be always saying Theres this and theres that
if I had this or that to do I might make something of it No matter what a
man is I wouldnt give twopence for him« here Calebs mouth looked bitter
and he snapped his fingers »whether he was the prime minister or the
rickthatcher if he didnt do well what he undertook to do«
»I can never feel that I should do that in being a clergyman« said Fred
meaning to take a step in argument
»Then let it alone my boy« said Caleb abruptly »else youll never be
easy Or if you are easy youll be a poor stick«
»That is very nearly what Mary thinks about it« said Fred colouring »I
think you must know what I feel for Mary Mr Garth I hope it does not
displease you that I have always loved her better than any one else and that I
shall never love any one as I love her«
The expression of Calebs face was visibly softening while Fred spoke But
he swung his head with a solemn slowness and said
»That makes things more serious Fred if you want to take Marys happiness
into your keeping«
»I know that Mr Garth« said Fred eagerly »and I would do anything for
her She says she will never have me if I go into the Church and I shall be the
most miserable devil in the world if I lose all hope of Mary Really if I could
get some other profession business anything that I am at all fit for I would
work hard I would deserve your good opinion I should like to have to do with
outdoor things I know a good deal about land and cattle already I used to
believe you know though you will think me rather foolish for it that I
should have land of my own I am sure knowledge of that sort would come easily
to me especially if I could be under you in any way«
»Softly my boy« said Caleb having the image of »Susan« before his eyes
»What have you said to your father about all this«
»Nothing yet but I must tell him I am only waiting to know what I can do
instead of entering the Church I am very sorry to disappoint him but a man
ought to be allowed to judge for himself when he is fourandtwenty How could I
know when I was fifteen what it would be right for me to do now My education
was a mistake«
»But hearken to this Fred« said Caleb »Are you sure Mary is fond of you
or would ever have you«
»I asked Mr Farebrother to talk to her because she had forbidden me I
didnt know what else to do« said Fred apologetically »And he says that I
have every reason to hope if I can put myself in an honourable position I
mean out of the Church I daresay you think it unwarrantable in me Mr Garth
to be troubling you and obtruding my own wishes about Mary before I have done
anything at all for myself Of course I have not the least claim indeed I
have already a debt to you which will never be discharged even when I have been
able to pay it in the shape of money«
»Yes my boy you have a claim« said Caleb with much feeling in his voice
»The young ones have always a claim on the old to help them forward I was young
myself once and had to do without much help but help would have been welcome to
me if it had been only for the fellowfeelings sake But I must consider Come
to me tomorrow at the office at nine oclock At the office mind«
Mr Garth would take no important step without consulting Susan but it must
be confessed that before he reached home he had taken his resolution With
regard to a large number of matters about which other men are decided or
obstinate he was the most easily manageable man in the world He never knew
what meat he would choose and if Susan had said that they ought to live in a
fourroomed cottage in order to save he would have said »Let us go« without
inquiring into details But where Calebs feeling and judgment strongly
pronounced he was a ruler and in spite of his mildness and timidity in
reproving every one about him knew that on the exceptional occasions when he
chose he was absolute He never indeed chose to be absolute except on some
one elses behalf On ninetynine points Mrs Garth decided but on the
hundredth she was often aware that she would have to perform the singularly
difficult task of carrying out her own principle and to make herself
subordinate
»It is come round as I thought Susan« said Caleb when they were seated
alone in the evening He had already narrated the adventure which had brought
about Freds sharing in his work but had kept back the further result »The
children are fond of each other I mean Fred and Mary«
Mrs Garth laid her work on her knee and fixed her penetrating eyes
anxiously on her husband
»After wed done our work Fred poured it all out to me He cant bear to be
a clergyman and Mary says she wont have him if he is one and the lad would
like to be under me and give his mind to business And Ive determined to take
him and make a man of him«
»Caleb« said Mrs Garth in a deep contralto expressive of resigned
astonishment
»Its a fine thing to do« said Mr Garth settling himself firmly against
the back of his chair and grasping the elbows »I shall have trouble with him
but I think I shall carry it through The lad loves Mary and a true love for a
good woman is a great thing Susan It shapes many a rough fellow«
»Has Mary spoken to you on the subject« said Mrs Garth secretly a little
hurt that she had to be informed on it herself
»Not a word I asked her about Fred once I gave her a bit of a warning But
she assured me she would never marry an idle selfindulgent man nothing
since But it seems Fred set on Mr Farebrother to talk to her because she had
forbidden him to speak himself and Mr Farebrother has found out that she is
fond of Fred but says he must not be a clergyman Freds heart is fixed on
Mary that I can see it gives me a good opinion of the lad and we always
liked him Susan«
»It is a pity for Mary I think« said Mrs Garth
»Why a pity«
»Because Caleb she might have had a man who is worth twenty Fred Vincys«
»Ah« said Caleb with surprise
»I firmly believe that Mr Farebrother is attached to her and meant to make
her an offer but of course now that Fred has used him as an envoy there is an
end to that better prospect« There was a severe precision in Mrs Garths
utterance She was vexed and disappointed but she was bent on abstaining from
useless words
Caleb was silent a few moments under a conflict of feelings He looked at
the floor and moved his head and hands in accompaniment to some inward
argumentation At last he said
»That would have made me very proud and happy Susan and I should have been
glad for your sake Ive always felt that your belongings have never been on a
level with you But you took me though I was a plain man«
»I took the best and cleverest man I had ever known« said Mrs Garth
convinced that she would never have loved any one who came short of that mark
»Well perhaps others thought you might have done better But it would have
been worse for me And that is what touches me close about Fred The lad is good
at bottom and clever enough to do if hes put in the right way and he loves
and honours my daughter beyond anything and she has given him a sort of promise
according to what he turns out I say that young mans soul is in my hand and
Ill do the best I can for him so help me God Its my duty Susan«
Mrs Garth was not given to tears but there was a large one rolling down
her face before her husband had finished It came from the pressure of various
feelings in which there was much affection and some vexation She wiped it away
quickly saying
»Few men besides you would think it a duty to add to their anxieties in that
way Caleb«
»That signifies nothing what other men would think Ive got a clear
feeling inside me and that I shall follow and I hope your heart will go with
me Susan in making everything as light as can be to Mary poor child«
Caleb leaning back in his chair looked with anxious appeal towards his
wife She rose and kissed him saying »God bless you Caleb Our children have
a good father«
But she went out and had a hearty cry to make up for the suppression of her
words She felt sure that her husbands conduct would be misunderstood and
about Fred she was rational and unhopeful Which would turn out to have the more
foresight in it her rationality or Calebs ardent generosity
When Fred went to the office the next morning there was a test to be gone
through which he was not prepared for
»Now Fred« said Caleb »you will have some deskwork I have always done a
good deal of writing myself but I cant do without help and as I want you to
understand the accounts and get the values into your head I mean to do without
another clerk So you must buckle to How are you at writing and arithmetic«
Fred felt an awkward movement of the heart he had not thought of deskwork
but he was in a resolute mood and not going to shrink »Im not afraid of
arithmetic Mr Garth it always came easily to me I think you know my
writing«
»Let us see« said Caleb taking up a pen examining it carefully and
handing it well dipped to Fred with a sheet of ruled paper »Copy me a line or
two of that valuation with the figures at the end«
At that time the opinion existed that it was beneath a gentleman to write
legibly or with a hand in the least suitable to a clerk Fred wrote the lines
demanded in a hand as gentlemanly as that of any viscount or bishop of the day
the vowels were all alike and the consonants only distinguishable as turning up
or down the strokes had a blotted solidity and the letters disdained to keep
the line in short it was a manuscript of that venerable kind easy to
interpret when you know beforehand what the writer means
As Caleb looked on his visage showed a growing depression but when Fred
handed him the paper he gave something like a snarl and wrapped the paper
passionately with the back of his hand Bad work like this dispelled all Calebs
mildness
»The deuce« he exclaimed snarlingly »To think that this is a country
where a mans education may cost hundreds and hundreds and it turns you out
this« Then in a more pathetic tone pushing up his spectacles and looking at
the unfortunate scribe »The Lord have mercy on us Fred I cant put up with
this«
»What can I do Mr Garth« said Fred whose spirits had sunk very low not
only at the estimate of his handwriting but at the vision of himself as liable
to be ranked with officeclerks
»Do Why you must learn to form your letters and keep the line Whats the
use of writing at all if nobody can understand it« asked Caleb energetically
quite preoccupied with the bad quality of the work »Is there so little business
in the world that you must be sending puzzles over the country But thats the
way people are brought up I should lose no end of time with the letters some
people send me if Susan did not make them out for me Its disgusting« Here
Caleb tossed the paper from him
Any stranger peeping into the office at that moment might have wondered what
was the drama between the indignant man of business and the finelooking young
fellow whose blond complexion was getting rather patchy as he bit his lip with
mortification Fred was struggling with many thoughts Mr Garth had been so
kind and encouraging at the beginning of their interview that gratitude and
hopefulness had been at a high pitch and the downfall was proportionate He had
not thought of deskwork in fact like the majority of young gentlemen he
wanted an occupation which should be free from disagreeables I cannot tell what
might have been the consequences if he had not distinctly promised himself that
he would go to Lowick to see Mary and tell her that he was engaged to work under
her father He did not like to disappoint himself there
»I am very sorry« were all the words that he could muster But Mr Garth
was already relenting
»We must make the best of it Fred« he began with a return to his usual
quiet tone »Every man can learn to write I taught myself Go at it with a
will and sit up at night if the daytime isnt enough Well be patient my
boy Callum shall go on with the books for a bit while you are learning But
now I must be off« said Caleb rising »You must let your father know our
agreement Youll save me Callums salary you know when you can write and I
can afford to give you eighty pounds for the first year and more after«
When Fred made the necessary disclosure to his parents the relative effect
on the two was a surprise which entered very deeply into his memory He went
straight from Mr Garths office to the warehouse rightly feeling that the most
respectful way in which he could behave to his father was to make the painful
communication as gravely and formally as possible Moreover the decision would
be more certainly understood to be final if the interview took place in his
fathers gravest hours which were always those spent in his private room at the
warehouse
Fred entered on the subject directly and declared briefly what he had done
and was resolved to do expressing at the end his regret that he should be the
cause of disappointment to his father and taking the blame on his own
deficiencies The regret was genuine and inspired Fred with strong simple
words
Mr Vincy listened in profound surprise without uttering even an
exclamation a silence which in his impatient temperament was a sign of unusual
emotion He had not been in good spirits about trade that morning and the
slight bitterness in his lips grew intense as he listened When Fred had ended
there was a pause of nearly a minute during which Mr Vincy replaced a book in
his desk and turned the key emphatically Then he looked at his son steadily
and said
»So youve made up your mind at last sir«
»Yes father«
»Very well stick to it Ive no more to say Youve thrown away your
education and gone down a step in life when I had given you the means of
rising thats all«
»I am very sorry that we differ father I think I can be quite as much of a
gentleman at the work I have undertaken as if I had been a curate But I am
grateful to you for wishing to do the best for me«
»Very well I have no more to say I wash my hands of you I only hope when
you have a son of your own he will make a better return for the pains you spend
on him«
This was very cutting to Fred His father was using that unfair advantage
possessed by us all when we are in a pathetic situation and see our own past as
if it were simply part of the pathos In reality Mr Vincys wishes about his
son had had a great deal of pride inconsiderateness and egoistic folly in
them But still the disappointed father held a strong lever and Fred felt as if
he were being banished with a malediction
»I hope you will not object to my remaining at home sir« he said after
rising to go »I shall have a sufficient salary to pay for my board as of
course I should wish to do«
»Board be hanged« said Mr Vincy recovering himself in his disgust at the
notion that Freds keep would be missed at his table »Of course your mother
will want you to stay But I shall keep no horse for you you understand and
you will pay your own tailor You will do with a suit or two less I fancy when
you have to pay for em«
Fred lingered there was still something to be said At last it came
»I hope you will shake hands with me father and forgive me the vexation I
have caused you«
Mr Vincy from his chair threw a quick glance upward at his son who had
advanced near to him and then gave his hand saying hurriedly »Yes yes let
us say no more«
Fred went through much more narrative and explanation with his mother but
she was inconsolable having before her eyes what perhaps her husband had never
thought of the certainty that Fred would marry Mary Garth that her life would
henceforth be spoiled by a perpetual infusion of Garths and their ways and that
her darling boy with his beautiful face and stylish air »beyond anybody elses
son in Middlemarch« would be sure to get like that family in plainness of
appearance and carelessness about his clothes To her it seemed that there was a
Garth conspiracy to get possession of the desirable Fred but she dared not
enlarge on this opinion because a slight hint of it had made him »fly out« at
her as he had never done before Her temper was too sweet for her to show any
anger but she felt that her happiness had received a bruise and for several
days merely to look at Fred made her cry a little as if he were the subject of
some baleful prophecy Perhaps she was the slower to recover her usual
cheerfulness because Fred had warned her that she must not reopen the sore
question with his father who had accepted his decision and forgiven him If her
husband had been vehement against Fred she would have been urged into defence
of her darling It was the end of the fourth day when Mr Vincy said to her
»Come Lucy my dear dont be so downhearted You always have spoiled the
boy and you must go on spoiling him«
»Nothing ever did cut me so before Vincy« said the wife her fair throat
and chin beginning to tremble again »only his illness«
»Pooh pooh never mind We must expect to have trouble with our children
Dont make it worse by letting me see you out of spirits«
»Well I wont« said Mrs Vincy roused by this appeal and adjusting
herself with a little shake as of a bird which lays down its ruffled plumage
»It wont do to begin making a fuss about one« said Mr Vincy wishing to
combine a little grumbling with domestic cheerfulness »Theres Rosamond as well
as Fred«
»Yes poor thing Im sure I felt for her being disappointed of her baby
but she got over it nicely«
»Baby pooh I can see Lydgate is making a mess of his practice and getting
into debt too by what I hear I shall have Rosamond coming to me with a pretty
tale one of these days But theyll get no money from me I know Let his family
help him I never did like that marriage But its no use talking Ring the bell
for lemons and dont look dull any more Lucy Ill drive you and Louisa to
Riverston tomorrow«
Chapter LVII
They numbered scarce eight summers when a name
Rose on their souls and stirred such motions there
As thrill the buds and shape their hidden frame
At penetration of the quickening air
His name who told of loyal Evan Dhu
Of quaint Bradwardine and Vich Ian Vor
Making the little world their childhood knew
Large with a land of mountain lake and scaur
And larger yet with wonder love belief
Toward Walter Scott who living far away
Sent them this wealth of joy and noble grief
The book and they must part but day by day
In lines that thwart like portly spiders ran
They wrote the tale from Tully Veolan
The evening that Fred Vincy walked to Lowick Parsonage he had begun to see that
this was a world in which even a spirited young man must sometimes walk for want
of a horse to carry him he set out at five oclock and called on Mrs Garth by
the way wishing to assure himself that she accepted their new relations
willingly
He found the family group dogs and cats included under the great
appletree in the orchard It was a festival with Mrs Garth for her eldest
son Christy her peculiar joy and pride had come home for a short holiday
Christy who held it the most desirable thing in the world to be a tutor to
study all literatures and be a regenerate Porson and who was an incorporate
criticism on poor Fred a sort of objectlesson given to him by the educational
mother Christy himself a squarebrowed broadshouldered masculine edition of
his mother not much higher than Freds shoulder which made it the harder that
he should be held superior was always as simple as possible and thought no
more of Freds disinclination to scholarship than of a giraffes wishing that
he himself were more of the same height He was lying on the ground now by his
mothers chair with his strawhat laid flat over his eyes while Jim on the
other side was reading aloud from that beloved writer who has made a chief part
in the happiness of many young lives The volume was Ivanhoe and Jim was in the
great archery scene at the tournament but suffered much interruption from Ben
who had fetched his own old bow and arrows and was making himself dreadfully
disagreeable Letty thought by begging all present to observe his random shots
which no one wished to do except Brownie the activeminded but probably shallow
mongrel while the grizzled Newfoundland lying in the sun looked on with the
dulleyed neutrality of extreme old age Letty herself showing as to her mouth
and pinafore some slight signs that she had been assisting at the gathering of
the cherries which stood in a coralheap on the teatable was now seated on the
grass listening openeyed to the reading
But the centre of interest was changed for all by the arrival of Fred Vincy
When seating himself on a gardenstool he said that he was on his way to
Lowick Parsonage Ben who had thrown down his bow and snatched up a reluctant
halfgrown kitten instead strode across Freds outstretched leg and said »Take
me«
»Oh and me too« said Letty
»You cant keep up with Fred and me« said Ben
»Yes I can Mother please say that I am to go« urged Letty whose life
was much checkered by resistance to her depreciation as a girl
»I shall stay with Christy« observed Jim as much as to say that he had the
advantage of those simpletons whereupon Letty put her hand up to her head and
looked with jealous indecision from the one to the other
»Let us all go and see Mary« said Christy opening his arms
»No my dear child we must not go in a swarm to the parsonage And that old
Glasgow suit of yours would never do Besides your father will come home We
must let Fred go alone He can tell Mary that you are here and she will come
back tomorrow«
Christy glanced at his own threadbare knees and then at Freds beautiful
white trousers Certainly Freds tailoring suggested the advantages of an
English university and he had a graceful way even of looking warm and of
pushing his hair back with his handkerchief
»Children run away« said Mrs Garth »it is too warm to hang about your
friends Take your brother and show him the rabbits«
The eldest understood and led off the children immediately Fred felt that
Mrs Garth wished to give him an opportunity of saying anything he had to say
but he could only begin by observing
»How glad you must be to have Christy here«
»Yes he has come sooner than I expected He got down from the coach at nine
oclock just after his father went out I am longing for Caleb to come and hear
what wonderful progress Christy is making He has paid his expenses for the last
year by giving lessons carrying on hard study at the same time He hopes soon
to get a private tutorship and go abroad«
»He is a great fellow« said Fred to whom these cheerful truths had a
medicinal taste »and no trouble to anybody« After a slight pause he added
»But I fear you will think that I am going to be a great deal of trouble to Mr
Garth«
»Caleb likes taking trouble he is one of those men who always do more than
any one would have thought of asking them to do« answered Mrs Garth She was
knitting and could either look at Fred or not as she chose always an
advantage when one is bent on loading speech with salutary meaning and though
Mrs Garth intended to be duly reserved she did wish to say something that Fred
might be the better for
»I know you think me very undeserving Mrs Garth and with good reason«
said Fred his spirit rising a little at the perception of something like a
disposition to lecture him »I happen to have behaved just the worst to the
people I cant help wishing for the most from But while two men like Mr Garth
and Mr Farebrother have not given me up I dont see why I should give myself
up« Fred thought it might be well to suggest these masculine examples to Mrs
Garth
»Assuredly« said she with gathering emphasis »A young man for whom two
such elders had devoted themselves would indeed be culpable if he threw himself
away and made their sacrifices vain«
Fred wondered a little at this strong language but only said »I hope it
will not be so with me Mrs Garth since I have some encouragement to believe
that I may win Mary Mr Garth has told you about that You were not surprised
I daresay« Fred ended innocently referring only to his own love as probably
evident enough
»Not surprised that Mary has given you encouragement« returned Mrs Garth
who thought it would be well for Fred to be more alive to the fact that Marys
friends could not possibly have wished this beforehand whatever the Vincys
might suppose »Yes I confess I was surprised«
»She never did give me any not the least in the world when I talked to
her myself« said Fred eager to vindicate Mary »But when I asked Mr
Farebrother to speak for me she allowed him to tell me there was a hope«
The power of admonition which had begun to stir in Mrs Garth had not yet
discharged itself. It was a little too provoking even for her selfcontrol that
this blooming youngster should flourish on the disappointments of sadder and
wiser people making a meal of a nightingale and never knowing it and that
all the while his family should suppose that hers was in eager need of this
sprig and her vexation had fermented the more actively because of its total
repression towards her husband Exemplary wives will sometimes find scapegoats
in this way She now said with energetic decision »You made a great mistake
Fred in asking Mr Farebrother to speak for you«
»Did I« said Fred reddening instantaneously He was alarmed but at a loss
to know what Mrs Garth meant and added in an apologetic tone »Mr
Farebrother has always been such a friend of ours and Mary I knew would
listen to him gravely and he took it on himself quite readily«
»Yes young people are usually blind to everything but their own wishes and
seldom imagine how much those wishes cost others« said Mrs Garth She did not
mean to go beyond this salutary general doctrine and threw her indignation into
a needless unwinding of her worsted knitting her brow at it with a grand air
»I cannot conceive how it could be any pain to Mr Farebrother« said Fred
who nevertheless felt that surprising conceptions were beginning to form
themselves
»Precisely you cannot conceive« said Mrs Garth cutting her words as
neatly as possible
For a moment Fred looked at the horizon with a dismayed anxiety and then
turning with a quick movement said almost sharply
»Do you mean to say Mrs Garth that Mr Farebrother is in love with Mary«
»And if it were so Fred I think you are the last person who ought to be
surprised« returned Mrs Garth laying her knitting down beside her and folding
her arms It was an unwonted sign of emotion in her that she should put her work
out of her hands In fact her feelings were divided between the satisfaction of
giving Fred his discipline and the sense of having gone a little too far Fred
took his hat and stick and rose quickly
»Then you think I am standing in his way and in Marys too« he said in a
tone which seemed to demand an answer
Mrs Garth could not speak immediately She had brought herself into the
unpleasant position of being called on to say what she really felt yet what she
knew there were strong reasons for concealing And to her the consciousness of
having exceeded in words was peculiarly mortifying Besides Fred had given out
unexpected electricity and he now added »Mr Garth seemed pleased that Mary
should be attached to me He could not have known anything of this«
Mrs Garth felt a severe twinge at this mention of her husband the fear
that Caleb might think her in the wrong not being easily endurable She
answered wanting to check unintended consequences
»I spoke from inference only I am not aware that Mary knows anything of the
matter«
But she hesitated to beg that he would keep entire silence on a subject
which she had herself unnecessarily mentioned not being used to stoop in that
way and while she was hesitating there was already a rush of unintended
consequences under the appletree where the teathings stood Ben bouncing
across the grass with Brownie at his heels and seeing the kitten dragging the
knitting by a lengthening line of wool shouted and clapped his hands Brownie
barked the kitten desperate jumped on the teatable and upset the milk then
jumped down again and swept half the cherries with it and Ben snatching up the
halfknitted socktop fitted it over the kittens head as a new source of
madness while Letty arriving cried out to her mother against this cruelty it
was a history as full of sensation as »This is the house that Jack built« Mrs
Garth was obliged to interfere the other young ones came up and the têteàtête
with Fred was ended He got away as soon as he could and Mrs Garth could only
imply some retractation of her severity by saying »God bless you« when she shook
hands with him
She was unpleasantly conscious that she had been on the verge of speaking as
»one of the foolish women speaketh« telling first and entreating silence
after But she had not entreated silence and to prevent Calebs blame she
determined to blame herself and confess all to him that very night It was
curious what an awful tribunal the mild Calebs was to her whenever he set it
up But she meant to point out to him that the revelation might do Fred Vincy a
great deal of good
No doubt it was having a strong effect on him as he walked to Lowick Freds
light hopeful nature had perhaps never had so much of a bruise as from this
suggestion that if he had been out of the way Mary might have made a thoroughly
good match Also he was piqued that he had been what he called such a stupid
lout as to ask that intervention from Mr Farebrother But it was not in a
lovers nature it was not in Freds that the new anxiety raised about Marys
feeling should not surmount every other Notwithstanding his trust in Mr
Farebrothers generosity notwithstanding what Mary had said to him Fred could
not help feeling that he had a rival it was a new consciousness, and he
objected to it extremely not being in the least ready to give up Mary for her
good being ready rather to fight for her with any man whatsoever But the
fighting with Mr Farebrother must be of a metaphorical kind which was much
more difficult to Fred than the muscular Certainly this experience was a
discipline for Fred hardly less sharp than his disappointment about his uncles
will The iron had not entered into his soul but he had begun to imagine what
the sharp edge would be It did not once occur to Fred that Mrs Garth might be
mistaken about Mr Farebrother but he suspected that she might be wrong about
Mary Mary had been staying at the parsonage lately and her mother might know
very little of what had been passing in her mind
He did not feel easier when he found her looking cheerful with the three
ladies in the drawingroom They were in animated discussion on some subject
which was dropped when he entered and Mary was copying the labels from a heap
of shallow cabinet drawers in a minute handwriting which she was skilled in
Mr Farebrother was somewhere in the village and the three ladies knew nothing
of Freds peculiar relation to Mary it was impossible for either of them to
propose that they should walk round the garden and Fred predicted to himself
that he should have to go away without saying a word to her in private He told
her first of Christys arrival and then of his own engagement with her father
and he was comforted by seeing that this latter news touched her keenly She
said hurriedly »I am so glad« and then bent over her writing to hinder any one
from noticing her face But here was a subject which Mrs Farebrother could not
let pass
»You dont mean my dear Miss Garth that you are glad to hear of a young
man giving up the Church for which he was educated you only mean that things
being so you are glad that he should be under an excellent man like your
father«
»No really Mrs Farebrother I am glad of both I fear« said Mary
cleverly getting rid of one rebellious tear »I have a dreadfully secular mind
I never liked any clergyman except the Vicar of Wakefield and Mr Farebrother«
»Now why my dear« said Mrs Farebrother pausing on her large wooden
knittingneedles and looking at Mary »You have always a good reason for your
opinions but this astonishes me Of course I put out of the question those who
preach new doctrine But why should you dislike clergymen«
»Oh dear« said Mary her face breaking into merriment as she seemed to
consider a moment »I dont like their neckcloths«
»Why you dont like Camdens then« said Miss Winifred in some anxiety
»Yes I do« said Mary »I dont like the other clergymens neckcloths
because it is they who wear them«
»How very puzzling« said Miss Noble feeling that her own intellect was
probably deficient
»My dear you are joking You would have better reasons than these for
slighting so respectable a class of men« said Mrs Farebrother majestically
»Miss Garth has such severe notions of what people should be that it is
difficult to satisfy her« said Fred
»Well I am glad at least that she makes an exception in favour of my son«
said the old lady
Mary was wondering at Freds piqued tone when Mr Farebrother came in and
had to hear the news about the engagement under Mr Garth At the end he said
with quiet satisfaction »That is right« and then bent to look at Marys labels
and praise her handwriting Fred felt horribly jealous was glad of course
that Mr Farebrother was so estimable but wished that he had been ugly and fat
as men at forty sometimes are It was clear what the end would be since Mary
openly placed Farebrother above everybody and these women were all evidently
encouraging the affair He was feeling sure that he should have no chance of
speaking to Mary when Mr Farebrother said
»Fred help me to carry these drawers back into my study you have never
seen my fine new study Pray come too Miss Garth I want you to see a
stupendous spider I found this morning«
Mary at once saw the Vicars intention He had never since the memorable
evening deviated from his old pastoral kindness towards her and her momentary
wonder and doubt had quite gone to sleep Mary was accustomed to think rather
rigorously of what was probable and if a belief flattered her vanity she felt
warned to dismiss it as ridiculous having early had much exercise in such
dismissals It was as she had foreseen when Fred had been asked to admire the
fittings of the study and she had been asked to admire the spider Mr
Farebrother said
»Wait here a minute or two I am going to look out an engraving which Fred
is tall enough to hang for me I shall be back in a few minutes« And then he
went out Nevertheless the first word Fred said to Mary was
»It is of no use whatever I do Mary You are sure to marry Farebrother at
last« There was some rage in his tone
»What do you mean Fred« Mary exclaimed indignantly blushing deeply and
surprised out of all her readiness in reply
»It is impossible that you should not see it all clearly enough you who
see everything«
»I only see that you are behaving very ill Fred in speaking so of Mr
Farebrother after he has pleaded your cause in every way How can you have taken
up such an idea«
Fred was rather deep in spite of his irritation If Mary had really been
unsuspicious there was no good in telling her what Mrs Garth had said
»It follows as a matter of course« he replied »When you are continually
seeing a man who beats me in everything and whom you set up above everybody I
can have no fair chance«
»You are very ungrateful Fred« said Mary »I wish I had never told Mr
Farebrother that I cared for you in the least«
»No I am not ungrateful I should be the happiest fellow in the world if it
were not for this I told your father everything and he was very kind he
treated me as if I were his son I could go at the work with a will writing and
everything if it were not for this«
»For this for what« said Mary imagining now that something specific must
have been said or done
»This dreadful certainty that I shall be bowled out by Farebrother« Mary
was appeased by her inclination to laugh
»Fred« she said peeping round to catch his eyes which were sulkily turned
away from her »you are too delightfully ridiculous If you were not such a
charming simpleton what a temptation this would be to play the wicked coquette
and let you suppose that somebody besides you has made love to me«
»Do you really like me best Mary« said Fred turning eyes full of
affection on her and trying to take her hand
»I dont like you at all at this moment« said Mary retreating and putting
her hands behind her »I only said that no mortal ever made love to me besides
you And that is no argument that a very wise man ever will« she ended
merrily
»I wish you would tell me that you could not possibly ever think of him«
said Fred
»Never dare to mention this any more to me Fred« said Mary getting
serious again »I dont know whether it is more stupid or ungenerous in you not
to see that Mr Farebrother has left us together on purpose that we might speak
freely I am disappointed that you should be so blind to his delicate feeling«
There was no time to say any more before Mr Farebrother came back with the
engraving and Fred had to return to the drawingroom still with a jealous dread
in his heart but yet with comforting arguments from Marys words and manner
The result of the conversation was on the whole more painful to Mary inevitably
her attention had taken a new attitude and she saw the possibility of new
interpretations She was in a position in which she seemed to herself to be
slighting Mr Farebrother and this in relation to a man who is much honoured
is always dangerous to the firmness of a grateful woman To have a reason for
going home the next day was a relief for Mary earnestly desired to be always
clear that she loved Fred best When a tender affection has been storing itself
in us through many of our years the idea that we could accept any exchange for
it seems to be a cheapening of our lives And we can set a watch over our
affections and our constancy as we can over other treasures
»Fred has lost all his other expectations he must keep this« Mary said to
herself with a smile curling her lips It was impossible to help fleeting
visions of another kind new dignities and an acknowledged value of which she
had often felt the absence But these things with Fred outside them Fred
forsaken and looking sad for the want of her could never tempt her deliberate
thought
Chapter LVIII
»For there can live no hatred in thine eye
Therefore in that I cannot know thy change
In manys looks the false hearts history
Is writ in moods and frowns and wrinkles strange
But Heaven in thy creation did decree
That in thy face sweet love should ever dwell
Whateer thy thoughts or thy hearts workings be
Thy looks should nothing thence but sweetness tell«
Shakespeare Sonnets
At the time when Mr Vincy uttered that presentiment about Rosamond she herself
had never had the idea that she should be driven to make the sort of appeal
which he foresaw She had not yet had any anxiety about ways and means although
her domestic life had been expensive as well as eventful Her baby had been born
prematurely and all the embroidered robes and caps had to be laid by in
darkness This misfortune was attributed entirely to her having persisted in
going out on horseback one day when her husband had desired her not to do so
but it must not be supposed that she had shown temper on the occasion or rudely
told him that she would do as she liked
What led her particularly to desire horseexercise was a visit from Captain
Lydgate the baronets third son who I am sorry to say was detested by our
Tertius of that name as a vapid fop »parting his hair from brow to nape in a
despicable fashion« not followed by Tertius himself and showing an ignorant
security that he knew the proper thing to say on every topic Lydgate inwardly
cursed his own folly that he had drawn down this visit by consenting to go to
his uncles on the weddingtour and he made himself rather disagreeable to
Rosamond by saying so in private For to Rosamond this visit was a source of
unprecedented but gracefullyconcealed exultation She was so intensely
conscious of having a cousin who was a baronets son staying in the house that
she imagined the knowledge of what was implied by his presence to be diffused
through all other minds and when she introduced Captain Lydgate to her guests
she had a placid sense that his rank penetrated them as if it had been an odour
The satisfaction was enough for the time to melt away some disappointment in the
conditions of marriage with a medical man even of good birth it seemed now that
her marriage was visibly as well as ideally floating her above the Middlemarch
level and the future looked bright with letters and visits to and from
Quallingham and vague advancement in consequence for Tertius Especially as
probably at the Captains suggestion his married sister Mrs Mengan had come
with her maid and stayed two nights on her way from town Hence it was clearly
worth while for Rosamond to take pains with her music and the careful selection
of her lace
As to Captain Lydgate himself his low brow his aquiline nose bent on one
side and his rather heavy utterance might have been disadvantageous in any
young gentleman who had not a military bearing and mustache to give him what is
doated on by some flowerlike blond heads as »style« He had moreover that
sort of highbreeding which consists in being free from the petty solicitudes of
middleclass gentility and he was a great critic of feminine charms Rosamond
delighted in his admiration now even more than she had done at Quallingham and
he found it easy to spend several hours of the day in flirting with her The
visit altogether was one of the pleasantest larks he had ever had not the less
so perhaps because he suspected that his queer cousin Tertius wished him away
though Lydgate who would rather hyperbolically speaking have died than have
failed in polite hospitality suppressed his dislike and only pretended
generally not to hear what the gallant officer said consigning the task of
answering him to Rosamond For he was not at all a jealous husband and
preferred leaving a featherheaded young gentleman alone with his wife to
bearing him company
»I wish you would talk more to the Captain at dinner Tertius« said
Rosamond one evening when the important guest was gone to Loamford to see some
brother officers stationed there »You really look so absent sometimes you
seem to be seeing through his head into something behind it instead of looking
at him«
»My dear Rosy you dont expect me to talk much to such a conceited ass as
that I hope« said Lydgate brusquely »If he got his head broken I might look
at it with interest not before«
»I cannot conceive why you should speak of your cousin so contemptuously«
said Rosamond her fingers moving at her work while she spoke with a mild
gravity which had a touch of disdain in it
»Ask Ladislaw if he doesnt think your Captain the greatest bore he ever met
with Ladislaw has almost forsaken the house since he came«
Rosamond thought she knew perfectly well why Mr Ladislaw disliked the
Captain he was jealous and she liked his being jealous
»It is impossible to say what will suit eccentric persons« she answered
»but in my opinion Captain Lydgate is a thorough gentleman and I think you
ought not out of respect to Sir Godwin to treat him with neglect«
»No dear but we have had dinners for him And he comes in and goes out as
he likes He doesnt want me«
»Still when he is in the room you might show him more attention He may
not be a phoenix of cleverness in your sense his profession is different but
it would be all the better for you to talk a little on his subjects I think his
conversation is quite agreeable And he is anything but an unprincipled man«
»The fact is you would wish me to be a little more like him Rosy« said
Lydgate in a sort of resigned murmur with a smile which was not exactly
tender and certainly not merry Rosamond was silent and did not smile again
but the lovely curves of her face looked goodtempered enough without smiling
Those words of Lydgates were like a sad milestone marking how far he had
travelled from his old dreamland in which Rosamond Vincy appeared to be that
perfect piece of womanhood who would reverence her husbands mind after the
fashion of an accomplished mermaid using her comb and lookingglass and singing
her song for the relaxation of his adored wisdom alone He had begun to
distinguish between that imagined adoration and the attraction towards a mans
talent because it gives him prestige and is like an order in his buttonhole or
an Honourable before his name
It might have been supposed that Rosamond had travelled too since she had
found the pointless conversation of Mr Ned Plymdale perfectly wearisome but to
most mortals there is a stupidity which is unendurable and a stupidity which is
altogether acceptable else indeed what would become of social bonds Captain
Lydgates stupidity was delicately scented carried itself with »style« talked
with a good accent and was closely related to Sir Godwin Rosamond found it
quite agreeable and caught many of its phrases
Therefore since Rosamond as we know was fond of horseback there were
plenty of reasons why she should be tempted to resume her riding when Captain
Lydgate who had ordered his man with two horses to follow him and put up at the
»Green Dragon« begged her to go out on the grey which he warranted to be gentle
and trained to carry a lady indeed he had bought it for his sister and was
taking it to Quallingham Rosamond went out the first time without telling her
husband and came back before his return but the ride had been so thorough a
success and she declared herself so much the better in consequence that he was
informed of it with full reliance on his consent that she should go riding
again
On the contrary Lydgate was more than hurt he was utterly confounded that
she had risked herself on a strange horse without referring the matter to his
wish After the first almost thundering exclamations of astonishment which
sufficiently warned Rosamond of what was coming he was silent for some moments
»However you have come back safely« he said at last in a decisive tone
»You will not go again Rosy that is understood If it were the quietest most
familiar horse in the world there would always be the chance of accident And
you know very well that I wished you to give up riding the roan on that
account«
»But there is the chance of accident indoors Tertius«
»My darling dont talk nonsense« said Lydgate in an imploring tone
»surely I am the person to judge for you I think it is enough that I say you
are not to go again«
Rosamond was arranging her hair before dinner and the reflection of her
head in the glass showed no change in its loveliness except a little turning
aside of the long neck Lydgate had been moving about with his hands in his
pockets and now paused near her as if he awaited some assurance
»I wish you would fasten up my plaits dear« said Rosamond letting her
arms fall with a little sigh so as to make a husband ashamed of standing there
like a brute Lydgate had often fastened the plaits before being among the
deftest of men with his large finelyformed fingers He swept up the soft
festoons of plaits and fastened in the tall comb to such uses do men come
and what could he do then but kiss the exquisite nape which was shown in all its
delicate curves But when we do what we have done before it is often with a
difference Lydgate was still angry and had not forgotten his point
»I shall tell the Captain that he ought to have known better than offer you
his horse« he said as he moved away
»I beg you will not do anything of the kind Tertius« said Rosamond
looking at him with something more marked than usual in her speech »It will be
treating me as if I were a child Promise that you will leave the subject to
me«
There did seem to be some truth in her objection Lydgate said »Very well«
with a surly obedience and thus the discussion ended with his promising
Rosamond and not with her promising him
In fact she had been determined not to promise Rosamond had that
victorious obstinacy which never wastes its energy in impetuous resistance What
she liked to do was to her the right thing and all her cleverness was directed
to getting the means of doing it She meant to go out riding again on the grey
and she did go on the next opportunity of her husbands absence not intending
that he should know until it was late enough not to signify to her The
temptation was certainly great she was very fond of the exercise and the
gratification of riding on a fine horse with Captain Lydgate Sir Godwins son
on another fine horse by her side and of being met in this position by any one
but her husband was something as good as her dreams before marriage moreover
she was riveting the connection with the family at Quallingham which must be a
wise thing to do
But the gentle grey unprepared for the crash of a tree that was being
felled on the edge of Halsell wood took fright and caused a worse fright to
Rosamond leading finally to the loss of her baby Lydgate could not show his
anger towards her but he was rather bearish to the Captain whose visit
naturally soon came to an end
In all future conversations on the subject Rosamond was mildly certain that
the ride had made no difference and that if she had stayed at home the same
symptoms would have come on and would have ended in the same way because she
had felt something like them before
Lydgate could only say »Poor poor darling« but he secretly wondered
over the terrible tenacity of this mild creature There was gathering within him
an amazed sense of his powerlessness over Rosamond His superior knowledge and
mental force instead of being as he had imagined a shrine to consult on all
occasions was simply set aside on every practical question He had regarded
Rosamonds cleverness as precisely of the receptive kind which became a woman
He was now beginning to find out what that cleverness was what was the shape
into which it had run as into a close network aloof and independent No one
quicker than Rosamond to see causes and effects which lay within the track of
her own tastes and interests she had seen clearly Lydgates preeminence in
Middlemarch society and could go on imaginatively tracing still more agreeable
social effects when his talent should have advanced him but for her his
professional and scientific ambition had no other relation to these desirable
effects than if they had been the fortunate discovery of an illsmelling oil
And that oil apart with which she had nothing to do of course she believed in
her own opinion more than she did in his Lydgate was astounded to find in
numberless trifling matters as well as in this last serious case of the riding
that affection did not make her compliant He had no doubt that the affection
was there and had no presentiment that he had done anything to repel it For
his own part he said to himself that he loved her as tenderly as ever and could
make up his mind to her negations but well Lydgate was much worried and
conscious of new elements in his life as noxious to him as an inlet of mud to a
creature that has been used to breathe and bathe and dart after its illuminated
prey in the clearest of waters
Rosamond was soon looking lovelier than ever at her worktable enjoying
drives in her fathers phaeton and thinking it likely that she might be invited
to Quallingham She knew that she was a much more exquisite ornament to the
drawingroom there than any daughter of the family and in reflecting that the
gentlemen were aware of that did not perhaps sufficiently consider whether the
ladies would be eager to see themselves surpassed
Lydgate relieved from anxiety about her relapsed into what she inwardly
called his moodiness a name which to her covered his thoughtful preoccupation
with other subjects than herself as well as that uneasy look of the brow and
distaste for all ordinary things as if they were mixed with bitter herbs which
really made a sort of weatherglass to his vexation and foreboding These latter
states of mind had one cause amongst others which he had generously but
mistakenly avoided mentioning to Rosamond lest it should affect her health and
spirits Between him and her indeed there was that total missing of each others
mental track which is too evidently possible even between persons who are
continually thinking of each other To Lydgate it seemed that he had been
spending month after month in sacrificing more than half of his best intent and
best power to his tenderness for Rosamond bearing her little claims and
interruptions without impatience and above all bearing without betrayal of
bitterness to look through less and less of interfering illusion at the blank
unreflecting surface her mind presented to his ardour for the more impersonal
ends of his profession and his scientific study an ardour which he had fancied
that the ideal wife must somehow worship as sublime though not in the least
knowing why But his endurance was mingled with a self-discontent which if we
know how to be candid we shall confess to make more than half our bitterness
under grievances wife or husband included It always remains true that if we
had been greater circumstance would have been less strong against us Lydgate
was aware that his concessions to Rosamond were often little more than the lapse
of slackening resolution the creeping paralysis apt to seize an enthusiasm
which is out of adjustment to a constant portion of our lives And on Lydgates
enthusiasm there was constantly pressing not a simple weight of sorrow but the
biting presence of a petty degrading care such as casts the blight of irony
over all higher effort
This was the care which he had hitherto abstained from mentioning to
Rosamond and he believed with some wonder that it had never entered her mind
though certainly no difficulty could be less mysterious It was an inference
with a conspicuous handle to it and had been easily drawn by indifferent
observers that Lydgate was in debt and he could not succeed in keeping out of
his mind for long together that he was every day getting deeper into that swamp
which tempts men towards it with such a pretty covering of flowers and verdure
It is wonderful how soon a man gets up to his chin there in a condition in
which spite of himself he is forced to think chiefly of release though he had
a scheme of the universe in his soul
Eighteen months ago Lydgate was poor but had never known the eager want of
small sums and felt rather a burning contempt for any one who descended a step
in order to gain them He was now experiencing something worse than a simple
deficit he was assailed by the vulgar hateful trials of a man who has bought
and used a great many things which might have been done without and which he is
unable to pay for though the demand for payment has become pressing
How this came about may be easily seen without much arithmetic or knowledge
of prices When a man in setting up a house and preparing for marriage finds
that his furniture and other initial expenses come to between four and five
hundred pounds more than he has capital to pay for when at the end of a year it
appears that his household expenses horses and et cæteras amount to nearly a
thousand while the proceeds of the practice reckoned from the old books to be
worth eight hundred per annum have sunk like a summer pond and make hardly five
hundred chiefly in unpaid entries the plain inference is that whether he minds
it or not he is in debt Those were less expensive times than our own and
provincial life was comparatively modest but the ease with which a medical man
who had lately bought a practice who thought that he was obliged to keep two
horses whose table was supplied without stint and who paid an insurance on his
life and a high rent for house and garden might find his expenses doubling his
receipts can be conceived by any one who does not think these details beneath
his consideration Rosamond accustomed from her childhood to an extravagant
household thought that good housekeeping consisted simply in ordering the best
of everything nothing else »answered« and Lydgate supposed that »if things
were done at all they must be done properly« he did not see how they were to
live otherwise If each head of household expenditure had been mentioned to him
beforehand he would have probably observed that »it could hardly come to much«
and if any one had suggested a saving on a particular article for example, the
substitution of cheap fish for dear it would have appeared to him simply a
pennywise mean notion Rosamond even without such an occasion as Captain
Lydgates visit was fond of giving invitations and Lydgate though he often
thought the guests tiresome did not interfere This sociability seemed a
necessary part of professional prudence and the entertainment must be suitable
It is true Lydgate was constantly visiting the homes of the poor and adjusting
his prescriptions of diet to their small means but dear me has it not by this
time ceased to be remarkable is it not rather what we expect in men that they
should have numerous strands of experience lying side by side and never compare
them with each other Expenditure like ugliness and errors becomes a totally
new thing when we attach our own personality to it and measure it by that wide
difference which is manifest in our own sensations between ourselves and
others Lydgate believed himself to be careless about his dress and he despised
a man who calculated the effects of his costume it seemed to him only a matter
of course that he had abundance of fresh garments such things were naturally
ordered in sheaves It must be remembered that he had never hitherto felt the
check of importunate debt and he walked by habit not by selfcriticism But
the check had come
Its novelty made it the more irritating He was amazed disgusted that
conditions so foreign to all his purposes so hatefully disconnected with the
objects he cared to occupy himself with should have lain in ambush and clutched
him when he was unaware And there was not only the actual debt there was the
certainty that in his present position he must go on deepening it Two
furnishing tradesmen at Brassing whose bills had been incurred before his
marriage and whom uncalculated current expenses had ever since prevented him
from paying had repeatedly sent him unpleasant letters which had forced
themselves on his attention This could hardly have been more galling to any
disposition than to Lydgates with his intense pride his dislike of asking a
favour or being under an obligation to any one He had scorned even to form
conjectures about Mr Vincys intentions on money matters and nothing but
extremity could have induced him to apply to his fatherinlaw even if he had
not been made aware in various indirect ways since his marriage that Mr Vincys
own affairs were not flourishing and that the expectation of help from him
would be resented Some men easily trust in the readiness of friends it had
never in the former part of his life occurred to Lydgate that he should need to
do so he had never thought what borrowing would be to him but now that the
idea had entered his mind he felt that he would rather incur any other
hardship In the mean time he had no money or prospects of money and his
practice was not getting more lucrative
No wonder that Lydgate had been unable to suppress all signs of inward
trouble during the last few months and now that Rosamond was regaining
brilliant health he meditated taking her entirely into confidence on his
difficulties New conversance with tradesmens bills had forced his reasoning
into a new channel of comparison he had begun to consider from a new point of
view what was necessary and unnecessary in goods ordered and to see that there
must be some change of habits How could such a change be made without
Rosamonds concurrence The immediate occasion of opening the disagreeable fact
to her was forced upon him
Having no money and having privately sought advice as to what security
could possibly be given by a man in his position Lydgate had offered the one
good security in his power to the less peremptory creditor who was a
silversmith and jeweller and who consented to take on himself the upholsterers
credit also accepting interest for a given term The security necessary was a
bill of sale on the furniture of his house which might make a creditor easy for
a reasonable time about a debt amounting to less than four hundred pounds and
the silversmith Mr Dover was willing to reduce it by taking back a portion of
the plate and any other article which was as good as new »Any other article«
was a phrase delicately implying jewellery and more particularly some purple
amethysts costing thirty pounds which Lydgate had bought as a bridal present
Opinions may be divided as to his wisdom in making this present some may
think that it was a graceful attention to be expected from a man like Lydgate
and that the fault of any troublesome consequences lay in the pinched narrowness
of provincial life at that time which offered no conveniences for professional
people whose fortune was not proportioned to their tastes also in Lydgates
ridiculous fastidiousness about asking his friends for money
However it had seemed a question of no moment to him on that fine morning
when he went to give a final order for plate in the presence of other jewels
enormously expensive and as an addition to orders of which the amount had not
been exactly calculated thirty pounds for ornaments so exquisitely suited to
Rosamonds neck and arms could hardly appear excessive when there was no ready
cash for it to exceed But at this crisis Lydgates imagination could not help
dwelling on the possibility of letting the amethysts take their place again
among Mr Dovers stock though he shrank from the idea of proposing this to
Rosamond Having been roused to discern consequences which he had never been in
the habit of tracing he was preparing to act on this discernment with some of
the rigour by no means all that he would have applied in pursuing experiment
He was nerving himself to this rigour as he rode from Brassing and meditated on
the representations he must make to Rosamond
It was evening when he got home He was intensely miserable this strong man
of nineandtwenty and of many gifts He was not saying angrily within himself
that he had made a profound mistake but the mistake was at work in him like a
recognised chronic disease mingling its uneasy importunities with every
prospect and enfeebling every thought As he went along the passage to the
drawingroom he heard the piano and singing Of course Ladislaw was there It
was some weeks since Will had parted from Dorothea yet he was still at the old
post in Middlemarch Lydgate had no objection in general to Ladislaws coming
but just now he was annoyed that he could not find his hearth free When he
opened the door the two singers went on towards the keynote raising their eyes
and looking at him indeed but not regarding his entrance as an interruption To
a man galled with his harness as poor Lydgate was it is not soothing to see two
people warbling at him as he comes in with the sense that the painful day has
still pains in store His face already paler than usual took on a scowl as he
walked across the room and flung himself into a chair
The singers feeling themselves excused by the fact that they had had only
three bars to sing now turned round
»How are you Lydgate« said Will coming forward to shake hands
Lydgate took his hand but did not think it necessary to speak
»Have you dined Tertius I expected you much earlier« said Rosamond who
had already seen that her husband was in a »horrible humour« She seated herself
in her usual place as she spoke
»I have dined I should like some tea please« said Lydgate curtly still
scowling and looking markedly at his legs stretched out before him
Will was too quick to need more »I shall be off« he said reaching his
hat
»Tea is coming« said Rosamond »pray dont go«
»Yes Lydgate is bored« said Will who had more comprehension of Lydgate
than Rosamond had and was not offended by his manner easily imagining outdoor
causes of annoyance
»There is the more need for you to stay« said Rosamond playfully and in
her lightest accent »he will not speak to me all the evening«
»Yes Rosamond I shall« said Lydgate in his strong baritone »I have some
serious business to speak to you about«
No introduction of the business could have been less like that which Lydgate
had intended but her indifferent manner had been too provoking
»There you see« said Will »Im going to the meeting about the Mechanics
Institute Goodbye« and he went quickly out of the room
Rosamond did not look at her husband but presently rose and took her place
before the teatray She was thinking that she had never seen him so
disagreeable Lydgate turned his dark eyes on her and watched her as she
delicately handled the teaservice with her taper fingers and looked at the
objects immediately before her with no curve in her face disturbed and yet with
an ineffable protest in her air against all people with unpleasant manners For
the moment he lost the sense of his wound in a sudden speculation about this new
form of feminine impassibility revealing itself in the sylphlike frame which he
had once interpreted as the sign of a ready intelligent sensitiveness His mind
glancing back to Laure while he looked at Rosamond he said inwardly »Would she
kill me because I wearied her« and then »It is the way with all women« But
this power of generalising which gives men so much the superiority in mistake
over the dumb animals was immediately thwarted by Lydgates memory of wondering
impressions from the behaviour of another woman from Dorotheas looks and
tones of emotion about her husband when Lydgate began to attend him from her
passionate cry to be taught what would best comfort that man for whose sake it
seemed as if she must quell every impulse in her except the yearnings of
faithfulness and compassion These revived impressions succeeded each other
quickly and dreamily in Lydgates mind while the tea was being brewed He had
shut his eyes in the last instant of reverie while he heard Dorothea saying
»Advise me think what I can do he has been all his life labouring and
looking forward He minds about nothing else and I mind about nothing else«
That voice of deepsouled womanhood had remained within him as the
enkindling conceptions of dead and sceptred genius had remained within him is
there not a genius for feeling nobly which also reigns over human spirits and
their conclusions the tones were a music from which he was falling away he
had really fallen into a momentary doze when Rosamond said in her silvery
neutral way »Here is your tea Tertius« setting it on the small table by his
side and then moved back to her place without looking at him Lydgate was too
hasty in attributing insensibility to her after her own fashion she was
sensitive enough and took lasting impressions Her impression now was one of
offence and repulsion But then Rosamond had no scowls and had never raised her
voice she was quite sure that no one could justly find fault with her
Perhaps Lydgate and she had never felt so far off each other before but
there were strong reasons for not deferring his revelation even if he had not
already begun it by that abrupt announcement indeed some of the angry desire to
rouse her into more sensibility on his account which had prompted him to speak
prematurely still mingled with his pain in the prospect of her pain But he
waited till the tray was gone the candles were lit and the evening quiet might
be counted on the interval had left time for repelled tenderness to return into
the old course He spoke kindly
»Dear Rosy lay down your work and come to sit by me« he said gently
pushing away the table and stretching out his arm to draw a chair near his own
Rosamond obeyed As she came towards him in her drapery of transparent
faintlytinted muslin her slim yet round figure never looked more graceful as
she sat down by him and laid one hand on the elbow of his chair at last looking
at him and meeting his eyes her delicate neck and cheek and purelycut lips
never had more of that untarnished beauty which touches us in springtime and
infancy and all sweet freshness It touched Lydgate now and mingled the early
moments of his love for her with all the other memories which were stirred in
this crisis of deep trouble He laid his ample hand softly on hers saying
»Dear« with the lingering utterance which affection gives to the word
Rosamond too was still under the power of that same past and her husband was
still in part the Lydgate whose approval had stirred delight She put his hair
lightly away from his forehead then laid her other hand on his and was
conscious of forgiving him
»I am obliged to tell you what will hurt you Rosy But there are things
which husband and wife must think of together I daresay it has occurred to you
already that I am short of money«
Lydgate paused but Rosamond turned her neck and looked at a vase on the
mantelpiece
»I was not able to pay for all the things we had to get before we were
married and there have been expenses since which I have been obliged to meet
The consequence is there is a large debt at Brassing three hundred and eighty
pounds which has been pressing on me a good while and in fact we are getting
deeper every day for people dont pay me the faster because others want the
money I took pains to keep it from you while you were not well but now we must
think together about it and you must help me«
»What can I do Tertius« said Rosamond turning her eyes on him again That
little speech of four words like so many others in all languages is capable by
varied vocal inflexions of expressing all states of mind from helpless dimness
to exhaustive argumentative perception from the completest selfdevoting
fellowship to the most neutral aloofness Rosamonds thin utterance threw into
the words »What can I do« as much neutrality as they could hold They fell like
a mortal chill on Lydgates roused tenderness He did not storm in indignation
he felt too sad a sinking of the heart And when he spoke again it was more in
the tone of a man who forces himself to fulfil a task
»It is necessary for you to know because I have to give security for a
time and a man must come to make an inventory of the furniture«
Rosamond coloured deeply »Have you not asked papa for money« she said as
soon as she could speak
»No«
»Then I must ask him« she said releasing her hands from Lydgates and
rising to stand at two yards distance from him
»No Rosy« said Lydgate decisively »It is too late to do that The
inventory will be begun tomorrow Remember it is a mere security it will make
no difference it is a temporary affair I insist upon it that your father shall
not know unless I choose to tell him« added Lydgate with a more peremptory
emphasis
This certainly was unkind but Rosamond had thrown him back on evil
expectation as to what she would do in the way of quiet steady disobedience The
unkindness seemed unpardonable to her she was not given to weeping and disliked
it but now her chin and lips began to tremble and the tears welled up Perhaps
it was not possible for Lydgate under the double stress of outward material
difficulty and of his own proud resistance to humiliating consequences to
imagine fully what this sudden trial was to a young creature who had known
nothing but indulgence and whose dreams had all been of new indulgence more
exactly to her taste But he did wish to spare her as much as he could and her
tears cut him to the heart He could not speak again immediately but Rosamond
did not go on sobbing she tried to conquer her agitation and wiped away her
tears continuing to look before her at the mantelpiece
»Try not to grieve darling« said Lydgate turning his eyes up towards her
That she had chosen to move away from him in this moment of her trouble made
everything harder to say but he must absolutely go on »We must brace ourselves
to do what is necessary It is I who have been in fault I ought to have seen
that I could not afford to live in this way But many things have told against
me in my practice and it really just now has ebbed to a low point I may
recover it but in the mean time we must pull up we must change our way of
living We shall weather it When I have given this security I shall have time
to look about me and you are so clever that if you turn your mind to managing
you will school me into carefulness I have been a thoughtless rascal about
squaring prices but come dear sit down and forgive me«
Lydgate was bowing his neck under the yoke like a creature who had talons
but who had Reason too which often reduces us to meekness When he had spoken
the last words in an imploring tone Rosamond returned to the chair by his side
His selfblame gave her some hope that he would attend to her opinion and she
said
»Why can you not put off having the inventory made You can send the men
away tomorrow when they come«
»I shall not send them away« said Lydgate the peremptoriness rising again
Was it of any use to explain
»If we left Middlemarch there would of course be a sale and that would do
as well«
»But we are not going to leave Middlemarch«
»I am sure Tertius it would be much better to do so Why can we not go to
London Or near Durham where your family is known«
»We can go nowhere without money Rosamond«
»Your friends would not wish you to be without money And surely these
odious tradesmen might be made to understand that and to wait if you would
make proper representations to them«
»This is idle Rosamond« said Lydgate angrily »You must learn to take my
judgment on questions you dont understand I have made necessary arrangements
and they must be carried out As to friends I have no expectations whatever
from them and shall not ask them for anything«
Rosamond sat perfectly still The thought in her mind was that if she had
known how Lydgate would behave she would never have married him
»We have no time to waste now on unnecessary words dear« said Lydgate
trying to be gentle again »There are some details that I want to consider with
you Dover says he will take a good deal of the plate back again and any of the
jewellery we like He really behaves very well«
»Are we to go without spoons and forks then« said Rosamond whose very lips
seemed to get thinner with the thinness of her utterance She was determined to
make no further resistance or suggestions
»Oh no dear« said Lydgate »But look here« he continued drawing a paper
from his pocket and opening it »here is Dovers account See I have marked a
number of articles which if we returned them would reduce the amount by thirty
pounds and more I have not marked any of the jewellery« Lydgate had really
felt this point of the jewellery very bitter to himself but he had overcome the
feeling by severe argument He could not propose to Rosamond that she should
return any particular present of his but he had told himself that he was bound
to put Dovers offer before her and her inward prompting might make the affair
easy
»It is useless for me to look Tertius« said Rosamond calmly »you will
return what you please« She would not turn her eyes on the paper and Lydgate
flushing up to the roots of his hair drew it back and let it fall on his knee
Meanwhile Rosamond quietly went out of the room leaving Lydgate helpless and
wondering Was she not coming back It seemed that she had no more identified
herself with him than if they had been creatures of different species and
opposing interests He tossed his head and thrust his hands deep into his
pockets with a sort of vengeance There was still science there were still
good objects to work for He must give a tug still all the stronger because
other satisfactions were going
But the door opened and Rosamond reentered She carried the leather box
containing the amethysts and a tiny ornamental basket which contained other
boxes and laying them on the chair where she had been sitting she said with
perfect propriety in her air
»This is all the jewellery you ever gave me You can return what you like of
it and of the plate also You will not of course expect me to stay at home
tomorrow I shall go to papas«
To many women the look Lydgate cast at her would have been more terrible
than one of anger it had in it a despairing acceptance of the distance she was
placing between them
»And when shall you come back again« he said with a bitter edge on his
accent
»Oh in the evening Of course I shall not mention the subject to mamma«
Rosamond was convinced that no woman could behave more irreproachably than she
was behaving and she went to sit down at her worktable Lydgate sat meditating
a minute or two and the result was that he said with some of the old emotion
in his tone
»Now we have been united Rosy you should not leave me to myself in the
first trouble that has come«
»Certainly not« said Rosamond »I shall do everything it becomes me to do«
»It is not right that the thing should be left to servants or that I should
have to speak to them about it And I shall be obliged to go out I dont know
how early I understand your shrinking from the humiliation of these money
affairs But my dear Rosamond as a question of pride which I feel just as
much as you can it is surely better to manage the thing ourselves and let the
servants see as little of it as possible and since you are my wife there is no
hindering your share in my disgraces if there were disgraces«
Rosamond did not answer immediately but at last she said »Very well I
will stay at home«
»I shall not touch these jewels Rosy Take them away again But I will
write out a list of plate that we may return and that can be packed up and sent
at once«
»The servants will know that« said Rosamond with the slightest touch of
sarcasm
»Well we must meet some disagreeables as necessities Where is the ink I
wonder« said Lydgate rising and throwing the account on the larger table
where he meant to write
Rosamond went to reach the inkstand and after setting it on the table was
going to turn away when Lydgate who was standing close by put his arm round
her and drew her towards him saying
»Come darling let us make the best of things It will only be for a time
I hope that we shall have to be stingy and particular Kiss me«
His native warmheartedness took a great deal of quenching and it is a part
of manliness for a husband to feel keenly the fact that an inexperienced girl
has got into trouble by marrying him She received his kiss and returned it
faintly and in this way an appearance of accord was recovered for the time But
Lydgate could not help looking forward with dread to the inevitable future
discussions about expenditure and the necessity for a complete change in their
way of living
Chapter LIX
They said of old the Soul had human shape
But smaller subtler than the fleshly self
So wandered forth for airing when it pleased
And see beside her cherubface there floats
A palelipped form aerial whispering
Its promptings in that little shell her ear
News is often dispersed as thoughtlessly and effectively as that pollen which
the bees carry off having no idea how powdery they are when they are buzzing
in search of their particular nectar This fine comparison has reference to Fred
Vincy who on that evening at Lowick Parsonage heard a lively discussion among
the ladies on the news which their old servant had got from Tantripp concerning
Mr Casaubons strange mention of Mr Ladislaw in a codicil to his will made not
long before his death Miss Winifred was astounded to find that her brother had
known the fact before and observed that Camden was the most wonderful man for
knowing things and not telling them whereupon Mary Garth said that the codicil
had perhaps got mixed up with the habits of spiders which Miss Winifred never
would listen to Mrs Farebrother considered that the news had something to do
with their having only once seen Mr Ladislaw at Lowick and Miss Noble made
many small compassionate mewings
Fred knew little and cared less about Ladislaw and the Casaubons and his
mind never recurred to that discussion till one day calling on Rosamond at his
mothers request to deliver a message as he passed he happened to see Ladislaw
going away Fred and Rosamond had little to say to each other now that marriage
had removed her from collision with the unpleasantness of brothers and
especially now that he had taken what she held the stupid and even reprehensible
step of giving up the Church to take to such a business as Mr Garths Hence
Fred talked by preference of what he considered indifferent news and Ȉ propos
of that young Ladislaw« mentioned what he had heard at Lowick Parsonage
Now Lydgate like Mr Farebrother knew a great deal more than he told and
when he had once been set thinking about the relation between Will and Dorothea
his conjectures had gone beyond the fact He imagined that there was a
passionate attachment on both sides and this struck him as much too serious to
gossip about He remembered Wills irritability when he had mentioned Mrs
Casaubon and was the more circumspect On the whole his surmises in addition
to what he knew of the fact increased his friendliness and tolerance towards
Ladislaw and made him understand the vacillation which kept him at Middlemarch
after he had said that he should go away It was significant of the separateness
between Lydgates mind and Rosamonds that he had no impulse to speak to her on
the subject indeed he did not quite trust her reticence towards Will And he
was right there though he had no vision of the way in which her mind would act
in urging her to speak
When she repeated Freds news to Lydgate he said »Take care you dont drop
the faintest hint to Ladislaw Rosy He is likely to fly out as if you insulted
him Of course it is a painful affair«
Rosamond turned her neck and patted her hair looking the image of placid
indifference But the next time Will came when Lydgate was away she spoke
archly about his not going to London as he had threatened
»I know all about it I have a confidential little bird« said she showing
very pretty airs of her head over the bit of work held high between her active
fingers »There is a powerful magnet in this neighbourhood«
»To be sure there is Nobody knows that better than you« said Will with
light gallantry but inwardly prepared to be angry
»It is really the most charming romance Mr Casaubon jealous and
foreseeing that there was no one else whom Mrs Casaubon would so much like to
marry and no one who would so much like to marry her as a certain gentleman
and then laying a plan to spoil all by making her forfeit her property if she
did marry that gentleman and then and then and then oh I have no doubt
the end will be thoroughly romantic«
»Great God what do you mean« said Will flushing over face and ears his
features seeming to change as if he had had a violent shake »Dont joke tell
me what you mean«
»You dont really know« said Rosamond no longer playful and desiring
nothing better than to tell in order that she might evoke effects
»No« he returned impatiently
»Dont know that Mr Casaubon has left it in his will that if Mrs Casaubon
marries you she is to forfeit all her property«
»How do you know that it is true« said Will eagerly
»My brother Fred heard it from the Farebrothers«
Will started up from his chair and reached his hat
»I dare say she likes you better than the property« said Rosamond looking
at him from a distance
»Pray dont say any more about it« said Will in a hoarse undertone
extremely unlike his usual light voice »It is a foul insult to her and to me«
Then he sat down absently looking before him but seeing nothing
»Now you are angry with me« said Rosamond »It is too bad to bear me
malice You ought to be obliged to me for telling you«
»So I am« said Will abruptly speaking with that kind of double soul which
belongs to dreamers who answer questions
»I expect to hear of the marriage« said Rosamond playfully
»Never You will never hear of the marriage«
With those words uttered impetuously Will rose put out his hand to
Rosamond still with the air of a somnambulist and went away
When he was gone Rosamond left her chair and walked to the other end of the
room leaning when she got there against a chiffonnière and looking out of the
window wearily She was oppressed by ennui and by that dissatisfaction which in
womens minds is continually turning into a trivial jealousy referring to no
real claims springing from no deeper passion than the vague exactingness of
egoism and yet capable of impelling action as well as speech »There really is
nothing to care for much« said poor Rosamond inwardly thinking of the family
at Quallingham who did not write to her and that perhaps Tertius when he came
home would tease her about expenses She had already secretly disobeyed him by
asking her father to help them and he had ended decisively by saying »I am
more likely to want help myself«
Chapter LX
»Good phrases are surely and ever were very commendable«
Justice Shallow
A few days afterwards it was already the end of August there was an occasion
which caused some excitement in Middlemarch the public if it chose was to
have the advantage of buying under the distinguished auspices of Mr Borthrop
Trumbull the furniture books and pictures which anybody might see by the
handbills to be the best in every kind belonging to Edwin Larcher Esq This
was not one of the sales indicating the depression of trade on the contrary it
was due to Mr Larchers great success in the carrying business which warranted
his purchase of a mansion near Riverston already furnished in high style by an
illustrious Spa physician furnished indeed with such large framefuls of
expensive fleshpainting in the diningroom that Mrs Larcher was nervous until
reassured by finding the subjects to be Scriptural Hence the fine opportunity
to purchasers which was well pointed out in the handbills of Mr Borthrop
Trumbull whose acquaintance with the history of art enabled him to state that
the hall furniture to be sold without reserve comprised a piece of carving by
a contemporary of Gibbons
At Middlemarch in those times a large sale was regarded as a kind of
festival There was a table spread with the best cold eatables as at a superior
funeral and facilities were offered for that generous drinking of cheerful
glasses which might lead to generous and cheerful bidding for undesirable
articles Mr Larchers sale was the more attractive in the fine weather because
the house stood just at the end of the town with a garden and stables attached
in that pleasant issue from Middlemarch called the London Road which was also
the road to the New Hospital and to Mr Bulstrodes retired residence known as
the Shrubs In short the auction was as good as a fair and drew all classes
with leisure at command to some who risked making bids in order simply to
raise prices it was almost equal to betting at the races The second day when
the best furniture was to be sold »everybody« was there even Mr Thesiger the
rector of St Peters had looked in for a short time wishing to buy the carved
table and had rubbed elbows with Mr Bambridge and Mr Horrock There was a
wreath of Middlemarch ladies accommodated with seats round the large table in
the diningroom where Mr Borthrop Trumbull was mounted with desk and hammer
but the rows chiefly of masculine faces behind were often varied by incomings
and outgoings both from the door and the large bowwindow opening on to the
lawn
»Everybody« that day did not include Mr Bulstrode whose health could not
well endure crowds and draughts But Mrs Bulstrode had particularly wished to
have a certain picture a Supper at Emmaus attributed in the catalogue to
Guido and at the last moment before the day of the sale Mr Bulstrode had
called at the office of the Pioneer of which he was now one of the proprietors
to beg of Mr Ladislaw as a great favour that he would obligingly use his
remarkable knowledge of pictures on behalf of Mrs Bulstrode and judge of the
value of this particular painting »if« added the scrupulously polite banker
»attendance at the sale would not interfere with the arrangements for your
departure which I know is imminent«
This proviso might have sounded rather satirically in Wills ear if he had
been in a mood to care about such satire It referred to an understanding
entered into many weeks before with the proprietors of the paper that he should
be at liberty any day he pleased to hand over the management to the subeditor
whom he had been training since he wished finally to quit Middlemarch But
indefinite visions of ambition are weak against the ease of doing what is
habitual or beguilingly agreeable and we all know the difficulty of carrying
out a resolve when we secretly long that it may turn out to be unnecessary In
such states of mind the most incredulous person has a private leaning towards
miracle impossible to conceive how our wish could be fulfilled still very
wonderful things have happened Will did not confess this weakness to himself
but he lingered What was the use of going to London at that time of the year
The Rugby men who would remember him were not there and so far as political
writing was concerned he would rather for a few weeks go on with the Pioneer
At the present moment however when Mr Bulstrode was speaking to him he had
both a strengthened resolve to go and an equally strong resolve not to go till
he had once more seen Dorothea Hence he replied that he had reasons for
deferring his departure a little and would be happy to go to the sale
Will was in a defiant mood his consciousness being deeply stung with the
thought that the people who looked at him probably knew a fact tantamount to an
accusation against him as a fellow with low designs which were to be frustrated
by a disposal of property Like most people who assert their freedom with regard
to conventional distinction he was prepared to be sudden and quick at quarrel
with any one who might hint that he had personal reasons for that assertion
that there was anything in his blood his bearing or his character to which he
gave the mask of an opinion When he was under an irritating impression of this
kind he would go about for days with a defiant look the colour changing in his
transparent skin as if he were on the qui vive watching for something which he
had to dart upon
This expression was peculiarly noticeable in him at the sale and those who
had only seen him in his moods of gentle oddity or of bright enjoyment would
have been struck with a contrast He was not sorry to have this occasion for
appearing in public before the Middlemarch tribes of Toller Hackbutt and the
rest who looked down on him as an adventurer and were in a state of brutal
ignorance about Dante who sneered at his Polish blood and were themselves of
a breed very much in need of crossing He stood in a conspicuous place not far
from the auctioneer with a forefinger in each sidepocket and his head thrown
backward not caring to speak to anybody though he had been cordially welcomed
as a connoissure by Mr Trumbull who was enjoying the utmost activity of his
great faculties
And surely among all men whose vocation requires them to exhibit their
powers of speech the happiest is a prosperous provincial auctioneer keenly
alive to his own jokes and sensible of his encyclopædic knowledge Some
saturnine sourblooded persons might object to be constantly insisting on the
merits of all articles from bootjacks to »Berghems« but Mr Borthrop Trumbull
had a kindly liquid in his veins he was an admirer by nature and would have
liked to have the universe under his hammer feeling that it would go at a
higher figure for his recommendation
Meanwhile Mrs Larchers drawingroom furniture was enough for him When
Will Ladislaw had come in a second fender said to have been forgotten in its
right place suddenly claimed the auctioneers enthusiasm which he distributed
on the equitable principle of praising those things most which were most in need
of praise The fender was of polished steel with much lancetshaped openwork
and a sharp edge
»Now ladies« said he »I shall appeal to you Here is a fender which at
any other sale would hardly be offered without reserve being as I may say for
quality of steel and quaintness of design a kind of thing« here Mr Trumbull
dropped his voice and became slightly nasal trimming his outlines with his left
finger »that might not fall in with ordinary tastes Allow me to tell you that
byandby this style of workmanship will be the only one in vogue
halfacrown you said thank you going at halfacrown this characteristic
fender and I have particular information that the antique style is very much
sought after in high quarters Three shillings threeandsixpence hold it
well up Joseph Look ladies at the chastity of the design I have no doubt
myself that it was turned out in the last century Four shillings Mr Mawmsey
four shillings«
»Its not a thing I would put in my drawingroom« said Mrs Mawmsey
audibly for the warning of the rash husband »I wonder at Mrs Larcher Every
blessed childs head that fell against it would be cut in two The edge is like
a knife«
»Quite true« rejoined Mr Trumbull quickly »and most uncommonly useful to
have a fender at hand that will cut if you have a leather shoetie or a bit of
string that wants cutting and no knife at hand many a man has been left hanging
because there was no knife to cut him down Gentlemen heres a fender that if
you had the misfortune to hang yourselves would cut you down in no time with
astonishing celerity fourandsixpence five fiveandsixpence an
appropriate thing for a spare bedroom where there was a fourposter and a guest
a little out of his mind six shillings thank you Mr Clintup going at six
shillings going gone« The auctioneers glance which had been searching
round him with a preternatural susceptibility to all signs of bidding here
dropped on the paper before him and his voice too dropped into a tone of
indifferent despatch as he said »Mr Clintup Be handy Joseph«
»It was worth six shillings to have a fender you could always tell that joke
on« said Mr Clintup laughing low and apologetically to his next neighbour He
was a diffident though distinguished nurseryman and feared that the audience
might regard his bid as a foolish one
Meanwhile Joseph had brought a trayful of small articles »Now ladies«
said Mr Trumbull taking up one of the articles »this tray contains a very
recherchy lot a collection of trifles for the drawingroom table and trifles
make the sum of human things nothing more important than trifles yes Mr
Ladislaw yes byandby but pass the tray round Joseph these bijoux must
be examined ladies This I have in my hand is an ingenious contrivance a sort
of practical rebus I may call it here you see it looks like an elegant
heartshaped box portable for the pocket there again it becomes like a
splendid double flower an ornament for the table and now« Mr Trumbull
allowed the flower to fall alarmingly into strings of heartshaped leaves »a
book of riddles No less than five hundred printed in a beautiful red
Gentlemen if I had less of a conscience I should not wish you to bid high for
this lot I have a longing for it myself What can promote innocent mirth and
I may say virtue more than a good riddle it hinders profane language and
attaches a man to the society of refined females This ingenious article itself
without the elegant dominobox cardbasket etc ought alone to give a high
price to the lot Carried in the pocket it might make an individual welcome in
any society Four shillings sir four shillings for this remarkable
collection of riddles with the et cæteras Here is a sample How must you spell
honey to make it catch ladybirds Answer money You hear ladybirds
honey money This is an amusement to sharpen the intellect it has a sting
it has what we call satire and wit without indecency Fourandsixpence five
shillings«
The bidding ran on with warming rivalry Mr Bowyer was a bidder and this
was too exasperating Bowyer couldnt afford it and only wanted to hinder every
other man from making a figure The current carried even Mr Horrock with it
but this committal of himself to an opinion fell from him with so little
sacrifice of his neutral expression that the bid might not have been detected
as his but for the friendly oaths of Mr Bambridge who wanted to know what
Horrock would do with blasted stuff only fit for haberdashers given over to that
state of perdition which the horsedealer so cordially recognised in the
majority of earthly existences The lot was finally knocked down at a guinea to
Mr Spilkins a young Slender of the neighbourhood who was reckless with his
pocket money and felt his want of memory for riddles
»Come Trumbull this is too bad youve been putting some old maids
rubbish into the sale« murmured Mr Toller getting close to the auctioneer »I
want to see how the prints go and I must be off soon«
»Immediately Mr Toller It was only an act of benevolence which your noble
heart would approve Joseph quick with the prints Lot 235 Now gentlemen
you who are connoissures you are going to have a treat Here is an engraving of
the Duke of Wellington surrounded by his staff on the Field of Waterloo and
notwithstanding recent events which have, as it were enveloped our great Hero
in a cloud I will be bold to say for a man in my line must not be blown about
by political winds that a finer subject of the modern order belonging to
our own time and epoch the understanding of man could hardly conceive angels
might perhaps but not men sirs not men«
»Who painted it« said Mr Powderell much impressed
»It is a proof before the letter Mr Powderell the painter is not known«
answered Trumbull with a certain gaspingness in his last words after which he
pursed up his lips and stared round him
»Ill bid a pound« said Mr Powderell in a tone of resolved emotion as of
a man ready to put himself in the breach Whether from awe or pity nobody
raised the price on him
Next came two Dutch prints which Mr Toller had been eager for and after he
had secured them he went away Other prints and afterwards some paintings were
sold to leading Middlemarchers who had come with a special desire for them and
there was a more active movement of the audience in and out some who had
bought what they wanted going away others coming in either quite newly or from
a temporary visit to the refreshments which were spread under the marquee on the
lawn It was this marquee that Mr Bambridge was bent on buying and he appeared
to like looking inside it frequently as a foretaste of its possession On the
last occasion of his return from it he was observed to bring with him a new
companion a stranger to Mr Trumbull and every one else whose appearance
however led to the supposition that he might be a relative of the
horsedealers also »given to indulgence« His large whiskers imposing
swagger and swing of the leg made him a striking figure but his suit of
black rather shabby at the edges caused the prejudicial inference that he was
not able to afford himself as much indulgence as he liked
»Who is it youve picked up Bam« said Mr Horrock aside
»Ask him yourself« returned Mr Bambridge »He said hed just turned in
from the road«
Mr Horrock eyed the stranger who was leaning back against his stick with
one hand using his toothpick with the other and looking about him with a
certain restlessness apparently under the silence imposed on him by
circumstances
At length the Supper at Emmaus was brought forward to Wills immense
relief for he was getting so tired of the proceedings that he had drawn back a
little and leaned his shoulder against the wall just behind the auctioneer He
now came forward again and his eye caught the conspicuous stranger who rather
to his surprise was staring at him markedly But Will was immediately appealed
to by Mr Trumbull
»Yes Mr Ladislaw yes this interests you as a connoissure I think It is
some pleasure« the auctioneer went on with a rising fervour »to have a picture
like this to show to a company of ladies and gentlemen a picture worth any sum
to an individual whose means were on a level with his judgment It is a painting
of the Italian school by the celebrated Guydo the greatest painter in the
world the chief of the Old Masters as they are called I take it because
they were up to a thing or two beyond most of us in possession of secrets now
lost to the bulk of mankind Let me tell you gentlemen I have seen a great
many pictures by the Old Masters and they are not all up to this mark some of
them are darker than you might like and not family subjects But here is a
Guydo the frame alone is worth pounds which any lady might be proud to hang
up a suitable thing for what we call a refectory in a charitable institution
if any gentleman of the Corporation wished to show his munificence Turn it a
little sir yes Joseph turn it a little towards Mr Ladislaw Mr Ladislaw
having been abroad understands the merit of these things you observe«
All eyes were for a moment turned towards Will who said coolly »Five
pounds« The auctioneer burst out in deep remonstrance
»Ah Mr Ladislaw the frame alone is worth that Ladies and gentlemen for
the credit of the town Suppose it should be discovered hereafter that a gem of
art has been amongst us in this town and nobody in Middlemarch awake to it
Five guineas five sevensix five ten Still ladies still It is a gem and
Full many a gem as the poet says has been allowed to go at a nominal price
because the public knew no better because it was offered in circles where there
was I was going to say a low feeling but no Six pounds six guineas a
Guydo of the first order going at six guineas it is an insult to religion
ladies it touches us all as Christians gentlemen that a subject like this
should go at such a low figure six pounds ten seven «
The bidding was brisk and Will continued to share in it remembering that
Mrs Bulstrode had a strong wish for the picture and thinking that he might
stretch the price to twelve pounds But it was knocked down to him at ten
guineas whereupon he pushed his way towards the bowwindow and went out He
chose to go under the marquee to get a glass of water being hot and thirsty it
was empty of other visitors and he asked the woman in attendance to fetch him
some fresh water but before she was well gone he was annoyed to see entering
the florid stranger who had stared at him It struck Will at this moment that
the man might be one of those political parasitic insects of the bloated kind
who had once or twice claimed acquaintance with him as having heard him speak on
the Reform question and who might think of getting a shilling by news In this
light his person already rather heating to behold on a summers day appeared
the more disagreeable and Will halfseated on the elbow of a gardenchair
turned his eyes carefully away from the comer But this signified little to our
acquaintance Mr Raffles who never hesitated to thrust himself on unwilling
observation if it suited his purpose to do so He moved a step or two till he
was in front of Will and said with fullmouthed haste »Excuse me Mr Ladislaw
was your mothers name Sarah Dunkirk«
Will starting to his feet moved backward a step frowning and saying with
some fierceness »Yes sir it was And what is that to you«
It was in Wills nature that the first spark it threw out was a direct
answer of the question and a challenge of the consequences To have said »What
is that to you« in the first instance, would have seemed like shuffling as if
he minded who knew anything about his origin
Raffles on his side had not the same eagerness for a collision which was
implied in Ladislaws threatening air The slim young fellow with his girls
complexion looked like a tigercat ready to spring on him Under such
circumstances Mr Raffless pleasure in annoying his company was kept in
abeyance
»No offence my good sir no offence I only remember your mother knew her
when she was a girl But it is your father that you feature sir I had the
pleasure of seeing your father too Parents alive Mr Ladislaw«
»No« thundered Will in the same attitude as before
»Should be glad to do you a service Mr Ladislaw by Jove I should Hope
to meet again«
Hereupon Raffles who had lifted his hat with the last words turned himself
round with a swing of his leg and walked away Will looked after him a moment
and could see that he did not reenter the auctionroom but appeared to be
walking towards the road For an instant he thought that he had been foolish not
to let the man go on talking but no on the whole he preferred doing without
knowledge from that source
Later in the evening however Raffles overtook him in the street and
appearing either to have forgotten the roughness of his former reception or to
intend avenging it by a forgiving familiarity greeted him jovially and walked
by his side remarking at first on the pleasantness of the town and
neighbourhood Will suspected that the man had been drinking and was considering
how to shake him off when Raffles said
»Ive been abroad myself Mr Ladislaw Ive seen the world used to
parleyvous a little It was at Boulogne I saw your father a most uncommon
likeness you are of him by Jove mouth nose eyes hair turned off your
brow just like his a little in the foreign style John Bull doesnt do much of
that But your father was very ill when I saw him Lord lord hands you might
see through You were a small youngster then Did he get well«
»No« said Will curtly
»Ah Well Ive often wondered what became of your mother She ran away from
her friends when she was a young lass a proudspirited lass and pretty by
Jove I knew the reason why she ran away« said Raffles winking slowly as he
looked sideways at Will
»You know nothing dishonourable of her sir« said Will turning on him
rather savagely But Mr Raffles just now was not sensitive to shades of manner
»Not a bit« said he tossing his head decisively »She was a little too
honourable to like her friends that was it« Here Raffles again winked slowly
»Lord bless you I knew all about em a little in what you may call the
respectable thieving line the high style of receivinghouse none of your
holes and corners firstrate Slapup shop high profits and no mistake But
Lord Sarah would have known nothing about it a dashing young lady she was
fine boardingschool fit for a lords wife only Archie Duncan threw it at
her out of spite because she would have nothing to do with him And so she ran
away from the whole concern I travelled for em sir in a gentlemanly way at
a high salary They didnt mind her running away at first godly folks sir
very godly and she was for the stage The son was alive then and the daughter
was at a discount Hallo here we are at the Blue Bull What do you say Mr
Ladislaw shall we turn in and have a glass«
»No I must say good evening« said Will dashing up a passage which led
into Lowick Gate and almost running to get out of Raffless reach
He walked a long while on the Lowick Road away from the town glad of the
starlit darkness when it came He felt as if he had had dirt cast on him amidst
shouts of scorn There was this to confirm the fellows statement that his
mother never would tell him the reason why she had run away from her family
Well what was he Will Ladislaw the worse supposing the truth about that
family to be the ugliest His mother had braved hardship in order to separate
herself from it But if Dorotheas friends had known this story if the
Chettams had known it they would have had a fine colour to give their
suspicions a welcome ground for thinking him unfit to come near her However
let them suspect what they pleased they would find themselves in the wrong
They would find out that the blood in his veins was as free from the taint of
meanness as theirs
Chapter LXI
»Inconsistencies answered Imlac cannot both be right but imputed
to man they may both be true«
Rasselas
The same night when Mr Bulstrode returned from a journey to Brassing on
business his good wife met him in the entrancehall and drew him into his
private sittingroom
»Nicholas« she said fixing her honest eyes upon him anxiously »there has
been such a disagreeable man here asking for you it has made me quite
uncomfortable
What kind of man my dear« said Mr Bulstrode dreadfully certain of the
answer
A redfaced man with large whiskers and most impudent in his manner He
declared he was an old friend of yours and said you would be sorry not to see
him He wanted to wait for you here but I told him he could see you at the Bank
tomorrow morning Most impudent he was stared at me and said his friend
Nick had luck in wives I dont believe he would have gone away if Blucher had
not happened to break his chain and come running round on the gravel for I was
in the garden so I said Youd better go away the dog is very fierce and I
cant hold him Do you really know anything of such a man«
»I believe I know who he is my dear« said Mr Bulstrode in his usual
subdued voice »an unfortunate dissolute wretch whom I helped too much in days
gone by However I presume you will not be troubled by him again He will
probably come to the Bank to beg doubtless«
No more was said on the subject until the next day when Mr Bulstrode had
returned from the town and was dressing for dinner His wife not sure that he
was come home looked into his dressingroom and saw him with his coat and
cravat off leaning one arm on a chest of drawers and staring absently at the
ground He started nervously and looked up as she entered
»You look very ill Nicholas Is there anything the matter«
»I have a good deal of pain in my head« said Mr Bulstrode who was so
frequently ailing that his wife was always ready to believe in this cause of
depression
»Sit down and let me sponge it with vinegar«
Physically Mr Bulstrode did not want the vinegar but morally the
affectionate attention soothed him Though always polite it was his habit to
receive such services with marital coolness as his wifes duty But today
while she was bending over him he said »You are very good Harriet« in a tone
which had something new in it to her ear she did not know exactly what the
novelty was but her womans solicitude shaped itself into a darting thought
that he might be going to have an illness
»Has anything worried you« she said »Did that man come to you at the
Bank«
»Yes it was as I had supposed He is a man who at one time might have done
better But he has sunk into a drunken debauched creature«
»Is he quite gone away« said Mrs Bulstrode anxiously but for certain
reasons she refrained from adding »It was very disagreeable to hear him calling
himself a friend of yours« At that moment she would not have liked to say
anything which implied her habitual consciousness that her husbands earlier
connections were not quite on a level with her own Not that she knew much about
them That her husband had at first been employed in a bank that he had
afterwards entered into what he called city business and gained a fortune before
he was threeandthirty that he had married a widow who was much older than
himself a Dissenter and in other ways probably of that disadvantageous
quality usually perceptible in a first wife if inquired into with the
dispassionate judgment of a second was almost as much as she had cared to
learn beyond the glimpses which Mr Bulstrodes narrative occasionally gave of
his early bent towards religion his inclination to be a preacher and his
association with missionary and philanthropic efforts She believed in him as an
excellent man whose piety carried a peculiar eminence in belonging to a layman
whose influence had turned her own mind towards seriousness and whose share of
perishable good had been the means of raising her own position But she also
liked to think that it was well in every sense for Mr Bulstrode to have won the
hand of Harriet Vincy whose family was undeniable in a Middlemarch light a
better light surely than any thrown in London thoroughfares or dissenting
chapelyards The unreformed provincial mind distrusted London and while true
religion was everywhere saving honest Mrs Bulstrode was convinced that to be
saved in the Church was more respectable She so much wished to ignore towards
others that her husband had ever been a London Dissenter that she liked to keep
it out of sight even in talking to him He was quite aware of this indeed in
some respects he was rather afraid of this ingenuous wife whose imitative piety
and native worldliness were equally sincere who had nothing to be ashamed of
and whom he had married out of a thorough inclination still subsisting But his
fears were such as belong to a man who cares to maintain his recognised
supremacy the loss of high consideration from his wife as from every one else
who did not clearly hate him out of enmity to the truth would be as the
beginning of death to him When she said
»Is he quite gone away«
»Oh I trust so« he answered with an effort to throw as much sober
unconcern into his tone as possible
But in truth Mr Bulstrode was very far from a state of quiet trust In the
interview at the Bank Raffles had made it evident that his eagerness to torment
was almost as strong in him as any other greed He had frankly said that he had
turned out of the way to come to Middlemarch just to look about him and see
whether the neighbourhood would suit him to live in He had certainly had a few
debts to pay more than he expected but the two hundred pounds were not gone
yet a cool fiveandtwenty would suffice him to go away with for the present
What he had wanted chiefly was to see his friend Nick and family and know all
about the prosperity of a man to whom he was so much attached Byandby he
might come back for a longer stay This time Raffles declined to be »seen off
the premises« as he expressed it declined to quit Middlemarch under
Bulstrodes eyes He meant to go by coach the next day if he chose
Bulstrode felt himself helpless Neither threats nor coaxing could avail he
could not count on any persistent fear nor on any promise On the contrary he
felt a cold certainty at his heart that Raffles unless providence sent death
to hinder him would come back to Middlemarch before long And that certainty
was a terror
It was not that he was in danger of legal punishment or of beggary he was
in danger only of seeing disclosed to the judgment of his neighbours and the
mournful perception of his wife certain facts of his past life which would
render him an object of scorn and an opprobrium of the religion with which he
had diligently associated himself The terror of being judged sharpens the
memory it sends an inevitable glare over that longunvisited past winch has
been habitually recalled only in general phrases Even without memory the life
is bound into one by a zone of dependence in growth and decay but intense
memory forces a man to own his blameworthy past With memory set smarting like a
reopened wound a mans past is not simply a dead history an outworn
preparation of the present it is not a repented error shaken loose from the
life it is a still quivering part of himself bringing shudders and bitter
flavours and the tinglings of a merited shame
Into this second life Bulstrodes past had now risen only the pleasures of
it seeming to have lost their quality Night and day without interruption save
of brief sleep which only wove retrospect and fear into a fantastic present he
felt the scenes of his earlier life coming between him and everything else as
obstinately as when we look through the window from a lighted room the objects
we turn our backs on are still before us instead of the grass and the trees
The successive events inward and outward were there in one view though each
might be dwelt on in turn the rest still kept their hold in the consciousness
Once more he saw himself the young bankers clerk with an agreeable person
as clever in figures as he was fluent in speech and fond of theological
definition an eminent though young member of a Calvinistic dissenting church at
Highbury having had striking experience in conviction of sin and sense of
pardon Again he heard himself called for as Brother Bulstrode in prayer
meetings speaking on religious platforms preaching in private houses Again he
felt himself thinking of the ministry as possibly his vocation and inclined
towards missionary labour That was the happiest time of his life that was the
spot he would have chosen now to awake in and find the rest a dream The people
among whom Brother Bulstrode was distinguished were very few but they were very
near to him and stirred his satisfaction the more his power stretched through
a narrow space but he felt its effect the more intensely He believed without
effort in the peculiar work of grace within him and in the signs that God
intended him for special instrumentality
Then came the moment of transition it was with the sense of promotion he
had when he an orphan educated at a commercial charityschool was invited to a
fine villa belonging to Mr Dunkirk the richest man in the congregation Soon
he became an intimate there honoured for his piety by the wife marked out for
his ability by the husband whose wealth was due to a flourishing city and
westend trade That was the settingin of a new current for his ambition
directing his prospects of »instrumentality« towards the uniting of
distinguished religious gifts with successful business
Byandby came a decided external leading a confidential subordinate
partner died and nobody seemed to the principal so well fitted to fill the
severelyfelt vacancy as his young friend Bulstrode if he would become
confidential accountant The offer was accepted The business was a
pawnbrokers of the most magnificent sort both in extent and profits and on a
short acquaintance with it Bulstrode became aware that one source of magnificent
profit was the easy reception of any goods offered without strict inquiry as to
where they came from But there was a branch house at the west end and no
pettiness or dinginess to give suggestions of shame
He remembered his first moments of shrinking They were private and were
filled with arguments some of these taking the form of prayer The business was
established and had old roots is it not one thing to set up a new ginpalace
and another to accept an investment in an old one The profits made out of lost
souls where can the line be drawn at which they begin in human transactions
Was it not even Gods way of saving His chosen »Thou knowest« the young
Bulstrode had said then as the older Bulstrode was saying now »Thou knowest
how loose my soul sits from these things how I view them all as implements for
tilling Thy garden rescued here and there from the wilderness«
Metaphors and precedents were not wanting peculiar spiritual experiences
were not wanting which at last made the retention of his position seem a service
demanded of him the vista of a fortune had already opened itself, and
Bulstrodes shrinking remained private Mr Dunkirk had never expected that
there would be any shrinking at all he had never conceived that trade had
anything to do with the scheme of salvation And it was true that Bulstrode
found himself carrying on two distinct lives his religious activity could not
be incompatible with his business as soon as he had argued himself into not
feeling it incompatible
Mentally surrounded with that past again Bulstrode had the same pleas
indeed the years had been perpetually spinning them into intricate thickness
like masses of spiderweb padding the moral sensibility nay as age made
egoism more eager but less enjoying his soul had become more saturated with the
belief that he did everything for Gods sake being indifferent to it for his
own And yet if he could be back in that faroff spot with his youthful
poverty why then he would choose to be a missionary
But the train of causes in which he had locked himself went on There was
trouble in the fine villa at Highbury Years before the only daughter had run
away defied her parents and gone on the stage and now the only boy died and
after a short time Mr Dunkirk died also The wife a simple pious woman left
with all the wealth in and out of the magnificent trade of which she never knew
the precise nature had come to believe in Bulstrode and innocently adore him
as women often adore their priest or »manmade« minister It was natural that
after a time marriage should have been thought of between them But Mrs Dunkirk
had qualms and yearnings about her daughter who had long been regarded as lost
both to God and her parents It was known that the daughter had married but she
was utterly gone out of sight The mother having lost her boy imagined a
grandson and wished is a double sense to reclaim her daughter If she were
found there would be a channel for property perhaps a wide one in the
provision for several grandchildren Efforts to find her must be made before
Mrs Dunkirk would marry again Bulstrode concurred but after advertisement as
well as other modes of inquiry had been tried the mother believed that her
daughter was not to be found and consented to marry without reservation of
property
The daughter had been found but only one man besides Bulstrode knew it and
he was paid for keeping silence and carrying himself away
That was the bare fact which Bulstrode was now forced to see in the rigid
outline with which acts present themselves to onlookers But for himself at that
distant time and even now in burning memory the fact was broken into little
sequences each justified as it came by reasonings which seemed to prove it
righteous Bulstrodes course up to that time had he thought been sanctioned
by remarkable providences appearing to point the way for him to be the agent in
making the best use of a large property and withdrawing it from perversion
Death and other striking dispositions such as feminine trustfulness had come
and Bulstrode would have adopted Cromwells words »Do you call these bare
events The Lord pity you« The events were comparatively small but the
essential condition was there namely that they were in favour of his own
ends It was easy for him to settle what was due from him to others by inquiring
what were Gods intentions with regard to himself Could it be for Gods service
that this fortune should in any considerable proportion go to a young woman and
her husband who were given up to the lightest pursuits and might scatter it
abroad in triviality people who seemed to lie outside the path of remarkable
providences Bulstrode had never said to himself beforehand »The daughter shall
not be found« nevertheless when the moment came he kept her existence hidden
and when other moments followed he soothed the mother with consolation in the
probability that the unhappy young woman might be no more
There were hours in which Bulstrode felt that his action was unrighteous
but how could he go back He had mental exercises called himself nought laid
hold on redemption and went on in his course of instrumentality And after five
years Death again came to widen his path by taking away his wife He did
gradually withdraw his capital but he did not make the sacrifices requisite to
put an end to the business which was carried on for thirteen years afterwards
before it finally collapsed Meanwhile Nicholas Bulstrode had used his hundred
thousand discreetly and was become provincially solidly important a banker
a Churchman a public benefactor also a sleeping partner in trading concerns
in which his ability was directed to economy in the raw material as in the case
of the dyes which rotted Mr Vincys silk And now when this respectability had
lasted undisturbed for nearly thirty years when all that preceded it had long
lain benumbed in the consciousness that past had risen and immersed his
thought as if with the terrible irruption of a new sense overburthening the
feeble being
Meanwhile in his conversation with Raffles he had learned something
momentous something which entered actively into the struggle of his longings
and terrors There he thought lay an opening towards spiritual perhaps
towards material rescue
The spiritual kind of rescue was a genuine need with him There may be
coarse hypocrites who consciously affect beliefs and emotions for the sake of
gulling the world but Bulstrode was not one of them He was simply a man whose
desires had been stronger than his theoretic beliefs and who had gradually
explained the gratification of his desires into satisfactory agreement with
those beliefs If this be hypocrisy it is a process which shows itself
occasionally in us all to whatever confession we belong and whether we believe
in the future perfection of our race or in the nearest date fixed for the end of
the world whether we regard the earth as a putrefying nidus for a saved
remnant including ourselves or have a passionate belief in the solidarity of
mankind
The service he could do to the cause of religion had been through life the
ground he alleged to himself for his choice of action it had been the motive
which he had poured out in his prayers Who would use money and position better
than he meant to use them Who could surpass him in selfabhorrence and
exaltation of Gods cause And to Mr Bulstrode Gods cause was something
distinct from his own rectitude of conduct it enforced a discrimination of
Gods enemies who were to be used merely as instruments and whom it would be
as well if possible to keep out of money and consequent influence Also
profitable investments in trades where the power of the prince of this world
showed its most active devices became sanctified by a right application of the
profits in the hands of Gods servant
This implicit reasoning is essentially no more peculiar to evangelical
belief than the use of wide phrases for narrow motives is peculiar to
Englishmen There is no general doctrine which is not capable of eating out our
morality if unchecked by the deepseated habit of direct fellowfeeling with
individual fellowmen
But a man who believes in something else than his own greed has necessarily
a conscience or standard to which he more or less adapts himself Bulstrodes
standard had been his serviceableness to Gods cause »I am sinful and nought
a vessel to be consecrated by use but use me« had been the mould into which
he had constrained his immense need of being something important and
predominating And now had come a moment in which that mould seemed in danger of
being broken and utterly cast away
What if the acts he had reconciled himself to because they made him a
stronger instrument of the divine glory were to become the pretext of the
scoffer and a darkening of that glory If this were to be the ruling of
Providence he was cast out from the temple as one who had brought unclean
offerings
He had long poured out utterances of repentance But today a repentance had
come which was of a bitterer flavour and a threatening Providence urged him to
a kind of propitiation which was not simply a doctrinal transaction The divine
tribunal had changed its aspect for him selfprostration was no longer enough
and he must bring restitution in his hand It was really before his God that
Bulstrode was about to attempt such restitution as seemed possible a great
dread had seized his susceptible frame and the scorching approach of shame
wrought in him a new spiritual need Night and day while the resurgent
threatening past was making a conscience within him he was thinking by what
means he could recover peace and trust by what sacrifice he could stay the
rod His belief in these moments of dread was that if he spontaneously did
something right God would save him from the consequences of wrongdoing For
religion can only change when the emotions which fill it are changed and the
religion of personal fear remains nearly at the level of the savage
He had seen Raffles actually going away on the Brassing coach and this was
a temporary relief it removed the pressure of an immediate dread but did not
put an end to the spiritual conflict and the need to win protection At last he
came to a difficult resolve and wrote a letter to Will Ladislaw begging him to
be at the Shrubs that evening for a private interview at nine oclock Will had
felt no particular surprise at the request and connected it with some new
notions about the Pioneer but when he was shown into Mr Bulstrodes private
room he was struck with the painfully worn look on the bankers face and was
going to say »Are you ill« when checking himself in that abruptness he only
inquired after Mrs Bulstrode and her satisfaction with the picture bought for
her
»Thank you she is quite satisfied she has gone out with her daughters this
evening I begged you to come Mr Ladislaw because I have a communication of a
very private indeed I will say of a sacredly confidential nature which I
desire to make to you Nothing I daresay has been farther from your thoughts
than that there had been important ties in the past which could connect your
history with mine«
Will felt something like an electric shock He was already in a state of
keen sensitiveness and hardly allayed agitation on the subject of ties in the
past and his presentiments were not agreeable It seemed like the fluctuations
of a dream as if the action begun by that loud bloated stranger were being
carried on by this paleeyed sicklylooking piece of respectability whose
subdued tone and glib formality of speech were at this moment almost as
repulsive to him as their remembered contrast He answered with a marked change
of colour
»No indeed nothing«
»You see before you Mr Ladislaw a man who is deeply stricken But for the
urgency of conscience and the knowledge that I am before the bar of One who
seeth not as man seeth I should be under no compulsion to make the disclosure
which has been my object in asking you to come here tonight So far as human
laws go you have no claim on me whatever«
Will was even more uncomfortable than wondering Mr Bulstrode had paused
leaning his head on his hand and looking at the floor But he now fixed his
examining glance on Will and said
»I am told that your mothers name was Sarah Dunkirk and that she ran away
from her friends to go on the stage Also that your father was at one time much
emaciated by illness May I ask if you can confirm these statements«
»Yes they are all true« said Will struck with the order in which an
inquiry had come that might have been expected to be preliminary to the
bankers previous hints But Mr Bulstrode had tonight followed the order of
his emotions he entertained no doubt that the opportunity for restitution had
come and he had an overpowering impulse towards the penitential expression by
which he was deprecating chastisement
»Do you know any particulars of your mothers family« he continued
»No she never liked to speak of them She was a very generous honourable
woman« said Will almost angrily
»I do not wish to allege anything against her Did she never mention her
mother to you at all«
»I have heard her say that she thought her mother did not know the reason of
her running away She said poor mother in a pitying tone«
»That mother became my wife« said Bulstrode and then paused a moment
before he added »you have a claim on me Mr Ladislaw as I said before not a
legal claim but one which my conscience recognises I was enriched by that
marriage a result which would probably not have taken place certainly not to
the same extent if your grandmother could have discovered her daughter That
daughter I gather is no longer living«
»No« said Will feeling suspicion and repugnance rising so strongly within
him that without quite knowing what he did he took his hat from the floor and
stood up The impulse within him was to reject the disclosed connection
»Pray be seated Mr Ladislaw« said Bulstrode anxiously »Doubtless you
are startled by the suddenness of this discovery But I entreat your patience
with one who is already bowed down by inward trial«
Will reseated himself feeling some pity which was half contempt for this
voluntary selfabasement of an elderly man
»It is my wish Mr Ladislaw to make amends for the deprivation which
befell your mother I know that you are without fortune and I wish to supply
you adequately from a store which would have probably already been yours had
your grandmother been certain of your mothers existence and been able to find
her«
Mr Bulstrode paused He felt that he was performing a striking piece of
scrupulosity in the judgment of his auditor and a penitential act in the eyes
of God He had no clue to the state of Will Ladislaws mind smarting as it was
from the clear hints of Raffles and with its natural quickness in construction
stimulated by the expectation of discoveries which he would have been glad to
conjure back into darkness Will made no answer for several moments till Mr
Bulstrode who at the end of his speech had cast his eyes on the floor now
raised them with an examining glance which Will met fully saying
»I suppose you did know of my mothers existence, and knew where she might
have been found«
Bulstrode shrank there was a visible quivering in his face and hands He
was totally unprepared to have his advances met in this way or to find himself
urged into more revelation than he had beforehand set down as needful But at
that moment he dared not tell a lie and he felt suddenly uncertain of his
ground which he had trodden with some confidence before
»I will not deny that you conjecture rightly« he answered with a faltering
in his tone »And I wish to make atonement to you as the one still remaining who
has suffered a loss through me You enter I trust into my purpose Mr
Ladislaw which has a reference to higher than merely human claims and as I
have already said is entirely independent of any legal compulsion I am ready
to narrow my own resources and the prospects of my family by binding myself to
allow you five hundred pounds yearly during my life and to leave you a
proportional capital at my death nay to do still more if more should be
definitely necessary to any laudable project on your part« Mr Bulstrode had
gone on to particulars in the expectation that these would work strongly on
Ladislaw and merge other feelings in grateful acceptance
But Will was looking as stubborn as possible with his lip pouting and his
fingers in his sidepockets He was not in the least touched and said firmly
»Before I make any reply to your proposition Mr Bulstrode I must beg you
to answer a question or two Were you connected with the business by which that
fortune you speak of was originally made«
Mr Bulstrodes thought was »Raffles has told him« How could he refuse to
answer when he had volunteered what drew forth the question He answered »Yes«
»And was that business or was it not a thoroughly dishonourable one
nay one that if its nature had been made public might have ranked those
concerned in it with thieves and convicts«
Wills tone had a cutting bitterness he was moved to put his question as
nakedly as he could
Bulstrode reddened with irrepressible anger He had been prepared for a
scene of self-abasement but his intense pride and his habit of supremacy
overpowered penitence and even dread when this young man whom he had meant to
benefit turned on him with the air of a judge
»The business was established before I became connected with it sir nor is
it for you to institute an inquiry of that kind« he answered not raising his
voice but speaking with quick defiantness
»Yes it is« said Will starting up again with his hat in his hand »It is
eminently mine to ask such questions when I have to decide whether I will have
transactions with you and accept your money My unblemished honour is important
to me It is important to me to have no stain on my birth and connections And
now I find there is a stain which I cant help My mother felt it and tried to
keep as clear of it as she could and so will I You shall keep your illgotten
money If I had any fortune of my own I would willingly pay it to any one who
could disprove what you have told me What I have to thank you for is that you
kept the money till now when I can refuse it It ought to lie with a mans self
that he is a gentleman Goodnight sir«
Bulstrode was going to speak but Will with determined quickness was out of
the room in an instant and in another the halldoor had closed behind him He
was too strongly possessed with passionate rebellion against this inherited blot
which had been thrust on his knowledge to reflect at present whether he had not
been too hard on Bulstrode too arrogantly merciless towards a man of sixty
who was making efforts at retrieval when time had rendered them vain
No third person listening could have thoroughly understood the impetuosity
of Wills repulse or the bitterness of his words No one but himself then knew
how everything connected with the sentiment of his own dignity had an immediate
bearing for him on his relation to Dorothea and to Mr Casaubons treatment of
him And in the rush of impulses by which he flung back that offer of
Bulstrodes there was mingled the sense that it would have been impossible for
him ever to tell Dorothea that he had accepted it
As for Bulstrode when Will was gone he suffered a violent reaction and
wept like a woman It was the first time he had encountered an open expression
of scorn from any man higher than Raffles and with that scorn hurrying like
venom through his system there was no sensibility left to consolations But the
relief of weeping had to be checked His wife and daughters soon came home from
hearing the address of an Oriental missionary and were full of regret that papa
had not heard in the first instance, the interesting things which they tried to
repeat to him
Perhaps through all other hidden thoughts the one that breathed most
comfort was that Will Ladislaw at least was not likely to publish what had
taken place that evening
Chapter LXII
»He was a squyer of lowe degre
That loved the kings daughter of Hungrie«
Old Romance
Will Ladislaws mind was now wholly bent on seeing Dorothea again and forthwith
quitting Middlemarch The morning after his agitating scene with Bulstrode he
wrote a brief letter to her saying that various causes had detained him in the
neighbourhood longer than he had expected and asking her permission to call
again at Lowick at some hour which she would mention on the earliest possible
day he being anxious to depart but unwilling to do so until she had granted
him an interview He left the letter at the office ordering the messenger to
carry it to Lowick Manor and wait for an answer
Ladislaw felt the awkwardness of asking for more last words His former
farewell had been made in the hearing of Sir James Chettam and had been
announced as final even to the butler It is certainly trying to a mans dignity
to reappear when he is not expected to do so a first farewell has pathos in it
but to come back for a second lends an opening to comedy and it was possible
even that there might be bitter sneers afloat about Wills motives for
lingering Still it was on the whole more satisfactory to his feeling to take
the directest means of seeing Dorothea than to use any device which might give
an air of chance to a meeting of which he wished her to understand that it was
what he earnestly sought When he had parted from her before he had been in
ignorance of facts which gave a new aspect to the relation between them and
made a more absolute severance than he had then believed in He knew nothing of
Dorotheas private fortune and being little used to reflect on such matters
took it for granted that according to Mr Casaubons arrangement marriage to
him Will Ladislaw would mean that she consented to be penniless That was not
what he could wish for even in his secret heart or even if she had been ready
to meet such hard contrast for his sake And then too there was the fresh
smart of that disclosure about his mothers family which if known would be an
added reason why Dorotheas friends should look down upon him as utterly below
her The secret hope that after some years he might come back with the sense
that he had at least a personal value equal to her wealth seemed now the dreamy
continuation of a dream This change would surely justify him in asking Dorothea
to receive him once more
But Dorothea on that morning was not at home to receive Wills note In
consequence of a letter from her uncle announcing his intention to be at home in
a week she had driven first to Freshitt to carry the news meaning to go on to
the Grange to deliver some orders with which her uncle had intrusted her
thinking as he said »a little mental occupation of this sort good for a
widow«
If Will Ladislaw could have overheard some of the talk at Freshitt that
morning he would have felt all his suppositions confirmed as to the readiness
of certain people to sneer at his lingering in the neighbourhood Sir James
indeed though much relieved concerning Dorothea had been on the watch to learn
Ladislaws movements and had an instructed informant in Mr Standish who was
necessarily in his confidence on this matter That Ladislaw had stayed in
Middlemarch nearly two months after he had declared that he was going
immediately was a fact to embitter Sir Jamess suspicions or at least to
justify his aversion to a »young fellow« whom he represented to himself as
slight volatile and likely enough to show such recklessness as naturally went
along with a position unriveted by family ties or a strict profession But he
had just heard something from Standish which while it justified these surmises
about Will offered a means of nullifying all danger with regard to Dorothea
Unwonted circumstances may make us all rather unlike ourselves there are
conditions under which the most majestic person is obliged to sneeze and our
emotions are liable to be acted on in the same incongruous manner Good Sir
James was this morning so far unlike himself that he was irritably anxious to
say something to Dorothea on a subject which he usually avoided as if it had
been a matter of shame to them both He could not use Celia as a medium because
he did not choose that she should know the kind of gossip he had in his mind
and before Dorothea happened to arrive he had been trying to imagine how with
his shyness and unready tongue he could ever manage to introduce his
communication Her unexpected presence brought him to utter hopelessness in his
own power of saying anything unpleasant but desperation suggested a resource
he sent the groom on an unsaddled horse across the park with a pencilled note to
Mrs Cadwallader who already knew the gossip and would think it no compromise
of herself to repeat it as often as required
Dorothea was detained on the good pretext that Mr Garth whom she wanted to
see was expected at the hall within the hour and she was still talking to
Caleb on the gravel when Sir James on the watch for the rectors wife saw her
coming and met her with the needful hints
»Enough I understand« said Mrs Cadwallader »You shall be innocent I am
such a blackamoor that I cannot smirch myself«
»I dont mean that its of any consequence« said Sir James disliking that
Mrs Cadwallader should understand too much »Only it is desirable that Dorothea
should know there are reasons why she should not receive him again and I really
cant say so to her It will come lightly from you«
It came very lightly indeed When Dorothea quitted Caleb and turned to meet
them it appeared that Mrs Cadwallader had stepped across the park by the
merest chance in the world just to chat with Celia in a matronly way about the
baby And so Mr Brooke was coming back Delightful coming back it was to be
hoped quite cured of Parliamentary fever and pioneering Apropos of the Pioneer
somebody had prophesied that it would soon be like a dying dolphin and turn
all colours for want of knowing how to help itself because Mr Brookes
protégé the brilliant young Ladislaw was gone or going Had Sir James heard
that
The three were walking along the gravel slowly and Sir James turning aside
to whip a shrub said he had heard something of that sort
»All false« said Mrs Cadwallader »He is not gone or going apparently
the Pioneer keeps its colour and Mr Orlando Ladislaw is making a sad darkblue
scandal by warbling continually with your Mr Lydgates wife who they tell me
is as pretty as pretty can be It seems nobody ever goes into the house without
finding this young gentleman lying on the rug or warbling at the piano But the
people in manufacturing towns are always disreputable«
»You began by saying that one report was false Mrs Cadwallader and I
believe this is false too« said Dorothea with indignant energy »at least I
feel sure it is a misrepresentation I will not hear any evil spoken of Mr
Ladislaw he has already suffered too much injustice«
Dorothea when thoroughly moved cared little what any one thought of her
feelings and even if she had been able to reflect she would have held it petty
to keep silence at injurious words about Will from fear of being herself
misunderstood Her face was flushed and her lip trembled
Sir James glancing at her repented of his stratagem but Mrs Cadwallader
equal to all occasions spread the palms of her hands outward and said »Heaven
grant it my dear I mean that all bad tales about anybody may be false But
it is a pity that young Lydgate should have married one of these Middlemarch
girls Considering hes a son of somebody he might have got a woman with good
blood in her veins and not too young who would have put up with his
profession Theres Clara Harfager for instance whose friends dont know what
to do with her and she has a portion Then we might have had her among us
However its no use being wise for other people Where is Celia Pray let us
go in«
»I am going on immediately to Tipton« said Dorothea rather haughtily
»Goodbye«
Sir James could say nothing as he accompanied her to the carriage He was
altogether discontented with the result of a contrivance which had cost him some
secret humiliation beforehand
Dorothea drove along between the berried hedgerows and the shorn
cornfields not seeing or hearing anything around The tears came and rolled
down her cheeks but she did not know it The world it seemed was turning ugly
and hateful and there was no place for her trustfulness »It is not true it
is not true« was the voice within her that she listened to but all the while a
remembrance to which there had always clung a vague uneasiness would thrust
itself on her attention the remembrance of that day when she had found Will
Ladislaw with Mrs Lydgate and had heard his voice accompanied by the piano
»He said he would never do anything that I disapproved I wish I could have
told him that I disapproved of that« said poor Dorothea inwardly feeling a
strange alternation between anger with Will and the passionate defence of him
»They all try to blacken him before me but I will care for no pain if he is
not to blame I always believed he was good« These were her last thoughts
before she felt that the carriage was passing under the archway of the
lodgegate at the Grange when she hurriedly pressed her handkerchief to her
face and began to think of her errands The coachman begged leave to take out
the horses for half an hour as there was something wrong with a shoe and
Dorothea having the sense that she was going to rest took off her gloves and
bonnet while she was leaning against a statue in the entrancehall and talking
to the housekeeper At last she said
»I must stay here a little Mrs Kell I will go into the library and write
you some memoranda from my uncles letter if you will open the shutters for
me«
»The shutters are open madam« said Mrs Kell following Dorothea who had
walked along as she spoke »Mr Ladislaw is there looking for something«
Will had come to fetch a portfolio of his own sketches which he had missed
in the act of packing his movables and did not choose to leave behind
Dorotheas heart seemed to turn over as if it had had a blow but she was
not perceptibly checked in truth the sense that Will was there was for the
moment allsatisfying to her like the sight of something precious that one has
lost When she reached the door she said to Mrs Kell
»Go in first and tell him that I am here«
Will had found his portfolio and had laid it on the table at the far end of
the room to turn over the sketches and please himself by looking at the
memorable piece of art which had a relation to nature too mysterious for
Dorothea He was smiling at it still and shaking the sketches into order with
the thought that he might find a letter from her awaiting him at Middlemarch
when Mrs Kell close to his elbow said
»Mrs Casaubon is coming in sir«
Will turned round quickly and the next moment Dorothea was entering As
Mrs Kell closed the door behind her they met each was looking at the other
and consciousness was overflowed by something that suppressed utterance It was
not confusion that kept them silent for they both felt that parting was near
and there is no shamefacedness in a sad parting
She moved automatically towards her uncles chair against the writingtable
and Will after drawing it out a little for her went a few paces off and stood
opposite to her
»Pray sit down« said Dorothea crossing her hands on her lap »I am very
glad you were here« Will thought that her face looked just as it did when she
first shook hands with him in Rome for her widows cap fixed in her bonnet
had gone off with it and he could see that she had lately been shedding tears
But the mixture of anger in her agitation had vanished at the sight of him she
had been used when they were face to face always to feel confidence and the
happy freedom which comes with mutual understanding and how could other
peoples words hinder that effect on a sudden Let the music which can take
possession of our frame and fill the air with joy for us sound once more
what does it signify that we heard it found fault with in its absence
»I have sent a letter to Lowick Manor today asking leave to see you« said
Will seating himself opposite to her »I am going away immediately and I could
not go without speaking to you again«
»I thought we had parted when you came to Lowick many weeks ago you
thought you were going then« said Dorothea her voice trembling a little
»Yes but I was in ignorance then of things which I know now things which
have altered my feelings about the future When I saw you before I was dreaming
that I might come back some day I dont think I ever shall now« Will paused
here
»You wished me to know the reasons« said Dorothea timidly
»Yes« said Will impetuously shaking his head backward and looking away
from her with irritation in his face »Of course I must wish it I have been
grossly insulted in your eyes and in the eyes of others There has been a mean
implication against my character I wish you to know that under no circumstances
would I have lowered myself by under no circumstances would I have given men
the chance of saying that I sought money under the pretext of seeking
something else There was no need of other safeguard against me the safeguard
of wealth was enough«
Will rose from his chair with the last word and went he hardly knew where
but it was to the projecting window nearest him which had been open as now
about the same season a year ago when he and Dorothea had stood within it and
talked together Her whole heart was going out at this moment in sympathy with
Wills indignation she only wanted to convince him that she had never done him
injustice and he seemed to have turned away from her as if she too had been
part of the unfriendly world
»It would be very unkind of you to suppose that I ever attributed any
meanness to you« she began Then in her ardent way wanting to plead with him
she moved from her chair and went in front of him to her old place in the
window saying »Do you suppose that I ever disbelieved in you«
When Will saw her there he gave a start and moved backward out of the
window without meeting her glance Dorothea was hurt by this movement following
up the previous anger of his tone She was ready to say that it was as hard on
her as on him and that she was helpless but those strange particulars of their
relation which neither of them could explicitly mention kept her always in dread
of saying too much At this moment she had no belief that Will would in any case
have wanted to marry her and she feared using words which might imply such a
belief She only said earnestly recurring to his last word
»I am sure no safeguard was ever needed against you«
Will did not answer In the stormy fluctuation of his feelings these words
of hers seemed to him cruelly neutral and he looked pale and miserable after
his angry outburst He went to the table and fastened up his portfolio while
Dorothea looked at him from the distance They were wasting these last moments
together in wretched silence What could he say since what had got obstinately
uppermost in his mind was the passionate love for her which he forbade himself
to utter What could she say since she might offer him no help since she was
forced to keep the money that ought to have been his since today he seemed
not to respond as he used to do to her thorough trust and liking
But Will at last turned away from his portfolio and approached the window
again
»I must go« he said with that peculiar look of the eyes which sometimes
accompanies bitter feeling as if they had been tired and burned with gazing too
close at a light
»What shall you do in life« said Dorothea timidly »Have your intentions
remained just the same as when we said goodbye before«
»Yes« said Will in a tone that seemed to waive the subject as
uninteresting »I shall work away at the first thing that offers I suppose one
gets a habit of doing without happiness or hope«
»Oh what sad words« said Dorothea with a dangerous tendency to sob Then
trying to smile she added »We used to agree that we were alike in speaking too
strongly«
»I have not spoken too strongly now« said Will leaning back against the
angle of the wall »There are certain things which a man can only go through
once in his life and he must know some time or other that the best is over with
him This experience has happened to me while I am very young that is all
What I care more for than I can ever care for anything else is absolutely
forbidden to me I dont mean merely by being out of my reach but forbidden
me even if it were within my reach by my own pride and honour by everything
I respect myself for Of course I shall go on living as a man might do who had
seen heaven in a trance«
Will paused imagining that it would be impossible for Dorothea to
misunderstand this indeed he felt that he was contradicting himself and
offending against his selfapproval in speaking to her so plainly but still
it could not be fairly called wooing a woman to tell her that he would never woo
her It must be admitted to be a ghostly kind of wooing
But Dorotheas mind was rapidly going over the past with quite another
vision than his The thought that she herself might be what Will most cared for
did throb through her an instant but then came doubt the memory of the little
they had lived through together turned pale and shrank before the memory which
suggested how much fuller might have been the intercourse between Will and some
one else with whom he had had constant companionship Everything he had said
might refer to that other relation and whatever had passed between him and
herself was thoroughly explained by what she had always regarded as their simple
friendship and the cruel obstruction thrust upon it by her husbands injurious
act Dorothea stood silent with her eyes cast down dreamily while images
crowded upon her which left the sickening certainty that Will was referring to
Mrs Lydgate But why sickening He wanted her to know that here too his conduct
should be above suspicion
Will was not surprised at her silence His mind also was tumultuously busy
while he watched her and he was feeling rather wildly that something must
happen to hinder their parting some miracle clearly nothing in their own
deliberate speech Yet after all had she any love for him he could not
pretend to himself that he would rather believe her to be without that pain He
could not deny that a secret longing for the assurance that she loved him was at
the root of all his words
Neither of them knew how long they stood in that way Dorothea was raising
her eyes and was about to speak when the door opened and her footman came to
say
»The horses are ready madam whenever you like to start«
»Presently« said Dorothea Then turning to Will she said »I have some
memoranda to write for the housekeeper«
»I must go« said Will when the door had closed again advancing towards
her »The day after to I shall leave Middlemarch«
»You have acted in every way rightly« said Dorothea in a low tone feeling
a pressure at her heart which made it difficult to speak
She put out her hand and Will took it for an instant without speaking for
her words had seemed to him cruelly cold and unlike herself Their eyes met but
there was discontent in his and in hers there was only sadness He turned away
and took his portfolio under his arm
»I have never done you injustice Please remember me« said Dorothea
repressing a rising sob
»Why should you say that« said Will with irritation »As if I were not in
danger of forgetting everything else«
He had really a movement of anger against her at that moment and it
impelled him to go away without pause It was all one flash to Dorothea his
last words his distant bow to her as he reached the door the sense that he
was no longer there She sank into the chair and for a few moments sat like a
statue while images and emotions were hurrying upon her Joy came first in
spite of the threatening train behind it joy in the impression that it was
really herself whom Will loved and was renouncing that there was really no
other love less permissible more blameworthy which honour was hurrying him
away from They were parted all the same but Dorothea drew a deep breath and
felt her strength return she could think of him unrestrainedly At that moment
the parting was easy to bear the first sense of loving and being loved excluded
sorrow It was as if some hard icy pressure had melted and her consciousness
had room to expand her past was come back to her with larger interpretation
The joy was not the less perhaps it was the more complete just then because
of the irrevocable parting for there was no reproach no contemptuous wonder to
imagine in any eye or from any lips He had acted so as to defy reproach and
make wonder respectful
Any one watching her might have seen that there was a fortifying thought
within her Just as when inventive power is working with glad ease some small
claim on the attention is fully met as if it were only a cranny opened to the
sunlight it was easy now for Dorothea to write her memoranda She spoke her
last words to the housekeeper in cheerful tones and when she seated herself in
the carriage her eyes were bright and her cheeks blooming under the dismal
bonnet She threw back the heavy »weepers« and looked before her wondering
which road Will had taken It was in her nature to be proud that he was
blameless and through all her feelings there ran this vein »I was right to
defend him«
The coachman was used to drive his greys at a good pace Mr Casaubon being
unenjoying and impatient in everything away from his desk and wanting to get to
the end of all journeys and Dorothea was now bowled along quickly Driving was
pleasant for rain in the night had laid the dust and the blue sky looked far
off away from the region of the great clouds that sailed in masses The earth
looked like a happy place under the vast heavens and Dorothea was wishing that
she might overtake Will and see him once more
After a turn of the road there he was with the portfolio under his arm but
the next moment she was passing him while he raised his hat and she felt a pang
at being seated there in a sort of exaltation leaving him behind She could not
look back at him It was as if a crowd of indifferent objects had thrust them
asunder and forced them along different paths taking them farther and farther
away from each other and making it useless to look back She could no more make
any sign that would seem to say »Need we part« than she could stop the
carriage to wait for him Nay what a world of reasons crowded upon her against
any movement of her thought towards a future that might reverse the decision of
this day
»I only wish I had known before I wish he knew then we could be quite
happy in thinking of each other though we are for ever parted And if I could
but have given him the money and made things easier for him« were the
longings that came back the most persistently And yet so heavily did the world
weigh on her in spite of her independent energy that with this idea of Will as
in need of such help and at a disadvantage with the world there came always the
vision of that unfittingness of any closer relation between them which lay in
the opinion of every one connected with her She felt to the full all the
imperativeness of the motives which urged Wills conduct How could he dream of
her defying the barrier that her husband had placed between them how could
she ever say to herself that she would defy it
Wills certainty as the carriage grew smaller in the distance had much
more bitterness in it Very slight matters were enough to gall him in his
sensitive mood and the sight of Dorothea driving past him while he felt himself
plodding along as a poor devil seeking a position in a world which in his
present temper offered him little that he coveted made his conduct seem a mere
matter of necessity and took away the sustainment of resolve After all he had
no assurance that she loved him could any man pretend that he was simply glad
in such a case to have the suffering all on his own side
That evening Will spent with the Lydgates the next evening he was gone
Book VII
Two Temptations
Chapter LXIII
»These little things are great to little man«
Goldsmith
»Have you seen much of your scientific phoenix Lydgate lately« said Mr
Toller at one of his Christmas dinnerparties speaking to Mr Farebrother on
his right hand
»Not much I am sorry to say« answered the Vicar accustomed to parry Mr
Tollers banter about his belief in the new medical light »I am out of the way
and he is too busy«
»Is he I am glad to hear it« said Dr Minchin with mingled suavity and
surprise
»He gives a great deal of time to the New Hospital« said Mr Farebrother
who had his reasons for continuing the subject »I hear of that from my
neighbour Mrs Casaubon who goes there often She says Lydgate is
indefatigable and is making a fine thing of Bulstrodes institution He is
preparing a new ward in case of the cholera coming to us«
»And preparing theories of treatment to try on the patients I suppose«
said Mr Toller
»Come Toller be candid« said Mr Farebrother »You are too clever not to
see the good of a bold fresh mind in medicine as well as in everything else
and as to cholera I fancy none of you are very sure what you ought to do If a
man goes a little too far along a new road it is usually himself that he harms
more than any one else«
»I am sure you and Wrench ought to be obliged to him« said Dr Minchin
looking towards Toller »for he has sent you the cream of Peacocks patients«
»Lydgate has been living at a great rate for a young beginner« said Mr
Harry Toller the brewer »I suppose his relations in the North back him up«
»I hope so« said Mr Chichely »else he ought not to have married that nice
girl we were all so fond of Hang it one has a grudge against a man who carries
off the prettiest girl in the town«
»Ay by God and the best too« said Mr Standish
»My friend Vincy didnt half like the marriage I know that« said Mr
Chichely »He wouldnt do much How the relations on the other side may have
come down I cant say« There was an emphatic kind of reticence in Mr
Chichelys manner of speaking
»Oh I shouldnt think Lydgate ever looked to practice for a living« said
Mr Toller with a slight touch of sarcasm and there the subject was dropped
This was not the first time that Mr Farebrother had heard hints of
Lydgates expenses being obviously too great to be met by his practice but he
thought it not unlikely that there were resources or expectations which excused
the large outlay at the time of Lydgates marriage and which might hinder any
bad consequences from the disappointment in his practice One evening when he
took the pains to go to Middlemarch on purpose to have a chat with Lydgate as of
old he noticed in him an air of excited effort quite unlike his usual easy way
of keeping silence or breaking it with abrupt energy whenever he had anything to
say Lydgate talked persistently when they were in his workroom putting
arguments for and against the probability of certain biological views but he
had none of those definite things to say or to show which give the waymarks of
a patient uninterrupted pursuit such as he used himself to insist on saying
that »there must be a systole and diastole in all inquiry« and that »a mans
mind must be continually expanding and shrinking between the whole human horizon
and the horizon of an object-glass« That evening he seemed to be talking widely
for the sake of resisting any personal bearing and before long they went into
the drawingroom where Lydgate having asked Rosamond to give them music sank
back in his chair in silence but with a strange light in his eyes »He may have
been taking an opiate« was a thought that crossed Mr Farebrothers mind
»ticdouloureux perhaps or medical worries«
It did not occur to him that Lydgates marriage was not delightful he
believed as the rest did that Rosamond was an amiable docile creature though
he had always thought her rather uninteresting a little too much the
patterncard of the finishingschool and his mother could not forgive Rosamond
because she never seemed to see that Henrietta Noble was in the room »However
Lydgate fell in love with her« said the Vicar to himself »and she must be to
his taste«
Mr Farebrother was aware that Lydgate was a proud man but having very
little corresponding fibre in himself and perhaps too little care about
personal dignity except the dignity of not being mean or foolish he could
hardly allow enough for the way in which Lydgate shrank as from a burn from
the utterance of any word about his private affairs And soon after that
conversation at Mr Tollers the Vicar learned something which made him watch
the more eagerly for an opportunity of indirectly letting Lydgate know that if
he wanted to open himself about any difficulty there was a friendly ear ready
The opportunity came at Mr Vincys where on New Years Day there was a
party to which Mr Farebrother was irresistibly invited on the plea that he
must not forsake his old friends on the first new year of his being a greater
man and Rector as well as Vicar And this party was thoroughly friendly all
the ladies of the Farebrother family were present the Vincy children all dined
at the table and Fred had persuaded his mother that if she did not invite Mary
Garth the Farebrothers would regard it as a slight to themselves Mary being
their particular friend Mary came and Fred was in high spirits though his
enjoyment was of a checkered kind triumph that his mother should see Marys
importance with the chief personages in the party being much streaked with
jealousy when Mr Farebrother sat down by her Fred used to be much more easy
about his own accomplishments in the days when he had not begun to dread being
»bowled out by Farebrother« and this terror was still before him Mrs Vincy
in her fullest matronly bloom looked at Marys little figure rough wavy hair
and visage quite without lilies and roses and wondered trying unsuccessfully
to fancy herself caring about Marys appearance in wedding clothes or feeling
complacency in grandchildren who would »feature« the Garths However the party
was a merry one and Mary was particularly bright being glad for Freds sake
that his friends were getting kinder to her and being also quite willing that
they should see how much she was valued by others whom they must admit to be
judges
Mr Farebrother noticed that Lydgate seemed bored and that Mr Vincy spoke
as little as possible to his soninlaw Rosamond was perfectly graceful and
calm and only a subtle observation such as the Vicar had not been roused to
bestow on her would have perceived the total absence of that interest in her
husbands presence which a loving wife is sure to betray even if etiquette
keeps her aloof from him When Lydgate was taking part in the conversation she
never looked towards him any more than if she had been a sculptured Psyche
modelled to look another way and when after being called out for an hour or
two he reentered the room she seemed unconscious of the fact which eighteen
months before would have had the effect of a numeral before cyphers In reality
however she was intensely aware of Lydgates voice and movements and her
pretty goodtempered air of unconsciousness was a studied negation by which she
satisfied her inward opposition to him without compromise of propriety When the
ladies were in the drawingroom after Lydgate had been called away from the
dessert Mrs Farebrother when Rosamond happened to be near her said »You
have to give up a great deal of your husbands society Mrs Lydgate«
»Yes the life of a medical man is very arduous especially when he is so
devoted to his profession as Mr Lydgate is« said Rosamond who was standing
and moved easily away at the end of this correct little speech
»It is dreadfully dull for her when there is no company« said Mrs Vincy
who was seated at the old ladys side »I am sure I thought so when Rosamond was
ill and I was staying with her You know Mrs Farebrother ours is a cheerful
house I am of a cheerful disposition myself and Mr Vincy always likes
something to be going on That is what Rosamond has been used to Very different
from a husband out at odd hours and never knowing when he will come home and
of a close proud disposition I think« indiscreet Mrs Vincy did lower her
tone slightly with this parenthesis »But Rosamond always had an angel of a
temper her brothers used very often not to please her but she was never the
girl to show temper from a baby she was always as good as good and with a
complexion beyond anything But my children are all goodtempered thank God«
This was easily credible to any one looking at Mrs Vincy as she threw back
her broad capstrings and smiled towards her three little girls aged from
seven to eleven But in that smiling glance she was obliged to include Mary
Garth whom the three girls had got into a corner to make her tell them stories
Mary was just finishing the delicious tale of Rumpelstiltskin which she had
well by heart because Letty was never tired of communicating it to her ignorant
elders from a favourite red volume Louisa Mrs Vincys darling now ran to her
with wideeyed serious excitement crying »O mamma mamma the little man
stamped so hard on the floor he couldnt get his leg out again«
»Bless you my cherub« said mamma »you shall tell me all about it
tomorrow Go and listen« and then as her eyes followed Louisa back towards
the attractive corner she thought that if Fred wished her to invite Mary again
she would make no objection the children being so pleased with her
But presently the corner became still more animated for Mr Farebrother
came in and seating himself behind Louisa took her on his lap whereupon the
girls all insisted that he must hear Rumpelstiltskin and Mary must tell it over
again He insisted too and Mary without fuss began again in her neat fashion
with precisely the same words as before Fred who had also seated himself near
would have felt unmixed triumph in Marys effectiveness if Mr Farebrother had
not been looking at her with evident admiration while he dramatised an intense
interest in the tale to please the children
»You will never care any more about my oneeyed giant Loo« said Fred at
the end
»Yes I shall Tell about him now« said Louisa
»Oh I daresay I am quite cut out Ask Mr Farebrother«
»Yes« added Mary »ask Mr Farebrother to tell you about the ants whose
beautiful house was knocked down by a giant named Tom and he thought they
didnt mind because he couldnt hear them cry or see them use their
pockethandkerchiefs«
»Please« said Louisa looking up at the Vicar
»No no I am a grave old parson If I try to draw a story out of my bag a
sermon comes instead Shall I preach you a sermon« said he putting on his
shortsighted glasses and pursing up his lips
»Yes« said Louisa falteringly
»Let me see then Against cakes how cakes are bad things especially if
they are sweet and have plums in them«
Louisa took the affair rather seriously and got down from the Vicars knee
to go to Fred
»Ah I see it will not do to preach on New Years Day« said Mr
Farebrother rising and walking away He had discovered of late that Fred had
become jealous of him and also that he himself was not losing his preference
for Mary above all other women
»A delightful young person is Miss Garth« said Mrs Farebrother who had
been watching her sons movements
»Yes« said Mrs Vincy obliged to reply as the old lady turned to her
expectantly »It is a pity she is not betterlooking«
»I cannot say that« said Mrs Farebrother decisively »I like her
countenance We must not always ask for beauty when a good God has seen fit to
make an excellent young woman without it I put good manners first and Miss
Garth will know how to conduct herself in any station«
The old lady was a little sharp in her tone having a prospective reference
to Marys becoming her daughterinlaw for there was this inconvenience in
Marys position with regard to Fred that it was not suitable to be made public
and hence the three ladies at Lowick Parsonage were still hoping that Camden
would choose Miss Garth
New visitors entered and the drawingroom was given up to music and games
while whisttables were prepared in the quiet room on the other side of the
hall Mr Farebrother played a rubber to satisfy his mother who regarded her
occasional whist as a protest against scandal and novelty of opinion in which
light even a revoke had its dignity But at the end he got Mr Chichely to take
his place and left the room As he crossed the hall Lydgate had just come in
and was taking off his greatcoat
»You are the man I was going to look for« said the Vicar and instead of
entering the drawingroom they walked along the hall and stood against the
fireplace where the frosty air helped to make a glowing bank »You see I can
leave the whisttable easily enough« he went on smiling at Lydgate »now I
dont play for money I owe that to you Mrs Casaubon says«
»How« said Lydgate coldly
»Ah you didnt mean me to know it I call that ungenerous reticence You
should let a man have the pleasure of feeling that you have done him a good
turn I dont enter into some peoples dislike of being under an obligation
upon my word I prefer being under an obligation to everybody for behaving well
to me«
»I cant tell what yon mean« said Lydgate »unless it is that I once spoke
of you to Mrs Casaubon But I did not think that she would break her promise
not to mention that I had done so« said Lydgate leaning his back against the
corner of the mantelpiece and showing no radiance in his face
»It was Brooke who let it out only the other day He paid me the compliment
of saying that he was very glad I had the living though you had come across his
tactics and had praised me up as a Ken and a Tillotson and that sort of thing
till Mrs Casaubon would hear of no one else«
»Oh Brooke is such a leakyminded fool« said Lydgate contemptuously
»Well I was glad of the leakiness then I dont see why you shouldnt like
me to know that you wished to do me a service my dear fellow And you certainly
have done me one Its rather a strong check to ones selfcomplacency to find
how much of ones right doing depends on not being in want of money A man will
not be tempted to say the Lords Prayer backward to please the devil if he
doesnt want the devils services I have no need to hang on the smiles of
chance now«
»I dont see that theres any moneygetting without chance« said Lydgate
»if a man gets it in a profession its pretty sure to come by chance«
Mr Farebrother thought he could account for this speech in striking
contrast with Lydgates former way of talking as the perversity which will
often spring from the moodiness of a man ill at ease in his affairs He answered
in a tone of goodhumoured admission
»Ah theres enormous patience wanted with the way of the world But it is
the easier for a man to wait patiently when he has friends who love him and ask
for nothing better than to help him through so far as it lies in their power«
»Oh yes« said Lydgate in a careless tone changing his attitude and
looking at his watch »People make much more of their difficulties than they
need to do«
He knew as distinctly as possible that this was an offer of help to himself
from Mr Farebrother and he could not bear it So strangely determined are we
mortals that after having been long gratified with the sense that he had
privately done the Vicar a service the suggestion that the Vicar discerned his
need of a service in return made him shrink into unconquerable reticence
Besides behind all making of such offers what else must come that he should
»mention his case« imply that he wanted specific things At that moment
suicide seemed easier
Mr Farebrother was too keen a man not to know the meaning of that reply
and there was a certain massiveness in Lydgates manner and tone corresponding
with his physique which if he repelled your advances in the first instance
seemed to put persuasive devices out of question
»What time are you« said the Vicar devouring his wounded feeling
»After eleven« said Lydgate And they went into the drawingroom
Chapter LXIV
1st Gent
Where lies the power there let the blame lie too
2d Gent
Nay power is relative you cannot fright
The coming pest with border fortresses
Or catch your carp with subtle argument
All force is twain in one cause is not cause
Unless effect be there and actions self
Must needs contain a passive So command
Exists but with obedience
Even if Lydgate had been inclined to be quite open about his affairs he knew
that it would have hardly been in Mr Farebrothers power to give him the help
he immediately wanted With the years bills coming in from his tradesmen with
Dovers threatening hold on his furniture and with nothing to depend on but
slow dribbling payments from patients who must not be offended for the
handsome fees he had had from Freshitt Hall and Lowick Manor had been easily
absorbed nothing less than a thousand pounds would have freed him from actual
embarrassment and left a residue which according to the favourite phrase of
hopefulness in such circumstances would have given him »time to look about
him«
Naturally the merry Christmas bringing the happy New Year when
fellowcitizens expect to be paid for the trouble and goods they have smilingly
bestowed on their neighbours had so tightened the pressure of sordid cares on
Lydgates mind that it was hardly possible for him to think unbrokenly of any
other subject even the most habitual and soliciting He was not an illtempered
man his intellectual activity the ardent kindness of his heart as well as his
strong frame would always under tolerably easy conditions have kept him above
the petty uncontrolled susceptibilities which make bad temper But he was now a
prey to that worst irritation which arises not simply from annoyances but from
the second consciousness underlying those annoyances of wasted energy and a
degrading preoccupation which was the reverse of all his former purposes »This
is what I am thinking of and that is what I might have been thinking of« was
the bitter incessant murmur within him making every difficulty a double goad to
impatience
Some gentlemen have made an amazing figure in literature by general
discontent with the universe as a trap of dulness into which their great souls
have fallen by mistake but the sense of a stupendous self and an insignificant
world may have its consolations Lydgates discontent was much harder to bear
it was the sense that there was a grand existence in thought and effective
action lying around him while his self was being narrowed into the miserable
isolation of egoistic fears and vulgar anxieties for events that might allay
such fears His troubles will perhaps appear miserably sordid and beneath the
attention of lofty persons who can know nothing of debt except on a magnificent
scale Doubtless they were sordid and for the majority who are not lofty
there is no escape from sordidness but by being free from moneycraving with
all its base hopes and temptations its watching for death its hinted requests
its horsedealers desire to make bad work pass for good its seeking for
function which ought to be anothers its compulsion often to long for Luck in
the shape of a wide calamity
It was because Lydgate writhed under the idea of getting his neck beneath
this vile yoke that he had fallen into a bitter moody state which was
continually widening Rosamonds alienation from him After the first disclosure
about the bill of sale he had made many efforts to draw her into sympathy with
him about possible measures for narrowing their expenses and with the
threatening approach of Christmas his propositions grew more and more definite
»We two can do with only one servant and live on very little« he said »and I
shall manage with one horse« For Lydgate as we have seen had begun to reason
with a more distinct vision about the expenses of living and any share of
pride he had given to appearances of that sort was meagre compared with the
pride which made him revolt from exposure as a debtor or from asking men to
help him with their money
»Of course you can dismiss the other two servants if you like« said
Rosamond »but I should have thought it would be very injurious to your position
for us to live in a poor way You must expect your practice to be lowered«
»My dear Rosamond it is not a question of choice We have begun too
expensively Peacock you know lived in a much smaller house than this It is
my fault I ought to have known better and I deserve a thrashing if there
were anybody who had a right to give it me for bringing you into the necessity
of living in a poorer way than you have been used to But we married because we
loved each other I suppose And that may help us to pull along till things get
better Come dear put down that work and come to me«
He was really in chill gloom about her at that moment but he dreaded a
future without affection and was determined to resist the oncoming of division
between them Rosamond obeyed him and he took her on his knee but in her
secret soul she was utterly aloof from him The poor thing saw only that the
world was not ordered to her liking and Lydgate was part of that world But he
held her waist with one hand and laid the other gently on both of hers for this
rather abrupt man had much tenderness in his manners towards women seeming to
have always present in his imagination the weakness of their frames and the
delicate poise of their health both in body and mind And he began again to
speak persuasively
»I find now I look into things a little Rosy that it is wonderful what an
amount of money slips away in our housekeeping I suppose the servants are
careless and we have had a great many people coming But there must be many in
our rank who manage with much less they must do with commoner things I
suppose and look after the scraps It seems money goes but a little way in
these matters for Wrench has everything as plain as possible and he has a very
large practice«
»Oh if you think of living as the Wrenches do« said Rosamond with a
little turn of her neck »But I have heard you express your disgust at that way
of living«
»Yes they have bad taste in everything they make economy look ugly We
neednt do that I only meant that they avoid expenses although Wrench has a
capital practice«
»Why should not you have a good practice Tertius Mr Peacock had You
should be more careful not to offend people and you should send out medicines
as the others do I am sure you began well and you got several good houses It
cannot answer to be eccentric you should think what will be generally liked«
said Rosamond in a decided little tone of admonition
Lydgates anger rose he was prepared to be indulgent towards feminine
weakness but not towards feminine dictation The shallowness of a waternixies
soul may have a charm until she becomes didactic But he controlled himself and
only said with a touch of despotic firmness
»What I am to do in my practice Rosy it is for me to judge That is not
the question between us It is enough for you to know that our income is likely
to be a very narrow one hardly four hundred perhaps less for a long time to
come and we must try to rearrange our lives in accordance with that fact«
Rosamond was silent for a moment or two looking before her and then said
»My uncle Bulstrode ought to allow you a salary for the time you give to the
Hospital it is not right that you should work for nothing«
»It was understood from the beginning that my services would be gratuitous
That again need not enter into our discussion I have pointed out what is the
only probability« said Lydgate impatiently Then checking himself he went on
more quietly
»I think I see one resource which would free us from a good deal of the
present difficulty I hear that young Ned Plymdale is going to be married to
Miss Sophy Toller They are rich and it is not often that a good house is
vacant in Middlemarch I feel sure that they would be glad to take this house
from us with most of our furniture and they would be willing to pay handsomely
for the lease I can employ Trumbull to speak to Plymdale about it«
Rosamond left her husbands knee and walked slowly to the other end of the
room when she turned round and walked towards him it was evident that the tears
had come and that she was biting her underlip and clasping her hands to keep
herself from crying Lydgate was wretched shaken with anger and yet feeling
that it would be unmanly to vent the anger just now
»I am very sorry Rosamond I know this is painful«
»I thought at least when I had borne to send the plate back and have that
man taking an inventory of the furniture I should have thought that would
suffice«
»I explained it to you at the time dear That was only a security and
behind that security there is a debt And that debt must be paid within the next
few months else we shall have our furniture sold If young Plymdale will take
our house and most of our furniture we shall be able to pay that debt and some
others too and we shall be quit of a place too expensive for us We might take
a smaller house Trumbull I know has a very decent one to let at thirty pounds
ayear and this is ninety« Lydgate uttered this speech in the curt hammering
way with which we usually try to nail down a vague mind to imperative facts
Tears rolled silently down Rosamonds cheeks she just pressed her handkerchief
against them and stood looking at the large vase on the mantelpiece It was a
moment of more intense bitterness than she had ever felt before At last she
said without hurry and with careful emphasis
»I never could have believed that you would like to act in that way«
»Like it« burst out Lydgate rising from his chair thrusting his hands in
his pockets and stalking away from the hearth »its not a question of liking
Of course I dont like it its the only thing I can do« He wheeled round
there and turned towards her
»I should have thought there were many other means than that« said
Rosamond »Let us have a sale and leave Middlemarch altogether«
»To do what What is the use of my leaving my work in Middlemarch to go
where I have none We should be just as penniless elsewhere as we are here«
said Lydgate still more angrily
»If we are to be in that position it will be entirely your own doing
Tertius« said Rosamond turning round to speak with the fullest conviction
»You will not behave as you ought to do to your own family You offended Captain
Lydgate Sir Godwin was very kind to me when we were at Quallingham and I am
sure if you showed proper regard to him and told him your affairs he would do
anything for you But rather than that you like giving up our house and
furniture to Mr Ned Plymdale«
There was something like fierceness in Lydgates eyes as he answered with
new violence »Well then if you will have it so I do like it I admit that I
like it better than making a fool of myself by going to beg where its of no
use Understand then that it is what I like to do«
There was a tone in the last sentence which was equivalent to the clutch of
his strong hand on Rosamonds delicate arm But for all that his will was not a
whit stronger than hers She immediately walked out of the room in silence but
with an intense determination to hinder what Lydgate liked to do
He went out of the house but as his blood cooled he felt that the chief
result of the discussion was a deposit of dread within him at the idea of
opening with his wife in future subjects which might again urge him to violent
speech It was as if a fracture in delicate crystal had begun and he was afraid
of any movement that might make it fatal His marriage would be a mere piece of
bitter irony if they could not go on loving each other He had long ago made up
his mind to what he thought was her negative character her want of
sensibility which showed itself in disregard both of his specific wishes and of
his general aims The first great disappointment had been borne the tender
devotedness and docile adoration of the ideal wife must be renounced and life
must be taken up on a lower stage of expectation as it is by men who have lost
their limbs But the real wife had not only her claims she had still a hold on
his heart and it was his intense desire that the hold should remain strong In
marriage the certainty »She will never love me much« is easier to bear than
the fear »I shall love her no more« Hence after that outburst his inward
effort was entirely to excuse her and to blame the hard circumstances which
were partly his fault He tried that evening by petting her to heal the wound
he had made in the morning and it was not in Rosamonds nature to be repellent
or sulky indeed she welcomed the signs that her husband loved her and was
under control But this was something quite distinct from loving him
Lydgate would not have chosen soon to recur to the plan of parting with the
house he was resolved to carry it out and say as little more about it as
possible But Rosamond herself touched on it at breakfast by saying mildly
»Have you spoken to Trumbull yet«
»No« said Lydgate »but I shall call on him as I go by this morning No
time must be lost« He took Rosamonds question as a sign that she withdrew her
inward opposition and kissed her head caressingly when he got up to go away
As soon as it was late enough to make a call Rosamond went to Mrs
Plymdale Mr Neds mother and entered with pretty congratulations into the
subject of the coming marriage Mrs Plymdales maternal view was that Rosamond
might possibly now have retrospective glimpses of her own folly and feeling the
advantages to be at present all on the side of her son was too kind a woman not
to behave graciously
»Yes Ned is most happy I must say And Sophy Toller is all I could desire
in a daughterinlaw. Of course her father is able to do something handsome for
her that is only what would be expected with a brewery like his And the
connection is everything we should desire But that is not what I look at She
is such a very nice girl no airs no pretensions though on a level with the
first I dont mean with the titled aristocracy I see very little good in
people aiming out of their own sphere I mean that Sophy is equal to the best in
the town and she is contented with that«
»I have always thought her very agreeable« said Rosamond
»I look upon it as a reward for Ned who never held his head too high that
he should have got into the very best connection« continued Mrs Plymdale her
native sharpness softened by a fervid sense that she was taking a correct view
»And such particular people as the Tollers are they might have objected because
some of our friends are not theirs It is well known that your aunt Bulstrode
and I have been intimate from our youth and Mr Plymdale has been always on Mr
Bulstrodes side And I myself prefer serious opinions But the Tollers have
welcomed Ned all the same«
»I am sure he is a very deserving wellprincipled young man« said
Rosamond with a neat air of patronage in return for Mrs Plymdales wholesome
corrections
»Oh he has not the style of a captain in the army or that sort of carriage
as if everybody was beneath him or that showy kind of talking and singing and
intellectual talent But I am thankful he has not It is a poor preparation both
for here and Hereafter«
»Oh dear yes appearances have very little to do with happiness« said
Rosamond »I think there is every prospect of their being a happy couple What
house will they take«
»Oh as for that they must put up with what they can get They have been
looking at the house in St Peters Place next to Mr Hackbutts it belongs to
him and he is putting it nicely in repair I suppose they are not likely to
hear of a better Indeed I think Ned will decide the matter today«
»I should think it is a nice house I like St Peters Place«
»Well it is near the Church and a genteel situation But the windows are
narrow and it is all ups and downs You dont happen to know of any other that
would be at liberty« said Mrs Plymdale fixing her round black eyes on
Rosamond with the animation of a sudden thought in them
»Oh no I hear so little of those things«
Rosamond had not foreseen that question and answer in setting out to pay her
visit she had simply meant to gather any information which would help her to
avert the parting with her own house under circumstances thoroughly disagreeable
to her As to the untruth in her reply she no more reflected on it than she did
on the untruth there was in her saying that appearances had very little to do
with happiness Her object she was convinced was thoroughly justifiable it
was Lydgate whose intention was inexcusable and there was a plan in her mind
which when she had carried it out fully would prove how very false a step it
would have been for him to have descended from his position
She returned home by Mr Borthrop Trumbulls office meaning to call there
It was the first time in her life that Rosamond had thought of doing anything in
the form of business but she felt equal to the occasion That she should be
obliged to do what she intensely disliked was an idea which turned her quiet
tenacity into active invention Here was a case in which it could not be enough
simply to disobey and be serenely placidly obstinate she must act according to
her judgment and she said to herself that her judgment was right »indeed if
it had not been she would not have wished to act on it«
Mr Trumbull was in the backroom of his office and received Rosamond with
his finest manners not only because he had much sensibility to her charms but
because the goodnatured fibre in him was stirred by his certainty that Lydgate
was in difficulties and that this uncommonly pretty woman this young lady
with the highest personal attractions was likely to feel the pinch of trouble
to find herself involved in circumstances beyond her control He begged her to
do him the honour to take a seat and stood before her trimming and comporting
himself with an eager solicitude which was chiefly benevolent Rosamonds first
question was whether her husband had called on Mr Trumbull that morning to
speak about disposing of their house
»Yes maam yes he did he did so« said the good auctioneer trying to
throw something soothing into his iteration »I was about to fulfil his order
if possible this afternoon He wished me not to procrastinate«
»I called to tell you not to go any further Mr Trumbull and I beg of you
not to mention what has been said on the subject Will you oblige me«
»Certainly I will Mrs Lydgate certainly Confidence is sacred with me on
business or any other topic I am then to consider the commission withdrawn«
said Mr Trumbull adjusting the long ends of his blue cravat with both hands
and looking at Rosamond deferentially
»Yes if you please I find that Mr Ned Plymdale has taken a house the
one in St Peters Place next to Mr Hackbutts Mr Lydgate would be annoyed
that his orders should be fulfilled uselessly And besides that there are other
circumstances which render the proposal unnecessary«
»Very good Mrs Lydgate very good I am at your commands whenever you
require any service of me« said Mr Trumbull who felt pleasure in conjecturing
that some new resources had been opened »Rely on me I beg The affair shall go
no further«
That evening Lydgate was a little comforted by observing that Rosamond was
more lively than she had usually been of late and even seemed interested in
doing what would please him without being asked He thought »If she will be
happy and I can rub through what does it all signify It is only a narrow swamp
that we have to pass in a long journey If I can get my mind clear again I
shall do«
He was so much cheered that he began to search for an account of experiments
which he had long ago meant to look up and had neglected out of that creeping
selfdespair which comes in the train of petty anxieties He felt again some of
the old delightful absorption in a farreaching inquiry while Rosamond played
the quiet music which was as helpful to his meditation as the plash of an oar on
the evening lake It was rather late he had pushed away all the books and was
looking at the fire with his hands clasped behind his head in forgetfulness of
everything except the construction of a new controlling experiment when
Rosamond who had left the piano and was leaning back in her chair watching him
said
»Mr Ned Plymdale has taken a house already«
Lydgate startled and jarred looked up in silence for a moment like a man
who has been disturbed in his sleep Then flushing with an unpleasant
consciousness he asked
»How do you know«
»I called at Mrs Plymdales this morning and she told me that he had taken
the house in St Peters Place next to Mr Hackbutts«
Lydgate was silent He drew his hands from behind his head and pressed them
against the hair which was hanging as it was apt to do in a mass on his
forehead while he rested his elbows on his knees He was feeling bitter
disappointment as if he had opened a door out of a suffocating place and had
found it walled up but he also felt sure that Rosamond was pleased with the
cause of his disappointment He preferred not looking at her and not speaking
until he had got over the first spasm of vexation After all he said in his
bitterness what can a woman care about so much as house and furniture a
husband without them is an absurdity When he looked up and pushed his hair
aside his dark eyes had a miserable blank nonexpectance of sympathy in them
but he only said coolly
»Perhaps some one else may turn up I told Trumbull to be on the lookout if
he failed with Plymdale«
Rosamond made no remark She trusted to the chance that nothing more would
pass between her husband and the auctioneer until some issue should have
justified her interference at any rate she had hindered the event which she
immediately dreaded After a pause she said
»How much money is it that those disagreeable people want«
»What disagreeable people«
»Those who took the list and the others I mean how much money would
satisfy them so that you need not be troubled any more«
Lydgate surveyed her for a moment as if he were looking for symptoms and
then said »Oh if I could have got six hundred from Plymdale for furniture and
as premium I might have managed I could have paid off Dover and given enough
on account to the others to make them wait patiently if we contracted our
expenses«
»But I mean how much should you want if we stayed in this house«
»More than I am likely to get anywhere« said Lydgate with rather a grating
sarcasm in his tone It angered him to perceive that Rosamonds mind was
wandering over impracticable wishes instead of facing possible efforts
»Why should you not mention the sum« said Rosamond with a mild indication
that she did not like his manners
»Well« said Lydgate in a guessing tone »it would take at least a thousand
to set me at ease But« he added incisively »I have to consider what I shall
do without it not with it«
Rosamond said no more
But the next day she carried out her plan of writing to Sir Godwin Lydgate
Since the Captains visit she had received a letter from him and also one from
Mrs Mengan his married sister condoling with her on the loss of her baby and
expressing vaguely the hope that they should see her again at Quallingham
Lydgate had told her that this politeness meant nothing but she was secretly
convinced that any backwardness in Lydgates family towards him was due to his
cold and contemptuous behaviour and she had answered the letters in her most
charming manner feeling some confidence that a specific invitation would
follow But there had been total silence The Captain evidently was not a great
penman and Rosamond reflected that the sisters might have been abroad However
the season was come for thinking of friends at home and at any rate Sir Godwin
who had chucked her under the chin and pronounced her to be like the celebrated
beauty Mrs Croly who had made a conquest of him in 1790 would be touched by
any appeal from her and would find it pleasant for her sake to behave as he
ought to do towards his nephew Rosamond was naïvely convinced of what an old
gentleman ought to do to prevent her from suffering annoyance And she wrote
what she considered the most judicious letter possible one which would strike
Sir Godwin as a proof of her excellent sense pointing out how desirable it was
that Tertius should quit such a place as Middlemarch for one more fitted to his
talents how the unpleasant character of the inhabitants had hindered his
professional success and how in consequence he was in money difficulties from
which it would require a thousand pounds thoroughly to extricate him She did
not say that Tertius was unaware of her intention to write for she had the idea
that his supposed sanction of her letter would be in accordance with what she
did say of his great regard for his uncle Godwin as the relative who had always
been his best friend Such was the force of poor Rosamonds tactics now she
applied them to affairs
This had happened before the party on New Years Day and no answer had yet
come from Sir Godwin But on the morning of that day Lydgate had to learn that
Rosamond had revoked his order to Borthrop Trumbull Feeling it necessary that
she should be gradually accustomed to the idea of their quitting the house in
Lowick Gate he overcame his reluctance to speak to her again on the subject
and when they were breakfasting said
»I shall try to see Trumbull this morning and tell him to advertise the
house in the Pioneer and the Trumpet If the thing were advertised some one
might be inclined to take it who would not otherwise have thought of a change
In these country places many people go on in their old houses when their
families are too large for them for want of knowing where they can find
another And Trumbull seems to have got no bite at all«
Rosamond knew that the inevitable moment was come »I ordered Trumbull not
to inquire further« she said with a careful calmness which was evidently
defensive
Lydgate stared at her in mute amazement Only half an hour before he had
been fastening up her plaits for her and talking the »little language« of
affection which Rosamond though not returning it accepted as if she had been
a serene and lovely image now and then miraculously dimpling towards her
votary With such fibres still astir in him the shock he received could not at
once be distinctly anger it was confused pain He laid down the knife and fork
with which he was carving and throwing himself back in his chair said at last
with a cool irony in his tone
»May I ask when and why you did so«
»When I knew that the Plymdales had taken a house I called to tell him not
to mention ours to them and at the same time I told him not to let the affair
go on any further I knew that it would be very injurious to you if it were
known that you wished to part with your house and furniture and I had a very
strong objection to it I think that was reason enough«
»It was of no consequence then that I had told you imperative reasons of
another kind of no consequence that I had come to a different conclusion and
given an order accordingly« said Lydgate bitingly the thunder and lightning
gathering about his brow and eyes
The effect of any ones anger on Rosamond had always been to make her shrink
in cold dislike and to become all the more calmly correct in the conviction
that she was not the person to misbehave whatever others might do She replied
»I think I had a perfect right to speak on a subject which concerns me at
least as much as you«
»Clearly you had a right to speak but only to me You had no right to
contradict my orders secretly and treat me as if I were a fool« said Lydgate
in the same tone as before Then with some added scorn »Is it possible to make
you understand what the consequences will be Is it of any use for me to tell
you again why we must try to part with the house«
»It is not necessary for you to tell me again« said Rosamond in a voice
that fell and trickled like cold waterdrops »I remembered what you said You
spoke just as violently as you do now But that does not alter my opinion that
you ought to try every other means rather than take a step which is so painful
to me And as to advertising the house I think it would be perfectly degrading
to you«
»And suppose I disregard your opinion as you disregard mine«
»You can do so of course But I think you ought to have told me before we
were married that you would place me in the worst position rather than give up
your own will«
Lydgate did not speak but tossed his head on one side and twitched the
corners of his mouth in despair Rosamond seeing that he was not looking at
her rose and set his cup of coffee before him but he took no notice of it and
went on with an inward drama and argument occasionally moving in his seat
resting one arm on the table and rubbing his hand against his hair There was a
conflux of emotions and thoughts in him that would not let him either give
thorough way to his anger or persevere with simple rigidity of resolve Rosamond
took advantage of his silence
»When we were married every one felt that your position was very high I
could not have imagined then that you would want to sell our furniture and take
a house in Bride Street where the rooms are like cages If we are to live in
that way let us at least leave Middlemarch«
»These would be very strong considerations« said Lydgate half ironically
still there was a withered paleness about his lips as he looked at his coffee
and did not drink »these would be very strong considerations if I did not
happen to be in debt«
»Many persons must have been in debt in the same way but if they are
respectable people trust them I am sure I have heard papa say that the Torbits
were in debt and they went on very well It cannot be good to act rashly« said
Rosamond with serene wisdom
Lydgate sat paralysed by opposing impulses since no reasoning he could
apply to Rosamond seemed likely to conquer her assent he wanted to smash and
grind some object on which he could at least produce an impression or else to
tell her brutally that he was master and she must obey But he not only dreaded
the effect of such extremities on their mutual life he had a growing dread of
Rosamonds quiet elusive obstinacy which would not allow any assertion of power
to be final and again she had touched him in a spot of keenest feeling by
implying that she had been deluded with a false vision of happiness in marrying
him As to saying that he was master it was not the fact The very resolution
to which he had wrought himself by dint of logic and honourable pride was
beginning to relax under her torpedo contact He swallowed half his cup of
coffee and then rose to go
»I may at least request that you will not go to Trumbull at present until
it has been seen that there are no other means« said Rosamond Although she was
not subject to much fear she felt it safer not to betray that she had written
to Sir Godwin »Promise me that you will not go to him for a few weeks or
without telling me«
Lydgate gave a short laugh »I think it is I who should exact a promise that
you will do nothing without telling me« he said turning his eyes sharply upon
her and then moving to the door
»You remember that we are going to dine at papas« said Rosamond wishing
that he should turn and make a more thorough concession to her But he only said
»Oh yes« impatiently and went away She held it to be very odious in him that
he did not think the painful propositions he had had to make to her were enough
without showing so unpleasant a temper And when she put the moderate request
that he would defer going to Trumbull again it was cruel in him not to assure
her of what he meant to do She was convinced of her having acted in every way
for the best and each grating or angry speech of Lydgates served only as an
addition to the register of offences in her mind Poor Rosamond for months had
begun to associate her husband with feelings of disappointment and the terribly
inflexible relation of marriage had lost its charm of encouraging delightful
dreams It had freed her from the disagreeables of her fathers house but it
had not given her everything that she had wished and hoped The Lydgate with
whom she had been in love had been a group of airy conditions for her most of
which had disappeared while their place had been taken by everyday details
which must be lived through slowly from hour to hour not floated through with a
rapid selection of favourable aspects The habits of Lydgates profession his
home preoccupation with scientific subjects which seemed to her almost like a
morbid vampires taste his peculiar views of things which had never entered
into the dialogue of courtship all these continuallyalienating influences
even without the fact of his having placed himself at a disadvantage in the
town and without that first shock of revelation about Dovers debt would have
made his presence dull to her There was another presence which ever since the
early days of her marriage until four months ago had been an agreeable
excitement but that was gone Rosamond would not confess to herself how much
the consequent blank had to do with her utter ennui and it seemed to her
perhaps she was right that an invitation to Quallingham and an opening for
Lydgate to settle elsewhere than in Middlemarch in London or somewhere likely
to be free from unpleasantness would satisfy her quite well and make her
indifferent to the absence of Will Ladislaw towards whom she felt some
resentment for his exaltation of Mrs Casaubon
That was the state of things with Lydgate and Rosamond on the New Years Day
when they dined at her fathers she looking mildly neutral towards him in
remembrance of his illtempered behaviour at breakfast and he carrying a much
deeper effect from the inward conflict in which that morning scene was only one
of many epochs His flushed effort while talking to Mr Farebrother his effort
after the cynical pretence that all ways of getting money are essentially the
same and that chance has an empire which reduces choice to a fools illusion
was but the symptom of a wavering resolve a benumbed response to the old
stimuli of enthusiasm
What was he to do He saw even more keenly than Rosamond did the dreariness
of taking her into the small house in Bride Street where she would have scanty
furniture around her and discontent within a life of privation and life with
Rosamond were two images which had become more and more irreconcilable ever
since the threat of privation had disclosed itself. But even if his resolves had
forced the two images into combination the useful preliminaries to that hard
change were not visibly within reach And though he had not given the promise
which his wife had asked for he did not go again to Trumbull He even began to
think of taking a rapid journey to the North and seeing Sir Godwin He had once
believed that nothing would urge him into making an application for money to his
uncle but he had not then known the full pressure of alternatives yet more
disagreeable He could not depend on the effect of a letter it was only in an
interview however disagreeable this might be to himself that he could give a
thorough explanation and could test the effectiveness of kinship No sooner had
Lydgate begun to represent this step to himself as the easiest than there was a
reaction of anger that he he who had long ago determined to live aloof from
such abject calculations such selfinterested anxiety about the inclinations
and the pockets of men with whom he had been proud to have no aims in common
should have fallen not simply to their level but to the level of soliciting
them
Chapter LXV
»One of us two must bowen douteless
And sith a man is more reasonable
Than woman is ye men moste be suffrable«
Chaucer Canterbury Tales
The bias of human nature to be slow in correspondence triumphs even over the
present quickening in the general pace of things what wonder then that in 1832
old Sir Godwin Lydgate was slow to write a letter which was of consequence to
others rather than to himself Nearly three weeks of the new year were gone and
Rosamond awaiting an answer to her winning appeal was every day disappointed
Lydgate in total ignorance of her expectations was seeing the bills come in
and feeling that Dovers use of his advantage over other creditors was imminent
He had never mentioned to Rosamond his brooding purpose of going to Quallingham
he did not want to admit what would appear to her a concession to her wishes
after indignant refusal until the last moment but he was really expecting to
set off soon A slice of the railway would enable him to manage the whole
journey and back in four days
But one morning after Lydgate had gone out a letter came addressed to him
which Rosamond saw clearly to be from Sir Godwin She was full of hope Perhaps
there might be a particular note to her enclosed but Lydgate was naturally
addressed on the question of money or other aid and the fact that he was
written to nay the very delay in writing at all seemed to certify that the
answer was thoroughly compliant She was too much excited by these thoughts to
do anything but light stitching in a warm corner of the diningroom with the
outside of this momentous letter lying on the table before her About twelve she
heard her husbands step in the passage and tripping to open the door she said
in her lightest tones »Tertius come in here here is a letter for you«
»Ah« he said not taking off his hat but just turning her round within his
arm to walk towards the spot where the letter lay »My uncle Godwin« he
exclaimed while Rosamond reseated herself and watched him as he opened the
letter She had expected him to be surprised
While Lydgates eyes glanced rapidly over the brief letter she saw his
face usually of a pale brown taking on a dry whiteness with nostrils and lips
quivering he tossed down the letter before her and said violently
»It will be impossible to endure life with you if you will always be acting
secretly acting in opposition to me and hiding your actions«
He checked his speech and turned his back on her then wheeled round and
walked about sat down and got up again restlessly grasping hard the objects
deep down in his pockets He was afraid of saying something irremediably cruel
Rosamond too had changed colour as she read The letter ran in this way
»Dear Tertius Dont set your wife to write to me when you have
anything to ask It is a roundabout wheedling sort of thing which I
should not have credited you with I never choose to write to a woman on
matters of business As to my supplying you with a thousand pounds or
only half that sum I can do nothing of the sort My own family drains
me to the last penny With two younger sons and three daughters I am
not likely to have cash to spare You seem to have got through your own
money pretty quickly and to have made a mess where you are the sooner
you go somewhere else the better But I have nothing to do with men of
your profession and cant help you there I did the best I could for
you as guardian and let you have your own way in taking to medicine
You might have gone into the army or the Church Your money would have
held out for that and there would have been a surer ladder before you
Your uncle Charles has had a grudge against you for not going into his
profession but not I I have always wished you well but you must
consider yourself on your own legs entirely now Your affectionate
uncle
GODWIN LYDGATE«
When Rosamond had finished reading the letter she sat quite still with her
hands folded before her restraining any show of her keen disappointment and
intrenching herself in quiet passivity under her husbands wrath Lydgate paused
in his movements looked at her again and said with biting severity
»Will this be enough to convince you of the harm you may do by secret
meddling Have you sense enough to recognise now your incompetence to judge and
act for me to interfere with your ignorance in affairs which it belongs to me
to decide on«
The words were hard but this was not the first time that Lydgate had been
frustrated by her She did not look at him and made no reply
»I had nearly resolved on going to Quallingham It would have cost me pain
enough to do it yet it might have been of some use But it has been of no use
for me to think of anything You have always been counteracting me secretly You
delude me with a false assent and then I am at the mercy of your devices If
you mean to resist every wish I express say so and defy me I shall at least
know what I am doing then«
It is a terrible moment in young lives when the closeness of loves bond has
turned to this power of galling In spite of Rosamonds selfcontrol a tear fell
silently and rolled over her lips She still said nothing but under that
quietude was hidden an intense effect she was in such entire disgust with her
husband that she wished she had never seen him Sir Godwins rudeness towards
her and utter want of feeling ranged him with Dover and all other creditors
disagreeable people who only thought of themselves and did not mind how
annoying they were to her Even her father was unkind and might have done more
for them In fact there was but one person in Rosamonds world whom she did not
regard as blameworthy and that was the graceful creature with blond plaits and
with little hands crossed before her who had never expressed herself
unbecomingly and had always acted for the best the best naturally being what
she best liked
Lydgate pausing and looking at her began to feel that halfmaddening sense
of helplessness which comes over passionate people when their passion is met by
an innocentlooking silence whose meek victimised air seems to put them in the
wrong and at last infects even the justest indignation with a doubt of its
justice He needed to recover the full sense that he was in the right by
moderating his words
»Can you not see Rosamond« he began again trying to be simply grave and
not bitter »that nothing can be so fatal as a want of openness and confidence
between us It has happened again and again that I have expressed a decided
wish and you have seemed to assent yet after that you have secretly disobeyed
my wish In that way I can never know what I have to trust to There would be
some hope for us if you would admit this Am I such an unreasonable furious
brute Why should you not be open with me«
Still silence
»Will you only say that you have been mistaken and that I may depend on
your not acting secretly in future« said Lydgate urgently but with something
of request in his tone which Rosamond was quick to perceive She spoke with
coolness
»I cannot possibly make admissions or promises in answer to such words as
you have used towards me I have not been accustomed to language of that kind
You have spoken of my secret meddling and my interfering ignorance and my
false assent I have never expressed myself in that way to you and I think that
you ought to apologise You spoke of its being impossible to live with me
Certainly you have not made my life pleasant to me of late I think it was to be
expected that I should try to avert some of the hardships which our marriage has
brought on me« Another tear fell as Rosamond ceased speaking and she pressed
it away as quietly as the first
Lydgate flung himself into a chair feeling checkmated What place was there
in her mind for a remonstrance to lodge in He laid down his hat flung an arm
over the back of his chair and looked down for some moments without speaking
Rosamond had the double purchase over him of insensibility to the point of
justice in his reproach and of sensibility to the undeniable hardships now
present in her married life Although her duplicity in the affair of the house
had exceeded what he knew and had really hindered the Plymdales from knowing of
it she had no consciousness that her action could rightly be called false We
are not obliged to identify our own acts according to a strict classification
any more than the materials of our grocery and clothes Rosamond felt that she
was aggrieved and that this was what Lydgate had to recognise
As for him the need of accommodating himself to her nature which was
inflexible in proportion to its negations held him as with pincers He had
begun to have an alarmed foresight of her irrevocable loss of love for him and
the consequent dreariness of their life The ready fulness of his emotions made
this dread alternate quickly with the first violent movements of his anger It
would assuredly have been a vain boast in him to say that he was her master
»You have not made my life pleasant to me of late« »the hardships which
our marriage has brought on me« these words were stinging his imagination as a
pain makes an exaggerated dream If he were not only to sink from his highest
resolve but to sink into the hideous fettering of domestic hate
»Rosamond« he said turning his eyes on her with a melancholy look »you
should allow for a mans words when he is disappointed and provoked You and I
cannot have opposite interests I cannot part my happiness from yours If I am
angry with you it is that you seem not to see how any concealment divides us
How could I wish to make anything hard to you either by my words or conduct
When I hurt you I hurt part of my own life I should never be angry with you if
you would be quite open with me«
»I have only wished to prevent you from hurrying us into wretchedness
without any necessity« said Rosamond the tears coming again from a softened
feeling now that her husband had softened »It is so very hard to be disgraced
here among all the people we know and to live in such a miserable way I wish I
had died with the baby«
She spoke and wept with that gentleness which makes such words and tears
omnipotent over a lovinghearted man Lydgate drew his chair near to hers and
pressed her delicate head against his cheek with his powerful tender hand He
only caressed her he did not say anything for what was there to say He could
not promise to shield her from the dreaded wretchedness for he could see no
sure means of doing so When he left her to go out again he told himself that
it was ten times harder for her than for him he had a life away from home and
constant appeals to his activity on behalf of others He wished to excuse
everything in her if he could but it was inevitable that in that excusing mood
he should think of her as if she were an animal of another and feebler species
Nevertheless she had mastered him
Chapter LXVI
»Tis one thing to be tempted Escalus
Another thing to fall«
Measure for Measure
Lydgate certainly had good reason to reflect on the service his practice did him
in counteracting his personal cares He had no longer free energy enough for
spontaneous research and speculative thinking but by the bedside of patients
the direct external calls on his judgment and sympathies brought the added
impulse needed to draw him out of himself It was not simply that beneficent
harness of routine which enables silly men to live respectably and unhappy men
to live calmly it was a perpetual claim on the immediate fresh application of
thought and on the consideration of anothers need and trial Many of us
looking back through life would say that the kindest man we have ever known has
been a medical man or perhaps that surgeon whose fine tact directed by
deeplyinformed perception has come to us in our need with a more sublime
beneficence than that of miracleworkers Some of that twiceblessed mercy was
always with Lydgate in his work at the Hospital or in private houses serving
better than any opiate to quiet and sustain him under his anxieties and his
sense of mental degeneracy
Mr Farebrothers suspicion as to the opiate was true however Under the
first galling pressure of foreseen difficulties and the first perception that
his marriage if it were not to be a yoked loneliness must be a state of effort
to go on loving without too much care about being loved he had once or twice
tried a dose of opium But he had no hereditary constitutional craving after
such transient escapes from the hauntings of misery He was strong could drink
a great deal of wine but did not care about it and when the men round him were
drinking spirits he took sugar and water having a contemptuous pity even for
the earliest stages of excitement from drink It was the same with gambling He
had looked on at a great deal of gambling in Paris watching it as if it had
been a disease He was no more tempted by such winning than he was by drink He
had said to himself that the only winning he cared for must be attained by a
conscious process of high difficult combination tending towards a beneficent
result The power he longed for could not be represented by agitated fingers
clutching a heap of coin or by the halfbarbarous halfidiotic triumph in the
eyes of a man who sweeps within his arms the ventures of twenty chapfallen
companions
But just as he had tried opium so his thought now began to turn upon
gambling not with appetite for its excitement but with a sort of wistful
inward gaze after that easy way of getting money which implied no asking and
brought no responsibility If he had been in London or Paris at that time it is
probable that such thoughts seconded by opportunity would have taken him into
a gamblinghouse no longer to watch the gamblers but to watch with them in
kindred eagerness Repugnance would have been surmounted by the immense need to
win if chance would be kind enough to let him An incident which happened not
very long after that airy notion of getting aid from his uncle had been
excluded was a strong sign of the effect that might have followed any extant
opportunity of gambling
The billiardroom at the Green Dragon was the constant resort of a certain
set most of whom like our acquaintance Mr Bambridge were regarded as men of
pleasure It was here that poor Fred Vincy had made part of his memorable debt
having lost money in betting and been obliged to borrow of that gay companion
It was generally known in Middlemarch that a good deal of money was lost and won
in this way and the consequent repute of the Green Dragon as a place of
dissipation naturally heightened in some quarters the temptation to go there
Probably its regular visitants like the initiates of freemasonry wished that
there were something a little more tremendous to keep to themselves concerning
it but they were not a closed community and many decent seniors as well as
juniors occasionally turned into the billiardroom to see what was going on
Lydgate who had the muscular aptitude for billiards and was fond of the game
had once or twice in the early days after his arrival in Middlemarch taken his
turn with the cue at the Green Dragon but afterwards he had no leisure for the
game and no inclination for the socialities there One evening however he had
occasion to seek Mr Bambridge at that resort The horsedealer had engaged to
get him a customer for his remaining good horse for which Lydgate had
determined to substitute a cheap hack hoping by this reduction of style to get
perhaps twenty pounds and he cared now for every small sum as a help towards
feeding the patience of his tradesmen To run up to the billiardroom as he was
passing would save time
Mr Bambridge was not yet come but would be sure to arrive byandby said
his friend Mr Horrock and Lydgate stayed playing a game for the sake of
passing the time That evening he had the peculiar light in the eyes and the
unusual vivacity which had been once noticed in him by Mr Farebrother The
exceptional fact of his presence was much noticed in the room where there was a
good deal of Middlemarch company and several lookerson as well as some of the
players were betting with animation Lydgate was playing well and felt
confident the bets were dropping round him and with a swift glancing thought
of the probable gain which might double the sum he was saving from his horse he
began to bet on his own play and won again and again Mr Bambridge had come
in but Lydgate did not notice him He was not only excited with his play but
visions were gleaming on him of going the next day to Brassing where there was
gambling on a grander scale to be had and where by one powerful snatch at the
devils bait he might carry it off without the hook and buy his rescue from
his daily solicitings
He was still winning when two new visitors entered One of them was a young
Hawley just come from his law studies in town and the other was Fred Vincy
who had spent several evenings of late at this old haunt of his Young Hawley
an accomplished billiardplayer brought a cool fresh hand to the cue But Fred
Vincy startled at seeing Lydgate and astonished to see him betting with an
excited air stood aside and kept out of the circle round the table
Fred had been rewarding resolution by a little laxity of late He had been
working heartily for six months at all outdoor occupations under Mr Garth and
by dint of severe practice had nearly mastered the defects of his handwriting
this practice being perhaps a little the less severe that it was often carried
on in the evening at Mr Garths under the eyes of Mary But the last fortnight
Mary had been staying at Lowick Parsonage with the ladies there during Mr
Farebrothers residence in Middlemarch where he was carrying out some parochial
plans and Fred not seeing anything more agreeable to do had turned into the
Green Dragon partly to play at billiards partly to taste the old flavour of
discourse about horses sport and things in general considered from a point of
view which was not strenuously correct He had not been out hunting once this
season had had no horse of his own to ride and had gone from place to place
chiefly with Mr Garth in his gig or on the sober cob which Mr Garth could
lend him It was a little too bad Fred began to think that he should be kept
in the traces with more severity than if he had been a clergyman »I will tell
you what Mistress Mary it will be rather harder work to learn surveying and
drawing plans than it would have been to write sermons« he had said wishing
her to appreciate what he went through for her sake »and as to Hercules and
Theseus they were nothing to me They had sport and never learned to write a
bookkeeping hand« And now Mary being out of the way for a little while Fred
like any other strong dog who cannot slip his collar had pulled up the staple
of his chain and made a small escape not of course meaning to go fast or far
There could be no reason why he should not play at billiards but he was
determined not to bet As to money just now Fred had in his mind the heroic
project of saving almost all of the eighty pounds that Mr Garth offered him
and returning it which he could easily do by giving up all futile
moneyspending since he had a superfluous stock of clothes and no expense in
his board In that way he could in one year go a good way towards repaying the
ninety pounds of which he had deprived Mrs Garth unhappily at a time when she
needed that sum more than she did now Nevertheless it must be acknowledged
that on this evening which was the fifth of his recent visits to the
billiardroom Fred had not in his pocket but in his mind the ten pounds
which he meant to reserve for himself from his halfyears salary having before
him the pleasure of carrying thirty to Mrs Garth when Mary was likely to be
come home again he had those ten pounds in his mind as a fund from which he
might risk something if there were a chance of a good bet Why Well when
sovereigns were flying about why shouldnt he catch a few He would never go
far along that road again but a man likes to assure himself and men of
pleasure generally what he could do in the way of mischief if he chose and
that if he abstains from making himself ill or beggaring himself or talking
with the utmost looseness which the narrow limits of human capacity will allow
it is not because he is a spooney Fred did not enter into formal reasons which
are a very artificial inexact way of representing the tingling returns of old
habit and the caprices of young blood but there was lurking in him a prophetic
sense that evening that when he began to play he should also begin to bet
that he should enjoy some punchdrinking and in general prepare himself for
feeling »rather seedy« in the morning It is in such indefinable movements that
action often begins
But the last thing likely to have entered Freds expectation was that he
should see his brotherinlaw Lydgate of whom he had never quite dropped the
old opinion that he was a prig and tremendously conscious of his superiority
looking excited and betting just as he himself might have done Fred felt a
shock greater than he could quite account for by the vague knowledge that
Lydgate was in debt and that his father had refused to help him and his own
inclination to enter into the play was suddenly checked It was a strange
reversal of attitudes Freds blond face and blue eyes usually bright and
careless ready to give attention to anything that held out a promise of
amusement looking involuntarily grave and almost embarrassed as if by the sight
of something unfitting while Lydgate who had habitually an air of
self-possessed strength and a certain meditativeness that seemed to lie behind
his most observant attention was acting watching speaking with that excited
narrow consciousness which reminds one of an animal with fierce eyes and
retractile claws
Lydgate by betting on his own strokes had won sixteen pounds but young
Hawleys arrival had changed the poise of things He made firstrate strokes
himself and began to bet against Lydgates strokes the strain of whose nerves
was thus changed from simple confidence in his own movements to defying another
persons doubt in them The defiance was more exciting than the confidence but
it was less sure He continued to bet on his own play but began often to fail
Still he went on for his mind was as utterly narrowed into that precipitous
crevice of play as if he had been the most ignorant lounger there Fred observed
that Lydgate was losing fast and found himself in the new situation of puzzling
his brains to think of some device by which without being offensive he could
withdraw Lydgates attention and perhaps suggest to him a reason for quitting
the room He saw that others were observing Lydgates strange unlikeness to
himself and it occurred to him that merely to touch his elbow and call him
aside for a moment might rouse him from his absorption He could think of
nothing cleverer than the daring improbability of saying that he wanted to see
Rosy and wished to know if she were at home this evening and he was going
desperately to carry out this weak device when a waiter came up to him with a
message saying that Mr Farebrother was below and begged to speak with him
Fred was surprised not quite comfortably but sending word that he would be
down immediately he went with a new impulse up to Lydgate said »Can I speak
to you a moment« and drew him aside
»Farebrother has just sent up a message to say that he wants to speak to me
He is below I thought you might like to know he was there if you had anything
to say to him«
Fred had simply snatched up this pretext for speaking because he could not
say »You are losing confoundedly and are making everybody stare at you you
had better come away« But inspiration could hardly have served him better
Lydgate had not before seen that Fred was present and his sudden appearance
with an announcement of Mr Farebrother had the effect of a sharp concussion
»No no« said Lydgate »I have nothing particular to say to him But the
game is up I must be going I came in just to see Bambridge«
»Bambridge is over there but he is making a row I dont think hes ready
for business Come down with me to Farebrother I expect he is going to blow me
up and you will shield me« said Fred with some adroitness
Lydgate felt shame but could not bear to act as if he felt it by refusing
to see Mr Farebrother and he went down They merely shook hands however and
spoke of the frost and when all three had turned into the street the Vicar
seemed quite willing to say goodbye to Lydgate His present purpose was clearly
to talk with Fred alone and he said kindly »I disturbed you young gentleman
because I have some pressing business with you Walk with me to St Botolphs
will you«
It was a fine night the sky thick with stars and Mr Farebrother proposed
that they should make a circuit to the old church by the London road The next
thing he said was
»I thought Lydgate never went to the Green Dragon«
»So did I« said Fred »But he said that he went to see Bambridge«
»He was not playing then«
Fred had not meant to tell this but he was obliged now to say »Yes he
was But I suppose it was an accidental thing I have never seen him there
before«
»You have been going often yourself then lately«
»Oh about five or six times«
»I think you had some good reason for giving up the habit of going there«
»Yes You know all about it« said Fred not liking to be catechised in this
way »I made a clean breast to you«
»I suppose that gives me a warrant to speak about the matter now It is
understood between us is it not that we are on a footing of open friendship
I have listened to you and you will be willing to listen to me I may take my
turn in talking a little about myself«
»I am under the deepest obligation to you Mr Farebrother« said Fred in a
state of uncomfortable surmise
»I will not affect to deny that you are under some obligation to me But I
am going to confess to you Fred that I have been tempted to reverse all that
by keeping silence with you just now When somebody said to me Young Vincy has
taken to being at the billiardtable every night again he wont bear the curb
long I was tempted to do the opposite of what I am doing to hold my tongue
and wait while you went down the ladder again betting first and then «
»I have not made any bets« said Fred hastily
»Glad to hear it But I say my prompting was to look on and see you take
the wrong turning wear out Garths patience and lose the best opportunity of
your life the opportunity which you made some rather difficult effort to
secure You can guess the feeling which raised that temptation in me I am sure
you know it I am sure you know that the satisfaction of your affections stands
in the way of mine«
There was a pause Mr Farebrother seemed to wait for a recognition of the
fact and the emotion perceptible in the tones of his fine voice gave solemnity
to his words But no feeling could quell Freds alarm
»I could not be expected to give her up« he said after a moments
hesitation it was not a case for any pretence of generosity
»Clearly not when her affection met yours But relations of this sort even
when they are of long standing are always liable to change I can easily
conceive that you might act in a way to loosen the tie she feels towards you
it must be remembered that she is only conditionally bound to you and that in
that case another man who may flatter himself that he has a hold on her
regard might succeed in winning that firm place in her love as well as respect
which you had let slip I can easily conceive such a result« repeated Mr
Farebrother emphatically »There is a companionship of ready sympathy which
might get the advantage even over the longest associations«
It seemed to Fred that if Mr Farebrother had had a beak and talons instead
of his very capable tongue his mode of attack could hardly be more cruel He
had a horrible conviction that behind all this hypothetic statement there was a
knowledge of some actual change in Marys feeling
»Of course I know it might easily be all up with me« he said in a troubled
voice »If she is beginning to compare « He broke off not liking to betray
all he felt and then said by the help of a little bitterness »But I thought
you were friendly to me«
»So I am that is why we are here But I have had a strong disposition to be
otherwise I have said to myself If there is a likelihood of that youngster
doing himself harm why should you interfere Arent you worth as much as he is
and dont your sixteen years over and above his in which you have gone rather
hungry give you more right to satisfaction than he has If theres a chance of
his going to the dogs let him perhaps you could nohow hinder it and do you
take the benefit«
There was a pause in which Fred was seized by a most uncomfortable chill
What was coming next He dreaded to hear that something had been said to Mary
he felt as if he were listening to a threat rather than a warning When the
Vicar began again there was a change in his tone like the encouraging transition
to a major key
»But I had once meant better than that and I am come back to my old
intention I thought that I could hardly secure myself in it better Fred than
by telling you just what had gone on in me And now do you understand me I
want you to make the happiness of her life and your own and if there is any
chance that a word of warning from me may turn aside any risk to the contrary
well I have uttered it«
There was a drop in the Vicars voice when he spoke the last words He
paused they were standing on a patch of green where the road diverged towards
St Botolphs and he put out his hand as if to imply that the conversation was
closed Fred was moved quite newly Some one highly susceptible to the
contemplation of a fine act has said that it produces a sort of regenerating
shudder through the frame and makes one feel ready to begin a new life A good
degree of that effect was just then present in Fred Vincy
»I will try to be worthy« he said breaking off before he could say »of you
as well as of her« And meanwhile Mr Farebrother had gathered the impulse to
say something more
»You must not imagine that I believe there is at present any decline in her
preference of you Fred Set your heart at rest that if you keep right other
things will keep right«
»I shall never forget what you have done« Fred answered »I cant say
anything that seems worth saying only I will try that your goodness shall not
be thrown away«
»Thats enough Goodbye and God bless you«
In that way they parted But both of them walked about a long while before
they went out of the starlight Much of Freds rumination might be summed up in
the words »It certainly would have been a fine thing for her to marry
Farebrother but if she loves me best and I am a good husband«
Perhaps Mr Farebrothers might be concentrated into a single shrug and one
little speech »To think of the part one little woman can play in the life of a
man so that to renounce her may be a very good imitation of heroism and to win
her may be a discipline«
Chapter LXVII
Now is there civil war within the soul
Resolve is thrust from off the sacred throne
By clamorous Needs and Pride the grandvizier
Makes humble compact plays the supple part
Of envoy and defttongued apologist
For hungry rebels
Happily Lydgate had ended by losing in the billiardroom and brought away no
encouragement to make a raid on luck On the contrary he felt unmixed disgust
with himself the next day when he had to pay four or five pounds over and above
his gains and he carried about with him a most unpleasant vision of the figure
he had made not only rubbing elbows with the men at the Green Dragon but
behaving just as they did A philosopher fallen to betting is hardly
distinguishable from a Philistine under the same circumstances the difference
will chiefly be found in his subsequent reflections and Lydgate chewed a very
disagreeable cud in that way His reason told him how the affair might have been
magnified into ruin by a slight change of scenery if it had been a
gamblinghouse that he had turned into where chance could be clutched with both
hands instead of being picked up with thumb and forefinger Nevertheless though
reason strangled the desire to gamble there remained the feeling that with an
assurance of luck to the needful amount he would have liked to gamble rather
than take the alternative which was beginning to urge itself as inevitable
That alternative was to apply to Mr Bulstrode Lydgate had so many times
boasted both to himself and others that he was totally independent of Bulstrode
to whose plans he had lent himself solely because they enabled him to carry out
his own ideas of professional work and public benefit he had so constantly in
their personal intercourse had his pride sustained by the sense that he was
making a good social use of this predominating banker whose opinions he thought
contemptible and whose motives often seemed to him an absurd mixture of
contradictory impressions that he had been creating for himself strong ideal
obstacles to the proffering of any considerable request to him on his own
account
Still early in March his affairs were at that pass in which men begin to
say that their oaths were delivered in ignorance and to perceive that the act
which they had called impossible to them is becoming manifestly possible With
Dovers ugly security soon to be put in force with the proceeds of his practice
immediately absorbed in paying backdebts and with the chance if the worst
were known of daily supplies being refused on credit above all with the vision
of Rosamonds hopeless discontent continually haunting him Lydgate had begun to
see that he should inevitably bend himself to ask help from somebody or other
At first he had considered whether he should write to Mr Vincy but on
questioning Rosamond he found that as he had suspected she had already applied
twice to her father the last time being since the disappointment from Sir
Godwin and papa had said that Lydgate must look out for himself »Papa said he
had come with one bad year after another to trade more and more on borrowed
capital and had had to give up many indulgences he could not spare a single
hundred from the charges of his family He said let Lydgate ask Bulstrode they
have always been hand and glove«
Indeed Lydgate himself had come to the conclusion that if he must end by
asking for a free loan his relations with Bulstrode more at least than with
any other man might take the shape of a claim which was not purely personal
Bulstrode had indirectly helped to cause the failure of his practice and had
also been highly gratified by getting a medical partner in his plans but who
among us ever reduced himself to the sort of dependence in which Lydgate now
stood without trying to believe that he had claims which diminished the
humiliation of asking It was true that of late there had seemed to be a new
languor of interest in Bulstrode about the Hospital but his health had got
worse and showed signs of a deepseated nervous affection In other respects he
did not appear to be changed he had always been highly polite but Lydgate had
observed in him from the first a marked coldness about his marriage and other
private circumstances a coldness which he had hitherto preferred to any warmth
of familiarity between them He deferred the intention from day to day his
habit of acting on his conclusions being made infirm by his repugnance to every
possible conclusion and its consequent act He saw Mr Bulstrode often but he
did not try to use any occasion for his private purpose At one moment he
thought »I will write a letter I prefer that to any circuitous talk« at
another he thought »No if I were talking to him I could make a retreat before
any signs of disinclination«
Still the days passed and no letter was written no special interview
sought In his shrinking from the humiliation of a dependent attitude towards
Bulstrode he began to familiarise his imagination with another step even more
unlike his remembered self He began spontaneously to consider whether it would
be possible to carry out that puerile notion of Rosamonds which had often made
him angry namely that they should quit Middlemarch without seeing anything
beyond that preface The question came »Would any man buy the practice of me
even now for as little as it is worth Then the sale might happen as a
necessary preparation for going away«
But against his taking this step which he still felt to be a contemptible
relinquishment of present work a guilty turning aside from what was a real and
might be a widening channel for worthy activity to start again without any
justified destination there was this obstacle that the purchaser if
procurable at all might not be quickly forthcoming And afterwards Rosamond in
a poor lodging though in the largest city or most distant town would not find
the life that could save her from gloom and save him from the reproach of
having plunged her into it For when a man is at the foot of the hill in his
fortunes he may stay a long while there in spite of professional
accomplishment In the British climate there is no incompatibility between
scientific insight and furnished lodgings the incompatibility is chiefly
between scientific ambition and a wife who objects to that kind of residence
But in the midst of his hesitation opportunity came to decide him A note
from Mr Bulstrode requested Lydgate to call on him at the Bank A
hypochondriacal tendency had shown itself in the bankers constitution of late
and a lack of sleep which was really only a slight exaggeration of an habitual
dyspeptic symptom had been dwelt on by him as a sign of threatening insanity
He wanted to consult Lydgate without delay on that particular morning although
he had nothing to tell beyond what he had told before He listened eagerly to
what Lydgate had to say in dissipation of his fears though this too was only
repetition and this moment in which Bulstrode was receiving a medical opinion
with a sense of comfort seemed to make the communication of a personal need to
him easier than it had been in Lydgates contemplation beforehand He had been
insisting that it would be well for Mr Bulstrode to relax his attention to
business
»One sees how any mental strain however slight may affect a delicate
frame« said Lydgate at that stage of the consultation when the remarks tend to
pass from the personal to the general »by the deep stamp which anxiety will
make for a time even on the young and vigorous I am naturally very strong yet
I have been thoroughly shaken lately by an accumulation of trouble«
»I presume that a constitution in the susceptible state in which mine at
present is would be especially liable to fall a victim to cholera if it
visited our district And since its appearance near London we may well besiege
the Mercyseat for our protection« said Mr Bulstrode not intending to evade
Lydgates allusion but really preoccupied with alarms about himself
»You have at all events taken your share in using good practical precautions
for the town and that is the best mode of asking for protection« said Lydgate
with a strong distaste for the broken metaphor and bad logic of the bankers
religion somewhat increased by the apparent deafness of his sympathy But his
mind had taken up its longprepared movement towards getting help and was not
yet arrested He added »The town has done well in the way of cleansing and
finding appliances and I think that if the cholera should come even our
enemies will admit that the arrangements in the Hospital are a public good«
»Truly« said Mr Bulstrode with some coldness »With regard to what you
say Mr Lydgate about the relaxation of my mental labour I have for some time
been entertaining a purpose to that effect a purpose of a very decided
character I contemplate at least a temporary withdrawal from the management of
much business whether benevolent or commercial Also I think of changing my
residence for a time probably I shall close or let The Shrubs and take some
place near the coast under advice of course as to salubrity That would be a
measure which you would recommend«
»Oh yes« said Lydgate falling backward in his chair with illrepressed
impatience under the bankers pale earnest eyes and intense preoccupation with
himself
»I have for some time felt that I should open this subject with you in
relation to our Hospital« continued Bulstrode »Under the circumstances I have
indicated of course I must cease to have any personal share in the management
and it is contrary to my views of responsibility to continue a large application
of means to an institution which I cannot watch over and to some extent
regulate I shall therefore in case of my ultimate decision to leave
Middlemarch consider that I withdraw other support to the New Hospital than
that which will subsist in the fact that I chiefly supplied the expenses of
building it and have contributed further large sums to its successful working«
Lydgates thought when Bulstrode paused according to his wont was »He has
perhaps been losing a good deal of money« This was the most plausible
explanation of a speech which had caused rather a startling change in his
expectations He said in reply
»The loss to the Hospital can hardly be made up I fear«
»Hardly« returned Bulstrode in the same deliberate silvery tone »except
by some changes of plan The only person who may be certainly counted on as
willing to increase her contributions is Mrs Casaubon I have had an interview
with her on the subject and I have pointed out to her as I am about to do to
you that it will be desirable to win a more general support to the New Hospital
by a change of system«
Another pause but Lydgate did not speak
»The change I mean is an amalgamation with the Infirmary so that the New
Hospital shall be regarded as a special addition to the elder institution
having the same directing board It will be necessary also that the medical
management of the two shall be combined In this way any difficulty as to the
adequate maintenance of our new establishment will be removed the benevolent
interests of the town will cease to be divided«
Mr Bulstrode had lowered his eyes from Lydgates face to the buttons of his
coat as he again paused
»No doubt that is a good device as to ways and means« said Lydgate with an
edge of irony in his tone »But I cant be expected to rejoice in it at once
since one of the first results will be that the other medical men will upset or
interrupt my methods if it were only because they are mine«
»I myself as you know Mr Lydgate highly valued the opportunity of new
and independent procedure which you have diligently employed the original plan
I confess was one which I had much at heart under submission to the Divine
Will But since providential indications demand a renunciation from me I
renounce«
Bulstrode showed a rather exasperating ability in this conversation The
broken metaphor and bad logic of motive which had stirred his hearers contempt
were quite consistent with a mode of putting the facts which made it difficult
for Lydgate to vent his own indignation and disappointment After some rapid
reflection he only asked
»What did Mrs Casaubon say«
»That was the further statement which I wished to make to you« said
Bulstrode who had thoroughly prepared his ministerial explanation »She is you
are aware a woman of most munificent disposition and happily in possession
not I presume of great wealth but of funds which she can well spare She has
informed me that though she had destined the chief part of those funds to
another purpose she is willing to consider whether she cannot fully take my
place in relation to the Hospital But she wishes for ample time to mature her
thoughts on the subject and I have told her that there is no need for haste
that in fact my own plans are not yet absolute«
Lydgate was ready to say »If Mrs Casaubon would take your place there
would be gain instead of loss« But there was still a weight on his mind which
arrested this cheerful candour He replied »I suppose then that I may enter
into the subject with Mrs Casaubon«
»Precisely that is what she expressly desires Her decision she says will
much depend on what you can tell her But not at present she is I believe
just setting out on a journey I have her letter here« said Mr Bulstrode
drawing it out and reading from it »I am immediately otherwise engaged she
says I am going into Yorkshire with Sir James and Lady Chettam and the
conclusions I come to about some land which I am to see there may affect my
power of contributing to the Hospital Thus Mr Lydgate there is no haste
necessary in this matter but I wished to apprise you beforehand of what may
possibly occur«
Mr Bulstrode returned the letter to his sidepocket and changed his
attitude as if his business were closed Lydgate whose renewed hope about the
Hospital only made him more conscious of the facts which poisoned his hope felt
that his effort after help if made at all must be made now and vigorously
»I am much obliged to you for giving me full notice« he said with a firm
intention in his tone yet with an interruptedness in his delivery which showed
that he spoke unwillingly »The highest object to me is my profession and I had
identified the Hospital with the best use I can at present make of my
profession But the best use is not always the same with monetary success
Everything which has made the Hospital unpopular has helped with other causes
I think they are all connected with my professional zeal to make me unpopular
as a practitioner I get chiefly patients who cant pay me I should like them
best if I had nobody to pay on my own side« Lydgate waited a little but
Bulstrode only bowed looking at him fixedly and he went on with the same
interrupted enunciation as if he were biting an objectionable leek
»I have slipped into money difficulties which I can see no way out of
unless some one who trusts me and my future will advance me a sum without other
security I had very little fortune left when I came here I have no prospects
of money from my own family My expenses in consequence of my marriage have
been very much greater than I had expected The result at this moment is that it
would take a thousand pounds to clear me I mean to free me from the risk of
having all my goods sold in security of my largest debt as well as to pay my
other debts and leave anything to keep us a little beforehand with our small
income I find that it is out of the question that my wifes father should make
such an advance That is why I mention my position to to the only other man
who may be held to have some personal connection with my prosperity or ruin«
Lydgate hated to hear himself But he had spoken now and had spoken with
unmistakable directness Mr Bulstrode replied without haste but also without
hesitation
»I am grieved though I confess not surprised by this information Mr
Lydgate For my own part I regretted your alliance with my brotherinlaws
family which has always been of prodigal habits and which has already been
much indebted to me for sustainment in its present position My advice to you
Mr Lydgate would be that instead of involving yourself in further
obligations and continuing a doubtful struggle you should simply become a
bankrupt«
»That would not improve my prospect« said Lydgate rising and speaking
bitterly »even if it were a more agreeable thing in itself.«
»It is always a trial« said Mr Bulstrode »but trial my dear sir is our
portion here and is a needed corrective I recommend you to weigh the advice I
have given«
»Thank you« said Lydgate not quite knowing what he said »I have occupied
you too long Goodday«
Chapter LXVIII
»What suit of grace hath Virtue to put on
If Vice shall wear as good and do as well
If Wrong if Craft if Indiscretion
Act as fair parts with ends as laudable
Which all this mighty volume of events
The world the universal map of deeds
Strongly controls and proves from all descents
That the directest course still best succeeds
For should not grave and learnd Experience
That looks with the eyes of all the world beside
And with all ages holds intelligence
Go safer than Deceit without a guide«
Daniel Musophilus
That change of plan and shifting of interest which Bulstrode stated or betrayed
in his conversation with Lydgate had been determined in him by some severe
experience which he had gone through since the epoch of Mr Larchers sale when
Raffles had recognised Will Ladislaw and when the banker had in vain attempted
an act of restitution which might move Divine Providence to arrest painful
consequences
His certainty that Raffles unless he were dead would return to Middlemarch
before long had been justified On Christmas Eve he had reappeared at The
Shrubs Bulstrode was at home to receive him and hinder his communication with
the rest of the family but he could not altogether hinder the circumstances of
the visit from compromising himself and alarming his wife Raffles proved more
unmanageable than he had shown himself to be in his former appearances his
chronic state of mental restlessness the growing effect of habitual
intemperance quickly shaking off every impression from what was said to him He
insisted on staying in the house and Bulstrode weighing two sets of evils
felt that this was at least not a worse alternative than his going into the
town He kept him in his own room for the evening and saw him to bed Raffles
all the while amusing himself with the annoyance he was causing this decent and
highly prosperous fellowsinner an amusement which he facetiously expressed as
sympathy with his friends pleasure in entertaining a man who had been
serviceable to him and who had not had all his earnings There was a cunning
calculation under this noisy joking a cool resolve to extract something the
handsomer from Bulstrode as payment for release from this new application of
torture But his cunning had a little overcast its mark
Bulstrode was indeed more tortured than the coarse fibre of Raffles could
enable him to imagine He had told his wife that he was simply taking care of
this wretched creature the victim of vice who might otherwise injure himself
he implied without the direct form of falsehood that there was a family tie
which bound him to this care and that there were signs of mental alienation in
Raffles which urged caution He would himself drive the unfortunate being away
the next morning In these hints he felt that he was supplying Mrs Bulstrode
with precautionary information for his daughters and servants and accounting
for his allowing no one but himself to enter the room even with food and drink
But he sat in an agony of fear lest Raffles should be overheard in his loud and
plain references to past facts lest Mrs Bulstrode should be even tempted to
listen at the door How could he hinder her how betray his terror by opening
the door to detect her She was a woman of honest direct habits and little
likely to take so low a course in order to arrive at painful knowledge but fear
was stronger than the calculation of probabilities
In this way Raffles had pushed the torture too far and produced an effect
which had not been in his plan By showing himself hopelessly unmanageable he
had made Bulstrode feel that a strong defiance was the only resource left After
taking Raffles to bed that night the banker ordered his closed carriage to be
ready at halfpast seven the next morning At six oclock he had already been
long dressed and had spent some of his wretchedness in prayer pleading his
motives for averting the worst evil if in anything he had used falsity and
spoken what was not true before God For Bulstrode shrank from a direct lie with
an intensity disproportionate to the number of his more indirect misdeeds But
many of these misdeeds were like the subtle muscular movements which are not
taken account of in the consciousness though they bring about the end that we
fix our mind on and desire And it is only what we are vividly conscious of that
we can vividly imagine to be seen by Omniscience
Bulstrode carried his candle to the bedside of Raffles who was apparently
in a painful dream He stood silent hoping that the presence of the light would
serve to waken the sleeper gradually and gently for he feared some noise as the
consequence of a too sudden awakening He had watched for a couple of minutes or
more the shudderings and pantings which seemed likely to end in waking when
Raffles with a long halfstifled moan started up and stared round him in
terror trembling and gasping But he made no further noise and Bulstrode
setting down the candle awaited his recovery
It was a quarter of an hour later before Bulstrode with a cold
peremptoriness of manner which he had not before shown said »I came to call
you thus early Mr Raffles because I have ordered the carriage to be ready at
halfpast seven and intend myself to conduct you as far as Ilsely where you
can either take the railway or await a coach«
Raffles was about to speak but Bulstrode anticipated him imperiously with
the words »Be silent sir and hear what I have to say I shall supply you with
money now and I will furnish you with a reasonable sum from time to time on
your application to me by letter but if you choose to present yourself here
again if you return to Middlemarch if you use your tongue in a manner
injurious to me you will have to live on such fruits as your malice can bring
you without help from me Nobody will pay you well for blasting my name I know
the worst you can do against me and I shall brave it if you dare to thrust
yourself upon me again Get up sir and do as I order you without noise or I
will send for a policeman to take you off my premises and you may carry your
stories into every pothouse in the town but you shall have no sixpence from me
to pay your expenses there«
Bulstrode had rarely in his life spoken with such nervous energy he had
been deliberating on this speech and its probable effects through a large part
of the night and though he did not trust to its ultimately saving him from any
return of Raffles he had concluded that it was the best throw he could make It
succeeded in enforcing submission from the jaded man this morning his
empoisoned system at this moment quailed before Bulstrodes cold resolute
bearing and he was taken off quietly in the carriage before the family
breakfasttime The servants imagined him to be a poor relation and were not
surprised that a strict man like their master who held his head high in the
world should be ashamed of such a cousin and want to get rid of him The
bankers drive of ten miles with his hated companion was a dreary beginning of
the Christmas day but at the end of the drive Raffles had recovered his
spirits and parted in a contentment for which there was the good reason that
the banker had given him a hundred pounds Various motives urged Bulstrode to
this openhandness but he did not himself inquire closely into all of them As
he had stood watching Raffles in his uneasy sleep it had certainly entered his
mind that the man had been much shattered since the first gift of two hundred
pounds
He had taken care to repeat the incisive statement of his resolve not to be
played on any more and had tried to penetrate Raffles with the fact that he had
shown the risks of bribing him to be quite equal to the risks of defying him
But when freed from his repulsive presence Bulstrode returned to his quiet
home he brought with him no confidence that he had secured more than a respite
It was as if he had had a loathsome dream and could not shake off its images
with their hateful kindred of sensations as if on all the pleasant
surroundings of his life a dangerous reptile had left his slimy traces
Who can know how much of his most inward life is made up of the thoughts he
believes other men to have about him until that fabric of opinion is threatened
with ruin
Bulstrode was only the more conscious that there was a deposit of uneasy
presentiment in his wifes mind because she carefully avoided any allusion to
it He had been used every day to taste the flavour of supremacy and the tribute
of complete deference and the certainty that he was watched or measured with a
hidden suspicion of his having some discreditable secret made his voice totter
when he was speaking to edification Foreseeing to men of Bulstrodes anxious
temperament is often worse than seeing and his imagination continually
heightened the anguish of an imminent disgrace Yes imminent for if his
defiance of Raffles did not keep the man away and though he prayed for this
result he hardly hoped for it the disgrace was certain In vain he said to
himself that if permitted it would be a divine visitation a chastisement a
preparation he recoiled from the imagined burning and he judged that it must
be more for the Divine glory that he should escape dishonour That recoil had at
last urged him to make preparations for quitting Middlemarch If evil truth must
be reported of him he would then be at a less scorching distance from the
contempt of his old neighbours and in a new scene where his life would not
have gathered the same wide sensibility the tormentor if he pursued him would
be less formidable To leave the place finally would he knew be extremely
painful to his wife and on other grounds he would have preferred to stay where
he had struck root Hence he made his preparations at first in a conditional
way wishing to leave on all sides an opening for his return after brief
absence if any favourable intervention of Providence should dissipate his
fears He was preparing to transfer his management of the Bank and to give up
any active control of other commercial affairs in the neighbourhood on the
ground of his failing health but without excluding his future resumption of
such work The measure would cause him some added expense and some diminution of
income beyond what he had already undergone from the general depression of
trade and the Hospital presented itself as a principal object of outlay on
which he could fairly economise
This was the experience which had determined his conversation with Lydgate
But at this time his arrangements had most of them gone no farther than a stage
at which he could recall them if they proved to be unnecessary He continually
deferred the final steps in the midst of his fears like many a man who is in
danger of shipwreck or of being dashed from his carriage by runaway horses he
had a clinging impression that something would happen to hinder the worst and
that to spoil his life by a late transplantation might be overhasty
especially since it was difficult to account satisfactorily to his wife for the
project of their indefinite exile from the only place where she would like to
live
Among the affairs Bulstrode had to care for was the management of the farm
at Stone Court in case of his absence and on this as well as on all other
matters connected with any houses and land he possessed in or about Middlemarch
he had consulted Caleb Garth Like every one else who had business of that sort
he wanted to get the agent who was more anxious for his employers interests
than his own With regard to Stone Court since Bulstrode wished to retain his
hold on the stock and to have an arrangement by which he himself could if he
chose resume his favourite recreation of superintendence Caleb had advised him
not to trust to a mere bailiff but to let the land stock and implements
yearly and take a proportionate share of the proceeds
»May I trust to you to find me a tenant on these terms Mr Garth« said
Bulstrode »And will you mention to me the yearly sum which would repay you for
managing these affairs which we have discussed together«
»Ill think about it« said Caleb in his blunt away »Ill see how I can
make it out«
If it had not been that he had to consider Fred Vincys future Mr Garth
would not probably have been glad of any addition to his work of which his wife
was always fearing an excess for him as he grew older But on quitting Bulstrode
after that conversation a very alluring idea occurred to him about this said
letting of Stone Court What if Bulstrode would agree to his placing Fred Vincy
there on the understanding that he Caleb Garth should be responsible for the
management It would be an excellent schooling for Fred he might make a modest
income there and still have time left to get knowledge by helping in other
business He mentioned his notion to Mrs Garth with such evident delight that
she could not bear to chill his pleasure by expressing her constant fear of his
undertaking too much
»The lad would be as happy as two« he said throwing himself back in his
chair and looking radiant »if I could tell him it was all settled Think
Susan His mind had been running on that place for years before old Featherstone
died And it would be as pretty a turn of things as could be that he should hold
the place in a good industrious way after all by his taking to business For
its likely enough Bulstrode might let him go on and gradually buy the stock
He hasnt made up his mind I can see whether or not he shall settle somewhere
else as a lasting thing I never was better pleased with a notion in my life
And then the children might be married byandby Susan«
»You will not give any hint of the plan to Fred until you are sure that
Bulstrode would agree to the plan« said Mrs Garth in a tone of gentle
caution »And as to marriage Caleb we old people need not help to hasten it«
»Oh I dont know« said Caleb swinging his head aside »Marriage is a
taming thing Fred would want less of my bit and bridle However I shall say
nothing till I know the ground Im treading on I shall speak to Bulstrode
again«
He took his earliest opportunity of doing so Bulstrode had anything but a
warm interest in his nephew Fred Vincy but he had a strong wish to secure Mr
Garths services on many scattered points of business at which he was sure to be
a considerable loser if they were under less conscientious management On that
ground he made no objection to Mr Garths proposal and there was also another
reason why he was not sorry to give a consent which was to benefit one of the
Vincy family It was that Mrs Bulstrode having heard of Lydgates debts had
been anxious to know whether her husband could not do something for poor
Rosamond and had been much troubled on learning from him that Lydgates affairs
were not easily remediable and that the wisest plan was to let them »take their
course« Mrs Bulstrode had then said for the first time »I think you are
always a little hard towards my family Nicholas And I am sure I have no reason
to deny any of my relatives Too worldly they may be but no one ever had to say
that they were not respectable«
»My dear Harriet« said Mr Bulstrode wincing under his wifes eyes which
were filling with tears »I have supplied your brother with a great deal of
capital I cannot be expected to take care of his married children«
That seemed to be true and Mrs Bulstrodes remonstrance subsided into pity
for poor Rosamond whose extravagant education she had always foreseen the
fruits of
But remembering that dialogue Mr Bulstrode felt that when he had to talk
to his wife fully about his plan of quitting Middlemarch he should be glad to
tell her that he had made an arrangement which might be for the good of her
nephew Fred At present he had merely mentioned to her that he thought of
shutting up The Shrubs for a few months and taking a house on the Southern
Coast
Hence Mr Garth got the assurance he desired namely that in case of
Bulstrodes departure from Middlemarch for an indefinite time Fred Vincy should
be allowed to have the tenancy of Stone Court on the terms proposed
Caleb was so elated with his hope of this »neat turn« being given to things
that if his selfcontrol had not been braced by a little affectionate wifely
scolding he would have betrayed everything to Mary wanting »to give the child
comfort« However he restrained himself and kept in strict privacy from Fred
certain visits which he was making to Stone Court in order to look more
thoroughly into the state of the land and stock and take a preliminary
estimate He was certainly more eager in these visits than the probable speed of
events required him to be but he was stimulated by a fatherly delight in
occupying his mind with this bit of probable happiness which he held in store
like a hidden birthday gift for Fred and Mary
»But suppose the whole scheme should turn out to be a castle in the air«
said Mrs Garth
»Well well« replied Caleb »the castle will tumble about nobodys head«
Chapter LXIX
»If thou hast heard a word
let it die with thee«
Ecclesiasticus
Mr Bulstrode was still seated in his managers room at the Bank about three
oclock of the same day on which he had received Lydgate there when the clerk
entered to say that his horse was waiting and also that Mr Garth was outside
and begged to speak with him
»By all means« said Bulstrode and Caleb entered »Pray sit down Mr
Garth« continued the banker in his suavest tone »I am glad that you arrived
just in time to find me here I know you count your minutes«
»Oh« said Caleb gently with a slow swing of his head on one side as he
seated himself and laid his hat on the floor He looked at the ground leaning
forward and letting his long fingers droop between his legs while each finger
moved in succession as if it were sharing some thought which filled his large
quiet brow
Mr Bulstrode like every one else who knew Caleb was used to his slowness
in beginning to speak on any topic which he felt to be important and rather
expected that he was about to recur to the buying of some houses in Blindmans
Court for the sake of pulling them down as a sacrifice of property which would
be well repaid by the influx of air and light on that spot It was by
propositions of this kind that Caleb was sometimes troublesome to his employers
but he had usually found Bulstrode ready to meet him in projects of improvement
and they had got on well together When he spoke again however it was to say
in rather a subdued voice
»I have just come away from Stone Court Mr Bulstrode«
»You found nothing wrong there I hope« said the banker »I was there
myself yesterday Abel has done well with the lambs this year«
»Why yes« said Caleb looking up gravely »there is something wrong a
stranger who is very ill I think He wants a doctor and I came to tell you of
that His name is Raffles«
He saw the shock of his words passing through Bulstrodes frame On this
subject the banker had thought that his fears were too constantly on the watch
to be taken by surprise but he had been mistaken
»Poor wretch« he said in a compassionate tone though his lips trembled a
little »Do you know how he came there«
»I took him myself« said Caleb quietly »took him up in my gig He had
got down from the coach and was walking a little beyond the turning from the
tollhouse and I overtook him He remembered seeing me with you once before at
Stone Court and he asked me to take him on I saw he was ill it seemed to me
the right thing to do to carry him under shelter And now I think you should
lose no time in getting advice for him« Caleb took up his hat from the floor as
he ended and rose slowly from his seat
»Certainly« said Bulstrode whose mind was very active at this moment
»Perhaps you will yourself oblige me Mr Garth by calling at Mr Lydgates as
you pass or stay he may at this hour probably be at the Hospital I will
first send my man on the horse there with a note this instant and then I will
myself ride to Stone Court«
Bulstrode quickly wrote a note and went out himself to give the commission
to his man When he returned Caleb was standing as before with one hand on the
back of the chair holding his hat with the other In Bulstrodes mind the
dominant thought was »Perhaps Raffles only spoke to Garth of his illness Garth
may wonder as he must have done before at this disreputable fellows claiming
intimacy with me but he will know nothing And he is friendly to me I can be
of use to him«
He longed for some confirmation of this hopeful conjecture but to have
asked any question as to what Raffles had said or done would have been to betray
fear
»I am exceedingly obliged to you Mr Garth« he said in his usual tone of
politeness »My servant will be back in a few minutes and I shall then go
myself to see what can be done for this unfortunate man Perhaps you had some
other business with me If so pray be seated«
»Thank you« said Caleb making a slight gesture with his right hand to
waive the invitation »I wish to say Mr Bulstrode that I must request you to
put your business into some other hands than mine I am obliged to you for your
handsome way of meeting me about the letting of Stone Court and all other
business But I must give it up«
A sharp certainty entered like a stab into Bulstrodes soul
»This is sudden Mr Garth« was all he could say at first
»It is« said Caleb »but it is quite fixed I must give it up«
He spoke with a firmness which was very gentle and yet he could see that
Bulstrode seemed to cower under that gentleness his face looking dried and his
eyes swerving away from the glance which rested on him Caleb felt a deep pity
for him but he could have used no pretexts to account for his resolve even if
they would have been of any use
»You have been led to this I apprehend by some slanders concerning me
uttered by that unhappy creature« said Bulstrode anxious now to know the
utmost
»That is true I cant deny that I act upon what I heard from him«
»You are a conscientious man Mr Garth a man I trust who feels himself
accountable to God You would not wish to injure me by being too ready to
believe a slander« said Bulstrode casting about for pleas that might be
adapted to his hearers mind »That is a poor reason for giving up a connection
which I think I may say will be mutually beneficial«
»I would injure no man if I could help it« said Caleb »even if I thought
God winked at it I hope I should have a feeling for my fellowcreature But
sir I am obliged to believe that this Raffles has told me the truth And I
cant be happy in working with you or profiting by you It hurts my mind I
must beg you to seek another agent«
»Very well Mr Garth But I must at least claim to know the worst that he
has told you I must know what is the foul speech that I am liable to be the
victim of« said Bulstrode a certain amount of anger beginning to mingle with
his humiliation before this quiet man who renounced his benefits
»Thats needless« said Caleb waving his hand bowing his head slightly
and not swerving from the tone which had in it the merciful intention to spare
this pitiable man »What he has said to me will never pass from my lips unless
something now unknown forces it from me If you led a harmful life for gain and
kept others out of their rights by deceit to get the more for yourself I
daresay you repent you would like to go back and cant that must be a bitter
thing« Caleb paused a moment and shook his head »it is not for me to make
your life harder to you«
»But you do you do make it harder to me« said Bulstrode constrained into
a genuine pleading cry »You make it harder to me by turning your back on me«
»That Im forced to do« said Caleb still more gently lifting up his hand
»I am sorry I dont judge you and say he is wicked and I am righteous God
forbid I dont know everything A man may do wrong and his will may rise clear
out of it though he cant get his life clear Thats a bad punishment If it is
so with you well Im very sorry for you But I have that feeling inside me
that I cant go on working with you Thats all Mr Bulstrode Everything else
is buried so far as my will goes And I wish you good
»One moment Mr Garth« said Bulstrode hurriedly »I may trust then to
your solemn assurance that you will not repeat either to man or woman what
even if it have any degree of truth in it is yet a malicious representation«
Calebs wrath was stirred and he said indignantly
»Why should I have said it if I didnt mean it I am in no fear of you Such
tales as that will never tempt my tongue«
»Excuse me I am agitated I am the victim of this abandoned man«
»Stop a bit you have got to consider whether you didnt help to make him
worse when you profited by his vices«
»You are wronging me by too readily believing him« said Bulstrode
oppressed as by a nightmare with the inability to deny flatly what Raffles
might have said and yet feeling it an escape that Caleb had not so stated it to
him as to ask for that flat denial
»No« said Caleb lifting his hand deprecatingly »I am ready to believe
better when better is proved I rob you of no good chance As to speaking I
hold it a crime to expose a mans sin unless Im clear it must be done to save
the innocent That is my way of thinking Mr Bulstrode and what I say Ive no
need to swear I wish you goodday«
Some hours later when he was at home Caleb said to his wife incidentally
that he had had some little differences with Bulstrode and that in consequence
he had given up all notion of taking Stone Court and indeed had resigned doing
further business for him
»He was disposed to interfere too much was he« said Mrs Garth imagining
that her husband had been touched on his sensitive point and not been allowed
to do what he thought right as to materials and modes of work
»Oh« said Caleb bowing his head and waving his hand gravely And Mrs
Garth knew that this was a sign of his not intending to speak further on the
subject
As for Bulstrode he had almost immediately mounted his horse and set off
for Stone Court being anxious to arrive there before Lydgate
His mind was crowded with images and conjectures which were a language to
his hopes and fears just as we hear tones from the vibrations which shake our
whole system The deep humiliation with which he had winced under Caleb Garths
knowledge of his past and rejection of his patronage alternated with and almost
gave way to the sense of safety in the fact that Garth and no other had been
the man to whom Raffles had spoken It seemed to him a sort of earnest that
Providence intended his rescue from worse consequences the way being thus left
open for the hope of secrecy That Raffles should be afflicted with illness
that he should have been led to Stone Court rather than elsewhere Bulstrodes
heart fluttered at the vision of probabilities which these events conjured up
If it should turn out that he was freed from all danger of disgrace if he
could breathe in perfect liberty his life should be more consecrated than it
had ever been before He mentally lifted up this vow as if it would urge the
result he longed for he tried to believe in the potency of that prayerful
resolution its potency to determine death He knew that he ought to say »Thy
will be done« and he said it often But the intense desire remained that the
will of God might be the death of that hated man
Yet when he arrived at Stone Court he could not see the change in Raffles
without a shock But for his pallor and feebleness Bulstrode would have called
the change in him entirely mental Instead of his loud tormenting mood he
showed an intense vague terror and seemed to deprecate Bulstrodes anger
because the money was all gone he had been robbed it had half of it been
taken from him He had only come here because he was ill and somebody was
hunting him somebody was after him he had told nobody anything he had kept
his mouth shut Bulstrode not knowing the significance of these symptoms
intepreted this new nervous susceptibility into a means of alarming Raffles into
true confessions and taxed him with falsehood in saying that he had not told
anything since he had just told the man who took him up in his gig and brought
him to Stone Court Raffles denied this with solemn adjurations the fact being
that the links of consciousness were interrupted in him and that his minute
terrorstricken narrative to Caleb Garth had been delivered under a set of
visionary impulses which had dropped back into darkness
Bulstrodes heart sank again at this sign that he could get no grasp over
the wretched mans mind and that no word of Raffles could be trusted as to the
fact which he most wanted to know namely whether or not he had really kept
silence to every one in the neighbourhood except Caleb Garth The housekeeper
had told him without the least constraint of manner that since Mr Garth left
Raffles had asked her for beer and after that had not spoken seeming very ill
On that side it might be concluded that there had been no betrayal Mrs Abel
thought like the servants at The Shrubs that the strange man belonged to the
unpleasant »kin« who are among the troubles of the rich she had at first
referred the kinship to Mr Rigg and where there was property left the buzzing
presence of such large bluebottles seemed natural enough How he could be »kin«
to Bulstrode as well was not so clear but Mrs Abel agreed with her husband
that there was »no knowing« a proposition which had a great deal of mental food
for her so that she shook her head over it without further speculation
In less than an hour Lydgate arrived Bulstrode met him outside the
wainscoated parlour where Raffles was and said
»I have called you in Mr Lydgate to an unfortunate man who was once in my
employment many years ago Afterwards he went to America and returned I fear
to an idle dissolute life Being destitute he has a claim on me He was
slightly connected with Rigg the former owner of this place and in consequence
found his way here I believe he is seriously ill apparently his mind is
affected I feel bound to do the utmost for him«
Lydgate who had the remembrance of his last conversation with Bulstrode
strongly upon him was not disposed to say an unnecessary word to him and bowed
slightly in answer to this account but just before entering the room he turned
automatically and said »What is his name« to know names being as much a part
of the medical mans accomplishment as of the practical politicians
»Raffles John Raffles« said Bulstrode who hoped that whatever became of
Raffles Lydgate would never know any more of him
When he had thoroughly examined and considered the patient Lydgate ordered
that he should go to bed and be kept there in as complete quiet as possible
and then went with Bulstrode into another room
»It is a serious case I apprehend« said the banker before Lydgate began
to speak
»No and yes« said Lydgate half dubiously »It is difficult to decide as
to the possible effect of longstanding complications but the man had a robust
constitution to begin with I should not expect this attack to be fatal though
of course the system is in a ticklish state He should be well watched and
attended to«
»I will remain here myself« said Bulstrode »Mrs Abel and her husband are
inexperienced I can easily remain here for the night if you will oblige me by
taking a note for Mrs Bulstrode«
»I should think that is hardly necessary« said Lydgate »He seems tame and
terrified enough He might become more unmanageable But there is a man here
is there not«
»I have more than once stayed here a few nights for the sake of seclusion«
said Bulstrode indifferently »I am quite disposed to do so now Mrs Abel and
her husband can relieve or aid me if necessary«
»Very well Then I need give my directions only to you« said Lydgate not
feeling surprised at a little peculiarity in Bulstrode
»You think then that the case is hopeful« said Bulstrode when Lydgate
had ended giving his orders
»Unless there turn out to be further complications such as I have not at
present detected yes« said Lydgate »He may pass on to a worse stage but I
should not wonder if he got better in a few days by adhering to the treatment I
have prescribed There must be firmness Remember if he calls for liquors of
any sort not to give them to him In my opinion men in his condition are
oftener killed by treatment than by the disease Still new symptoms may arise
I shall come again tomorrow morning«
After waiting for the note to be carried to Mrs Bulstrode Lydgate rode
away forming no conjectures in the first instance, about the history of
Raffles but rehearsing the whole argument which had lately been much stirred
by the publication of Dr Wares abundant experience in America as to the right
way of treating cases of alcoholic poisoning such as this Lydgate when abroad
had already been interested in this question he was strongly convinced against
the prevalent practice of allowing alcohol and persistently administering large
doses of opium and he had repeatedly acted on this conviction with a favourable
result
»The man is in a diseased state« he thought »but theres a good deal of
wear in him still I suppose he is an object of charity to Bulstrode It is
curious what patches of hardness and tenderness lie side by side in mens
dispositions Bulstrode seems the most unsympathetic fellow I ever saw about
some people and yet he has taken no end of trouble and spent a great deal of
money on benevolent objects I suppose he has some test by which he finds out
whom Heaven cares for he has made up his mind that it doesnt care for me«
This streak of bitterness came from a plenteous source and kept widening in
the current of his thought as he neared Lowick Gate He had not been there since
his first interview with Bulstrode in the morning having been found at the
Hospital by the bankers messenger and for the first time he was returning to
his home without the vision of any expedient in the background which left him a
hope of raising money enough to deliver him from the coming destitution of
everything which made his married life tolerable everything which saved him
and Rosamond from that bare isolation in which they would be forced to recognise
how little of a comfort they could be to each other It was more bearable to do
without tenderness for himself than to see that his own tenderness could make no
amends for the lack of other things to her The sufferings of his own pride from
humiliations past and to come were keen enough yet they were hardly
distinguishable to himself from that more acute pain which dominated them the
pain of foreseeing that Rosamond would come to regard him chiefly as the cause
of disappointment and unhappiness to her He had never liked the makeshifts of
poverty and they had never before entered into his prospects for himself but
he was beginning now to imagine how two creatures who loved each other and had
a stock of thoughts in common might laugh over their shabby furniture and
their calculations how far they could afford butter and eggs But the glimpse of
that poetry seemed as far off from him as the carelessness of the golden age in
poor Rosamonds mind there was not room enough for luxuries to look small in He
got down from his horse in a very sad mood and went into the house not
expecting to be cheered except by his dinner and reflecting that before the
evening closed it would be wise to tell Rosamond of his application to Bulstrode
and its failure It would be well not to lose time in preparing her for the
worst
But his dinner waited long for him before he was able to eat it For on
entering he found that Dovers agent had already put a man in the house and
when he asked where Mrs Lydgate was he was told that she was in her bedroom
He went up and found her stretched on the bed pale and silent without an answer
even in her face to any word or look of his He sat down by the bed and leaning
over her said with almost a cry of prayer
»Forgive me for this misery my poor Rosamond Let us only love one
another.«
She looked at him silently still with the blank despair on her face but
then the tears began to fill her blue eyes and her lip trembled The strong man
had had too much to bear that day He let his head fall beside hers and sobbed
He did not hinder her from going to her father early in the morning it
seemed now that he ought not to hinder her from doing as she pleased In half an
hour she came back and said that papa and mamma wished her to go and stay with
them while things were in this miserable state Papa said he could do nothing
about the debt if he paid this there would be halfadozen more She had
better come back home again till Lydgate had got a comfortable home for her »Do
you object Tertius«
»Do as you like« said Lydgate »But things are not coming to a crisis
immediately There is no hurry«
»I should not go till tomorrow« said Rosamond »I shall want to pack my
clothes«
»Oh I would wait a little longer than tomorrow there is no knowing what
may happen« said Lydgate with bitter irony »I may get my neck broken and
that may make things easier to you«
It was Lydgates misfortune and Rosamonds too that his tenderness towards
her which was both an emotional prompting and a wellconsidered resolve was
inevitably interrupted by these outbursts of indignation either ironical or
remonstrant She thought them totally unwarranted and the repulsion which this
exceptional severity excited in her was in danger of making the more persistent
tenderness unacceptable
»I see you do not wish me to go« she said with chill mildness »why can
you not say so without that kind of violence I shall stay until you request me
to do otherwise«
Lydgate said no more but went out on his rounds He felt bruised and
shattered and there was a dark line under his eyes which Rosamond had not seen
before She could not bear to look at him Tertius had a way of taking things
which made them a great deal worse for her
Chapter LXX
Our deeds still travel with us from afar
And what we have been makes us what we are
Bulstrodes first object after Lydgate had left Stone Court was to examine
Raffless pockets which he imagined were sure to carry signs in the shape of
hotelbills of the places he had stopped in if he had not told the truth in
saying that he had come straight from Liverpool because he was ill and had no
money There were various bills crammed into his pocketbook but none of a
later date than Christmas at any other place except one which bore date that
morning This was crumpled up with a handbill about a horsefair in one of his
tailpockets and represented the cost of three days stay at an inn at Bilkley
where the fair was held a town at least forty miles from Middlemarch The bill
was heavy and since Raffles had no luggage with him it seemed probable that he
had left his portmanteau behind in payment in order to save money for his
travelling fare for his purse was empty and he had only a couple of sixpences
and some loose pence in his pockets
Bulstrode gathered a sense of safety from these indications that Raffles had
really kept at a distance from Middlemarch since his memorable visit at
Christmas At a distance and among people who were strangers to Bulstrode what
satisfaction could there be to Raffless tormenting selfmagnifying vein in
telling old scandalous stories about a Middlemarch banker And what harm if he
did talk The chief point now was to keep watch over him as long as there was
any danger of that intelligible raving that unaccountable impulse to tell
which seemed to have acted towards Caleb Garth and Bulstrode felt much anxiety
lest some such impulse should come over him at the sight of Lydgate He sat up
alone with him through the night only ordering the housekeeper to lie down in
her clothes so as to be ready when he called her alleging his own
indisposition to sleep and his anxiety to carry out the doctors orders He did
carry them out faithfully although Raffles was incessantly asking for brandy
and declaring that he was sinking away that the earth was sinking away from
under him He was restless and sleepless but still quailing and manageable On
the offer of the food ordered by Lydgate which he refused and the denial of
other things which he demanded he seemed to concentrate all his terror on
Bulstrode imploringly deprecating his anger his revenge on him by starvation
and declaring with strong oaths that he had never told any mortal a word against
him Even this Bulstrode felt that he would not have liked Lydgate to hear but
a more alarming sign of fitful alternation in his delirium was that in the
morning twilight Raffles suddenly seemed to imagine a doctor present addressing
him and declaring that Bulstrode wanted to starve him to death out of revenge
for telling when he never had told
Bulstrodes native imperiousness and strength of determination served him
well This delicatelooking man himself nervously perturbed found the needed
stimulus in his strenuous circumstances and through that difficult night and
morning while he had the air of an animated corpse returned to movement without
warmth holding the mastery by its chill impassibility his mind was intensely
at work thinking of what he had to guard against and what would win him
security Whatever prayers he might lift up whatever statements he might
inwardly make of this mans wretched spiritual condition and the duty he
himself was under to submit to the punishment divinely appointed for him rather
than to wish for evil to another through all this effort to condense words
into a solid mental state there pierced and spread with irresistible vividness
the images of the events he desired And in the train of those images came their
apology He could not but see the death of Raffles and see in it his own
deliverance What was the removal of this wretched creature He was impenitent
but were not public criminals impenitent yet the law decided on their fate
Should Providence in this case award death there was no sin in contemplating
death as the desirable issue if he kept his hands from hastening it if he
scrupulously did what was prescribed Even here there might be a mistake human
prescriptions were fallible things Lydgate had said that treatment had hastened
death why not his own method of treatment But of course intention was
everything in the question of right and wrong
And Bulstrode set himself to keep his intention separate from his desire He
inwardly declared that he intended to obey orders Why should he have got into
any argument about the validity of these orders It was only the common trick of
desire which avails itself of any irrelevant scepticism finding larger room
for itself in all uncertainty about effects in every obscurity that looks like
the absence of law Still he did obey the orders
His anxieties continually glanced towards Lydgate and his remembrance of
what had taken place between them the morning before was accompanied with
sensibilities which had not been roused at all during the actual scene He had
then cared but little about Lydgates painful impressions with regard to the
suggested change in the Hospital or about the disposition towards himself which
what he held to be his justifiable refusal of a rather exorbitant request might
call forth He recurred to the scene now with a perception that he had probably
made Lydgate his enemy and with an awakened desire to propitiate him or rather
to create in him a strong sense of personal obligation He regretted that he had
not at once made even an unreasonable moneysacrifice For in case of unpleasant
suspicions or even knowledge gathered from the raving of Raffles Bulstrode
would have felt that he had a defence in Lydgates mind by having conferred a
momentous benefit on him But the regret had perhaps come too late
Strange piteous conflict in the soul of this unhappy man who had longed
for years to be better than he was who had taken his selfish passions into
discipline and clad them in severe robes so that he had walked with them as a
devout quire till now that a terror had risen among them and they could chant
no longer but threw out their common cries for safety
It was nearly the middle of the day before Lydgate arrived he had meant to
come earlier but had been detained he said and his shattered looks were
noticed by Bulstrode But he immediately threw himself into the consideration of
the patient and inquired strictly into all that had occurred Raffles was
worse would take hardly any food was persistently wakeful and restlessly
raving but still not violent Contrary to Bulstrodes alarmed expectation he
took little notice of Lydgates presence and continued to talk or murmur
incoherently
»What do you think of him« said Bulstrode in private
»The symptoms are worse«
»You are less hopeful«
»No I still think he may come round Are you going to stay here yourself«
said Lydgate looking at Bulstrode with an abrupt question which made him
uneasy though in reality it was not due to any suspicious conjecture
»Yes I think so« said Bulstrode governing himself and speaking with
deliberation »Mrs Bulstrode is advised of the reasons which detain me Mrs
Abel and her husband are not experienced enough to be left quite alone and this
kind of responsibility is scarcely included in their service of me You have
some fresh instructions I presume«
The chief new instruction that Lydgate had to give was on the administration
of extremely moderate doses of opium in case of the sleeplessness continuing
after several hours He had taken the precaution of bringing opium in his
pocket and he gave minute directions to Bulstrode as to the doses and the
point at which they should cease He insisted on the risk of not ceasing and
repeated his order that no alcohol should be given
»From what I see of the case« he ended »narcotism is the only thing I
should be much afraid of He may wear through even without much food Theres a
good deal of strength in him«
»You look ill yourself Mr Lydgate a most unusual I may say
unprecedented thing in my knowledge of you« said Bulstrode showing a
solicitude as unlike his indifference the day before as his present
recklessness about his own fatigue was unlike his habitual selfcherishing
anxiety »I fear you are harassed«
»Yes I am« said Lydgate brusquely holding his hat and ready to go
»Something new I fear« said Bulstrode inquiringly »Pray be seated«
»No thank you« said Lydgate with some hauteur »I mentioned to you
yesterday what was the state of my affairs There is nothing to add except that
the execution has since then been actually put into my house One can tell a
good deal of trouble in a short sentence I will say goodmorning«
»Stay Mr Lydgate stay« said Bulstrode »I have been reconsidering this
subject I was yesterday taken by surprise and saw it superficially Mrs
Bulstrode is anxious for her niece and I myself should grieve at a calamitous
change in your position Claims on me are numerous but on reconsideration I
esteem it right that I should incur a small sacrifice rather than leave you
unaided You said I think that a thousand pounds would suffice entirely to
free you from your burthens and enable you to recover a firm stand«
»Yes« said Lydgate a great leap of joy within him surmounting every other
feeling »that would pay all my debts and leave me a little on hand I could
set about economising in our way of living And byandby my practice might look
up«
»If you will wait a moment Mr Lydgate I will draw a cheque to that
amount I am aware that help to be effectual in these cases should be
thorough«
While Bulstrode wrote Lydgate turned to the window thinking of his home
thinking of his life with its good start saved from frustration its good
purposes still unbroken
»You can give me a note of hand for this Mr Lydgate« said the banker
advancing towards him with the cheque »And byandby I hope you may be in
circumstances gradually to repay me Meanwhile I have pleasure in thinking that
you will be released from further difficulty«
»I am deeply obliged to you« said Lydgate »You have restored to me the
prospect of working with some happiness and some chance of good«
It appeared to him a very natural movement in Bulstrode that he should have
reconsidered his refusal it corresponded with the more munificent side of his
character But as he put his hack into a canter that he might get the sooner
home and tell the good news to Rosamond and get cash at the bank to pay over
to Dovers agent there crossed his mind with an unpleasant impression as from
a darkwinged flight of evil augury across his vision the thought of that
contrast in himself which a few months had brought that he should be overjoyed
at being under a strong personal obligation that he should be overjoyed at
getting money for himself from Bulstrode
The banker felt that he had done something to nullify one cause of
uneasiness and yet he was scarcely the easier He did not measure the quantity
of diseased motive which had made him wish for Lydgates goodwill but the
quantity was none the less actively there like an irritating agent in his
blood A man vows and yet will not cast away the means of breaking his vow Is
it that he distinctly means to break it Not at all but the desires which tend
to break it are at work in him dimly and make their way into his imagination
and relax his muscles in the very moments when he is telling himself over again
the reasons for his vow Raffles recovering quickly returning to the free use
of his odious powers how could Bulstrode wish for that Raffles dead was the
image that brought release and indirectly he prayed for that way of release
beseeching that if it were possible the rest of his days here below might be
freed from the threat of an ignominy which would break him utterly as an
instrument of Gods service Lydgates opinion was not on the side of promise
that this prayer would be fulfilled and as the day advanced Bulstrode felt
himself getting irritated at the persistent life in this man whom he would fain
have seen sinking into the silence of death imperious will stirred murderous
impulses towards this brute life over which will by itself, had no power He
said inwardly that he was getting too much worn he would not sit up with the
patient tonight but leave him to Mrs Abel who if necessary could call her
husband
At six oclock Raffles having had only fitful perturbed snatches of sleep
from which he waked with fresh restlessness and perpetual cries that he was
sinking away Bulstrode began to administer the opium according to Lydgates
directions At the end of half an hour or more he called Mrs Abel and told her
that he found himself unfit for further watching He must now consign the
patient to her care and he proceeded to repeat to her Lydgates directions as
to the quantity of each dose Mrs Abel had not before known anything of
Lydgates prescriptions she had simply prepared and brought whatever Bulstrode
ordered and had done what he pointed out to her She began now to ask what else
she should do besides administering the opium
»Nothing at present except the offer of the soup or the sodawater you can
come to me for further directions Unless there is any important change I shall
not come into the room again tonight You will ask your husband for help if
necessary I must go to bed early«
»Youve much need sir Im sure« said Mrs Abel »and to take something
more strengthening than what youve done«
Bulstrode went away now without anxiety as to what Raffles might say in his
raving which had taken on a muttering incoherence not likely to create any
dangerous belief At any rate he must risk this He went down into the
wainscoated parlour first and began to consider whether he would not have his
horse saddled and go home by the moonlight and give up caring for earthly
consequences Then he wished that he had begged Lydgate to come again that
evening Perhaps he might deliver a different opinion and think that Raffles
was getting into a less hopeful state Should he send for Lydgate If Raffles
were really getting worse and slowly dying Bulstrode felt that he could go to
bed and sleep in gratitude to Providence But was he worse Lydgate might come
and simply say that he was going on as he expected and predict that he would
byandby fall into a good sleep and get well What was the use of sending for
him Bulstrode shrank from that result No ideas or opinions could hinder him
from seeing the one probability to be that Raffles recovered would be just the
same man as before with his strength as a tormentor renewed obliging him to
drag away his wife to spend her years apart from her friends and native place
carrying an alienating suspicion against him in her heart
He had sat an hour and a half in this conflict by the firelight only when a
sudden thought made him rise and light the bedcandle which he had brought down
with him The thought was that he had not told Mrs Abel when the doses of
opium must cease
He took hold of the candlestick but stood motionless for a long while She
might already have given him more than Lydgate had prescribed But it was
excusable in him that he should forget part of an order in his present wearied
condition He walked upstairs candle in hand not knowing whether he should
straightway enter his own room and go to bed or turn to the patients room and
rectify his omission He paused in the passage with his face turned towards
Raffless room and he could hear him moaning and murmuring He was not asleep
then Who could know that Lydgates prescription would not be better disobeyed
than followed since there was still no sleep
He turned into his own room Before he had quite undressed Mrs Abel rapped
at the door he opened it an inch so that he could hear her speak low
»If you please sir should I have no brandy nor nothing to give the poor
creetur He feels sinking away and nothing else will he swaller and but
little strength in it if he did only the opium And he says more and more
hes sinking down through the earth«
To her surprise Mr Bulstrode did not answer A struggle was going on
within him
»I think he must die for want o support if he goes on in that way When I
nursed my poor master Mr Robisson I had to give him portwine and brandy
constant and a big glass at a time« added Mrs Abel with a touch of
remonstrance in her tone
But again Mr Bulstrode did not answer immediately and she continued »Its
not a time to spare when people are at deaths door nor would you wish it sir
Im sure Else I should give him our own bottle o rum as we keep by us But a
sitterup so as youve been and doing everything as laid in your power «
Here a key was thrust through the inch of doorway and Mr Bulstrode said
huskily »That is the key of the winecooler You will find plenty of brandy
there«
Early in the morning about six Mr Bulstrode rose and spent some time in
prayer Does any one suppose that private prayer is necessarily candid
necessarily goes to the roots of action Private prayer is inaudible speech and
speech is representative who can represent himself just as he is even in his
own reflections Bulstrode had not yet unravelled in his thought the confused
promptings of the last fourandtwenty hours
He listened in the passage and could hear hard stertorous breathing Then
he walked out in the garden and looked at the early rime on the grass and fresh
spring leaves When he reentered the house he felt startled at the sight of
Mrs Abel
»How is your patient asleep I think« he said with an attempt at
cheerfulness in his tone
»Hes gone very deep sir« said Mrs Abel »He went off gradual between
three and four oclock Would you please to go and look at him I thought it no
harm to leave him My mans gone afield and the little girls seeing to the
kettles«
Bulstrode went up At a glance he knew that Raffles was not in the sleep
which brings revival but in the sleep which streams deeper and deeper into the
gulf of death
He looked round the room and saw a bottle with some brandy in it and the
almost empty opium phial He put the phial out of sight and carried the
brandybottle downstairs with him locking it again in the winecooler
While breakfasting he considered whether he should ride to Middlemarch at
once or wait for Lydgates arrival He decided to wait and told Mrs Abel that
she might go about her work he could watch in the bedchamber
As he sat there and beheld the enemy of his peace going irrevocably into
silence he felt more at rest than he had done for many months His conscience
was soothed by the enfolding wing of secrecy which seemed just then like an
angel sent down for his relief He drew out his pocketbook to review various
memoranda there as to the arrangements he had projected and partly carried out
in the prospect of quitting Middlemarch and considered how far he would let
them stand or recall them now that his absence would be brief Some economies
which he felt desirable might still find a suitable occasion in his temporary
withdrawal from management and he hoped still that Mrs Casaubon would take a
large share in the expenses of the Hospital In that way the moments passed
until a change in the stertorous breathing was marked enough to draw his
attention wholly to the bed and forced him to think of the departing life
which had once been subservient to his own which he had once been glad to find
base enough for him to act on as he would It was his gladness then which
impelled him now to be glad that the life was at an end
And who could say that the death of Raffles had been hastened Who knew what
would have saved him
Lydgate arrived at halfpast ten in time to witness the final pause of the
breath When he entered the room Bulstrode observed a sudden expression in his
face which was not so much surprise as a recognition that he had not judged
correctly He stood by the bed in silence for some time with his eyes turned on
the dying man but with that subdued activity of expression which showed that he
was carrying on an inward debate
»When did this change begin« said he looking at Bulstrode
»I did not watch by him last night« said Bulstrode »I was overworn and
left him under Mrs Abels care She said that he sank into sleep between three
and four oclock When I came in before eight he was nearly in this condition«
Lydgate did not ask another question but watched in silence until he said
»Its all over«
This morning Lydgate was in a state of recovered hope and freedom He had
set out on his work with all his old animation and felt himself strong enough
to bear all the deficiencies of his married life And he was conscious that
Bulstrode had been a benefactor to him But he was uneasy about this case He
had not expected it to terminate as it had done Yet he hardly knew how to put a
question on the subject to Bulstrode without appearing to insult him and if he
examined the housekeeper why the man was dead There seemed to be no use in
implying that somebodys ignorance or imprudence had killed him And after all
he himself might be wrong
He and Bulstrode rode back to Middlemarch together talking of many things
chiefly cholera and the chances of the Reform Bill in the House of Lords and
the firm resolve of the Political Unions Nothing was said about Raffles except
that Bulstrode mentioned the necessity of having a grave for him in Lowick
churchyard and observed that so far as he knew the poor man had no
connections except Rigg whom he had stated to be unfriendly towards him
On returning home Lydgate had a visit from Mr Farebrother The Vicar had
not been in the town the day before but the news that there was an execution in
Lydgates house had got to Lowick by the evening having been carried by Mr
Spicer shoemaker and parishclerk who had it from his brother the respectable
bellhanger in Lowick Gate Since that evening when Lydgate had come down from
the billiardroom with Fred Vincy Mr Farebrothers thoughts about him had been
rather gloomy Playing at the Green Dragon once or oftener might have been a
trifle in another man but in Lydgate it was one of several signs that he was
getting unlike his former self He was beginning to do things for which he had
formerly even an excessive scorn Whatever certain dissatisfactions in marriage
which some silly tinklings of gossip had given him hints of might have to do
with this change Mr Farebrother felt sure that it was chiefly connected with
the debts which were being more and more distinctly reported and he began to
fear that any notion of Lydgates having resources or friends in the background
must be quite illusory The rebuff he had met with in his first attempt to win
Lydgates confidence disinclined him to a second but this news of the
execution being actually in the house determined the Vicar to overcome his
reluctance
Lydgate had just dismissed a poor patient in whom he was much interested
and he came forward to put out his hand with an open cheerfulness which
surprised Mr Farebrother Could this too be a proud rejection of sympathy and
help Never mind the sympathy and help should be offered
»How are you Lydgate I came to see you because I had heard something which
made me anxious about you« said the Vicar in the tone of a good brother only
that there was no reproach in it They were both seated by this time and
Lydgate answered immediately
»I think I know what you mean You had heard that there was an execution in
the house«
»Yes is it true«
»It was true« said Lydgate with an air of freedom as if he did not mind
talking about the affair now »But the danger is over the debt is paid I am
out of my difficulties now I shall be freed from debts and able I hope to
start afresh on a better plan«
»I am very thankful to hear it« said the Vicar falling back in his chair
and speaking with that lowtoned quickness which often follows the removal of a
load »I like that better than all the news in the Times I confess I came to
you with a heavy heart«
»Thank you for coming« said Lydgate cordially »I can enjoy the kindness
all the more because I am happier I have certainly been a good deal crushed
Im afraid I shall find the bruises still painful byandby« he added smiling
rather sadly »but just now I can only feel that the torturescrew is off«
Mr Farebrother was silent for a moment and then said earnestly »My dear
fellow let me ask you one question Forgive me if I take a liberty«
»I dont believe you will ask anything that ought to offend me«
»Then this is necessary to set my heart quite at rest you have not
have you in order to pay your debts incurred another debt which may harass
you worse hereafter«
»No« said Lydgate colouring slightly »There is no reason why I should not
tell you since the fact is so that the person to whom I am indebted is
Bulstrode He has made me a very handsome advance a thousand pounds and he
can afford to wait for repayment«
»Well that is generous« said Mr Farebrother compelling himself to
approve of the man whom he disliked His delicate feeling shrank from dwelling
even in his thought on the fact that he had always urged Lydgate to avoid any
personal entanglement with Bulstrode He added immediately »And Bulstrode must
naturally feel an interest in your welfare after you have worked with him in a
way which has probably reduced your income instead of adding to it I am glad to
think that he has acted accordingly«
Lydgate felt uncomfortable under these kindly suppositions They made more
distinct within him the uneasy consciousness which had shown its first dim
stirrings only a few hours before that Bulstrodes motives for his sudden
beneficence following close upon the chillest indifference might be merely
selfish He let the kindly suppositions pass He could not tell the history of
the loan but it was more vividly present with him than ever as well as the
fact which the Vicar delicately ignored that this relation of personal
indebtedness to Bulstrode was what he had once been most resolved to avoid
He began instead of answering to speak of his projected economies and of
his having come to look at his life from a different point of view
»I shall set up a surgery« he said »I really think I made a mistaken
effort in that respect And if Rosamond will not mind I shall take an
apprentice I dont like these things but if one carries them out faithfully
they are not really lowering I have had a severe galling to begin with that
will make the small rubs seem easy«
Poor Lydgate the »if Rosamond will not mind« which had fallen from him
involuntarily as part of his thought was a significant mark of the yoke he
bore But Mr Farebrother whose hopes entered strongly into the same current
with Lydgates and who knew nothing about him that could now raise a melancholy
presentiment left him with affectionate congratulation
Chapter LXXI
»Clown Twas in the Bunch of Grapes where indeed you have a delight to
sit have you not
Froth I have so because it is an open room and good for winter
Clo Why very well then I hope here be truths«
Measure for Measure
Five days after the death of Raffles Mr Bambridge was standing at his leisure
under the large archway leading into the yard of the Green Dragon He was not
fond of solitary contemplation but he had only just come out of the house and
any human figure standing at ease under the archway in the early afternoon was
as certain to attract companionship as a pigeon which has found something worth
pecking at In this case there was no material object to feed upon but the eye
of reason saw a probability of mental sustenance in the shape of gossip Mr
Hopkins the meekmannered draper opposite was the first to act on this inward
vision being the more ambitious of a little masculine talk because his
customers were chiefly women Mr Bambridge was rather curt to the draper
feeling that Hopkins was of course glad to talk to him but that he was not
going to waste much of his talk on Hopkins Soon however there was a small
cluster of more important listeners who were either deposited from the
passersby or had sauntered to the spot expressly to see if there were anything
going on at the Green Dragon and Mr Bambridge was finding it worth his while
to say many impressive things about the fine studs he had been seeing and the
purchases he had made on a journey in the north from which he had just returned
Gentlemen present were assured that when they could show him anything to cut out
a blood mare a bay rising four which was to be seen at Doncaster if they
chose to go and look at it Mr Bambridge would gratify them by being shot »from
here to Hereford« Also a pair of blacks which he was going to put into the
break recalled vividly to his mind a pair which he had sold to Faulkner in 19
for a hundred guineas and which Faulkner had sold for a hundred and sixty two
months later any gent who could disprove this statement being offered the
privilege of calling Mr Bambridge by a very ugly name until the exercise made
his throat dry
When the discourse was at this point of animation came up Mr Frank Hawley
He was not a man to compromise his dignity by lounging at the Green Dragon but
happening to pass along the High Street and seeing Bambridge on the other side
he took some of his long strides across to ask the horsedealer whether he had
found the firstrate gighorse which he had engaged to look for Mr Hawley was
requested to wait until he had seen a grey selected at Bilkley if that did not
meet his wishes to a hair Bambridge did not know a horse when he saw it which
seemed to be the highest conceivable unlikelihood Mr Hawley standing with his
back to the street was fixing a time for looking at the grey and seeing it
tried when a horseman passed slowly by
»Bulstrode« said two or three voices at once in a low tone one of them
which was the drapers respectfully prefixing the »Mr« but nobody having more
intention in this interjectional naming than if they had said »the Riverston
coach« when that vehicle appeared in the distance Mr Hawley gave a careless
glance round at Bulstrodes back but as Bambridges eyes followed it he made a
sarcastic grimace
»By jingo that reminds me« he began lowering his voice a little »I
picked up something else at Bilkley besides your gighorse Mr Hawley I picked
up a fine story about Bulstrode Do you know how he came by his fortune Any
gentleman wanting a bit of curious information I can give it him free of
expense If everybody got their deserts Bulstrode might have had to say his
prayers at Botany Bay«
»What do you mean« said Mr Hawley thrusting his hands into his pockets
and pushing a little forward under the archway If Bulstrode should turn out to
be a rascal Frank Hawley had a prophetic soul
»I had it from a party who was an old chum of Bulstrodes Ill tell you
where I first picked him up« said Bambridge with a sudden gesture of his
forefinger »He was at Larchers sale but I knew nothing of him then he
slipped through my fingers was after Bulstrode no doubt He tells me he can
tap Bulstrode to any amount knows all his secrets However he blabbed to me at
Bilkley he takes a stiff glass Damme if I think he meant to turn kings
evidence but hes that sort of bragging fellow the bragging runs over hedge
and ditch with him till hed brag of a spavin as if it ud fetch money A man
should know when to pull up« Mr Bambridge made this remark with an air of
disgust satisfied that his own bragging showed a fine sense of the marketable
»Whats the mans name Where can he be found« said Mr Hawley
»As to where he is to be found I left him to it at the Saracens Head but
his name is Raffles«
»Raffles« exclaimed Mr Hopkins »I furnished his funeral yesterday He was
buried at Lowick Mr Bulstrode followed him A very decent funeral«
There was a strong sensation among the listeners Mr Bambridge gave an
ejaculation in which »brimstone« was the mildest word and Mr Hawley knitting
his brows and bending his head forward exclaimed »What where did the man
die«
»At Stone Court« said the draper »The housekeeper said he was a relation
of the masters He came there ill on Friday«
»Why it was on Wednesday I took a glass with him« interposed Bambridge
»Did any doctor attend him« said Mr Hawley
»Yes Mr Lydgate Mr Bulstrode sat up with him one night He died the
third morning«
»Go on Bambridge« said Mr Hawley insistently »What did this fellow say
about Bulstrode«
The group had already become larger the townclerks presence being a
guarantee that something worth listening to was going on there and Mr
Bambridge delivered his narrative in the hearing of seven It was mainly what we
know including the fact about Will Ladislaw with some local colour and
circumstance added it was what Bulstrode had dreaded the betrayal of and
hoped to have buried for ever with the corpse of Raffles it was that haunting
ghost of his earlier life which as he rode past the archway of the Green Dragon
he was trusting that Providence had delivered him from Yes Providence He had
not confessed to himself yet that he had done anything in the way of contrivance
to this end he had accepted what seemed to have been offered It was impossible
to prove that he had done anything which hastened the departure of that mans
soul
But this gossip about Bulstrode spread through Middlemarch like the smell of
fire Mr Frank Hawley followed up his information by sending a clerk whom he
could trust to Stone Court on a pretext of inquiring about hay but really to
gather all that could be learned about Raffles and his illness from Mrs Abel
In this way it came to his knowledge that Mr Garth had carried the man to Stone
Court in his gig and Mr Hawley in consequence took an opportunity of seeing
Caleb calling at his office to ask whether he had time to undertake an
arbitration if it were required and then asking him incidentally about Raffles
Caleb was betrayed into no word injurious to Bulstrode beyond the fact which he
was forced to admit that he had given up acting for him within the last week
Mr Hawley drew his inferences and feeling convinced that Raffles had told his
story to Garth and that Garth had given up Bulstrodes affairs in consequence
said so a few hours later to Mr Toller The statement was passed on until it
had quite lost the stamp of an inference, and was taken as information coming
straight from Garth so that even a diligent historian might have concluded
Caleb to be the chief publisher of Bulstrodes misdemeanours
Mr Hawley was not slow to perceive that there was no handle for the law
either in the revelations made by Raffles or in the circumstances of his death
He had himself ridden to Lowick village that he might look at the register and
talk over the whole matter with Mr Farebrother who was not more surprised than
the lawyer that an ugly secret should have come to light about Bulstrode though
he had always had justice enough in him to hinder his antipathy from turning
into conclusions But while they were talking another combination was silently
going forward in Mr Farebrothers mind which foreshadowed what was soon to be
loudly spoken of in Middlemarch as a necessary »putting of two and two
together« With the reasons which kept Bulstrode in dread of Raffles there
flashed the thought that the dread might have something to do with his
munificence towards his medical man and though he resisted the suggestion that
it had been consciously accepted in any way as a bribe he had a foreboding that
this complication of things might be of malignant effect on Lydgates
reputation He perceived that Mr Hawley knew nothing at present of the sudden
relief from debt and he himself was careful to glide away from all approaches
towards the subject
»Well« he said with a deep breath wanting to wind up the illimitable
discussion of what might have been though nothing could be legally proven »it
is a strange story So our mercurial Ladislaw has a queer genealogy A
highspirited young lady and a musical Polish patriot made a likely enough stock
for him to spring from but I should never have suspected a grafting of the Jew
pawnbroker However theres no knowing what a mixture will turn out beforehand
Some sorts of dirt serve to clarify«
»Its just what I should have expected« said Mr Hawley mounting his
horse »Any cursed alien blood Jew Corsican or Gypsy«
»I know hes one of your black sheep Hawley But he is really a
disinterested unworldly fellow« said Mr Farebrother smiling
»Ay ay that is your Whiggish twist« said Mr Hawley who had been in the
habit of saying apologetically that Farebrother was such a damned pleasant
goodhearted fellow you would mistake him for a Tory
Mr Hawley rode home without thinking of Lydgates attendance on Raffles in
any other light than as a piece of evidence on the side of Bulstrode But the
news that Lydgate had all at once become able not only to get rid of the
execution in his house but to pay all his debts in Middlemarch was spreading
fast gathering round it conjectures and comments which gave it new body and
impetus and soon filling the ears of other persons besides Mr Hawley who were
not slow to see a significant relation between this sudden command of money and
Bulstrodes desire to stifle the scandal of Raffles That the money came from
Bulstrode would infallibly have been guessed even if there had been no direct
evidence of it for it had beforehand entered into the gossip about Lydgates
affairs that neither his fatherinlaw nor his own family would do anything for
him and direct evidence was furnished not only by a clerk at the Bank but by
innocent Mrs Bulstrode herself who mentioned the loan to Mrs Plymdale who
mentioned it to her daughterinlaw of the house of Toller who mentioned it
generally The business was felt to be so public and important that it required
dinners to feed it and many invitations were just then issued and accepted on
the strength of this scandal concerning Bulstrode and Lydgate wives widows
and single ladies took their work and went out to tea oftener than usual and
all public conviviality from the Green Dragon to Dollops gathered a zest
which could not be won from the question whether the Lords would throw out the
Reform Bill
For hardly anybody doubted that some scandalous reason or other was at the
bottom of Bulstrodes liberality to Lydgate Mr Hawley indeed in the first
instance, invited a select party including the two physicians with Mr Toller
and Mr Wrench expressly to hold a close discussion as to the probabilities of
Raffles illness reciting to them all the particulars which had been gathered
from Mrs Abel in connection with Lydgates certificate that the death was due
to delirium tremens and the medical gentlemen who all stood undisturbedly on
the old paths in relation to this disease declared that they could see nothing
in these particulars which could be transformed into a positive ground of
suspicion But the moral grounds of suspicion remained the strong motives
Bulstrode clearly had for wishing to be rid of Raffles and the fact that at
this critical moment he had given Lydgate the help which he must for some time
have known the need for the disposition moreover to believe that Bulstrode
would be unscrupulous and the absence of any indisposition to believe that
Lydgate might be as easily bribed as other haughtyminded men when they have
found themselves in want of money Even if the money had been given merely to
make him hold his tongue about the scandal of Bulstrodes earlier life the fact
threw an odious light on Lydgate who had long been sneered at as making himself
subservient to the banker for the sake of working himself into predominance and
discrediting the elder members of his profession Hence in spite of the
negative as to any direct sign of guilt in relation to the death at Stone Court
Mr Hawleys select party broke up with the sense that the affair had »an ugly
look«
But this vague conviction of indeterminable guilt which was enough to keep
up much headshaking and biting innuendo even among substantial professional
seniors had for the general mind all the superior power of mystery over fact
Everybody liked better to conjecture how the thing was than simply to know it
for conjecture soon became more confident than knowledge and had a more liberal
allowance for the incompatible Even the more definite scandal concerning
Bulstrodes earlier life was for some minds melted into the mass of mystery
as so much lively metal to be poured out in dialogue and to take such fantastic
shapes as heaven pleased
This was the tone of thought chiefly sanctioned by Mrs Dollop the spirited
landlady of the Tankard in Slaughter Lane who had often to resist the shallow
pragmatism of customers disposed to think that their reports from the outer
world were of equal force with what had »come up« in her mind How it had been
brought to her she didnt know but it was there before her as if it had been
scored with the chalk on the chimneyboard »as Bulstrode should say his
inside was that black as if the hairs of his head knowed the thoughts of his
heart hed tear em up by the roots«
»Thats odd« said Mr Limp a meditative shoemaker with weak eyes and a
piping voice »Why I read in the Trumpet that was what the Duke of Wellington
said when he turned his coat and went over to the Romans«
»Very like« said Mrs Dollop »If one raskill said it its more reason why
another should But hypocrite as hes been and holding things with that high
hand as there was no parson i the country good enough for him he was forced
to take Old Harry into his counsel and Old Harrys been too many for him«
»Ay ay hes a complice you cant send out o the country« said Mr
Crabbe the glazier who gathered much news and groped among it dimly »But by
what I can make out theres them says Bulstrode was for running away for fear
o being found out before now«
»Hell be drove away whether or no« said Mr Dill the barber who had
just dropped in »I shaved Fletcher Hawleys clerk this morning hes got a
bad finger and he says theyre all of one mind to get rid o Bulstrode Mr
Thesiger is turned against him and wants him out o the parish And theres
gentlemen in this town says theyd as soon dine with a fellow from the hulks
And a deal sooner I would says Fletcher for whats more against ones stomach
than a man coming and making himself bad company with his religion and giving
out as the Ten Commandments are not enough for him and all the while hes worse
than half the men at the treadmill Fletcher said so himself«
»Itll be a bad thing for the town though if Bulstrodes money goes out of
it« said Mr Limp quaveringly
»Ah theres better folks spend their money worse« said a firmvoiced dyer
whose crimson hands looked out of keeping with his goodnatured face
»But he wont keep his money by what I can make out« said the glazier
»Dont they say as theres somebody can strip it off him By what I can
understan they could take every penny off him if they went to lawing«
»No such thing« said the barber who felt himself a little above his
company at Dollops but liked it none the worse »Fletcher says its no such
thing He says they might prove over and over again whose child this young
Ladislaw was and theyd do no more than if they proved I came out of the Fens
he couldnt touch a penny«
»Look you there now« said Mrs Dollop indignantly »I thank the Lord he
took my children to Himself if thats all the law can do for the motherless
Then by that its o no use who your father and mother is But as to listening
to what one lawyer says without asking another I wonder at a man o your
cleverness Mr Dill Its well known theres always two sides if no more else
whod go to law I should like to know Its a poor tale with all the law as
there is up and down if its no use proving whose child you are Fletcher may
say that if he likes but I say dont Fletcher me«
Mr Dill affected to laugh in a complimentary way at Mrs Dollop as a woman
who was more than a match for the lawyers being disposed to submit to much
twitting from a landlady who had a long score against him
»If they come to lawing and its all true as folks say theres more to be
looked to nor money« said the glazier »Theres this poor creetur as is dead
and gone by what I can make out hed seen the day when he was a deal finer
gentleman nor Bulstrode«
»Finer gentleman Ill warrant him« said Mrs Dollop »and a far
personabler man by what I can hear As I said when Mr Baldwin the
taxgatherer comes in astanding where you sit and says Bulstrode got all
his money as he brought into this town by thieving and swindling I said You
dont make me no wiser Mr Baldwin its set my blood acreeping to look at him
ever sin here he came into Slaughter Lane awanting to buy the house over my
head folks dont look the colour o the doughtub and stare at you as if they
wanted to see into your backbone for nothingk That was what I said and Mr
Baldwin can bear me witness«
»And in the rights of it too« said Mr Crabbe »For by what I can make out
this Raffles as they call him was a lusty freshcoloured man as youd wish to
see and the best o company though dead he lies in Lowick churchyard sure
enough and by what I can understan theres them knows more than they should
know about how he got there«
»Ill believe you« said Mrs Dollop with a touch of scorn at Mr Crabbes
apparent dimness »When a mans been ticed to a lone house and theres them
can pay for hospitals and nurses for half the countryside choose to be
sittersup night and day and nobody to come near but a doctor as is known to
stick at nothingk and as poor as he can hang together and after that so flush
o money as he can pay off Mr Byles the butcher as his bill has been running on
for the best o joints since last Michaelmas was a twelvemonth I dont want
anybody to come and tell me as theres been more going on nor the Prayerbooks
got a service for I dont want to stand winking and blinking and thinking«
Mrs Dollop looked round with the air of a landlady accustomed to dominate
her company There was a chorus of adhesion from the more courageous but Mr
Limp after taking a draught placed his flat hands together and pressed them
hard between his knees looking down at them with bleareyed contemplation as
if the scorching power of Mrs Dollops speech had quite dried up and nullified
his wits until they could be brought round again by further moisture
»Why shouldnt they dig the man up and have the Crowner« said the dyer
»Its been done many and manys the time If theres been foul play they might
find it out«
»Not they Mr Jonas« said Mrs Dollop emphatically »I know what doctors
are Theyre a deal too cunning to be found out And this Dr Lydgate thats
been for cutting up everybody before the breath was well out o their body
its plain enough what use he wanted to make o looking into respectable
peoples insides He knows drugs you may be sure as you can neither smell nor
see neither before theyre swallowed nor after Why Ive seen drops myself
ordered by Doctor Gambit as is our club doctor and a good charikter and has
brought more live children into the world nor ever another i Middlemarch I
say Ive seen drops myself as made no difference whether they was in the glass
or out and yet have griped you the next day So Ill leave your own sense to
judge Dont tell me All I say is its a mercy they didnt take this Doctor
Lydgate on to our club Theres many a mothers child might ha rued it«
The heads of this discussion at »Dollops« had been the common theme among
all classes in the town had been carried to Lowick Parsonage on one side and to
Tipton Grange on the other had come fully to the ears of the Vincy family and
had been discussed with sad reference to »poor Harriet« by all Mrs Bulstrodes
friends before Lydgate knew distinctly why people were looking strangely at
him and before Bulstrode himself suspected the betrayal of his secrets He had
not been accustomed to very cordial relations with his neighbours and hence he
could not miss the signs of cordiality moreover he had been taking journeys on
business of various kinds having now made up his mind that he need not quit
Middlemarch and feeling able consequently to determine on matters which he had
before left in suspense
»We will make a journey to Cheltenham in the course of a month or two« he
had said to his wife »There are great spiritual advantages to be had in that
town along with the air and the waters and six weeks there will be eminently
refreshing to us«
He really believed in the spiritual advantages and meant that his life
henceforth should be the more devoted because of those later sins which he
represented to himself as hypothetic praying hypothetically for their pardon
»if I have herein transgressed«
As to the Hospital he avoided saying anything further to Lydgate fearing
to manifest a too sudden change of plans immediately on the death of Raffles In
his secret soul he believed that Lydgate suspected his orders to have been
intentionally disobeyed and suspecting this he must also suspect a motive But
nothing had been betrayed to him as to the history of Raffles and Bulstrode was
anxious not to do anything which would give emphasis to his undefined
suspicions As to any certainty that a particular method of treatment would
either save or kill Lydgate himself was constantly arguing against such
dogmatism he had no right to speak and he had every motive for being silent
Hence Bulstrode felt himself providentially secured The only incident he had
strongly winced under had been an occasional encounter with Caleb Garth who
however had raised his hat with mild gravity
Meanwhile on the part of the principal townsmen a strong determination was
growing against him
A meeting was to be held in the TownHall on a sanitary question which had
risen into pressing importance by the occurrence of a cholera case in the town
Since the Act of Parliament which had been hurriedly passed authorising
assessments for sanitary measures there had been a Board for the
superintendence of such measures appointed in Middlemarch and much cleansing
and preparation had been concurred in by Whigs and Tories The question now was
whether a piece of ground outside the town should be secured as a burialground
by means of assessment or by private subscription The meeting was to be open
and almost everybody of importance in the town was expected to be there
Mr Bulstrode was a member of the Board and just before twelve oclock he
started from the Bank with the intention of urging the plan of private
subscription Under the hesitation of his projects he had for some time kept
himself in the background and he felt that he should this morning resume his
old position as a man of action and influence in the public affairs of the town
where he expected to end his days Among the various persons going in the same
direction he saw Lydgate they joined talked over the object of the meeting
and entered it together
It seemed that everybody of mark had been earlier than they But there were
still spaces left near the head of the large central table and they made their
way thither Mr Farebrother sate opposite not far from Mr Hawley all the
medical men were there Mr Thesiger was in the chair and Mr Brooke of Tipton
was on his right hand
Lydgate noticed a peculiar interchange of glances when he and Bulstrode took
their seats
After the business had been fully opened by the chairman who pointed out
the advantages of purchasing by subscription a piece of ground large enough to
be ultimately used as a general cemetery Mr Bulstrode whose rather
highpitched but subdued and fluent voice the town was used to at meetings of
this sort rose and asked leave to deliver his opinion Lydgate could see again
the peculiar interchange of glances before Mr Hawley started up and said in
his firm resonant voice »Mr Chairman I request that before any one delivers
his opinion on this point I may be permitted to speak on a question of public
feeling which not only by myself but by many gentlemen present is regarded as
preliminary«
Mr Hawleys mode of speech even when public decorum repressed his »awful
language« was formidable in its curtness and selfpossession Mr Thesiger
sanctioned the request Mr Bulstrode sat down and Mr Hawley continued
»In what I have to say Mr Chairman I am not speaking simply on my own
behalf I am speaking with the concurrence and at the express request of no
fewer than eight of my fellowtownsmen who are immediately around us It is our
united sentiment that Mr Bulstrode should be called upon and I do now call
upon him to resign public positions which he holds not simply as a taxpayer
but as a gentleman among gentlemen There are practices and there are acts
which owing to circumstances the law cannot visit though they may be worse
than many things which are legally punishable Honest men and gentlemen if they
dont want the company of people who perpetrate such acts have got to defend
themselves as they best can and that is what I and the friends whom I may call
my clients in this affair are determined to do I dont say that Mr Bulstrode
has been guilty of shameful acts but I call upon him either publicly to deny
and confute the scandalous statements made against him by a man now dead and
who died in his house the statement that he was for many years engaged in
nefarious practices and that he won his fortune by dishonest procedures or
else to withdraw from positions which could only have been allowed him as a
gentleman among gentlemen«
All eyes in the room were turned on Mr Bulstrode who since the first
mention of his name had been going through a crisis of feeling almost too
violent for his delicate frame to support Lydgate who himself was undergoing a
shock as from the terrible practical interpretation of some faint augury felt
nevertheless that his own movement of resentful hatred was checked by that
instinct of the Healer which thinks first of bringing rescue or relief to the
sufferer when he looked at the shrunken misery of Bulstrodes livid face
The quick vision that his life was after all a failure that he was a
dishonoured man and must quail before the glance of those towards whom he had
habitually assumed the attitude of a reprover that God had disowned him before
men and left him unscreened to the triumphant scorn of those who were glad to
have their hatred justified the sense of utter futility in that equivocation
with his conscience in dealing with the life of his accomplice an equivocation
which now turned venomously upon him with the fullgrown fang of a discovered
lie all this rushed through him like the agony of terror which fails to kill
and leaves the ears still open to the returning wave of execration The sudden
sense of exposure after the reestablished sense of safety came not to the
coarse organisation of a criminal but to the susceptible nerve of a man whose
intensest being lay in such mastery and predominance as the conditions of his
life had shaped for him
But in that intense being lay the strength of reaction Through all his
bodily infirmity there ran a tenacious nerve of ambitious selfpreserving will
which had continually leaped out like a flame scattering all doctrinal fears
and which even while he sat an object of compassion for the merciful was
beginning to stir and glow under his ashy paleness Before the last words were
out of Mr Hawleys mouth Bulstrode felt that he should answer and that his
answer would be a retort He dared not get up and say »I am not guilty the
whole story is false« even if he had dared this it would have seemed to him
under his present keen sense of betrayal as vain as to pull for covering to
his nakedness a frail rag which would rend at every little strain
For a few moments there was total silence while every man in the room was
looking at Bulstrode He sat perfectly still leaning hard against the back of
his chair he could not venture to rise and when he began to speak he pressed
his hands upon the seat on each side of him But his voice was perfectly
audible though hoarser than usual and his words were distinctly pronounced
though he paused between each sentence as if short of breath He said turning
first toward Mr Thesiger and then looking at Mr Hawley
»I protest before you sir as a Christian minister against the sanction of
proceedings towards me which are dictated by virulent hatred Those who are
hostile to me are glad to believe any libel uttered by a loose tongue against
me And their consciences become strict against me Say that the evilspeaking
of which I am to be made the victim accuses me of malpractices « here
Bulstrodes voice rose and took on a more biting accent till it seemed a low
cry »who shall be my accuser Not men whose own lives are unchristian nay
scandalous not men who themselves use low instruments to carry out their ends
whose profession is a tissue of chicanery who have been spending their
income on their own sensual enjoyments while I have been devoting mine to
advance the best objects with regard to this life and the next«
After the word chicanery there was a growing noise half of murmurs and half
of hisses while four persons started up at once Mr Hawley Mr Toller Mr
Chichely and Mr Hackbutt but Mr Hawleys outburst was instantaneous and
left the others behind in silence
»If you mean me sir I call you and every one else to the inspection of my
professional life As to Christian or unchristian I repudiate your canting
palavering Christianity and as to the way in which I spend my income it is not
my principle to maintain thieves and cheat offspring of their due inheritance in
order to support religion and set myself up as a saintly Killjoy I affect no
niceness of conscience I have not found any nice standards necessary yet to
measure your actions by sir And I again call upon you to enter into
satisfactory explanations concerning the scandals against you or else to
withdraw from posts in which we at any rate decline you as a colleague I say
sir we decline to cooperate with a man whose character is not cleared from
infamous lights cast upon it not only by reports but by recent actions«
»Allow me Mr Hawley« said the chairman and Mr Hawley still fuming
bowed half impatiently and sat down with his hands thrust deep in his pockets
»Mr Bulstrode it is not desirable I think to prolong the present
discussion« said Mr Thesiger turning to the pallid trembling man »I must so
far concur with what has fallen from Mr Hawley in expression of a general
feeling as to think it due to your Christian profession that you should clear
yourself if possible from unhappy aspersions I for my part should be willing
to give you full opportunity and hearing But I must say that your present
attitude is painfully inconsistent with those principles which you have sought
to identify yourself with and for the honour of which I am bound to care I
recommend you at present as your clergyman and one who hopes for your
reinstatement in respect, to quit the room and avoid further hindrance to
business«
Bulstrode after a moments hesitation took his hat from the floor and
slowly rose but he grasped the corner of the chair so totteringly that Lydgate
felt sure there was not strength enough in him to walk away without support
What could he do He could not see a man sink close to him for want of help He
rose and gave his arm to Bulstrode and in that way led him out of the room yet
this act which might have been one of gentle duty and pure compassion was at
this moment unspeakably bitter to him It seemed as if he were putting his
signmanual to that association of himself with Bulstrode of which he now saw
the full meaning as it must have presented itself to other minds He now felt
the conviction that this man who was leaning tremblingly on his arm had given
him the thousand pounds as a bribe and that somehow the treatment of Raffles
had been tampered with from an evil motive The inferences were closely linked
enough the town knew of the loan believed it to be a bribe and believed that
he took it as a bribe
Poor Lydgate his mind struggling under the terrible clutch of this
revelation was all the while morally forced to take Mr Bulstrode to the Bank
send a man off for his carriage and wait to accompany him home
Meanwhile the business of the meeting was despatched and fringed off into
eager discussion among various groups concerning this affair of Bulstrode and
Lydgate
Mr Brooke who had before heard only imperfect hints of it and was very
uneasy that he had »gone a little too far« in countenancing Bulstrode now got
himself fully informed and felt some benevolent sadness in talking to Mr
Farebrother about the ugly light in which Lydgate had come to be regarded Mr
Farebrother was going to walk back to Lowick
»Step into my carriage« said Mr Brooke »I am going round to see Mrs
Casaubon She was to come back from Yorkshire last night She will like to see
me you know«
So they drove along Mr Brooke chatting with goodnatured hope that there
had not really been anything black in Lydgates behaviour a young fellow whom
he had seen to be quite above the common mark when he brought a letter from his
uncle Sir Godwin Mr Farebrother said little he was deeply mournful with a
keen perception of human weakness he could not be confident that under the
pressure of humiliating needs Lydgate had not fallen below himself
When the carriage drove up to the gate of the manor Dorothea was out on the
gravel and came to greet them
»Well my dear« said Mr Brooke »we have just come from a meeting a
sanitary meeting you know«
»Was Mr Lydgate there« said Dorothea who looked full of health and
animation and stood with her head bare under the gleaming April lights »I want
to see him and have a great consultation with him about the Hospital I have
engaged with Mr Bulstrode to do so«
»Oh my dear« said Mr Brooke »we have been hearing bad news bad news
you know«
They walked through the garden towards the churchyard gate Mr Farebrother
wanting to go on to the parsonage and Dorothea heard the whole sad story
She listened with deep interest and begged to hear twice over the facts and
impressions concerning Lydgate After a short silence pausing at the churchyard
gate and addressing Mr Farebrother she said energetically
»You dont believe that Mr Lydgate is guilty of anything base I will not
believe it Let us find out the truth and clear him«
Book VIII
Sunset and Sunrise
Chapter LXXII
Full souls are double mirrors making still
An endless vista of fair things before
Repeating things behind
Dorotheas impetuous generosity which would have leaped at once to the
vindication of Lydgate from the suspicion of having accepted money as a bribe
underwent a melancholy check when she came to consider all the circumstances of
the case by the light of Mr Farebrothers experience
»It is a delicate matter to touch« he said »How can we begin to inquire
into it It must be either publicly by setting the magistrate and coroner to
work or privately by questioning Lydgate As to the first proceeding there is
no solid ground to go upon else Hawley would have adopted it and as to opening
the subject with Lydgate I confess I should shrink from it He would probably
take it as a deadly insult I have more than once experienced the difficulty of
speaking to him on personal matters And one should know the truth about his
conduct beforehand to feel very confident of a good result«
»I feel convinced that his conduct has not been guilty I believe that
people are almost always better than their neighbours think they are« said
Dorothea Some of her intensest experience in the last two years had set her
mind strongly in opposition to any unfavourable construction of others and for
the first time she felt rather discontented with Mr Farebrother She disliked
this cautious weighing of consequences instead of an ardent faith in efforts of
justice and mercy which would conquer by their emotional force Two days
afterwards he was dining at the Manor with her uncle and the Chettams and when
the dessert was standing uneaten the servants were out of the room and Mr
Brooke was nodding in a nap she returned to the subject with renewed vivacity
»Mr Lydgate would understand that if his friends hear a calumny about him
their first wish must be to justify him What do we live for if it is not to
make life less difficult to each other I cannot be indifferent to the troubles
of a man who advised me in my trouble and attended me in my illness«
Dorotheas tone and manner were not more energetic than they had been when
she was at the head of her uncles table nearly three years before and her
experience since had given her more right to express a decided opinion But Sir
James Chettam was no longer the diffident and acquiescent suitor he was the
anxious brotherinlaw with a devout admiration for his sister but with a
constant alarm lest she should fall under some new illusion almost as bad as
marrying Casaubon He smiled much less when he said »Exactly« it was more often
an introduction to a dissentient opinion than in those submissive bachelor days
and Dorothea found to her surprise that she had to resolve not to be afraid of
him all the more because he was really her best friend He disagreed with her
now
»But Dorothea« he said remonstrantly »you cant undertake to manage a
mans life for him in that way Lydgate must know at least he will soon come
to know how he stands If he can clear himself he will He must act for
himself«
»I think his friends must wait till they find an opportunity« added Mr
Farebrother »It is possible I have often felt so much weakness in myself that
I can conceive even a man of honourable disposition such as I have always
believed Lydgate to be succumbing to such a temptation as that of accepting
money which was offered more or less indirectly as a bribe to insure his silence
about scandalous facts long gone by I say I can conceive this if he were
under the pressure of hard circumstances if he had been harassed as I feel
sure Lydgate has been I would not believe anything worse of him except under
stringent proof But there is the terrible Nemesis following on some errors
that it is always possible for those who like it to interpret them into a crime
there is no proof in favour of the man outside his own consciousness and
assertion«
»Oh how cruel« said Dorothea clasping her hands »And would you not like
to be the one person who believed in that mans innocence if the rest of the
world belied him Besides there is a mans character beforehand to speak for
him«
»But my dear Mrs Casaubon« said Mr Farebrother smiling gently at her
ardour »character is not cut in marble it is not something solid and
unalterable It is something living and changing and may become diseased as our
bodies do«
»Then it may be rescued and healed« said Dorothea »I should not be afraid
of asking Mr Lydgate to tell me the truth that I might help him Why should I
be afraid Now that I am not to have the land James I might do as Mr
Bulstrode proposed and take his place in providing for the hospital and I have
to consult Mr Lydgate to know thoroughly what are the prospects of doing good
by keeping up the present plans There is the best opportunity in the world for
me to ask for his confidence and he would be able to tell me things which might
make all the circumstances clear Then we would all stand by him and bring him
out of his trouble People glorify all sorts of bravery except the bravery they
might show on behalf of their nearest neighbours« Dorotheas eyes had a moist
brightness in them and the changed tones of her voice roused her uncle who
began to listen
»It is true that a woman may venture on some efforts of sympathy which would
hardly succeed if we men undertook them« said Mr Farebrother almost converted
by Dorotheas ardour
»Surely a woman is bound to be cautious and listen to those who know the
world better than she does« said Sir James with his little frown »Whatever
you do in the end Dorothea you should really keep back at present and not
volunteer any meddling with this Bulstrode business We dont know yet what may
turn up You must agree with me« he ended looking at Mr Farebrother
»I do think it would be better to wait« said the latter
»Yes yes my dear« said Mr Brooke not quite knowing at what point the
discussion had arrived but coming up to it with a contribution which was
generally appropriate »It is easy to go too far you know You must not let
your ideas run away with you And as to being in a hurry to put money into
schemes it wont do you know Garth has drawn me in uncommonly with repairs
draining that sort of thing Im uncommonly out of pocket with one thing or
another I must pull up As for you Chettam you are spending a fortune on
those oak fences round your demesne«
Dorothea submitting uneasily to this discouragement went with Celia into
the library which was her usual drawingroom
»Now Dodo do listen to what James says« said Celia »else you will be
getting into a scrape You always did and you always will when you set about
doing as you please And I think it is a mercy now after all that you have got
James to think for you He lets you have your plans only he hinders you from
being taken in And that is the good of having a brother instead of a husband A
husband would not let you have your plans«
»As if I wanted a husband« said Dorothea »I only want not to have my
feelings checked at every turn« Mrs Casaubon was still undisciplined enough to
burst into angry tears
»Now really Dodo« said Celia with rather a deeper guttural than usual
»you are contradictory first one thing and then another You used to submit to
Mr Casaubon quite shamefully I think you would have given up ever coming to
see me if he had asked you«
»Of course I submitted to him because it was my duty it was my feeling for
him« said Dorothea looking through the prism of her tears
»Then why cant you think it your duty to submit a little to what James
wishes« said Celia with a sense of stringency in her argument »Because he
only wishes what is for your own good And of course men know best about
everything except what women know better«
Dorothea laughed and forgot her tears
»Well I mean about babies and those things« explained Celia »I should not
give up to James when I knew he was wrong as you used to do to Mr Casaubon«
Chapter LXXIII
Pity the laden one this wandering woe
May visit you and me
When Lydgate had allayed Mrs Bulstrodes anxiety by telling her that her
husband had been seized with faintness at the meeting but that he trusted soon
to see him better and would call again the next day unless she sent for him
earlier he went directly home got on his horse and rode three miles out of
the town for the sake of being out of reach
He felt himself becoming violent and unreasonable as if raging under the
pain of stings he was ready to curse the day on which he had come to
Middlemarch Everything that had happened to him there seemed a mere preparation
for this hateful fatality which had come as a blight on his honourable
ambition and must make even people who had only vulgar standards regard his
reputation as irrevocably damaged In such moments a man can hardly escape being
unloving Lydgate thought of himself as the sufferer and of others as the
agents who had injured his lot He had meant everything to turn out differently
and others had thrust themselves into his life and thwarted his purposes His
marriage seemed an unmitigated calamity and he was afraid of going to Rosamond
before he had vented himself in this solitary rage lest the mere sight of her
should exasperate him and make him behave unwarrantably There are episodes in
most mens lives in which their highest qualities can only cast a deterring
shadow over the objects that fill their inward vision Lydgates
tenderheartedness was present just then only as a dread lest he should offend
against it not as an emotion that swayed him to tenderness For he was very
miserable Only those who know the supremacy of the intellectual life the life
which has a seed of ennobling thought and purpose within it can understand the
grief of one who falls from that serene activity into the absorbing soulwasting
struggle with worldly annoyances
How was he to live on without vindicating himself among people who suspected
him of baseness How could he go silently away from Middlemarch as if he were
retreating before a just condemnation And yet how was he to set about
vindicating himself
For that scene at the meeting which he had just witnessed although it had
told him no particulars had been enough to make his own situation thoroughly
clear to him Bulstrode had been in dread of scandalous disclosures on the part
of Raffles Lydgate could now construct all the probabilities of the case »He
was afraid of some betrayal in my hearing all he wanted was to bind me to him
by a strong obligation that was why he passed on a sudden from hardness to
liberality And he may have tampered with the patient he may have disobeyed my
orders I fear he did But whether he did or not the world believes that he
somehow or other poisoned the man and that I winked at the crime if I didnt
help in it And yet and yet he may not be guilty of the last offence and it
is just possible that the change towards me may have been a genuine relenting
the effect of second thoughts such as he alleged What we call the just possible
is sometimes true and the thing we find it easier to believe is grossly false
In his last dealings with this man Bulstrode may have kept his hands pure in
spite of my suspicion to the contrary«
There was a benumbing cruelty in his position Even if he renounced every
other consideration than that of justifying himself if he met shrugs cold
glances and avoidance as an accusation and made a public statement of all the
facts as he knew them who would be convinced It would be playing the part of a
fool to offer his own testimony on behalf of himself and say »I did not take
the money as a bribe« The circumstances would always be stronger than his
assertion And besides to come forward and tell everything about himself must
include declarations about Bulstrode which would darken the suspicions of others
against him He must tell that he had not known of Raffless existence when he
first mentioned his pressing need of money to Bulstrode and that he took the
money innocently as a result of that communication not knowing that a new
motive for the loan might have arisen on his being called in to this man And
after all the suspicion of Bulstrodes motives might be unjust
But then came the question whether he should have acted in precisely the
same way if he had not taken the money Certainly if Raffles had continued
alive and susceptible of further treatment when he arrived and he had then
imagined any disobedience to his orders on the part of Bulstrode he would have
made a strict inquiry and if his conjecture had been verified he would have
thrown up the case in spite of his recent heavy obligation But if he had not
received any money if Bulstrode had never revoked his cold recommendation of
bankruptcy would he Lydgate have abstained from all inquiry even on finding
the man dead would the shrinking from an insult to Bulstrode would the
dubiousness of all medical treatment and the argument that his own treatment
would pass for the wrong with most members of his profession have had just the
same force or significance with him
That was the uneasy corner of Lydgates consciousness while he was reviewing
the facts and resisting all reproach If he had been independent this matter of
a patients treatment and the distinct rule that he must do or see done that
which he believed best for the life committed to him would have been the point
on which he would have been the sturdiest As it was he had rested in the
consideration that disobedience to his orders however it might have arisen
could not be considered a crime that in the dominant opinion obedience to his
orders was just as likely to be fatal and that the affair was simply one of
etiquette Whereas again and again in his time of freedom he had denounced
the perversion of pathological doubt into moral doubt and had said »the purest
experiment in treatment may still be conscientious my business is to take care
of life and to do the best I can think of for it Science is properly more
scrupulous than dogma Dogma gives a charter to mistake but the very breath of
science is a contest with mistake and must keep the conscience alive« Alas
the scientific conscience had got into the debasing company of money obligation
and selfish respects
»Is there a medical man of them all in Middlemarch who would question
himself as I do« said poor Lydgate with a renewed outburst of rebellion
against the oppression of his lot »And yet they will all feel warranted in
making a wide space between me and them as if I were a leper My practice and
my reputation are utterly damned I can see that Even if I could be cleared by
valid evidence it would make little difference to the blessed world here I
have been set down as tainted and should be cheapened to them all the same«
Already there had been abundant signs which had hitherto puzzled him that
just when he had been paying off his debts and getting cheerfully on his feet
the townsmen were avoiding him or looking strangely at him and in two instances
it came to his knowledge that patients of his had called in another
practitioner The reasons were too plain now The general blackballing had
begun
No wonder that in Lydgates energetic nature the sense of a hopeless
misconstruction easily turned into a dogged resistance The scowl which
occasionally showed itself on his square brow was not a meaningless accident
Already when he was reentering the town after that ride taken in the first
hours of stinging pain he was setting his mind on remaining in Middlemarch in
spite of the worst that could be done against him He would not retreat before
calumny as if he submitted to it He would face it to the utmost and no act of
his should show that he was afraid It belonged to the generosity as well as
defiant force of his nature that he resolved not to shrink from showing to the
full his sense of obligation to Bulstrode It was true that the association with
this man had been fatal to him true that if he had had the thousand pounds
still in his hands with all his debts unpaid he would have returned the money to
Bulstrode and taken beggary rather than the rescue which had been sullied with
the suspicion of a bribe for remember he was one of the proudest among the
sons of men nevertheless he would not turn away from this crushed
fellowmortal whose aid he had used and make a pitiful effort to get acquittal
for himself by howling against another »I shall do as I think right and
explain to nobody They will try to starve me out but « he was going on with
an obstinate resolve but he was getting near home and the thought of Rosamond
urged itself again into that chief place from which it had been thrust by the
agonised struggles of wounded honour and pride
How would Rosamond take it all Here was another weight of chain to drag
and poor Lydgate was in a bad mood for bearing her dumb mastery He had no
impulse to tell her the trouble which must soon be common to them both He
preferred waiting for the incidental disclosure which events must soon bring
about
Chapter LXXIV
»Mercifully grant that we may grow aged together«
Book of Tobit Marriage Prayer
In Middlemarch a wife could not long remain ignorant that the town held a bad
opinion of her husband No feminine intimate might carry her friendship so far
as to make a plain statement to the wife of the unpleasant fact known or
believed about her husband but when a woman with her thoughts much at leisure
got them suddenly employed on something grievously disadvantageous to her
neighbours various moral impulses were called into play which tended to
stimulate utterance Candour was one To be candid in Middlemarch phraseology
meant to use an early opportunity of letting your friends know that you did not
take a cheerful view of their capacity their conduct or their position and a
robust candour never waited to be asked for its opinion Then again there was
the love of truth a wide phrase but meaning in this relation, a lively
objection to seeing a wife look happier than her husbands character warranted
or manifest too much satisfaction in her lot the poor thing should have some
hint given her that if she knew the truth she would have less complacency in her
bonnet and in light dishes for a supperparty Stronger than all there was the
regard for a friends moral improvement sometimes called her soul which was
likely to be benefited by remarks tending to gloom uttered with the
accompaniment of pensive staring at the furniture and a manner implying that the
speaker would not tell what was on her mind from regard to the feelings of her
hearer On the whole one might say that an ardent charity was at work setting
the virtuous mind to make a neighbour unhappy for her good
There were hardly any wives in Middlemarch whose matrimonial misfortunes
would in different ways be likely to call forth more of this moral activity than
Rosamond and her aunt Bulstrode Mrs Bulstrode was not an object of dislike
and had never consciously injured any human being Men had always thought her a
handsome comfortable woman and had reckoned it among the signs of Bulstrodes
hypocrisy that he had chosen a redblooded Vincy instead of a ghastly and
melancholy person suited to his low esteem for earthly pleasure When the
scandal about her husband was disclosed they remarked of her »Ah poor woman
Shes as honest as the day she never suspected anything wrong in him you may
depend on it« Women who were intimate with her talked together much of »poor
Harriet« imagined what her feelings must be when she came to know everything
and conjectured how much she had already come to know There was no spiteful
disposition towards her rather there was a busy benevolence anxious to
ascertain what it would be well for her to feel and do under the circumstances
which of course kept the imagination occupied with her character and history
from the times when she was Harriet Vincy till now With the review of Mrs
Bulstrode and her position it was inevitable to associate Rosamond whose
prospects were under the same blight with her aunts Rosamond was more severely
criticised and less pitied though she too as one of the good old Vincy family
who had always been known in Middlemarch was regarded as a victim to marriage
with an interloper The Vincys had their weaknesses but then they lay on the
surface there was never anything bad to be »found out« concerning them Mrs
Bulstrode was vindicated from any resemblance to her husband Harriets faults
were her own
»She has always been showy« said Mrs Hackbutt making tea for a small
party »though she has got into the way of putting her religion forward to
conform to her husband she has tried to hold her head up above Middlemarch by
making it known that she invites clergymen and heavenknowswho from Riverston
and those places«
»We can hardly blame her for that« said Mrs Sprague »because few of the
best people in the town cared to associate with Bulstrode and she must have
somebody to sit down at her table«
»Mr Thesiger has always countenanced him« said Mrs Hackbutt »I think he
must be sorry now«
»But he was never fond of him in his heart that every one knows« said
Mrs Tom Toller »Mr Thesiger never goes into extremes He keeps to the truth
in what is evangelical It is only clergymen like Mr Tyke who want to use
Dissenting hymnbooks and that low kind of religion who ever found Bulstrode to
their taste«
»I understand Mr Tyke is in great distress about him« said Mrs Hackbutt
»And well he may be they say the Bulstrodes have half kept the Tyke family«
»And of course it is a discredit to his doctrines« said Mrs Sprague who
was elderly and oldfashioned in her opinions »People will not make a boast of
being methodistical in Middlemarch for a good while to come«
»I think we must not set down peoples bad actions to their religion« said
falconfaced Mrs Plymdale who had been listening hitherto
»Oh my dear we are forgetting« said Mrs Sprague »We ought not to be
talking of this before you«
»I am sure I have no reason to be partial« said Mrs Plymdale colouring
»Its true Mr Plymdale has always been on good terms with Mr Bulstrode and
Harriet Vincy was my friend long before she married him But I have always kept
my own opinions and told her where she was wrong poor thing Still in point of
religion I must say Mr Bulstrode might have done what he has and worse and
yet have been a man of no religion I dont say that there has not been a little
too much of that I like moderation myself But truth is truth The men tried
at the assizes are not all overreligious I suppose«
»Well« said Mrs Hackbutt wheeling adroitly »all I can say is that I
think she ought to separate from him«
»I cant say that« said Mrs Sprague »She took him for better or worse
you know«
»But worse can never mean finding out that your husband is fit for Newgate«
said Mrs Hackbutt »Fancy living with such a man I should expect to be
poisoned«
»Yes I think myself it is an encouragement to crime if such men are to be
taken care of and waited on by good wives« said Mrs Tom Toller
»And a good wife poor Harriet has been« said Mrs Plymdale »She thinks her
husband the first of men Its true he has never denied her anything«
»Well we shall see what she will do« said Mrs Hackbutt »I suppose she
knows nothing yet poor creature I do hope and trust I shall not see her for I
should be frightened to death lest I should say anything about her husband Do
you think any hint has reached her«
»I should hardly think so« said Mrs Tom Toller »We hear that he is ill
and has never stirred out of the house since the meeting on Thursday but she
was with her girls at church yesterday and they had new Tuscan bonnets Her own
had a feather in it I have never seen that her religion made any difference in
her dress«
»She wears very neat patterns always« said Mrs Plymdale a little stung
»And that feather I know she got dyed a pale lavender on purpose to be
consistent I must say it of Harriet that she wishes to do right«
»As to her knowing what has happened it cant be kept from her long« said
Mrs Hackbutt »The Vincys know for Mr Vincy was at the meeting It will be a
great blow to him There is his daughter as well as his sister«
»Yes indeed« said Mrs Sprague »Nobody supposes that Mr Lydgate can go
on holding up his head in Middlemarch things look so black about the thousand
pounds he took just at that mans death It really makes one shudder«
»Pride must have a fall« said Mrs Hackbutt
»I am not so sorry for Rosamond Vincy that was as I am for her aunt« said
Mrs Plymdale »She needed a lesson«
»I suppose the Bulstrodes will go and live abroad somewhere« said Mrs
Sprague »That is what is generally done when there is anything disgraceful in a
family«
»And a most deadly blow it will be to Harriet« said Mrs Plymdale »If ever
a woman was crushed she will be I pity her from my heart And with all her
faults few women are better From a girl she had the neatest ways and was
always goodhearted and as open as the day You might look into her drawers
when you would always the same And so she has brought up Kate and Ellen You
may think how hard it will be for her to go among foreigners«
»The doctor says that is what he should recommend the Lydgates to do« said
Mrs Sprague »He says Lydgate ought to have kept among the French«
»That would suit her well enough I daresay« said Mrs Plymdale »there is
that kind of lightness about her But she got that from her mother she never
got it from her aunt Bulstrode who always gave her good advice and to my
knowledge would rather have had her marry elsewhere«
Mrs Plymdale was in a situation which caused her some complication of
feeling There had been not only her intimacy with Mrs Bulstrode but also a
profitable business relation of the great Plymdale dyeing house with Mr
Bulstrode which on the one hand would have inclined her to desire that the
mildest view of his character should be the true one but on the other made her
the more afraid of seeming to palliate his culpability Again the late alliance
of her family with the Tollers had brought her in connection with the best
circle which gratified her in every direction except in the inclination to
those serious views which she believed to be the best in another sense The
sharp little womans conscience was somewhat troubled in the adjustment of these
opposing »bests« and of her griefs and satisfactions under late events which
were likely to humble those who needed humbling but also to fall heavily on her
old friend whose faults she would have preferred seeing on a background of
prosperity
Poor Mrs Bulstrode meanwhile had been no further shaken by the oncoming
tread of calamity than in the busier stirring of that secret uneasiness which
had always been present in her since the last visit of Raffles to The Shrubs
That the hateful man had come ill to Stone Court and that her husband had
chosen to remain there and watch over him she allowed to be explained by the
fact that Raffles had been employed and aided in earlier days and that this
made a tie of benevolence towards him in his degraded helplessness and she had
been since then innocently cheered by her husbands more hopeful speech about
his own health and ability to continue his attention to business The calm was
disturbed when Lydgate had brought him home ill from the meeting and in spite
of comforting assurances during the next few days she cried in private from the
conviction that her husband was not suffering from bodily illness merely but
from something that afflicted his mind He would not allow her to read to him
and scarcely to sit with him alleging nervous susceptibility to sounds and
movements yet she suspected that in shutting himself up in his private room he
wanted to be busy with his papers Something she felt sure had happened
Perhaps it was some great loss of money and she was kept in the dark Not
daring to question her husband she said to Lydgate on the fifth day after the
meeting when she had not left home except to go to church
»Mr Lydgate pray be open with me I like to know the truth Has anything
happened to Mr Bulstrode«
»Some little nervous shock« said Lydgate evasively He felt that it was
not for him to make the painful revelation
»But what brought it on« said Mrs Bulstrode looking directly at him with
her large dark eyes
»There is often something poisonous in the air of public rooms« said
Lydgate »Strong men can stand it but it tells on people in proportion to the
delicacy of their systems It is often impossible to account for the precise
moment of an attack or rather to say why the strength gives way at a
particular moment«
Mrs Bulstrode was not satisfied with this answer There remained in her the
belief that some calamity had befallen her husband of which she was to be kept
in ignorance and it was in her nature strongly to object to such concealment
She begged leave for her daughters to sit with their father and drove into the
town to pay some visits conjecturing that if anything were known to have gone
wrong in Mr Bulstrodes affairs she should see or hear some sign of it
She called on Mrs Thesiger who was not at home and then drove to Mrs
Hackbutts on the other side of the churchyard Mrs Hackbutt saw her coming
from an upstairs window and remembering her former alarm lest she should meet
Mrs Bulstrode felt almost bound in consistency to send word that she was not
at home but against that there was a sudden strong desire within her for the
excitement of an interview in which she was quite determined not to make the
slightest allusion to what was in her mind
Hence Mrs Bulstrode was shown into the drawingroom and Mrs Hackbutt went
to her with more tightness of lip and rubbing of her hands than was usually
observable in her these being precautions adopted against freedom of speech
She was resolved not to ask how Mr Bulstrode was
»I have not been anywhere except to church for nearly a week« said Mrs
Bulstrode after a few introductory remarks »But Mr Bulstrode was taken so ill
at the meeting on Thursday that I have not liked to leave the house«
Mrs Hackbutt rubbed the back of one hand with the palm of the other held
against her chest and let her eyes ramble over the pattern on the rug
»Was Mr Hackbutt at the meeting« persevered Mrs Bulstrode
»Yes he was« said Mrs Hackbutt with the same attitude »The land is to
be bought by subscription I believe«
»Let us hope that there will be no more cases of cholera to be buried in
it« said Mrs Bulstrode »It is an awful visitation But I always think
Middlemarch a very healthy spot I suppose it is being used to it from a child
but I never saw the town I should like to live at better and especially our
end«
»I am sure I should be glad that you always should live at Middlemarch Mrs
Bulstrode« said Mrs Hackbutt with a slight sigh »Still we must learn to
resign ourselves wherever our lot may be cast Though I am sure there will
always be people in this town who will wish you well«
Mrs Hackbutt longed to say »if you take my advice you will part from your
husband« but it seemed clear to her that the poor woman knew nothing of the
thunder ready to bolt on her head and she herself could do no more than prepare
her a little Mrs Bulstrode felt suddenly rather chill and trembling there was
evidently something unusual behind this speech of Mrs Hackbutts but though
she had set out with the desire to be fully informed she found herself unable
now to pursue her brave purpose and turning the conversation by an inquiry
about the young Hackbutts she soon took her leave saying that she was going to
see Mrs Plymdale On her way thither she tried to imagine that there might have
been some unusually warm sparring at the meeting between Mr Bulstrode and some
of his frequent opponents perhaps Mr Hackbutt might have been one of them
That would account for everything
But when she was in conversation with Mrs Plymdale that comforting
explanation seemed no longer tenable »Selina« received her with a pathetic
affectionateness and a disposition to give edifying answers on the commonest
topics which could hardly have reference to an ordinary quarrel of which the
most important consequence was a perturbation of Mr Bulstrodes health
Beforehand Mrs Bulstrode had thought that she would sooner question Mrs
Plymdale than any one else but she found to her surprise that an old friend is
not always the person whom it is easiest to make a confidant of there was the
barrier of remembered communication under other circumstances there was the
dislike of being pitied and informed by one who had been long wont to allow her
the superiority For certain words of mysterious appropriateness that Mrs
Plymdale let fall about her resolution never to turn her back on her friends
convinced Mrs Bulstrode that what had happened must be some kind of misfortune
and instead of being able to say with her native directness »What is it that
you have in your mind« she found herself anxious to get away before she had
heard anything more explicit She began to have an agitating certainty that the
misfortune was something more than the mere loss of money being keenly
sensitive to the fact that Selina now just as Mrs Hackbutt had done before
avoided noticing what she said about her husband as they would have avoided
noticing a personal blemish
She said goodbye with nervous haste and told the coachman to drive to Mr
Vincys warehouse In that short drive her dread gathered so much force from the
sense of darkness that when she entered the private countinghouse where her
brother sat at his desk her knees trembled and her usually florid face was
deathly pale Something of the same effect was produced in him by the sight of
her he rose from his seat to meet her took her by the hand and said with his
impulsive rashness
»God help you Harriet you know all«
That moment was perhaps worse than any which came after It contained that
concentrated experience which in great crises of emotion reveals the bias of a
nature and is prophetic of the ultimate act which will end an intermediate
struggle Without that memory of Raffles she might still have thought only of
monetary ruin but now along with her brothers look and words there darted into
her mind the idea of some guilt in her husband then under the working of
terror came the image of her husband exposed to disgrace and then after an
instant of scorching shame in which she felt only the eyes of the world with
one leap of her heart she was at his side in mournful but unreproaching
fellowship with shame and isolation All this went on within her in a mere flash
of time while she sank into the chair and raised her eyes to her brother who
stood over her »I know nothing Walter What is it« she said faintly
He told her everything very inartificially in slow fragments making her
aware that the scandal went much beyond proof especially as to the end of
Raffles
»People will talk« he said »Even if a man has been acquitted by a jury
theyll talk and nod and wink and as far as the world goes a man might often
as well be guilty as not Its a breakdown blow and it damages Lydgate as much
as Bulstrode I dont pretend to say what is the truth I only wish we had never
heard the name of either Bulstrode or Lydgate Youd better have been a Vincy
all your life and so had Rosamond«
Mrs Bulstrode made no reply
»But you must bear up as well as you can Harriet People dont blame you
And Ill stand by you whatever you make up your mind to do« said the brother
with rough but wellmeaning affectionateness
»Give me your arm to the carriage Walter« said Mrs Bulstrode »I feel
very weak«
And when she got home she was obliged to say to her daughter »I am not
well my dear I must go and lie down Attend to your papa Leave me in quiet I
shall take no dinner«
She locked herself in her room She needed time to get used to her maimed
consciousness her poor lopped life before she could walk steadily to the place
allotted her A new searching light had fallen on her husbands character and
she could not judge him leniently the twenty years in which she had believed in
him and venerated him by virtue of his concealments came back with particulars
that made them seem an odious deceit He had married her with that bad past life
hidden behind him and she had no faith left to protest his innocence of the
worst that was imputed to him Her honest ostentatious nature made the sharing
of a merited dishonour as bitter as it could be to any mortal
But this imperfectlytaught woman whose phrases and habits were an odd
patchwork had a loyal spirit within her The man whose prosperity she had
shared through nearly half a life and who had unvaryingly cherished her now
that punishment had befallen him it was not possible to her in any sense to
forsake him There is a forsaking which still sits at the same board and lies on
the same couch with the forsaken soul withering it the more by unloving
proximity She knew when she locked her door that she should unlock it ready
to go down to her unhappy husband and espouse his sorrow and say of his guilt
I will mourn and not reproach But she needed time to gather up her strength
she needed to sob out her farewell to all the gladness and pride of her life
When she had resolved to go down she prepared herself by some little acts which
might seem mere folly to a hard onlooker they were her way of expressing to all
spectators visible or invisible that she had begun a new life in which she
embraced humiliation She took off all her ornaments and put on a plain black
gown and instead of wearing her muchadorned cap and large bows of hair she
brushed her hair down and put on a plain bonnetcap which made her look
suddenly like an early Methodist
Bulstrode who knew that his wife had been out and had come in saying that
she was not well had spent the time in an agitation equal to hers He had
looked forward to her learning the truth from others and had acquiesced in that
probability as something easier to him than any confession But now that he
imagined the moment of her knowledge come he awaited the result in anguish His
daughters had been obliged to consent to leave him and though he had allowed
some food to be brought to him he had not touched it He felt himself perishing
slowly in unpitied misery Perhaps he should never see his wifes face with
affection in it again And if he turned to God there seemed to be no answer but
the pressure of retribution
It was eight oclock in the evening before the door opened and his wife
entered He dared not look up at her He sat with his eyes bent down and as she
went towards him she thought he looked smaller he seemed so withered and
shrunken A movement of new compassion and old tenderness went through her like
a great wave and putting one hand on his which rested on the arm of the chair
and the other on his shoulder she said solemnly but kindly
»Look up Nicholas«
He raised his eyes with a little start and looked at her half amazed for a
moment her pale face her changed mourning dress the trembling about her
mouth all said »I know« and her hands and eyes rested gently on him He burst
out crying and they cried together she sitting at his side They could not yet
speak to each other of the shame which she was bearing with him or of the acts
which had brought it down on them His confession was silent and her promise of
faithfulness was silent Openminded as she was she nevertheless shrank from
the words which would have expressed their mutual consciousness, as she would
have shrunk from flakes of fire She could not say »How much is only slander
and false suspicion« and he did not say »I am innocent«
Chapter LXXV
»Le sentiment de la fausseté des plaisirs présents et lignorance
de la vanité des plaisirs absents causent linconstance«
Pascal
Rosamond had a gleam of returning cheerfulness when the house was freed from the
threatening figure and when all the disagreeable creditors were paid But she
was not joyous her married life had fulfilled none of her hopes and had been
quite spoiled for her imagination In this brief interval of calm Lydgate
remembering that he had often been stormy in his hours of perturbation and
mindful of the pain Rosamond had had to bear was carefully gentle towards her
but he too had lost some of his old spirit and he still felt it necessary to
refer to an economical change in their way of living as a matter of course
trying to reconcile her to it gradually and repressing his anger when she
answered by wishing that he would go to live in London When she did not make
this answer she listened languidly and wondered what she had that was worth
living for The hard and contemptuous words which had fallen from her husband in
his anger had deeply offended that vanity which he had at first called into
active enjoyment and what she regarded as his perverse way of looking at
things kept up a secret repulsion which made her receive all his tenderness as
a poor substitute for the happiness he had failed to give her They were at a
disadvantage with their neighbours and there was no longer any outlook towards
Quallingham there was no outlook anywhere except in an occasional letter from
Will Ladislaw She had felt stung and disappointed by Wills resolution to quit
Middlemarch for in spite of what she knew and guessed about his admiration for
Dorothea she secretly cherished the belief that he had or would necessarily
come to have much more admiration for herself Rosamond being one of those
women who live much in the idea that each man they meet would have preferred
them if the preference had not been hopeless Mrs Casaubon was all very well
but Wills interest in her dated before he knew Mrs Lydgate Rosamond took his
way of talking to herself which was a mixture of playful faultfinding and
hyperbolical gallantry as the disguise of a deeper feeling and in his presence
she felt that agreeable titillation of vanity and sense of romantic drama which
Lydgates presence had no longer the magic to create She even fancied what
will not men and women fancy in these matters that Will exaggerated his
admiration for Mrs Casaubon in order to pique herself In this way poor
Rosamonds brain had been busy before Wills departure He would have made she
thought a much more suitable husband for her than she had found in Lydgate No
notion could have been falser than this for Rosamonds discontent in her
marriage was due to the conditions of marriage itself to its demand for
selfsuppression and tolerance and not to the nature of her husband but the
easy conception of an unreal Better had a sentimental charm which diverted her
ennui She constructed a little romance which was to vary the flatness of her
life Will Ladislaw was always to be a bachelor and live near her always to be
at her command and have an understood though never fully expressed passion for
her which would be sending out lambent flames every now and then in interesting
scenes His departure had been a proportionate disappointment and had sadly
increased her weariness of Middlemarch but at first she had the alternative
dream of pleasures in store from her intercourse with the family at Quallingham
Since then the troubles of her married life had deepened and the absence of
other relief encouraged her regretful rumination over that thin romance which
she had once fed on Men and women make sad mistakes about their own symptoms
taking their vague uneasy longings sometimes for genius sometimes for
religion and oftener still for a mighty love Will Ladislaw had written chatty
letters half to her and half to Lydgate and she had replied their separation
she felt was not likely to be final and the change she now most longed for was
that Lydgate should go to live in London everything would be agreeable in
London and she had set to work with quiet determination to win this result
when there came a sudden delightful promise which inspirited her
It came shortly before the memorable meeting at the townhall and was
nothing less than a letter from Will Ladislaw to Lydgate which turned indeed
chiefly on his new interest in plans of colonisation but mentioned
incidentally that he might find it necessary to pay a visit to Middlemarch
within the next few weeks a very pleasant necessity he said almost as good
as holidays to a schoolboy He hoped there was his old place on the rug and a
great deal of music in store for him But he was quite uncertain as to the time
While Lydgate was reading the letter to Rosamond her face looked like a
reviving flower it grew prettier and more blooming There was nothing
unendurable now the debts were paid Mr Ladislaw was coming and Lydgate would
be persuaded to leave Middlemarch and settle in London which was »so different
from a provincial town«
That was a bright bit of morning But soon the sky became black over poor
Rosamond The presence of a new gloom in her husband about which he was
entirely reserved towards her for he dreaded to expose his lacerated feeling
to her neutrality and misconception soon received a painfully strange
explanation alien to all her previous notions of what could affect her
happiness In the new gaiety of her spirits thinking that Lydgate had merely a
worse fit of moodiness than usual causing him to leave her remarks unanswered
and evidently to keep out of her way as much as possible she chose a few days
after the meeting and without speaking to him on the subject to send out notes
of invitation for a small evening party feeling convinced that this was a
judicious step since people seemed to have been keeping aloof from them and
wanted restoring to the old habit of intercourse When the invitations had been
accepted she would tell Lydgate and give him a wise admonition as to how a
medical man should behave to his neighbours for Rosamond had the gravest little
airs possible about other peoples duties But all the invitations were
declined and the last answer came into Lydgates hands
»This is Chichelys scratch What is he writing to you about« said Lydgate
wonderingly as he handed the note to her She was obliged to let him see it
and looking at her severely he said
»Why on earth have you been sending out invitations without telling me
Rosamond I beg I insist that you will not invite any one to this house I
suppose you have been inviting others and they have refused too«
She said nothing
»Do you hear me« thundered Lydgate
»Yes certainly I hear you« said Rosamond turning her head aside with the
movement of a graceful longnecked bird
Lydgate tossed his head without any grace and walked out of the room
feeling himself dangerous Rosamonds thought was that he was getting more and
more unbearable not that there was any new special reason for this
peremptoriness His indisposition to tell her anything in which he was sure
beforehand that she would not be interested was growing into an unreflecting
habit and she was in ignorance of everything connected with the thousand pounds
except that the loan had come from her uncle Bulstrode Lydgates odious humours
and their neighbours apparent avoidance of them had an unaccountable date for
her in their relief from money difficulties If the invitations had been
accepted she would have gone to invite her mamma and the rest whom she had seen
nothing of for several days and she now put on her bonnet to go and inquire
what had become of them all suddenly feeling as if there were a conspiracy to
leave her in isolation with a husband disposed to offend everybody It was after
the dinner hour and she found her father and mother seated together alone in
the drawingroom They greeted her with sad looks saying »Well my dear« and
no more She had never seen her father look so downcast and seating herself
near him she said
»Is there anything the matter papa«
He did not answer but Mrs Vincy said »Oh my dear have you heard
nothing It wont be long before it reaches you«
»Is it anything about Tertius« said Rosamond turning pale The idea of
trouble immediately connected itself with what had been unaccountable to her in
him
»Oh my dear yes To think of your marrying into this trouble Debt was bad
enough but this will be worse«
»Stay stay Lucy« said Mr Vincy »Have you heard nothing about your uncle
Bulstrode Rosamond«
»No papa« said the poor thing feeling as if trouble were not anything she
had before experienced but some invisible power with an iron grasp that made
her soul faint within her
Her father told her everything saying at the end »Its better for you to
know my dear I think Lydgate must leave the town Things have gone against
him I daresay he couldnt help it I dont accuse him of any harm« said Mr
Vincy He had always before been disposed to find the utmost fault with Lydgate
The shock to Rosamond was terrible It seemed to her that no lot could be so
cruelly hard as hers to have married a man who had become the centre of
infamous suspicions In many cases it is inevitable that the shame is felt to be
the worst part of crime and it would have required a great deal of
disentangling reflection such as had never entered into Rosamonds life for
her in these moments to feel that her trouble was less than if her husband had
been certainly known to have done something criminal All the shame seemed to be
there And she had innocently married this man with the belief that he and his
family were a glory to her She showed her usual reticence to her parents and
only said that if Lydgate had done as she wished he would have left Middlemarch
long ago
»She bears it beyond anything« said her mother when she was gone
»Ah thank God« said Mr Vincy who was much broken down
But Rosamond went home with a sense of justified repugnance towards her
husband What had he really done how had he really acted She did not know
Why had he not told her everything He did not speak to her on the subject and
of course she could not speak to him It came into her mind once that she would
ask her father to let her go home again but dwelling on that prospect made it
seem utter dreariness to her a married woman gone back to live with her parents
life seemed to have no meaning for her in such a position she could not
contemplate herself in it
The next two days Lydgate observed a change in her and believed that she
had heard the bad news Would she speak to him about it or would she go on for
ever in the silence which seemed to imply that she believed him guilty We must
remember that he was in a morbid state of mind in which almost all contact was
pain Certainly Rosamond in this case had equal reason to complain of reserve
and want of confidence on his part but in the bitterness of his soul he excused
himself was he not justified in shrinking from the task of telling her since
now she knew the truth she had no impulse to speak to him But a deeperlying
consciousness that he was in fault made him restless and the silence between
them became intolerable to him it was as if they were both adrift on one piece
of wreck and looked away from each other
He thought »I am a fool Havent I given up expecting anything I have
married care not help« And that evening he said
»Rosamond have you heard anything that distresses you«
»Yes« she answered laying down her work which she had been carrying on
with a languid semiconsciousness most unlike her usual self
»What have you heard«
»Everything I suppose Papa told me«
»That people think me disgraced«
»Yes« said Rosamond faintly beginning to sew again automatically
There was silence Lydgate thought »If she has any trust in me any notion
of what I am she ought to speak now and say that she does not believe I have
deserved disgrace«
But Rosamond on her side went on moving her fingers languidly Whatever was
to be said on the subject she expected to come from Tertius What did she know
And if he were innocent of any wrong why did he not do something to clear
himself
This silence of hers brought a new rush of gall to that bitter mood in which
Lydgate had been saying to himself that nobody believed in him even
Farebrother had not come forward He had begun to question her with the intent
that their conversation should disperse the chill fog which had gathered between
them but he felt his resolution checked by despairing resentment Even this
trouble like the rest she seemed to regard as if it were hers alone He was
always to her a being apart doing what she objected to He started from his
chair with an angry impulse and thrusting his hands in his pockets walked up
and down the room There was an underlying consciousness all the while that he
should have to master this anger and tell her everything and convince her of
the facts For he had almost learned the lesson that he must bend himself to her
nature and that because she came short in her sympathy he must give the more
Soon he recurred to his intention of opening himself the occasion must not be
lost If he could bring her to feel with some solemnity that here was a slander
which must be met and not run away from and that the whole trouble had come out
of his desperate want of money it would be a moment for urging powerfully on
her that they should be one in the resolve to do with as little money as
possible so that they might weather the bad time and keep themselves
independent He would mention the definite measures which he desired to take
and win her to a willing spirit He was bound to try this and what else was
there for him to do
He did not know how long he had been walking uneasily backwards and
forwards but Rosamond felt that it was long and wished that he would sit down
She too had begun to think this an opportunity for urging on Tertius what he
ought to do Whatever might be the truth about all this misery there was one
dread which asserted itself
Lydgate at last seated himself not in his usual chair but in one nearer to
Rosamond leaning aside in it towards her and looking at her gravely before he
reopened the sad subject He had conquered himself so far and was about to
speak with a sense of solemnity as on an occasion which was not to be repeated
He had even opened his lips when Rosamond letting her hands fall looked at
him and said
»Surely Tertius «
»Well«
»Surely now at last you have given up the idea of staying in Middlemarch I
cannot go on living here Let us go to London Papa and every one else says
you had better go Whatever misery I have to put up with it will be easier away
from here«
Lydgate felt miserably jarred Instead of that critical outpouring for which
he had prepared himself with effort here was the old round to be gone through
again He could not bear it With a quick change of countenance he rose and went
out of the room
Perhaps if he had been strong enough to persist in his determination to be
the more because she was less that evening might have had a better issue If
his energy could have borne down that check he might still have wrought on
Rosamonds vision and will We cannot be sure that any natures however
inflexible or peculiar will resist this effect from a more massive being than
their own They may be taken by storm and for the moment converted becoming
part of the soul which enwraps them in the ardour of its movement But poor
Lydgate had a throbbing pain within him and his energy had fallen short of its
task
The beginning of mutual understanding and resolve seemed as far off as ever
nay it seemed blocked out by the sense of unsuccessful effort They lived on
from day to day with their thoughts still apart Lydgate going about what work
he had in a mood of despair and Rosamond feeling with some justification that
he was behaving cruelly It was of no use to say anything to Tertius but when
Will Ladislaw came she was determined to tell him everything In spite of her
general reticence she needed some one who would recognise her wrongs
Chapter LXXVI
»To mercy pity peace and love
All pray in their distress
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness«
»For Mercy has a human heart
Pity a human face
And Love the human form divine
And Peace the human dress«
William Blake
Songs of Innocence
Some days later Lydgate was riding to Lowick Manor in consequence of a summons
from Dorothea The summons had not been unexpected since it had followed a
letter from Mr Bulstrode in which he stated that he had resumed his
arrangements for quitting Middlemarch and must remind Lydgate of his previous
communications about the hospital to the purport of which he still adhered It
had been his duty before taking further steps to reopen the subject with Mrs
Casaubon who now wished as before to discuss the question with Lydgate »Your
views may possibly have undergone some change« wrote Mr Bulstrode »but in
that case also it is desirable that you should lay them before her«
Dorothea awaited his arrival with eager interest Though in deference to
her masculine advisers she had refrained from what Sir James had called
»interfering in this Bulstrode business« the hardship of Lydgates position was
continually in her mind and when Bulstrode applied to her again about the
hospital she felt that the opportunity was come to her which she had been
hindered from hastening In her luxurious home wandering under the boughs of
her own great trees her thought was going out over the lot of others and her
emotions were imprisoned The idea of some active good within her reach
»haunted her like a passion« and anothers need having once come to her as a
distinct image preoccupied her desire with the yearning to give relief and
made her own ease tasteless She was full of confident hope about this interview
with Lydgate never heeding what was said of his personal reserve never heeding
that she was a very young woman Nothing could have seemed more irrelevant to
Dorothea than insistance on her youth and sex when she was moved to show her
human fellowship
As she sat waiting in the library she could do nothing but live through
again all the past scenes which had brought Lydgate into her memories They all
owed their significance to her marriage and its troubles but no there were
two occasions in which the image of Lydgate had come painfully in connection
with his wife and some one else The pain had been allayed for Dorothea but it
had left in her an awakened conjecture as to what Lydgates marriage might be to
him a susceptibility to the slightest hint about Mrs Lydgate These thoughts
were like a drama to her and made her eyes bright and gave an attitude of
suspense to her whole frame though she was only looking out from the brown
library on to the turf and the bright green buds which stood in relief against
the dark evergreens
When Lydgate came in she was almost shocked at the change in his face
which was strikingly perceptible to her who had not seen him for two months It
was not the change of emaciation but that effect which even young faces will
very soon show from the persistent presence of resentment and despondency Her
cordial look when she put out her hand to him softened his expression but
only with melancholy
»I have wished very much to see you for a long while Mr Lydgate« said
Dorothea when they were seated opposite each other »but I put off asking you to
come until Mr Bulstrode applied to me again about the hospital I know that the
advantage of keeping the management of it separate from that of the Infirmary
depends on you or at least on the good which you are encouraged to hope for
from having it under your control And I am sure you will not refuse to tell me
exactly what you think«
»You want to decide whether you should give a generous support to the
hospital« said Lydgate »I cannot conscientiously advise you to do it in
dependence on any activity of mine I may be obliged to leave the town«
He spoke curtly feeling the ache of despair as to his being able to carry
out any purpose that Rosamond had set her mind against
»Not because there is no one to believe in you« said Dorothea pouring out
her words in clearness from a full heart »I know the unhappy mistakes about
you I knew them from the first moment to be mistakes You have never done
anything vile You would not do anything dishonourable«
It was the first assurance of belief in him that had fallen on Lydgates
ears He drew a deep breath and said »Thank you« He could say no more it was
something very new and strange in his life that these few words of trust from a
woman should be so much to him
»I beseech you to tell me how everything was« said Dorothea fearlessly »I
am sure that the truth would clear you«
Lydgate started up from his chair and went towards the window forgetting
where he was He had so often gone over in his mind the possibility of
explaining everything without aggravating appearances that would tell perhaps
unfairly against Bulstrode and had so often decided against it he had so
often said to himself that his assertions would not change peoples impressions
that Dorotheas words sounded like a temptation to do something which in his
soberness he had pronounced to be unreasonable
»Tell me pray« said Dorothea with simple earnestness »then we can
consult together It is wicked to let people think evil of any one falsely when
it can be hindered«
Lydgate turned remembering where he was and saw Dorotheas face looking up
at him with a sweet trustful gravity The presence of a noble nature generous
in its wishes ardent in its charity changes the lights for us we begin to see
things again in their larger quieter masses and to believe that we too can be
seen and judged in the wholeness of our character That influence was beginning
to act on Lydgate who had for many days been seeing all life as one who is
dragged and struggling amid the throng He sat down again and felt that he was
recovering his old self in the consciousness that he was with one who believed
in it
»I dont want« he said »to bear hard on Bulstrode who has lent me money
of which I was in need though I would rather have gone without it now He is
hunted down and miserable and has only a poor thread of life in him But I
should like to tell you everything It will be a comfort to me to speak where
belief has gone beforehand and where I shall not seem to be offering assertions
of my own honesty You will feel what is fair to another as you feel what is
fair to me«
»Do trust me« said Dorothea »I will not repeat anything without your
leave But at the very least I could say that you have made all the
circumstances clear to me and that I know you are not in any way guilty Mr
Farebrother would believe me and my uncle and Sir James Chettam Nay there
are persons in Middlemarch to whom I could go although they dont know much of
me they would believe me They would know that I could have no other motive
than truth and justice I would take any pains to clear you I have very little
to do There is nothing better that I can do in the world«
Dorotheas voice as she made this childlike picture of what she would do
might have been almost taken as a proof that she could do it effectively The
searching tenderness of her womans tones seemed made for a defence against
ready accusers Lydgate did not stay to think that she was Quixotic he gave
himself up for the first time in his life to the exquisite sense of leaning
entirely on a generous sympathy without any check of proud reserve And he told
her everything from the time when under the pressure of his difficulties he
unwillingly made his first application to Bulstrode gradually in the relief of
speaking getting into a more thorough utterance of what had gone on in his mind
entering fully into the fact that his treatment of the patient was opposed to
the dominant practice into his doubts at the last his ideal of medical duty
and his uneasy consciousness that the acceptance of the money had made some
difference in his private inclination and professional behaviour though not in
his fulfilment of any publicly recognised obligation
»It has come to my knowledge since« he added »that Hawley sent some one to
examine the housekeeper at Stone Court and she said that she gave the patient
all the opium in the phial I left as well as a good deal of brandy But that
would not have been opposed to ordinary prescriptions even of firstrate men
The suspicions against me had no hold there they are grounded on the knowledge
that I took money that Bulstrode had strong motives for wishing the man to die
and that he gave me the money as a bribe to concur in some malpractices or other
against the patient that in any case I accepted a bribe to hold my tongue
They are just the suspicions that cling the most obstinately because they lie
in peoples inclination and can never be disproved How my orders came to be
disobeyed is a question to which I dont know the answer It is still possible
that Bulstrode was innocent of any criminal intention even possible that he
had nothing to do with the disobedience and merely abstained from mentioning
it But all that has nothing to do with the public belief It is one of those
cases on which a man is condemned on the ground of his character it is
believed that he has committed a crime in some undefined way because he had the
motive for doing it and Bulstrodes character has enveloped me because I took
his money I am simply blighted like a damaged ear of corn the business is
done and cant be undone«
»Oh it is hard« said Dorothea »I understand the difficulty there is in
your vindicating yourself And that all this should have come to you who had
meant to lead a higher life than the common and to find out better ways I
cannot bear to rest in this as unchangeable I know you meant that I remember
what you said to me when you first spoke to me about the hospital There is no
sorrow I have thought more about than that to love what is great and try to
reach it and yet to fail«
»Yes« said Lydgate feeling that here he had found room for the full
meaning of his grief »I had some ambition I meant everything to be different
with me I thought I had more strength and mastery But the most terrible
obstacles are such as nobody can see except oneself«
»Suppose« said Dorothea meditatively »Suppose we kept on the hospital
according to the present plan and you stayed here though only with the
friendship and support of a few the evil feeling towards you would gradually
die out there would come opportunities in which people would be forced to
acknowledge that they had been unjust to you because they would see that your
purposes were pure You may still win a great fame like the Louis and Laennec I
have heard you speak of and we shall all be proud of you« she ended with a
smile
»That might do if I had my old trust in myself« said Lydgate mournfully
»Nothing galls me more than the notion of turning round and running away before
this slander leaving it unchecked behind me Still I cant ask any one to put
a great deal of money into a plan which depends on me«
»It would be quite worth my while« said Dorothea simply »Only think I am
very uncomfortable with my money because they tell me I have too little for any
great scheme of the sort I like best and yet I have too much I dont know what
to do I have seven hundred ayear of my own fortune and nineteen hundred
ayear that Mr Casaubon left me and between three and four thousand of ready
money in the bank I wished to raise money and pay it off gradually out of my
income which I dont want to buy land with and found a village which should be
a school of industry but Sir James and my uncle have convinced me that the risk
would be too great So you see that what I should most rejoice at would be to
have something good to do with my money I should like it to make other peoples
lives better to them It makes me very uneasy coming all to me who dont want
it«
A smile broke through the gloom of Lydgates face The childlike graveeyed
earnestness with which Dorothea said all this was irresistible blent into an
adorable whole with her ready understanding of high experience Of lower
experience such as plays a great part in the world poor Mrs Casaubon had a
very blurred shortsighted knowledge little helped by her imagination But she
took the smile as encouragement of her plan
»I think you see now that you spoke too scrupulously« she said in a tone
of persuasion »The hospital would be one good and making your life quite whole
and well again would be another«
Lydgates smile had died away »You have the goodness as well as the money
to do all that if it could be done« he said »But «
He hesitated a little while looking vaguely towards the window and she sat
in silent expectation At last he turned towards her and said impetuously
»Why should I not tell you you know what sort of bond marriage is You
will understand everything«
Dorothea felt her heart beginning to beat faster Had he that sorrow too
But she feared to say any word and he went on immediately
»It is impossible for me now to do anything to take any step without
considering my wifes happiness The thing that I might like to do if I were
alone is become impossible to me I cant see her miserable She married me
without knowing what she was going into and it might have been better for her
if she had not married me«
»I know I know you could not give her pain if you were not obliged to do
it« said Dorothea with keen memory of her own life
»And she has set her mind against staying She wishes to go The troubles
she has had here have wearied her« said Lydgate breaking off again lest he
should say too much
»But when she saw the good that might come of staying « said Dorothea
remonstrantly looking at Lydgate as if he had forgotten the reasons which had
just been considered He did not speak immediately
»She would not see it« he said at last curtly feeling at first that this
statement must do without explanation »And indeed I have lost all spirit
about carrying on my life here« He paused a moment and then following the
impulse to let Dorothea see deeper into the difficulty of his life he said
»The fact is this trouble has come upon her confusedly We have not been able
to speak to each other about it I am not sure what is in her mind about it she
may fear that I have really done something base It is my fault I ought to be
more open But I have been suffering cruelly«
»May I go and see her« said Dorothea eagerly »Would she accept my
sympathy I would tell her that you have not been blamable before any ones
judgment but your own I would tell her that you shall be cleared in every fair
mind I would cheer her heart Will you ask her if I may go to see her I did
see her once«
»I am sure you may« said Lydgate seizing the proposition with some hope
»She would feel honoured cheered I think by the proof that you at least have
some respect for me I will not speak to her about your coming that she may
not connect it with my wishes at all I know very well that I ought not to have
left anything to be told her by others but «
He broke off and there was a moments silence Dorothea refrained from
saying what was in her mind how well she knew that there might be invisible
barriers to speech between husband and wife This was a point on which even
sympathy might make a wound She returned to the more outward aspect of
Lydgates position saying cheerfully
»And if Mrs Lydgate knew that there were friends who would believe in you
and support you she might then be glad that you should stay in your place and
recover your hopes and do what you meant to do Perhaps then you would see
that it was right to agree with what I proposed about your continuing at the
hospital Surely you would if you still have faith in it as a means of making
your knowledge useful«
Lydgate did not answer and she saw that he was debating with himself
»You need not decide immediately« she said gently »A few days hence it
will be early enough for me to send my answer to Mr Bulstrode«
Lydgate still waited but at last turned to speak in his most decisive
tones
»No I prefer that there should be no interval left for wavering I am no
longer sure enough of myself I mean of what it would be possible for me to do
under the changed circumstances of my life It would be dishonourable to let
others engage themselves to anything serious in dependence on me I might be
obliged to go away after all I see little chance of anything else The whole
thing is too problematic I cannot consent to be the cause of your goodness
being wasted No let the new hospital be joined with the old infirmary and
everything go on as it might have done if I had never come I have kept a
valuable register since I have been there I shall send it to a man who will
make use of it« he ended bitterly »I can think of nothing for a long while but
getting an income«
»It hurts me very much to hear you speak so hopelessly« said Dorothea »It
would be a happiness to your friends who believe in your future in your power
to do great things if you would let them save you from that Think how much
money I have it would be like taking a burthen from me if you took some of it
every year till you got free from this fettering want of income Why should not
people do these things It is so difficult to make shares at all even This is
one way«
»God bless you Mrs Casaubon« said Lydgate rising as if with the same
impulse that made his words energetic and resting his arm on the back of the
great leather chair he had been sitting in »It is good that you should have
such feelings But I am not the man who ought to allow himself to benefit by
them I have not given guarantees enough I must not at least sink into the
degradation of being pensioned for work that I never achieved It is very clear
to me that I must not count on anything else than getting away from Middlemarch
as soon as I can manage it I should not be able for a long while at the very
best to get an income here and and it is easier to make necessary changes in
a new place I must do as other men do and think what will please the world and
bring in money look for a little opening in the London crowd and push myself
set up in a wateringplace or go to some southern town where there are plenty
of idle English and get myself puffed that is the sort of shell I must creep
into and try to keep my soul alive in«
»Now that is not brave« said Dorothea »to give up the fight«
»No it is not brave« said Lydgate »but if a man is afraid of creeping
paralysis« Then in another tone »Yet you have made a great difference in my
courage by believing in me Everything seems more bearable since I have talked
to you and if you can clear me in a few other minds especially in
Farebrothers I shall be deeply grateful The point I wish you not to mention
is the fact of disobedience to my orders That would soon get distorted After
all there is no evidence for me but peoples opinion of me beforehand You can
only repeat my own report of myself«
»Mr Farebrother will believe others will believe« said Dorothea »I can
say of you what will make it stupidity to suppose that you would be bribed to do
a wickedness«
»I dont know« said Lydgate with something like a groan in his voice »I
have not taken a bribe yet But there is a pale shade of bribery which is
sometimes called prosperity You will do me another great kindness then and
come to see my wife«
»Yes I will I remember how pretty she is« said Dorothea into whose mind
every impression about Rosamond had cut deep »I hope she will like me«
As Lydgate rode away he thought »This young creature has a heart large
enough for the Virgin Mary She evidently thinks nothing of her own future and
would pledge away half her income at once as if she wanted nothing for herself
but a chair to sit in from which she can look down with those clear eyes at the
poor mortals who pray to her She seems to have what I never saw in any woman
before a fountain of friendship towards men a man can make a friend of her
Casaubon must have raised some heroic hallucination in her I wonder if she
could have any other sort of passion for a man Ladislaw there was certainly
an unusual feeling between them And Casaubon must have had a notion of it Well
her love might help a man more than her money«
Dorothea on her side had immediately formed a plan of relieving Lydgate from
his obligation to Bulstrode which she felt sure was a part though small of
the galling pressure he had to bear She sat down at once under the inspiration
of their interview and wrote a brief note in which she pleaded that she had
more claim than Mr Bulstrode had to the satisfaction of providing the money
which had been serviceable to Lydgate that it would be unkind in Lydgate not
to grant her the position of being his helper in this small matter the favour
being entirely to her who had so little that was plainly marked out for her to
do with her superfluous money He might call her a creditor or by any other name
if it did but imply that he granted her request She enclosed a cheque for a
thousand pounds and determined to take the letter with her the next day when
she went to see Rosamond
Chapter LXXVII
»And thus thy fall hath left a kind of blot
To mark the fullfraught man and best indued
With some suspicion«
Henry V
The next day Lydgate had to go to Brassing and told Rosamond that he should be
away until the evening Of late she had never gone beyond her own house and
garden except to church and once to see her papa to whom she said »If
Tertius goes away you will help us to move will you not papa I suppose we
shall have very little money I am sure I hope some one will help us« And Mr
Vincy had said »Yes child I dont mind a hundred or two I can see the end of
that« With these exceptions she had sat at home in languid melancholy and
suspense fixing her mind on Will Ladislaws coining as the one point of hope
and interest and associating this with some new urgency on Lydgate to make
immediate arrangements for leaving Middlemarch and going to London till she
felt assured that the coming would be a potent cause of the going without at
all seeing how This way of establishing sequences is too common to be fairly
regarded as a peculiar folly in Rosamond And it is precisely this sort of
sequence which causes the greatest shock when it is sundered for to see how an
effect may be produced is often to see possible missings and checks but to see
nothing except the desirable cause and close upon it the desirable effect rids
us of doubt and makes our minds strongly intuitive That was the process going
on in poor Rosamond while she arranged all objects around her with the same
nicety as ever only with more slowness or sat down to the piano meaning to
play and then desisting yet lingering on the music stool with her white
fingers suspended on the wooden front and looking before her in dreamy ennui
Her melancholy had become so marked that Lydgate felt a strange timidity before
it as a perpetual silent reproach and the strong man mastered by his keen
sensibilities towards this fair fragile creature whose life he seemed somehow to
have bruised shrank from her look and sometimes started at her approach fear
of her and fear for her rushing in only the more forcibly after it had been
momentarily expelled by exasperation
But this morning Rosamond descended from her room upstairs where she
sometimes sat the whole day when Lydgate was out equipped for a walk in the
town She had a letter to post a letter addressed to Mr Ladislaw and written
with charming discretion but intended to hasten his arrival by a hint of
trouble The servantmaid their sole houseservant now noticed her coming
downstairs in her walking dress and thought »there never did anybody look so
pretty in a bonnet poor thing«
Meanwhile Dorotheas mind was filled with her project of going to Rosamond
and with the many thoughts both of the past and the probable future which
gathered round the idea of that visit Until yesterday when Lydgate had opened
to her a glimpse of some trouble in his married life the image of Mrs Lydgate
had always been associated for her with that of Will Ladislaw Even in her most
uneasy moments even when she had been agitated by Mrs Cadwalladers painfully
graphic report of gossip her effort nay her strongest impulsive prompting
had been towards the vindication of Will from any sullying surmises and when
in her meeting with him afterwards she had at first interpreted his words as a
probable allusion to a feeling towards Mrs Lydgate which he was determined to
cut himself off from indulging she had had a quick sad excusing vision of the
charm there might be in his constant opportunities of companionship with that
fair creature who most likely shared his other tastes as she evidently did his
delight in music But there had followed his parting words the few passionate
words in which he had implied that she herself was the object of whom his love
held him in dread that it was his love for her only which he was resolved not
to declare but to carry away into banishment From the time of that parting
Dorothea believing in Wills love for her believing with a proud delight in
his delicate sense of honour and his determination that no one should impeach
him justly felt her heart quite at rest as to the regard he might have for Mrs
Lydgate She was sure that the regard was blameless
There are natures in which if they love us we are conscious of having a
sort of baptism and consecration they bind us over to rectitude and purity by
their pure belief about us and our sins become that worst kind of sacrilege
which tears down the invisible altar of trust »If you are not good none is
good« those little words may give a terrific meaning to responsibility may
hold a vitriolic intensity for remorse
Dorotheas nature was of that kind her own passionate faults lay along the
easilycounted open channels of her ardent character and while she was full of
pity for the visible mistakes of others she had not yet any material within her
experience for subtle constructions and suspicions of hidden wrong But that
simplicity of hers holding up an ideal for others in her believing conception
of them was one of the great powers of her womanhood And it had from the first
acted strongly on Will Ladislaw He felt when he parted from her that the
brief words by which he had tried to convey to her his feeling about herself and
the division which her fortune made between them would only profit by their
brevity when Dorothea had to interpret them he felt that in her mind he had
found his highest estimate
And he was right there In the months since their parting Dorothea had felt
a delicious though sad repose in their relation to each other as one which was
inwardly whole and without blemish She had an active force of antagonism within
her when the antagonism turned on the defence either of plans or persons that
she believed in and the wrongs which she felt that Will had received from her
husband and the external conditions which to others were grounds for slighting
him only gave the more tenacity to her affection and admiring judgment And now
with the disclosures about Bulstrode had come another fact affecting Wills
social position which roused afresh Dorotheas inward resistance to what was
said about him in that part of her world which lay within park palings
»Young Ladislaw the grandson of a thieving Jew pawnbroker« was a phrase
which had entered emphatically into the dialogues about the Bulstrode business
at Lowick Tipton and Freshitt and was a worse kind of placard on poor Wills
back than the »Italian with white mice« Upright Sir James Chettam was convinced
that his own satisfaction was righteous when he thought with some complacency
that here was an added league to that mountainous distance between Ladislaw and
Dorothea which enabled him to dismiss any anxiety in that direction as too
absurd And perhaps there had been some pleasure in pointing Mr Brookes
attention to this ugly bit of Ladislaws genealogy as a fresh candle for him to
see his own folly by Dorothea had observed the animus with which Wills part in
the painful story had been recalled more than once but she had uttered no word
being checked now as she had not been formerly in speaking of Will by the
consciousness of a deeper relation between them which must always remain in
consecrated secrecy But her silence shrouded her resistant emotion into a more
thorough glow and this misfortune in Wills lot which it seemed others were
wishing to fling at his back as an opprobrium only gave something more of
enthusiasm to her clinging thought
She entertained no visions of their ever coming into nearer union and yet
she had taken no posture of renunciation She had accepted her whole relation to
Will very simply as part of her marriage sorrows and would have thought it very
sinful in her to keep up an inward wail because she was not completely happy
being rather disposed to dwell on the superfluities of her lot She could bear
that the chief pleasures of her tenderness should lie in memory and the idea of
marriage came to her solely as a repulsive proposition from some suitor of whom
she at present knew nothing but whose merits as seen by her friends would be
a source of torment to her »somebody who will manage your property for you
my dear« was Mr Brookes attractive suggestion of suitable characteristics »I
should like to manage it myself if I knew what to do with it« said Dorothea
No she adhered to her declaration that she would never be married again and
in the long valley of her life which looked so flat and empty of waymarks
guidance would come as she walked along the road and saw her fellowpassengers
by the way
This habitual state of feeling about Will Ladislaw had been strong in all
her waking hours since she had proposed to pay a visit to Mrs Lydgate making a
sort of background against which she saw Rosamonds figure presented to her
without hindrances to her interest and compassion There was evidently some
mental separation some barrier to complete confidence which had arisen between
this wife and the husband who had yet made her happiness a law to him That was
a trouble which no third person must directly touch But Dorothea thought with
deep pity of the loneliness which must have come upon Rosamond from the
suspicions cast on her husband and there would surely be help in the
manifestation of respect for Lydgate and sympathy with her
»I shall talk to her about her husband« thought Dorothea as she was being
driven towards the town The clear spring morning the scent of the moist earth
the fresh leaves just showing their creasedup wealth of greenery from out their
halfopened sheaths seemed part of the cheerfulness she was feeling from a long
conversation with Mr Farebrother who had joyfully accepted the justifying
explanation of Lydgates conduct »I shall take Mrs Lydgate good news and
perhaps she will like to talk to me and make a friend of me«
Dorothea had another errand in Lowick Gate it was about a new finetoned
bell for the schoolhouse and as she had to get out of her carriage very near
to Lydgates she walked thither across the street having told the coachman to
wait for some packages The street door was open and the servant was taking the
opportunity of looking out at the carriage which was pausing within sight when
it became apparent to her that the lady who »belonged to it« was coming towards
her
»Is Mrs Lydgate at home« said Dorothea
»Im not sure my lady Ill see if youll please to walk in« said Martha
a little confused on the score of her kitchen apron but collected enough to be
sure that »mum« was not the right title for this queenly young widow with a
carriage and pair »Will you please to walk in and Ill go and see«
»Say that I am Mrs Casaubon« said Dorothea as Martha moved forward
intending to show her into the drawingroom and then to go upstairs to see if
Rosamond had returned from her walk
They crossed the broader part of the entrancehall and turned up the
passage which led to the garden The drawingroom door was unlatched and
Martha pushing it without looking into the room waited for Mrs Casaubon to
enter and then turned away the door having swung open and swung back again
without noise
Dorothea had less of outward vision than usual this morning being filled
with images of things as they had been and were going to be She found herself
on the other side of the door without seeing anything remarkable but
immediately she heard a voice speaking in low tones which startled her as with a
sense of dreaming in daylight and advancing unconsciously a step or two beyond
the projecting slab of a bookcase she saw in the terrible illumination of a
certainty which filled up all outlines something which made her pause
motionless without selfpossession enough to speak
Seated with his back towards her on a sofa which stood against the wall on a
line with the door by which she had entered she saw Will Ladislaw close by him
and turned towards him with a flushed tearfulness which gave a new brilliancy to
her face sat Rosamond her bonnet hanging back while Will leaning towards her
clasped both her upraised hands in his and spoke with lowtoned fervour
Rosamond in her agitated absorption had not noticed the silently advancing
figure but when Dorothea after the first immeasurable instant of this vision
moved confusedly backward and found herself impeded by some piece of furniture
Rosamond was suddenly aware of her presence and with a spasmodic movement
snatched away her hands and rose looking at Dorothea who was necessarily
arrested Will Ladislaw starting up looked round also and meeting Dorotheas
eyes with a new lightning in them seemed changing to marble But she
immediately turned them away from him to Rosamond and said in a firm voice
»Excuse me Mrs Lydgate the servant did not know that you were here I
called to deliver an important letter for Mr Lydgate which I wished to put
into your own hands«
She laid down the letter on the small table which had checked her retreat
and then including Rosamond and Will in one distant glance and bow she went
quickly out of the room meeting in the passage the surprised Martha who said
she was sorry the mistress was not at home and then showed the strange lady out
with an inward reflection that grand people were probably more impatient than
others
Dorothea walked across the street with her most elastic step and was quickly
in her carriage again
»Drive on to Freshitt Hall« she said to the coachman and any one looking
at her might have thought that though she was paler than usual she was never
animated by a more selfpossessed energy And that was really her experience It
was as if she had drunk a great draught of scorn that stimulated her beyond the
susceptibility to other feelings She had seen something so far below her
belief that her emotions rushed back from it and made an excited throng without
an object. She needed something active to turn her excitement out upon She felt
power to walk and work for a day without meat or drink And she would carry out
the purpose with which she had started in the morning of going to Freshitt and
Tipton to tell Sir James and her uncle all that she wished them to know about
Lydgate whose married loneliness under his trial now presented itself to her
with new significance and made her more ardent in readiness to be his champion
She had never felt anything like this triumphant power of indignation in the
struggle of her married life in which there had always been a quickly subduing
pang and she took it as a sign of new strength
»Dodo how very bright your eyes are« said Celia when Sir James was gone
out of the room »And you dont see anything you look at Arthur or anything
You are going to do something uncomfortable I know Is it all about Mr
Lydgate or has something else happened« Celia had been used to watch her
sister with expectation
»Yes dear a great many things have happened« said Dodo in her full
tones
»I wonder what« said Celia folding her arms cozily and leaning forward
upon them
»Oh all the troubles of all people on the face of the earth« said
Dorothea lifting her arms to the back of her head
»Dear me Dodo are you going to have a scheme for them« said Celia a
little uneasy at this Hamletlike raving
But Sir James came in again ready to accompany Dorothea to the Grange and
she finished her expedition well not swerving in her resolution until she
descended at her own door
Chapter LXXVIII
Would it were yesterday and I i the grave
With her sweet faith above for monument
Rosamond and Will stood motionless they did not know how long he looking
towards the spot where Dorothea had stood and she looking towards him with
doubt It seemed an endless time to Rosamond in whose inmost soul there was
hardly so much annoyance as gratification from what had just happened Shallow
natures dream of an easy sway over the emotions of others trusting implicitly
in their own petty magic to turn the deepest streams and confident by pretty
gestures and remarks of making the thing that is not as though it were She
knew that Will had received a severe blow but she had been little used to
imagining other peoples states of mind except as a material cut into shape by
her own wishes and she believed in her own power to soothe or subdue Even
Tertius that most perverse of men was always subdued in the longrun events
had been obstinate but still Rosamond would have said now as she did before
her marriage that she never gave up what she had set her mind on
She put out her arm and laid the tips of her fingers on Wills coatsleeve
»Dont touch me« he said with an utterance like the cut of a lash darting
from her and changing from pink to white and back again as if his whole frame
were tingling with the pain of the sting He wheeled round to the other side of
the room and stood opposite to her with the tips of his fingers in his pockets
and his head thrown back looking fiercely not at Rosamond but at a point a few
inches away from her
She was keenly offended but the signs she made of this were such as only
Lydgate was used to interpret She became suddenly quiet and seated herself
untying her hanging bonnet and laying it down with her shawl Her little hands
which she folded before her were very cold
It would have been safer for Will in the first instance to have taken up his
hat and gone away but he had felt no impulse to do this on the contrary he
had a horrible inclination to stay and shatter Rosamond with his anger It
seemed as impossible to bear the fatality she had drawn down on him without
venting his fury as it would be to a panther to bear the javelinwound without
springing and biting And yet how could he tell a woman that he was ready to
curse her He was fuming under a repressive law which he was forced to
acknowledge he was dangerously poised and Rosamonds voice now brought the
decisive vibration In flutelike tones of sarcasm she said
»You can easily go after Mrs Casaubon and explain your preference«
»Go after her« he burst out with a sharp edge in his voice »Do you think
she would turn to look at me or value any word I ever uttered to her again at
more than a dirty feather Explain How can a man explain at the expense of a
woman«
»You can tell her what you please« said Rosamond with more tremor
»Do you suppose she would like me better for sacrificing you She is not a
woman to be flattered because I made myself despicable to believe that I must
be true to her because I was a dastard to you«
He began to move about with the restlessness of a wild animal that sees prey
but cannot reach it Presently he burst out again
»I had no hope before not much of anything better to come But I had one
certainty that she believed in me Whatever people had said or done about me
she believed in me Thats gone Shell never again think me anything but a
paltry pretence too nice to take heaven except upon flattering conditions and
yet selling myself for any devils change by the sly Shell think of me as an
incarnate insult to her from the first moment we «
Will stopped as if he had found himself grasping something that must not be
thrown and shattered He found another vent for his rage by snatching up
Rosamonds words again as if they were reptiles to be throttled and flung off
»Explain Tell a man to explain how he dropped into hell Explain my
preference I never had a preference for her any more than I have a preference
for breathing No other woman exists by the side of her I would rather touch
her hand if it were dead than I would touch any other womans living«
Rosamond while these poisoned weapons were being hurled at her was almost
losing the sense of her identity and seemed to be waking into some new terrible
existence She had no sense of chill resolute repulsion of reticent
selfjustification such as she had known under Lydgates most stormy
displeasure all her sensibility was turned into a bewildering novelty of pain
she felt a new terrified recoil under a lash never experienced before What
another nature felt in opposition to her own was being burnt and bitten into her
consciousness When Will had ceased to speak she had become an image of sickened
misery her lips were pale and her eyes had a tearless dismay in them If it
had been Tertius who stood opposite to her that look of misery would have been
a pang to him and he would have sunk by her side to comfort her with that
strongarmed comfort which she had often held very cheap
Let it be forgiven to Will that he had no such movement of pity He had felt
no bond beforehand to this woman who had spoiled the ideal treasure of his life
and he held himself blameless He knew that he was cruel but he had no
relenting in him yet
After he had done speaking he still moved about half in absence of mind
and Rosamond sat perfectly still At length Will seeming to bethink himself
took up his hat yet stood some moments irresolute He had spoken to her in a
way that made a phrase of common politeness difficult to utter and yet now
that he had come to the point of going away from her without further speech he
shrank from it as a brutality he felt checked and stultified in his anger He
walked towards the mantelpiece and leaned his arm on it and waited in silence
for he hardly knew what The vindictive fire was still burning in him and he
could utter no word of retractation but it was nevertheless in his mind that
having come back to this hearth where he had enjoyed a caressing friendship he
had found calamity seated there he had had suddenly revealed to him a trouble
that lay outside the home as well as within it And what seemed a foreboding was
pressing upon him as with slow pincers that his life might come to be
enslaved by this helpless woman who had thrown herself upon him in the dreary
sadness of her heart But he was in gloomy rebellion against the fact that his
quick apprehensiveness foreshadowed to him and when his eyes fell on Rosamonds
blighted face it seemed to him that he was the more pitiable of the two for
pain must enter into its glorified life of memory before it can turn into
compassion
And so they remained for many minutes opposite each other far apart in
silence Wills face still possessed by a mute rage and Rosamonds by a mute
misery The poor thing had no force to fling out any passion in return the
terrible collapse of the illusion towards which all her hope had been strained
was a stroke which had too thoroughly shaken her her little world was in ruins
and she felt herself tottering in the midst as a lonely bewildered
consciousness
Will wished that she would speak and bring some mitigating shadow across his
own cruel speech which seemed to stand staring at them both in mockery of any
attempt at revived fellowship But she said nothing and at last with a
desperate effort over himself he asked »Shall I come in and see Lydgate this
evening«
»If you like« Rosamond answered just audibly
And then Will went out of the house Martha never knowing that he had been
in
After he was gone Rosamond tried to get up from her seat but fell back
fainting When she came to herself again she felt too ill to make the exertion
of rising to ring the bell and she remained helpless until the girl surprised
at her long absence thought for the first time of looking for her in all the
downstairs rooms Rosamond said that she had felt suddenly sick and faint and
wanted to be helped upstairs When there she threw herself on the bed with her
clothes on and lay in apparent torpor as she had done once before on a
memorable day of grief
Lydgate came home earlier than he had expected about halfpast five and
found her there The perception that she was ill threw every other thought into
the background When he felt her pulse her eyes rested on him with more
persistence than they had done for a long while as if she felt some content
that he was there He perceived the difference in a moment and seating himself
by her put his arm gently under her and bending over her said »My poor
Rosamond has something agitated you« Clinging to him she fell into hysterical
sobbings and cries and for the next hour he did nothing but soothe and tend
her He imagined that Dorothea had been to see her and that all this effect on
her nervous system which evidently involved some new turning towards himself
was due to the excitement of the new impressions which that visit had raised
Chapter LXXIX
»Now I saw in my dream that just as they had ended their talk
they drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the
plain and they being heedless did both fall suddenly into the
bog The name of the slough was Despond«
Bunyan
When Rosamond was quiet and Lydgate had left her hoping that she might soon
sleep under the effect of an anodyne he went into the drawingroom to fetch a
book which he had left there meaning to spend the evening in his workroom and
he saw on the table Dorotheas letter addressed to him He had not ventured to
ask Rosamond if Mrs Casaubon had called but the reading of this letter assured
him of the fact for Dorothea mentioned that it was to be carried by herself
When Will Ladislaw came in a little later Lydgate met him with a surprise
which made it clear that he had not been told of the earlier visit and Will
could not say »Did not Mrs Lydgate tell you that I came this morning«
»Poor Rosamond is ill« Lydgate added immediately on his greeting
»Not seriously I hope« said Will
»No only a slight nervous shock the effect of some agitation She has
been overwrought lately The truth is Ladislaw I am an unlucky devil We have
gone through several rounds of purgatory since you left and I have lately got
on to a worse ledge of it than ever I suppose you are only just come down you
look rather battered you have not been long enough in the town to hear
anything«
»I travelled all night and got to the White Hart at eight oclock this
morning I have been shutting myself up and resting« said Will feeling himself
a sneak but seeing no alternative to this evasion
And then he heard Lydgates account of the troubles which Rosamond had
already depicted to him in her way She had not mentioned the fact of Wills
name being connected with the public story this detail not immediately
affecting her and he now heard it for the first time
»I thought it better to tell you that your name is mixed up with the
disclosures« said Lydgate who could understand better than most men how
Ladislaw might be stung by the revelation »You will be sure to hear it as soon
as you turn out into the town I suppose it is true that Raffles spoke to you«
»Yes« said Will sardonically »I shall be fortunate if gossip does not
make me the most disreputable person in the whole affair I should think the
latest version must be that I plotted with Raffles to murder Bulstrode and ran
away from Middlemarch for the purpose«
He was thinking »Here is a new ring in the sound of my name to recommend it
in her hearing however what does it signify now«
But he said nothing of Bulstrodes offer to him Will was very open and
careless about his personal affairs but it was among the more exquisite touches
in nature's modelling of him that he had a delicate generosity which warned him
into reticence here He shrank from saying that he had rejected Bulstrodes
money in the moment when he was learning that it was Lydgates misfortune to
have accepted it
Lydgate too was reticent in the midst of his confidence He made no allusion
to Rosamonds feeling under their trouble and of Dorothea he only said »Mrs
Casaubon has been the one person to come forward and say that she had no belief
in any of the suspicions against me« Observing a change in Wills face he
avoided any further mention of her feeling himself too ignorant of their
relation to each other not to fear that his words might have some hidden painful
bearing on it And it occurred to him that Dorothea was the real cause of the
present visit to Middlemarch
The two men were pitying each other but it was only Will who guessed the
extent of his companions trouble When Lydgate spoke with desperate resignation
of going to settle in London and said with a faint smile »We shall have you
again old fellow« Will felt inexpressibly mournful and said nothing Rosamond
had that morning entreated him to urge this step on Lydgate and it seemed to
him as if he were beholding in a magic panorama a future where he himself was
sliding into that pleasureless yielding to the small solicitations of
circumstance which is a commoner history of perdition than any single momentous
bargain
We are on a perilous margin when we begin to look passively at our future
selves and see our own figures led with dull consent into insipid misdoing and
shabby achievement Poor Lydgate was inwardly groaning on that margin and Will
was arriving at it It seemed to him this evening as if the cruelty of his
outburst to Rosamond had made an obligation for him and he dreaded the
obligation he dreaded Lydgates unsuspecting goodwill he dreaded his own
distaste for his spoiled life which would leave him in motiveless levity
Chapter LXXX
»Stern lawgiver yet thou dost wear
The Godheads most benignant grace
Nor know we anything so fair
As is the smile upon thy face
Flowers laugh before thee on their beds
And fragrance in thy footing treads
Thou dost preserve the Stare from wrong
And the most ancient Heavens through thee
are fresh and strong«
Wordsworth Ode to Duty
When Dorothea had seen Mr Farebrother in the morning she had promised to go
and dine at the parsonage on her return from Freshitt There was a frequent
interchange of visits between her and the Farebrother family which enabled her
to say that she was not at all lonely at the Manor and to resist for the
present the severe prescription of a lady companion When she reached home and
remembered her engagement she was glad of it and finding that she had still an
hour before she could dress for dinner she walked straight to the schoolhouse
and entered into a conversation with the master and mistress about the new bell
giving eager attention to their small details and repetitions and getting up a
dramatic sense that her life was very busy She paused on her way back to talk
to old Master Bunney who was putting in some gardenseeds and discoursed wisely
with that rural sage about the crops that would make the most return on a perch
of ground and the result of sixty years experience as to soils namely that
if your soil was pretty mellow it would do but if there came wet wet wet to
make it all of a mummy why then
Finding that the social spirit had beguiled her into being rather late she
dressed hastily and went over to the parsonage rather earlier than was
necessary That house was never dull Mr Farebrother like another White of
Selborne having continually something new to tell of his inarticulate guests
and protégés whom he was teaching the boys not to torment and he had just set
up a pair of beautiful goats to be pets of the village in general and to walk
at large as sacred animals The evening went by cheerfully till after tea
Dorothea talking more than usual and dilating with Mr Farebrother on the
possible histories of creatures that converse compendiously with their antennæ
and for aught we know may hold reformed parliaments when suddenly some
inarticulate little sounds were heard which called everybodys attention
»Henrietta Noble« said Mrs Farebrother seeing her small sister moving
about the furniturelegs distressfully »what is the matter«
»I have lost my tortoiseshell lozengebox I fear the kitten has rolled it
away« said the tiny old lady involuntarily continuing her beaverlike notes
»Is it a great treasure aunt« said Mr Farebrother putting up his glasses
and looking at the carpet
»Mr Ladislaw gave it me« said Miss Noble »A German box very pretty but
if it falls it always spins away as far as it can«
»Oh if it is Ladislaws present« said Mr Farebrother in a deep tone of
comprehension getting up and hunting The box was found at last under a
chiffonier and Miss Noble grasped it with delight saying »it was under a
fender the last time«
»That is an affair of the heart with my aunt« said Mr Farebrother smiling
at Dorothea as he reseated himself
»If Henrietta Noble forms an attachment to any one Mrs Casaubon« said his
mother emphatically »she is like a dog she would take their shoes for a
pillow and sleep the better«
»Mr Ladislaws shoes I would« said Henrietta Noble
Dorothea made an attempt at smiling in return She was surprised and annoyed
to find that her heart was palpitating violently and that it was quite useless
to try after a recovery of her former animation Alarmed at herself fearing
some further betrayal of a change so marked in its occasion she rose and said
in a low voice with undisguised anxiety »I must go I have overtired myself«
Mr Farebrother quick in perception rose and said »It is true you must
have halfexhausted yourself in talking about Lydgate That sort of work tells
upon one after the excitement is over«
He gave her his arm back to the Manor but Dorothea did not attempt to
speak even when he said goodnight
The limit of resistance was reached and she had sunk back helpless within
the clutch of inescapable anguish Dismissing Tantripp with a few faint words
she locked her door and turning away from it towards the vacant room she
pressed her hands hard on the top of her head and moaned out
»Oh I did love him«
Then came the hour in which the waves of suffering shook her too thoroughly
to leave any power of thought She could only cry in loud whispers between her
sobs after her lost belief which she had planted and kept alive from a very
little seed since the days in Rome after her lost joy of clinging with silent
love and faith to one who misprized by others was worthy in her thought
after her lost womans pride of reigning in his memory after her sweet dim
perspective of hope that along some pathway they should meet with unchanged
recognition and take up the backward years as a yesterday
In that hour she repeated what the merciful eyes of solitude have looked on
for ages in the spiritual struggles of man she besought hardness and coldness
and aching weariness to bring her relief from the mysterious incorporeal might
of her anguish she lay on the bare floor and let the night grow cold around
her while her grand womans frame was shaken by sobs as if she had been a
despairing child
There were two images two living forms that tore her heart in two as if
it had been the heart of a mother who seems to see her child divided by the
sword and presses one bleeding half to her breast while her gaze goes forth in
agony towards the half which is carried away by the lying woman that has never
known the mothers pang
Here with the nearness of an answering smile here within the vibrating
bond of mutual speech was the bright creature whom she had trusted who had
come to her like the spirit of morning visiting the dim vault where she sat as
the bride of a wornout life and now with a full consciousness which had never
awakened before she stretched out her arms towards him and cried with bitter
cries that their nearness was a parting vision she discovered her passion to
herself in the unshrinking utterance of despair
And there aloof yet persistently with her moving wherever she moved was
the Will Ladislaw who was a changed belief exhausted of hope a detected
illusion no a living man towards whom there could not yet struggle any wail
of regretful pity from the midst of scorn and indignation and jealous offended
pride The fire of Dorotheas anger was not easily spent and it flamed out in
fitful returns of spurning reproach Why had he come obtruding his life into
hers hers that might have been whole enough without him Why had he brought his
cheap regard and his lipborn words to her who had nothing paltry to give in
exchange He knew that he was deluding her wished in the very moment of
farewell to make her believe that he gave her the whole price of her heart and
knew that he had spent it half before Why had he not stayed among the crowd of
whom she asked nothing but only prayed that they might be less contemptible
But she lost energy at last even for her loudwhispered cries and moans she
subsided into helpless sobs and on the cold floor she sobbed herself to sleep
In the chill hours of the morning twilight when all was dim around her she
awoke not with any amazed wondering where she was or what had happened but
with the clearest consciousness that she was looking into the eyes of sorrow
She rose and wrapped warm things around her and seated herself in a great
chair where she had often watched before She was vigorous enough to have borne
that hard night without feeling ill in body beyond some aching and fatigue but
she had waked to a new condition she felt as if her soul had been liberated
from its terrible conflict she was no longer wrestling with her grief but
could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her
thoughts For now the thoughts came thickly It was not in Dorotheas nature
for longer than the duration of a paroxysm to sit in the narrow cell of her
calamity in the besotted misery of a consciousness that only sees anothers lot
as an accident of its own.
She began now to live through that yesterday morning deliberately again
forcing herself to dwell on every detail and its possible meaning Was she alone
in that scene Was it her event only She forced herself to think of it as bound
up with another womans life a woman towards whom she had set out with a
longing to carry some clearness and comfort into her beclouded youth In her
first outleap of jealous indignation and disgust when quitting the hateful
room she had flung away all the mercy with which she had undertaken that visit
She had enveloped both Will and Rosamond in her burning scorn and it seemed to
her as if Rosamond were burned out of her sight for ever But that base
prompting which makes a woman more cruel to a rival than to a faithless lover
could have no strength of recurrence in Dorothea when the dominant spirit of
justice within her had once overcome the tumult and had once shown her the truer
measure of things All the active thought with which she had before been
representing to herself the trials of Lydgates lot and this young marriage
union which like her own seemed to have its hidden as well as evident troubles
all this vivid sympathetic experience returned to her now as a power it
asserted itself as acquired knowledge asserts itself and will not let us see as
we saw in the day of our ignorance She said to her own irremediable grief that
it should make her more helpful instead of driving her back from effort
And what sort of crisis might not this be in three lives whose contact with
hers laid an obligation on her as if they had been suppliants bearing the sacred
branch The objects of her rescue were not to be sought out by her fancy they
were chosen for her She yearned towards the perfect Right that it might make a
throne within her and rule her errant will »What should I do how should I
act now this very day if I could clutch my own pain and compel it to silence
and think of those three«
It had taken long for her to come to that question and there was light
piercing into the room She opened her curtains and looked out towards the bit
of road that lay in view with fields beyond outside the entrancegates On the
road there was a man with a bundle on his back and a woman carrying her baby in
the field she could see figures moving perhaps the shepherd with his dog Far
off in the bending sky was the pearly light and she felt the largeness of the
world and the manifold wakings of men to labour and endurance She was a part of
that involuntary palpitating life and could neither look out on it from her
luxurious shelter as a mere spectator nor hide her eyes in selfish complaining
What she would resolve to do that day did not yet seem quite clear but
something that she could achieve stirred her as with an approaching murmur which
would soon gather distinctness She took off the clothes which seemed to have
some of the weariness of a hard watching in them and began to make her toilet
Presently she rang for Tantripp who came in her dressinggown
»Why madam youve never been in bed this blessed night« burst out
Tantripp looking first at the bed and then at Dorotheas face which in spite
of bathing had the pale cheeks and pink eyelids of a mater dolorosa »Youll
kill yourself you will Anybody might think now you had a right to give
yourself a little comfort«
»Dont be alarmed Tantripp« said Dorothea smiling »I have slept I am
not ill I shall be glad of a cup of coffee as soon as possible And I want you
to bring me my new dress and most likely I shall want my new bonnet today«
»Theyve lain there a month and more ready for you madam and most thankful
I shall be to see you with a couple o pounds worth less of crape« said
Tantripp stooping to light the fire »Theres a reason in mourning as Ive
always said and three folds at the bottom of your skirt and a plain quilling in
your bonnet and if ever anybody looked like an angel its you in a net
quilling is whats consistent for a second year At least thats my
thinking« ended Tantripp looking anxiously at the fire »and if anybody was to
marry me flattering himself I should wear those hijeous weepers two years for
him hed be deceived by his own vanity thats all«
»The fire will do my good Tan« said Dorothea speaking as she used to do
in the old Lausanne days only with a very low voice »get me the coffee«
She folded herself in the large chair and leaned her head against it in
fatigued quiescence while Tantripp went away wondering at this strange
contrariness in her young mistress that just the morning when she had more of
a widows face than ever she should have asked for her lighter mourning which
she had waived before Tantripp would never have found the clue to this mystery
Dorothea wished to acknowledge that she had not the less an active life before
her because she had buried a private joy and the tradition that fresh garments
belonged to all initiation haunting her mind made her grasp after even that
slight outward help towards calm resolve For the resolve was not easy
Nevertheless at eleven oclock she was walking towards Middlemarch having
made up her mind that she would make as quietly and unnoticeably as possible her
second attempt to see and save Rosamond
Chapter LXXXI
»Du Erde warst auch diese Nacht beständig
Und athmest neu erquickt zu meinen Füssen
Beginnest schon mit Lust mich zu umgeben
Du regst und rührst ein kräftiges Beschliessen
Zum höchsten Dasein immerfort zu streben«
Faust 2r Theil
When Dorothea was again at Lydgates door speaking to Martha he was in the room
close by with the door ajar preparing to go out He heard her voice and
immediately came to her
»Do you think that Mrs Lydgate can receive me this morning« she said
having reflected that it would be better to leave out all allusion to her
previous visit
»I have no doubt she will« said Lydgate suppressing his thought about
Dorotheas looks which were as much changed as Rosamonds »if you will be kind
enough to come in and let me tell her that you are here She has not been very
well since you were here yesterday but she is better this morning and I think
it is very likely that she will be cheered by seeing you again«
It was plain that Lydgate as Dorothea had expected knew nothing about the
circumstances of her yesterdays visit nay he appeared to imagine that she had
carried it out according to her intention She had prepared a little note asking
Rosamond to see her which she would have given to the servant if he had not
been in the way but now she was in much anxiety as to the result of his
announcement
After leading her into the drawingroom he paused to take a letter from his
pocket and put it into her hands saying »I wrote this last night and was
going to carry it to Lowick in my ride When one is grateful for something too
good for common thanks writing is less unsatisfactory than speech one does
not at least hear how inadequate the words are«
Dorotheas face brightened »It is I who have most to thank for since you
have let me take that place You have consented« she said suddenly doubting
»Yes the cheque is going to Bulstrode today«
He said no more but went upstairs to Rosamond who had but lately finished
dressing herself and sat languidly wondering what she should do next her
habitual industry in small things even in the days of her sadness prompting
her to begin some kind of occupation which she dragged through slowly or paused
in from lack of interest She looked ill but had recovered her usual quietude
of manner and Lydgate had feared to disturb her by any questions He had told
her of Dorotheas letter containing the cheque and afterwards he had said
»Ladislaw is come Rosy he sat with me last night I daresay he will be here
again today I thought he looked rather battered and depressed« And Rosamond
had made no reply
Now when he came up he said to her very gently »Rosy dear Mrs Casaubon
is come to see you again you would like to see her would you not« That she
coloured and gave rather a startled movement did not surprise him after the
agitation produced by the interview yesterday a beneficent agitation he
thought since it seemed to have made her turn to him again
Rosamond dared not say no She dared not with a tone of her voice touch the
facts of yesterday Why had Mrs Casaubon come again The answer was a blank
which Rosamond could only fill up with dread for Will Ladislaws lacerating
words had made every thought of Dorothea a fresh smart to her Nevertheless in
her new humiliating uncertainty she dared do nothing but comply She did not say
yes but she rose and let Lydgate put a light shawl over her shoulders while he
said »I am going out immediately« Then something crossed her mind which
prompted her to say »Pray tell Martha not to bring any one else into the
drawingroom« And Lydgate assented thinking that he fully understood this
wish He led her down to the drawingroom door and then turned away observing
to himself that he was rather a blundering husband to be dependent for his
wifes trust in him on the influence of another woman
Rosamond wrapping her soft shawl around her as she walked towards Dorothea
was inwardly wrapping her soul in cold reserve Had Mrs Casaubon come to say
anything to her about Will If so it was a liberty that Rosamond resented and
she prepared herself to meet every word with polite impassibility Will had
bruised her pride too sorely for her to feel any compunction towards him and
Dorothea her own injury seemed much the greater Dorothea was not only the
»preferred« woman but had also a formidable advantage in being Lydgates
benefactor and to poor Rosamonds pained confused vision it seemed that this
Mrs Casaubon this woman who predominated in all things concerning her must
have come now with the sense of having the advantage and with animosity
prompting her to use it Indeed not Rosamond only but any one else knowing
the outer facts of the case and not the simple inspiration on which Dorothea
acted might well have wondered why she came
Looking like the lovely ghost of herself her graceful slimness wrapped in
her soft white shawl the rounded infantine mouth and cheek inevitably
suggesting mildness and innocence Rosamond paused at three yards distance from
her visitor and bowed But Dorothea who had taken off her gloves from an
impulse which she could never resist when she wanted a sense of freedom came
forward and with her face full of a sad yet sweet openness put out her hand
Rosamond could not avoid meeting her glance could not avoid putting her small
hand into Dorotheas which clasped it with gentle motherliness and immediately
a doubt of her own prepossessions began to stir within her Rosamonds eye was
quick for faces she saw that Mrs Casaubons face looked pale and changed since
yesterday yet gentle and like the firm softness of her hand But Dorothea had
counted a little too much on her own strength the clearness and intensity of
her mental action this morning were the continuance of a nervous exaltation
which made her frame as dangerously responsive as a bit of finest Venetian
crystal and in looking at Rosamond she suddenly found her heart swelling and
was unable to speak all her effort was required to keep back tears She
succeeded in that and the emotion only passed over her face like the spirit of
a sob but it added to Rosamonds impression that Mrs Casaubons state of mind
must be something quite different from what she had imagined
So they sat down without a word of preface on the two chairs that happened
to be nearest and happened also to be close together though Rosamonds notion
when she first bowed was that she should stay a long way off from Mrs Casaubon
But she ceased thinking how anything would turn out merely wondering what
would come And Dorothea began to speak quite simply gathering firmness as she
went on
»I had an errand yesterday which I did not finish that is why I am here
again so soon You will not think me too troublesome when I tell you that I
came to talk to you about the injustice that has been shown towards Mr Lydgate
It will cheer you will it not to know a great deal about him that he may
not like to speak about himself just because it is in his own vindication and to
his own honour You will like to know that your husband has warm friends who
have not left off believing in his high character You will let me speak of this
without thinking that I take a liberty«
The cordial pleading tones which seemed to flow with generous heedlessness
above all the facts which had filled Rosamonds mind as grounds of obstruction
and hatred between her and this woman came as soothingly as a warm stream over
her shrinking fears Of course Mrs Casaubon had the facts in her mind but she
was not going to speak of anything connected with them That relief was too
great for Rosamond to feel much else at the moment She answered prettily in
the new ease of her soul
»I know you have been very good I shall like to hear anything you will say
to me about Tertius«
»The day before yesterday« said Dorothea »when I had asked him to come to
Lowick to give me his opinion on the affairs of the Hospital he told me
everything about his conduct and feelings in this sad event which has made
ignorant people cast suspicions on him The reason he told me was because I was
very bold and asked him I believed that he had never acted dishonourably and I
begged him to tell me the history He confessed to me that he had never told it
before not even to you because he had a great dislike to say I was not wrong
as if that were proof when there are guilty people who will say so The truth
is he knew nothing of this man Raffles or that there were any bad secrets
about him and he thought that Mr Bulstrode offered him the money because he
repented out of kindness of having refused it before All his anxiety about
his patient was to treat him rightly and he was a little uncomfortable that the
case did not end as he had expected but he thought then and still thinks that
there may have been no wrong in it on any ones part And I have told Mr
Farebrother and Mr Brooke and Sir James Chettam they all believe in your
husband That will cheer you will it not That will give you courage«
Dorotheas face had become animated and as it beamed on Rosamond very close
to her she felt something like bashful timidity before a superior in the
presence of this selfforgetful ardour She said with blushing embarrassment
»Thank you you are very kind«
»And he felt that he had been so wrong not to pour out everything about this
to you But you will forgive him It was because he feels so much more about
your happiness than anything else he feels his life bound into one with yours
and it hurts him more than anything that his misfortunes must hurt you He
could speak to me because I am an indifferent person And then I asked him if I
might come to see you because I felt so much for his trouble and yours That is
why I came yesterday and why I am come today Trouble is so hard to bear is
it not How can we live and think that any one has trouble piercing trouble
and we could help them and never try«
Dorothea completely swayed by the feeling that she was uttering forgot
everything but that she was speaking from out the heart of her own trial to
Rosamonds The emotion had wrought itself more and more into her utterance
till the tones might have gone to ones very marrow like a low cry from some
suffering creature in the darkness And she had unconsciously laid her hand
again on the little hand that she had pressed before
Rosamond with an overmastering pang as if a wound within her had been
probed burst into hysterical crying as she had done the day before when she
clung to her husband Poor Dorothea was feeling a great wave of her own sorrow
returning over her her thought being drawn to the possible share that Will
Ladislaw might have in Rosamonds mental tumult She was beginning to fear that
she should not be able to suppress herself enough to the end of this meeting
and while her hand was still resting on Rosamonds lap though the hand
underneath it was withdrawn she was struggling against her own rising sobs She
tried to master herself with the thought that this might be a turningpoint in
three lives not in her own no there the irrevocable had happened but in
those three lives which were touching hers with the solemn neighbourhood of
danger and distress The fragile creature who was crying close to her there
might still be time to rescue her from the misery of false incompatible bonds
and this moment was unlike any other she and Rosamond could never be together
again with the same thrilling consciousness of yesterday within them both She
felt the relation between them to be peculiar enough to give her a peculiar
influence though she had no conception that the way in which her own feelings
were involved was fully known to Mrs Lydgate
It was a newer crisis in Rosamonds experience than even Dorothea could
imagine she was under the first great shock that had shattered her dreamworld
in which she had been easily confident of herself and critical of others and
this strange unexpected manifestation of feeling in a woman whom she had
approached with a shrinking aversion and dread as one who must necessarily have
a jealous hatred towards her made her soul totter all the more with a sense
that she had been walking in an unknown world which had just broken in upon her
When Rosamonds convulsed throat was subsiding into calm and she withdrew
the handkerchief with which she had been hiding her face her eyes met
Dorotheas as helplessly as if they had been blue flowers What was the use of
thinking about behaviour after this crying And Dorothea looked almost as
childish with the neglected trace of a silent tear Pride was broken down
between these two
»We were talking about your husband« Dorothea said with some timidity »I
thought his looks were sadly changed with suffering the other day I had not
seen him for many weeks before He said he had been feeling very lonely in his
trial but I think he would have borne it all better if he had been able to be
quite open with you«
»Tertius is so angry and impatient if I say anything« said Rosamond
imagining that he had been complaining of her to Dorothea »He ought not to
wonder that I object to speak to him on painful subjects«
»It was himself he blamed for not speaking« said Dorothea »What he said of
you was that he could not be happy in doing anything which made you unhappy
that his marriage was of course a bond which must affect his choice about
everything and for that reason he refused my proposal that he should keep his
position at the Hospital because that would bind him to stay in Middlemarch
and he would not undertake to do anything which would be painful to you He
could say that to me because he knows that I had much trial in my marriage
from my husbands illness which hindered his plans and saddened him and he
knows that I have felt how hard it is to walk always in fear of hurting another
who is tied to us«
Dorothea waited a little she had discerned a faint pleasure stealing over
Rosamonds face But there was no answer and she went on with a gathering
tremor »Marriage is so unlike everything else There is something even awful in
the nearness it brings Even if we loved some one else better than than those
we were married to it would be no use« poor Dorothea in her palpitating
anxiety could only seize her language brokenly »I mean marriage drinks up
all our power of giving or getting any blessedness in that sort of love I know
it may be very dear but it murders our marriage and then the marriage stays
with us like a murder and everything else is gone And then our husband if
he loved and trusted us and we have not helped him but made a curse in his
life «
Her voice had sunk very low there was a dread upon her of presuming too
far and of speaking as if she herself were perfection addressing error She was
too much preoccupied with her own anxiety to be aware that Rosamond was
trembling too and filled with the need to express pitying fellowship rather
than rebuke she put her hands on Rosamonds and said with more agitated
rapidity »I know I know that the feeling may be very dear it has taken
hold of us unawares it is so hard it may seem like death to part with it
and we are weak I am weak «
The waves of her own sorrow from out of which she was struggling to save
another rushed over Dorothea with conquering force She stopped in speechless
agitation not crying but feeling as if she were being inwardly grappled Her
face had become of a deathlier paleness her lips trembled and she pressed her
hands helplessly on the hands that lay under them
Rosamond taken hold of by an emotion stronger than her own hurried along
in a new movement which gave all things some new awful undefined aspect
could find no words but involuntarily she put her lips to Dorotheas forehead
which was very near her and then for a minute the two women clasped each other
as if they had been in a shipwreck
»You are thinking what is not true« said Rosamond in an eager
halfwhisper while she was still feeling Dorotheas arms round her urged by a
mysterious necessity to free herself from something that oppressed her as if it
were bloodguiltiness
They moved apart looking at each other
»When you came in yesterday it was not as you thought« said Rosamond in
the same tone
There was a movement of surprised attention in Dorothea She expected a
vindication of Rosamond herself
»He was telling me how he loved another woman that I might know he could
never love me« said Rosamond getting more and more hurried as she went on
»And now I think he hates me because because you mistook him yesterday He
says it is through me that you will think ill of him think that he is a false
person But it shall not be through me He has never had any love for me I
know he has not he has always thought slightly of me He said yesterday that
no other woman existed for him beside you The blame of what happened is
entirely mine He said he could never explain to you because of me He said
you could never think well of him again But now I have told you and he cannot
reproach me any more«
Rosamond had delivered her soul under impulses which she had not known
before She had begun her confession under the subduing influence of Dorotheas
emotion and as she went on she had gathered the sense that she was repelling
Wills reproaches which were still like a knifewound within her
The revulsion of feeling in Dorothea was too strong to be called joy It was
a tumult in which the terrible strain of the night and morning made a resistant
pain she could only perceive that this would be joy when she had recovered
her power of feeling it Her immediate consciousness was one of immense sympathy
without check she cared for Rosamond without struggle now and responded
earnestly to her last words
»No he cannot reproach you any more«
With her usual tendency to overestimate the good in others she felt a
great outgoing of her heart towards Rosamond for the generous effort which had
redeemed her from suffering not counting that the effort was a reflex of her
own energy
After they had been silent a little she said
»You are not sorry that I came this morning«
»No you have been very good to me« said Rosamond »I did not think that
you would be so good I was very unhappy I am not happy now Everything is so
sad«
»But better days will come Your husband will be rightly valued And he
depends on you for comfort He loves you best The worst loss would be to lose
that and you have not lost it« said Dorothea
She tried to thrust away the too overpowering thought of her own relief
lest she should fail to win some sign that Rosamonds affection was yearning
back towards her husband
»Tertius did not find fault with me then« said Rosamond understanding now
that Lydgate might have said anything to Mrs Casaubon and that she certainly
was different from other women Perhaps there was a faint taste of jealousy in
the question A smile began to play over Dorotheas face as she said
»No indeed How could you imagine it« But here the door opened and
Lydgate entered
»I am come back in my quality of doctor« he said »After I went away I was
haunted by two pale faces Mrs Casaubon looked as much in need of care as you
Rosy And I thought that I had not done my duty in leaving you together so when
I had been to Colemans I came home again I noticed that you were walking Mrs
Casaubon and the sky has changed I think we may have rain May I send some
one to order your carriage to come for you«
»Oh no I am strong I need the walk« said Dorothea rising with animation
in her face »Mrs Lydgate and I have chatted a great deal and it is time for
me to go I have always been accused of being immoderate and saying too much«
She put out her hand to Rosamond and they said an earnest quiet goodbye
without kiss or other show of effusion there had been between them too much
serious emotion for them to use the signs of it superficially
As Lydgate took her to the door she said nothing of Rosamond but told him
of Mr Farebrother and the other friends who had listened with belief to his
story
When he came back to Rosamond she had already thrown herself on the sofa
in resigned fatigue
»Well Rosy« he said standing over her and touching her hair »what do
you think of Mrs Causabon now you have seen so much of her«
»I think she must be better than any one« said Rosamond »and she is very
beautiful If you go to talk to her so often you will be more discontented with
me than ever«
Lydgate laughed at the »so often« »But has she made you any less
discontented with me«
»I think she has« said Rosamond looking up in his face »How heavy your
eyes are Tertius and do push your hair back« He lifted up his large white
hand to obey her and felt thankful for this little mark of interest in him
Poor Rosamonds vagrant fancy had come back terribly scourged meek enough to
nestle under the old despised shelter And the shelter was still there Lydgate
had accepted his narrowed lot with sad resignation He had chosen this fragile
creature and had taken the burthen of her life upon his arms He must walk as
he could carrying that burthen pitifully
Chapter LXXXII
»My grief lies onward and my joy behind«
Shakespeare Sonnets
Exiles notoriously feed much on hopes and are unlikely to stay in banishment
unless they are obliged When Will Ladidaw exiled himself from Middlemarch he
had placed no stronger obstacle to his return than his own resolve which was by
no means an iron barrier but simply a state of mind liable to melt into a
minuet with other states of mind and to find itself bowing smiling and giving
place with polite facility As the months went on it had seemed more and more
difficult to him to say why he should not run down to Middlemarch merely for
the sake of hearing something about Dorothea and if on such a flying visit he
should chance by some strange coincidence to meet with her there was no reason
for him to be ashamed of having taken an innocent journey which he had
beforehand supposed that he should not take Since he was hopelessly divided
from her he might surely venture into her neighbourhood and as to the
suspicious friends who kept a dragon watch over her their opinions seemed less
and less important with time and change of air
And there had come a reason quite irrespective of Dorothea which seemed to
make a journey to Middlemarch a sort of philanthropic duty Will had given a
disinterested attention to an intended settlement on a new plan in the Far West
and the need for funds in order to carry out a good design had set him on
debating with himself whether it would not be a laudable use to make of his
claim on Bulstrode to urge the application of that money which had been offered
to himself as a means of carrying out a scheme likely to be largely beneficial
The question seemed a very dubious one to Will and his repugnance to again
entering into any relation with the banker might have made him dismiss it
quickly if there had not arisen in his imagination the probability that his
judgment might be more safely determined by a visit to Middlemarch
That was the object which Will stated to himself as a reason for coming
down He had meant to confide in Lydgate and discuss the money question with
him and he had meant to amuse himself for the few evenings of his stay by
having a great deal of music and badinage with fair Rosamond without neglecting
his friends at Lowick Parsonage if the Parsonage was close to the Manor that
was no fault of his He had neglected the Farebrothers before his departure
from a proud resistance to the possible accusation of indirectly seeking
interviews with Dorothea but hunger tames us and Will had become very hungry
for the vision of a certain form and the sound of a certain voice Nothing had
done instead not the opera or the converse of zealous politicians or the
flattering reception in dim corners of his new hand in leading articles
Thus he had come down foreseeing with confidence how almost everything
would be in his familiar little world fearing indeed that there would be no
surprises in his visit But he had found that humdrum world in a terribly
dynamic condition in which even badinage and lyrism had turned explosive and
the first day of this visit had become the most fatal epoch of his life The
next morning he felt so harassed with the nightmare of consequences he dreaded
so much the immediate issues before him that seeing while he breakfasted the
arrival of the Riverston coach he went out hurriedly and took his place on it
that he might be relieved at least for a day from the necessity of doing or
saying anything in Middlemarch Will Ladislaw was in one of those tangled crises
which are commoner in experience than one might imagine from the shallow
absoluteness of mens judgments He had found Lydgate for whom he had the
sincerest respect under circumstances which claimed his thorough and
franklydeclared sympathy and the reason why in spite of that claim it would
have been better for Will to have avoided all further intimacy or even contact
with Lydgate was precisely of the kind to make such a course appear impossible
To a creature of Wills susceptible temperament without any neutral region of
indifference in his nature ready to turn everything that befell him into the
collisions of a passionate drama the revelation that Rosamond had made her
happiness in any way dependent on him was a difficulty which his outburst of
rage towards her had immeasurably increased for him He hated his own cruelty
and yet he dreaded to show the fulness of his relenting he must go to her
again the friendship could not be put to a sudden end and her unhappiness was
a power which he dreaded And all the while there was no more foretaste of
enjoyment in the life before him than if his limbs had been lopped off and he
was making his fresh start on crutches In the night he had debated whether he
should not get on the coach not for Riverston but for London leaving a note
to Lydgate which would give a makeshift reason for his retreat But there were
strong cords pulling him back from that abrupt departure the blight on his
happiness in thinking of Dorothea the crushing of that chief hope which had
remained in spite of the acknowledged necessity for renunciation was too fresh
a misery for him to resign himself to it and go straightway into a distance
which was also despair
Thus he did nothing more decided than taking the Riverston coach He came
back again by it while it was still daylight having made up his mind that he
must go to Lydgates that evening The Rubicon we know was a very
insignificant stream to look at its significance lay entirely in certain
invisible conditions Will felt as if he were forced to cross his small boundary
ditch and what he saw beyond it was not empire but discontented subjection
But it is given to us sometimes even in our everyday life to witness the
saving influence of a noble nature the divine efficacy of rescue that may lie
in a self-subduing act of fellowship If Dorothea after her nights anguish
had not taken that walk to Rosamond why she perhaps would have been a woman
who gained a higher character for discretion but it would certainly not have
been as well for those three who were on one hearth in Lydgates house at
halfpast seven that evening
Rosamond had been prepared for Wills visit and she received him with a
languid coldness which Lydgate accounted for by her nervous exhaustion of which
he could not suppose that it had any relation to Will And when she sat in
silence bending over a bit of work he innocently apologised for her in an
indirect way by begging her to lean backward and rest Will was miserable in the
necessity for playing the part of a friend who was making his first appearance
and greeting to Rosamond while his thoughts were busy about her feeling since
that scene of yesterday which seemed still inexorably to enclose them both
like the painful vision of a double madness It happened that nothing called
Lydgate out of the room but when Rosamond poured out the tea and Will came
near to fetch it she placed a tiny bit of folded paper in his saucer He saw it
and secured it quickly but as he went back to his inn he had no eagerness to
unfold the paper What Rosamond had written to him would probably deepen the
painful impressions of the evening Still he opened and read it by his
bedcandle There were only these few words in her neatlyflowing hand
»I have told Mrs Casaubon She is not under any mistake about you I told
her because she came to see me and was very kind You will have nothing to
reproach me with now I shall not have made any difference to you«
The effect of these words was not quite all gladness As Will dwelt on them
with excited imagination he felt his cheeks and ears burning at the thought of
what had occurred between Dorothea and Rosamond at the uncertainty how far
Dorothea might still feel her dignity wounded in having an explanation of his
conduct offered to her There might still remain in her mind a changed
association with him which made an irremediable difference a lasting flaw
With active fancy he wrought himself into a state of doubt little more easy than
that of the man who has escaped from wreck by night and stands on unknown ground
in the darkness Until that wretched yesterday except the moment of vexation
long ago in the very same room and in the very same presence all their vision
all their thought of each other had been as in a world apart where the
sunshine fell on tall white lilies where no evil lurked and no other soul
entered But now would Dorothea meet him in that world again
Chapter LXXXIII
»And now goodmorrow to our waking souls
Which watch not one another out of fear
For love all love of other sights controls
And makes one little room an everywhere«
Dr Donne
On the second morning after Dorotheas visit to Rosamond she had had two nights
of sound sleep and had not only lost all traces of fatigue but felt as if she
had a great deal of superfluous strength that is to say more strength than
she could manage to concentrate on any occupation The day before she had taken
long walks outside the grounds and had paid two visits to the Parsonage but
she never in her life told any one the reason why she spent her time in that
fruitless manner and this morning she was rather angry with herself for her
childish restlessness Today was to be spent quite differently What was there
to be done in the village O dear nothing Everybody was well and had flannel
nobodys pig had died and it was Saturday morning when there was a general
scrubbing of floors and doorstones and when it was useless to go into the
school But there were various subjects that Dorothea was trying to get clear
upon and she resolved to throw herself energetically into the gravest of all
She sat down in the library before her particular little heap of books on
political economy and kindred matters out of which she was trying to get light
as to the best way of spending money so as not to injure ones neighbours or
what comes to the same thing so as to do them the most good Here was a
weighty subject which if she could but lay hold of it would certainly keep her
mind steady Unhappily her mind slipped off it for a whole hour and at the end
she found herself reading sentences twice over with an intense consciousness of
many things but not of any one thing contained in the text This was hopeless
Should she order the carriage and drive to Tipton No for some reason or other
she preferred staying at Lowick But her vagrant mind must be reduced to order
there was an art in selfdiscipline and she walked round and round the brown
library considering by what sort of manoeuvre she could arrest her wandering
thoughts Perhaps a mere task was the best means something to which she must
go doggedly Was there not the geography of Asia Minor in which her slackness
had often been rebuked by Mr Casaubon She went to the cabinet of maps and
unrolled one this morning she might make herself finally sure that Paphlagonia
was not on the Levantine coast and fix her total darkness about the Chalybes
firmly on the shores of the Euxine A map was a fine thing to study when you
were disposed to think of something else being made up of names that would turn
into a chime if you went back upon them Dorothea set earnestly to work bending
close to her map and uttering the names in an audible subdued tone which
often got into a chime She looked amusingly girlish after all her deep
experience nodding her head and marking the names off on her fingers with a
little pursing of her lip and now and then breaking off to put her hands on
each side of her face and say »Oh dear oh dear«
There was no reason why this should end any more than a merrygoround but
it was at last interrupted by the opening of the door and the announcement of
Miss Noble
The little old lady whose bonnet hardly reached Dorotheas shoulder was
warmly welcomed but while her hand was being pressed she made many of her
beaverlike noises as if she had something difficult to say
»Do sit down« said Dorothea rolling a chair forward »Am I wanted for
anything I shall be so glad if I can do anything«
»I will not stay« said Miss Noble putting her hand into her small basket
and holding some article inside it nervously »I have left a friend in the
churchyard« She lapsed into her inarticulate sounds and unconsciously drew
forth the article which she was fingering It was the tortoiseshell
lozengebox and Dorothea felt the colour mounting to her cheeks
»Mr Ladislaw« continued the timid little woman »He fears he has offended
you and has begged me to ask if you will see him for a few minutes«
Dorothea did not answer on the instant it was crossing her mind that she
could not receive him in this library where her husbands prohibition seemed to
dwell She looked towards the window Could she go out and meet him in the
grounds The sky was heavy and the trees had begun to shiver as at a coming
storm Besides she shrank from going out to him
»Do see him Mrs Casaubon« said Miss Noble pathetically »else I must go
back and say No and that will hurt him«
»Yes I will see him« said Dorothea »Pray tell him to come«
What else was there to be done There was nothing that she longed for at
that moment except to see Will the possibility of seeing him had thrust itself
insistently between her and every other object and yet she had a throbbing
excitement like an alarm upon her a sense that she was doing something
daringly defiant for his sake
When the little lady had trotted away on her mission Dorothea stood in the
middle of the library with her hands falling clasped before her making no
attempt to compose herself in an attitude of dignified unconsciousness What she
was least conscious of just then was her own body she was thinking of what was
likely to be in Wills mind and of the hard feelings that others had had about
him How could any duty bind her to hardness Resistance to unjust dispraise had
mingled with her feeling for him from the very first and now in the rebound of
her heart after her anguish the resistance was stronger than ever »If I love
him too much it is because he has been used so ill« there was a voice within
her saying this to some imagined audience in the library when the door was
opened and she saw Will before her
She did not move and he came towards her with more doubt and timidity in
his face than she had ever seen before He was in a state of uncertainty which
made him afraid lest some look or word of his should condemn him to a new
distance from her and Dorothea was afraid of her own emotion She looked as if
there were a spell upon her keeping her motionless and hindering her from
unclasping her hands while some intense grave yearning was imprisoned within
her eyes Seeing that she did not put out her hand as usual Will paused a yard
from her and said with embarrassment »I am so grateful to you for seeing me«
»I wanted to see you« said Dorothea having no other words at command It
did not occur to her to sit down and Will did not give a cheerful
interpretation to this queenly way of receiving him but he went on to say what
he had made up his mind to say
»I fear you think me foolish and perhaps wrong for coming back so soon I
have been punished for my impatience You know every one knows now a painful
story about my parentage I knew of it before I went away and I always meant to
tell you of it if if we ever met again«
There was a slight movement in Dorothea and she unclasped her hands but
immediately folded them over each other
»But the affair is matter of gossip now« Will continued »I wished you to
know that something connected with it something which happened before I went
away helped to bring me down here again At least I thought it excused my
coming It was the idea of getting Bulstrode to apply some money to a public
purpose some money which he had thought of giving me Perhaps it is rather to
Bulstrodes credit that he privately offered me compensation for an old injury
he offered to give me a good income to make amends but I suppose you know the
disagreeable story«
Will looked doubtfully at Dorothea but his manner was gathering some of the
defiant courage with which he always thought of this fact in his destiny He
added »You know that it must be altogether painful to me«
»Yes yes I know« said Dorothea hastily
»I did not choose to accept an income from such a source I was sure that
you would not think well of me if I did so« said Will Why should he mind
saying anything of that sort to her now She knew that he had avowed his love
for her »I felt that« he broke off nevertheless
»You acted as I should have expected you to act« said Dorothea her face
brightening and her head becoming a little more erect on its beautiful stem
»I did not believe that you would let any circumstance of my birth create a
prejudice in you against me though it was sure to do so in others« said Will
shaking his head backward in his old way and looking with a grave appeal into
her eyes
»If it were a new hardship it would be a new reason for me to cling to you«
said Dorothea fervidly »Nothing could have changed me but « her heart was
swelling and it was difficult to go on she made a great effort over herself to
say in a low tremulous voice »but thinking that you were different not so
good as I had believed you to be«
»You are sure to believe me better than I am in everything but one« said
Will giving way to his own feeling in the evidence of hers »I mean in my
truth to you When I thought you doubted of that I didnt care about anything
that was left I thought it was all over with me and there was nothing to try
for only things to endure«
»I dont doubt you any longer« said Dorothea putting out her hand a vague
fear for him impelling her unutterable affection
He took her hand and raised it to his lips with something like a sob But he
stood with his hat and gloves in the other hand and might have done for the
portrait of a Royalist Still it was difficult to loose the hand and Dorothea
withdrawing it in a confusion that distressed her looked and moved away
»See how dark the clouds have become and how the trees are tossed« she
said walking towards the window yet speaking and moving with only a dim sense
of what she was doing
Will followed her at a little distance and leaned against the tall back of
a leather chair on which he ventured now to lay his hat and gloves and free
himself from the intolerable durance of formality to which he had been for the
first time condemned in Dorotheas presence It must be confessed that he felt
very happy at that moment leaning on the chair He was not much afraid of
anything that she might feel now
They stood silent not looking at each other but looking at the evergreens
which were being tossed and were showing the pale underside of their leaves
against the blackening sky Will never enjoyed the prospect of a storm so much
it delivered him from the necessity of going away Leaves and little branches
were hurled about and the thunder was getting nearer The light was more and
more sombre but there came a flash of lightning which made them start and look
at each other and then smile Dorothea began to say what she had been thinking
of
»That was a wrong thing for you to say that you would have had nothing to
try for If we had lost our own chief good other peoples good would remain
and that is worth trying for Some can be happy I seemed to see that more
clearly than ever when I was the most wretched I can hardly think how I could
have borne the trouble if that feeling had not come to me to make strength«
»You have never felt the sort of misery I felt« said Will »the misery of
knowing that you must despise me«
»But I have felt worse it was worse to think ill « Dorothea had begun
impetuously but broke off
Will coloured He had the sense that whatever she said was uttered in the
vision of a fatality that kept them apart He was silent a moment and then said
passionately
»We may at least have the comfort of speaking to each other without
disguise Since I must go away since we must always be divided you may think
of me as one on the brink of the grave«
While he was speaking there came a vivid flash of lightning which lit each
of them up for the other and the light seemed to be the terror of a hopeless
love Dorothea darted instantaneously from the window Will followed her
seizing her hand with a spasmodic movement and so they stood with their hands
clasped like two children looking out on the storm while the thunder gave a
tremendous crack and roll above them and the rain began to pour down Then they
turned their faces towards each other with the memory of his last words in
them and they did not loose each others hands
»There is no hope for me« said Will »Even if you loved me as well as I
love you even if I were everything to you I shall most likely always be very
poor on a sober calculation one can count on nothing but a creeping lot It is
impossible for us ever to belong to each other It is perhaps base of me to have
asked for a word from you I meant to go away into silence but I have not been
able to do what I meant«
»Dont be sorry« said Dorothea in her clear tender tones »I would rather
share all the trouble of our parting«
Her lips trembled and so did his It was never known which lips were the
first to move towards the other lips but they kissed tremblingly and then they
moved apart
The rain was dashing against the windowpanes as if an angry spirit were
within it and behind it was the great swoop of the wind it was one of those
moments in which both the busy and the idle pause with a certain awe
Dorothea sat down on the seat nearest to her a long low ottoman in the
middle of the room and with her hands folded over each other on her lap looked
at the drear outer world Will stood still an instant looking at her then
seated himself beside her and laid his hand on hers which turned itself upward
to be clasped They sat in that way without looking at each other until the
rain abated and began to fall in stillness Each had been full of thoughts which
neither of them could begin to utter
But when the rain was quiet Dorothea turned to look at Will With
passionate exclamation as if some torturescrew were threatening him he
started up and said »It is impossible«
He went and leaned on the back of the chair again and seemed to be battling
with his own anger while she looked towards him sadly
»It is as fatal as a murder or any other horror that divides people« he
burst out again »it is more intolerable to have our life maimed by petty
accidents«
»No dont say that your life need not be maimed« said Dorothea gently
»Yes it must« said Will angrily »It is cruel of you to speak in that way
as if there were any comfort You may see beyond the misery of it but I
dont It is unkind it is throwing back my love for you as if it were a
trifle to speak in that way in the face of the fact We can never be married«
»Some time we might« said Dorothea in a trembling voice
»When« said Will bitterly »What is the use of counting on any success of
mine It is a mere toss up whether I shall ever do more than keep myself
decently unless I choose to sell myself as a mere pen and a mouthpiece I can
see that clearly enough I could not offer myself to any woman even if she had
no luxuries to renounce«
There was silence Dorotheas heart was full of something that she wanted to
say and yet the words were too difficult She was wholly possessed by them at
that moment debate was mute within her And it was very hard that she could not
say what she wanted to say Will was looking out of the window angrily If he
would have looked at her and not gone away from her side she thought everything
would have been easier At last he turned still resting against the chair and
stretching his hand automatically towards his hat said with a sort of
exasperation »Goodbye«
»Oh I cannot bear it my heart will break« said Dorothea starting from
her seat the flood of her young passion bearing down all the obstructions which
had kept her silent the great tears rising and falling in an instant »I dont
mind about poverty I hate my wealth«
In an instant Will was close to her and had his arms round her but she drew
her head back and held his away gently that she might go on speaking her large
tearfilled eyes looking at his very simply while she said in a sobbing
childlike way »We could live quite well on my own fortune it is too much
seven hundred ayear I want so little no new clothes and I will learn what
everything costs«
Chapter LXXXIV
»Though it be songe of old and yonge
That I sholde be to blame
Theyrs be the charge that spoke so large
In hurtynge of my name«
The Notbrowne Mayde
It was just after the Lords had thrown out the Reform Bill that explains how
Mr Cadwallader came to be walking on the slope of the lawn near the great
conservatory at Freshitt Hall holding the Times in his hands behind him while
he talked with a troutfishers dispassionateness about the prospects of the
country to Sir James Chettam Mrs Cadwallader the Dowager Lady Chettam and
Celia were sometimes seated on gardenchairs sometimes walking to meet little
Arthur who was being drawn in his chariot and as became the infantine
Bouddha was sheltered by his sacred umbrella with handsome silken fringe
The ladies also talked politics though more fitfully Mrs Cadwallader was
strong on the intended creation of peers she had it for certain from her cousin
that Truberry had gone over to the other side entirely at the instigation of his
wife who had scented peerages in the air from the very first introduction of
the Reform question and would sign her soul away to take precedence of her
younger sister who had married a baronet Lady Chettam thought that such
conduct was very reprehensible and remembered that Mrs Truberrys mother was a
Miss Walsingham of Melspring Celia confessed it was nicer to be »Lady« than
»Mrs« and that Dodo never minded about precedence if she could have her own
way Mrs Cadwallader held that it was a poor satisfaction to take precedence
when everybody about you knew that you had not a drop of good blood in your
veins and Celia again stopping to look at Arthur said »It would be very
nice though if he were a Viscount and his lordships little tooth coming
through He might have been if James had been an Earl«
»My dear Celia« said the Dowager »Jamess title is worth far more than any
new earldom I never wished his father to be anything else than Sir James«
»Oh I only meant about Arthurs little tooth« said Celia comfortably
»But see here is my uncle coming«
She tripped off to meet her uncle while Sir James and Mr Cadwallader came
forward to make one group with the ladies Celia had slipped her arm through her
uncles and he patted her hand with a rather melancholy »Well my dear« As
they approached it was evident that Mr Brooke was looking dejected but this
was fully accounted for by the state of politics and as he was shaking hands
all round without more greeting than a »Well youre all here you know« the
Rector said laughingly
»Dont take the throwing out of the Bill so much to heart Brooke youve
got all the riffraff of the country on your side«
»The Bill eh ah« said Mr Brooke with a mild distractedness of manner
»Thrown out you know eh The Lords are going too far though Theyll have to
pull up Sad news you know I mean here at home sad news But you must not
blame me Chettam«
»What is the matter« said Sir James »Not another gamekeeper shot I hope
Its what I should expect when a fellow like Trapping Bass is let off so
easily«
»Gamekeeper No Let us go in I can tell you all in the house you know«
said Mr Brooke nodding at the Cadwalladers to show that he included them in
his confidence »As to poachers like Trapping Bass you know Chettam« he
continued as they were entering »when you are a magistrate youll not find it
so easy to commit Severity is all very well but its a great deal easier when
youve got somebody to do it for you You have a soft place in your heart
yourself you know youre not a Draco a Jeffreys that sort of thing«
Mr Brooke was evidently in a state of nervous perturbation When he had
something painful to tell it was usually his way to introduce it among a number
of disjointed particulars as if it were a medicine that would get a milder
flavour by mixing He continued his chat with Sir James about the poachers until
they were all seated and Mrs Cadwallader impatient of this drivelling said
»Im dying to know the sad news The gamekeeper is not shot that is
settled What is it then«
»Well its a very trying thing you know« said Mr Brooke »Im glad you
and the Rector are here its a family matter but you will help us all to bear
it Cadwallader Ive got to break it to you my dear« Here Mr Brooke looked
at Celia »Youve no notion what it is you know And Chettam it will annoy
you uncommonly but you see you have not been able to hinder it any more
than I have Theres something singular in things they come round you know«
»It must be about Dodo« said Celia who had been used to think of her
sister as the dangerous part of the family machinery She had seated herself on
a low stool against her husbands knee
»For Gods sake let us hear what it is« said Sir James
»Well you know Chettam I couldnt help Casaubons will it was a sort of
will to make things worse«
»Exactly« said Sir James hastily »But what is worse«
»Dorothea is going to be married again you know« said Mr Brooke nodding
towards Celia who immediately looked up at her husband with a frightened
glance and put her hand on his knee
Sir James was almost white with anger but he did not speak
»Merciful heaven« said Mrs Cadwallader »Not to young Ladislaw«
Mr Brooke nodded saying »Yes to Ladislaw« and then fell into a
prudential silence
»You see Humphrey« said Mrs Cadwallader waving her arm towards her
husband »Another time you will admit that I have some foresight or rather you
will contradict me and be just as blind as ever You supposed that the young
gentleman was gone out of the country«
»So he might be and yet come back« said the Rector quietly
»When did you learn this« said Sir James not liking to hear any one else
speak though finding it difficult to speak himself
»Yesterday« said Mr Brooke meekly »I went to Lowick Dorothea sent for
me you know It had come about quite suddenly neither of them had any idea
two days ago not any idea you know Theres something singular in things But
Dorothea is quite determined it is no use opposing I put it strongly to her
I did my duty Chettam But she can act as she likes you know«
»It would have been better if I had called him out and shot him a year ago«
said Sir James not from bloodymindedness but because he needed something
strong to say
»Really James that would have been very disagreeable« said Celia
»Be reasonable Chettam Look at the affair more quietly« said Mr
Cadwallader sorry to see his goodnatured friend so overmastered by anger
»That is not so very easy for a man of any dignity with any sense of right
when the affair happens to be in his own family« said Sir James still in his
white indignation »It is perfectly scandalous If Ladislaw had had a spark of
honour he would have gone out of the country at once and never shown his face
in it again However I am not surprised The day after Casaubons funeral I
said what ought to be done But I was not listened to«
»You wanted what was impossible you know Chettam« said Mr Brooke »You
wanted him shipped off I told you Ladislaw was not to be done as we liked with
he had his ideas He was a remarkable fellow I always said he was a remarkable
fellow«
»Yes« said Sir James unable to repress a retort »it is rather a pity you
formed that high opinion of him We are indebted to that for his being lodged in
this neighbourhood We are indebted to that for seeing a woman like Dorothea
degrading herself by marrying him« Sir James made little stoppages between his
clauses the words not coming easily »A man so marked out by her husbands
will that delicacy ought to have forbidden her from seeing him again who
takes her out of her proper rank into poverty has the meanness to accept
such a sacrifice has always had an objectionable position a bad origin
and I believe is a man of little principle and light character That is my
opinion« Sir James ended emphatically turning aside and crossing his leg
»I pointed everything out to her« said Mr Brooke apologetically »I mean
the poverty and abandoning her position I said My dear you dont know what
it is to live on seven hundred ayear and have no carriage and that kind of
thing and go amongst people who dont know who you are I put it strongly to
her But I advise you to talk to Dorothea herself The fact is she has a
dislike to Casaubons property You will hear what she says you know«
»No excuse me I shall not« said Sir James with more coolness »I
cannot bear to see her again it is too painful It hurts me too much that a
woman like Dorothea should have done what is wrong«
»Be just Chettam« said the easy largelipped Rector who objected to all
this unnecessary discomfort »Mrs Casaubon may be acting imprudently she is
giving up a fortune for the sake of a man and we men have so poor an opinion of
each other that we can hardly call a woman wise who does that But I think you
should not condemn it as a wrong action in the strict sense of the word«
»Yes I do« answered Sir James »I think that Dorothea commits a wrong
action in marrying Ladislaw«
»My dear fellow we are rather apt to consider an act wrong because it is
unpleasant to us« said the Rector quietly Like many men who take life easily
he had the knack of saying a home truth occasionally to those who felt
themselves virtuously out of temper Sir James took out his handkerchief and
began to bite the corner
»It is very dreadful of Dodo though« said Celia wishing to justify her
husband »She said she never would marry again not anybody at all«
»I heard her say the same thing myself« said Lady Chettam majestically as
if this were royal evidence
»Oh there is usually a silent exception in such cases« said Mrs
Cadwallader »The only wonder to me is that any of you are surprised You did
nothing to hinder it If you would have had Lord Triton down here to woo her
with his philanthropy he might have carried her off before the year was over
There was no safety in anything else Mr Casaubon had prepared all tills as
beautifully as possible He made himself disagreeable or it pleased God to
make him so and then he dared her to contradict him Its the way to make any
trumpery tempting to ticket it at a high price in that way«
»I dont know what you mean by wrong Cadwallader« said Sir James still
feeling a little stung and turning round in his chair towards the Rector »Hes
not a man we can take into the family At least I must speak for myself« he
continued carefully keeping his eyes off Mr Brooke »I suppose others will
find his society too pleasant to care about the propriety of the thing«
»Well you know Chettam« said Mr Brooke goodhumouredly nursing his
leg »I cant turn my back on Dorothea I must be a father to her up to a
certain point I said My dear I wont refuse to give you away I had spoken
strongly before But I can cut off the entail you know It will cost money and
be troublesome but I can do it you know«
Mr Brooke nodded at Sir James and felt that he was both showing his own
force of resolution and propitiating what was just in the Baronets vexation He
had hit on a more ingenious mode of parrying than he was aware of He had
touched a motive of which Sir James was ashamed The mass of his feeling about
Dorotheas marriage to Ladislaw was due partly to excusable prejudice or even
justifiable opinion partly to a jealous repugnance hardly less in Ladislaws
case than in Casaubons He was convinced that the marriage was a fatal one for
Dorothea But amid that mass ran a vein of which he was too good and honourable
a man to like the avowal even to himself it was undeniable that the union of
the two estates Tipton and Freshitt lying charmingly within a ringfence
was a prospect that flattered him for his son and heir Hence when Mr Brooke
noddingly appealed to that motive Sir James felt a sudden embarrassment there
was a stoppage in his throat he even blushed He had found more words than
usual in the first jet of his anger but Mr Brookes propitiation was more
clogging to his tongue than Mr Cadwalladers caustic hint
But Celia was glad to have room for speech after her uncles suggestion of
the marriage ceremony and she said though with as little eagerness of manner
as if the question had turned on an invitation to dinner »Do you mean that Dodo
is going to be married directly uncle«
»In three weeks you know« said Mr Brooke helplessly »I can do nothing
to hinder it Cadwallader« he added turning for a little countenance toward
the Rector who said
»I should not make any fuss about it If she likes to be poor that is her
affair Nobody would have said anything if she had married the young fellow
because he was rich Plenty of beneficed clergy are poorer than they will be
Here is Elinor« continued the provoking husband »she vexed her friends by
marrying me I had hardly a thousand ayear I was a lout nobody could see
anything in me my shoes were not the right cut all the men wondered how a
woman could like me Upon my word I must take Ladislaws part until I hear more
harm of him«
»Humphrey that is all sophistry and you know it« said his wife
»Everything is all one that is the beginning and end with you As if you had
not been a Cadwallader Does any one suppose that I would have taken such a
monster as you by any other name«
»And a clergyman too« observed Lady Chettam with approbation »Elinor
cannot be said to have descended below her rank It is difficult to say what Mr
Ladislaw is eh James«
Sir James gave a small grunt which was less respectful than his usual mode
of answering his mother Celia looked up at him like a thoughtful kitten
»It must be admitted that his blood is a frightful mixture« said Mrs
Cadwallader »The Casaubon cuttlefish fluid to begin with and then a
rebellious Polish fiddler or dancingmaster was it and then an old clo«
»Nonsense Elinor« said the Rector rising »It is time for us to go«
»After all he is a pretty sprig« said Mrs Cadwallader rising too and
wishing to make amends »He is like the fine old Crichley portraits before the
idiots came in«
»Ill go with you« said Mr Brooke starting up with alacrity »You must
all come and dine with me tomorrow you know eh Celia my dear«
»You will James wont you« said Celia taking her husbands hand
»Oh of course if you like« said Sir James pulling down his waistcoat
but unable yet to adjust his face goodhumouredly »That is to say if it is not
to meet anybody else«
»No no no« said Mr Brooke understanding the condition »Dorothea would
not come you know unless you had been to see her«
When Sir James and Celia were alone she said »Do you mind about my having
the carriage to go to Lowick James«
»What now directly« he answered with some surprise
»Yes it is very important« said Celia
»Remember Celia I cannot see her« said Sir James
»Not if she gave up marrying«
»What is the use of saying that however Im going to the stables Ill
tell Briggs to bring the carriage round«
Celia thought it was of great use if not to say that at least to take a
journey to Lowick in order to influence Dorotheas mind All through their
girlhood she had felt that she could act on her sister by a word judiciously
placed by opening a little window for the daylight of her own understanding to
enter among the strange coloured lamps by which Dodo habitually saw And Celia
the matron naturally felt more able to advise her childless sister How could
any one understand Dodo so well as Celia did or love her so tenderly
Dorothea busy in her boudoir felt a glow of pleasure at the sight of her
sister so soon after the revelation of her intended marriage She had prefigured
to herself even with exaggeration the disgust of her friends and she had even
feared that Celia might be kept aloof from her
»O Kitty I am delighted to see you« said Dorothea putting her hands on
Celias shoulders and beaming on her »I almost thought you would not come to
me«
»I have not brought Arthur because I was in a hurry« said Celia and they
sat down on two small chairs opposite each other with their knees touching
»You know Dodo it is very bad« said Celia in her placid guttural
looking as prettily free from humours as possible »You have disappointed us all
so And I cant think that it ever will be you never can go and live in that
way And then there are all your plans You never can have thought of that
James would have taken any trouble for you and you might have gone on all your
life doing what you liked«
»On the contrary dear« said Dorothea »I never could do anything that I
liked I have never carried out any plan yet«
»Because you always wanted things that wouldnt do But other plans would
have come And how can you marry Mr Ladislaw that we none of us ever thought
you could marry It shocks James so dreadfully And then it is all so different
from what you have always been You would have Mr Casaubon because he had such
a great soul and was so old and dismal and learned and now to think of
marrying Mr Ladislaw who has got no estate or anything I suppose it is
because you must be making yourself uncomfortable in some way or other«
Dorothea laughed
»Well it is very serious Dodo« said Celia becoming more impressive »How
will you live and you will go away among queer people And I shall never see
you and you wont mind about little Arthur and I thought you always would «
Celias rare tears had got into her eyes and the corners of her mouth were
agitated
»Dear Celia« said Dorothea with tender gravity »if you dont ever see me
it will not be my fault«
»Yes it will« said Celia with the same touching distortion of her small
features »How can I come to you or have you with me when James cant bear it
that is because he thinks it is not right he thinks you are so wrong Dodo
But you always were wrong only I cant help loving you And nobody can think
where you will live where can you go«
»I am going to London« said Dorothea
»How can you always live in a street And you will be so poor I could give
you half my things only how can I when I never see you«
»Bless you Kitty« said Dorothea with gentle warmth »Take comfort
perhaps James will forgive me some time«
»But it would be much better if you would not be married« said Celia
drying her eyes and returning to her argument »then there would be nothing
uncomfortable And you would not do what nobody thought you could do James
always said you ought to be a queen but this is not at all being like a queen
You know what mistakes you have always been making Dodo and this is another
Nobody thinks Mr Ladislaw a proper husband for you And you said you would
never be married again«
»It is quite true that I might be a wiser person Celia« said Dorothea
»and that I might have done something better if I had been better But this is
what I am going to do I have promised to marry Mr Ladislaw and I am going to
marry him«
The tone in which Dorothea said this was a note that Celia had long learned
to recognise She was silent a few moments and then said as if she had
dismissed all contest »Is he very fond of you Dodo«
»I hope so I am very fond of him«
»That is nice« said Celia comfortably »Only I would rather you had such a
sort of husband as James is with a place very near that I could drive to«
Dorothea smiled and Celia looked rather meditative Presently she said »I
cannot think how it all came about« Celia thought it would be pleasant to hear
the story
»I daresay not« said Dorothea pinching her sisters chin »If you knew how
it came about it would not seem wonderful to you«
»Cant you tell me« said Celia settling her arms cozily
»No dear you would have to feel with me else you would never know«
Chapter LXXXV
»Then went the jury out whose names were Mr Blindman Mr Nogood
Mr Malice Mr Lovelust Mr Liveloose Mr Heady Mr Highmind
Mr Enmity Mr Liar Mr Cruelty Mr Hatelight Mr Implacable
who every one gave in his private verdict against him among
themselves and afterwards unanimously concluded to bring him in
guilty before the judge And first among themselves Mr Blindman
the foreman said I see clearly that this man is a heretic Then
said Mr Nogood Away with such a fellow from the earth Ay said
Mr Malice for I hate the very look of him Then said Mr
Lovelust I could never endure him Nor I said Mr Liveloose for
he would be always condemning my way Hang him hang him said Mr
Heady A sorry scrub said Mr Highmind My heart riseth against
him said Mr Enmity He is a rogue said Mr Liar Hanging is too
good for him said Mr Cruelty Let us despatch him out of the way
said Mr Hatelight Then said Mr Implacable Might I have all the
world given me I could not be reconciled to him therefore let us
forthwith bring him in guilty of death«
Pilgrims Progress
When immortal Bunyan makes his picture of the persecuting passions bringing in
their verdict of guilty who pities Faithful That is a rare and blessed lot
which some greatest men have not attained to know ourselves guiltless before a
condemning crowd to be sure that what we are denounced for is solely the good
in us. The pitiable lot is that of the man who could not call himself a martyr
even though he were to persuade himself that the men who stoned him were but
ugly passions incarnate who knows that he is stoned not for professing the
Right but for not being the man he professed to be
This was the consciousness that Bulstrode was withering under while he made
his preparations for departing from Middlemarch and going to end his stricken
life in that sad refuge the indifference of new faces The duteous merciful
constancy of his wife had delivered him from one dread but it could not hinder
her presence from being still a tribunal before which he shrank from confession
and desired advocacy His equivocations with himself about the death of Raffles
had sustained the conception of an Omniscience whom he prayed to yet he had a
terror upon him which would not let him expose them to judgment by a full
confession to his wife the acts which he had washed and diluted with inward
argument and motive and for which it seemed comparatively easy to win invisible
pardon what name would she call them by That she should ever silently call
his acts Murder was what he could not bear He felt shrouded by her doubt he
got strength to face her from the sense that she could not yet feel warranted in
pronouncing that worst condemnation on him Some time perhaps when he was
dying he would tell her all in the deep shadow of that time when she held
his hand in the gathering darkness she might listen without recoiling from his
touch Perhaps but concealment had been the habit of his life and the impulse
to confession had no power against the dread of a deeper humiliation
He was full of timid care for his wife not only because he deprecated any
harshness of judgment from her but because he felt a deep distress at the sight
of her suffering She had sent her daughters away to board at a school on the
coast that this crisis might be hidden from them as far as possible Set free
by their absence from the intolerable necessity of accounting for her grief or
of beholding their frightened wonder she could live unconstrainedly with the
sorrow that was every day streaking her hair with whiteness and making her
eyelids languid
»Tell me anything that you would like to have me do Harriet« Bulstrode had
said to her »I mean with regard to arrangements of property It is my intention
not to sell the land I possess in this neighbourhood but to leave it to you as
a safe provision If you have any wish on such subjects do not conceal it from
me«
A few days afterwards when she had returned from a visit to her brothers
she began to speak to her husband on a subject which had for some time been in
her mind
»I should like to do something for my brothers family Nicholas and I
think we are bound to make some amends to Rosamond and her husband Walter says
Mr Lydgate must leave the town and his practice is almost good for nothing
and they have very little left to settle anywhere with I would rather do
without something for ourselves to make some amends to my poor brothers
family«
Mrs Bulstrode did not wish to go nearer to the facts than in the phrase
»make some amends« knowing that her husband must understand her He had a
particular reason which she was not aware of for wincing under her suggestion
He hesitated before he said
»It is not possible to carry out your wish in the way you propose my dear
Mr Lydgate has virtually rejected any further service from me He has returned
the thousand pounds which I lent him Mrs Casaubon advanced him the sum for
that purpose Here is his letter«
The letter seemed to cut Mrs Bulstrode severely The mention of Mrs
Casaubons loan seemed a reflection of that public feeling which held it a
matter of course that every one would avoid a connection with her husband She
was silent for some time and the tears fell one after the other her chin
trembling as she wiped them away Bulstrode sitting opposite to her ached at
the sight of that griefworn face which two months before had been bright and
blooming It had aged to keep sad company with his own withered features Urged
into some effort at comforting her he said
»There is another means Harriet by which I might do a service to your
brothers family if you like to act in it And it would I think be beneficial
to you it would be an advantageous way of managing the land which I mean to be
yours«
She looked attentive
»Garth once thought of undertaking the management of Stone Court in order to
place your nephew Fred there The stock was to remain as it is and they were to
pay a certain share of the profits instead of an ordinary rent That would be a
desirable beginning for the young man in conjunction with his employment under
Garth Would it be a satisfaction to you«
»Yes it would« said Mrs Bulstrode with some return of energy
»Poor Walter is so cast down I would try anything in my power to do him
some good before I go away We have always been brother and sister«
»You must make the proposal to Garth yourself Harriet« said Mr Bulstrode
not liking what he had to say but desiring the end he had in view for other
reasons besides the consolation of his wife »You must state to him that the
land is virtually yours and that he need have no transactions with me
Communications can be made through Standish I mention this because Garth gave
up being my agent I can put into your hands a paper which he himself drew up
stating conditions and you can propose his renewed acceptance of them I think
it is not unlikely that he will accept when you propose the thing for the sake
of your nephew«
Chapter LXXXVI
»Le coeur se sature damour comme dun sel divin qui le conserve de
là lincorruptible adhérence de ceux qui se sont aimés dès laube de
la vie et la fraîcheur des vielles amours prolongés Il existe un
embaumement damour Cest de Daphnis et Chlöe que sont faits
Philémon et Baucis Cette vieillesse là ressemblance du soir avec
laurore«
Victor Hugo Lhomme qui rit
Mrs Garth hearing Caleb enter the passage about teatime opened the
parlourdoor and said »There you are Caleb Have you had your dinner« Mr
Garths meals were much subordinated to »business«
»Oh yes a good dinner cold mutton and I dont know what Where is Mary«
»In the garden with Letty I think«
»Fred is not come yet«
»No Are you going out again without taking tea Caleb« said Mrs Garth
seeing that her absentminded husband was putting on again the hat which he had
just taken off
»No no Im only going to Mary a minute«
Mary was in a grassy corner of the garden where there was a swing loftily
hung between two peartrees She had a pink kerchief tied over her head making
a little poke to shade her eyes from the level sunbeams while she was giving a
glorious swing to Letty who laughed and screamed wildly
Seeing her father Mary left the swing and went to meet him pushing back
the pink kerchief and smiling afar off at him with the involuntary smile of
loving pleasure
»I came to look for you Mary« said Mr Garth »Let us walk about a bit«
Mary knew quite well that her father had something particular to say his
eyebrows made their pathetic angle and there was a tender gravity in his voice
these things had been signs to her when she was Lettys age She put her arm
within his and they turned by the row of nuttrees
»It will be a sad while before you can be married Mary« said her father
not looking at her but at the end of the stick which he held in his other hand
»Not a sad while father I mean to be merry« said Mary laughingly »I
have been single and merry for fourandtwenty years and more I suppose it will
not be quite as long again as that« Then after a little pause she said more
gravely bending her face before her fathers »If you are contented with Fred«
Caleb screwed up his mouth and turned his head aside wisely
»Now father you did praise him last Wednesday You said he had an uncommon
notion of stock and a good eye for things«
»Did I« said Caleb rather slyly
»Yes I put it all down and the date anno Domini and everything« said
Mary »You like things to be neatly booked And then his behaviour to you
father is really good he has a deep respect for you and it is impossible to
have a better temper than Fred has«
»Ay ay you want to coax me into thinking him a fine match«
»No indeed father I dont love him because he is a fine match«
»What for then«
»Oh dear because I have always loved him I should never like scolding any
one else so well and that is a point to be thought of in a husband«
»Your mind is quite settled then Mary« said Caleb returning to his first
tone »Theres no other wish come into it since things have been going on as
they have been of late« Caleb meant a great deal in that vague phrase
»because better late than never A woman must not force her heart shell do a
man no good by that«
»My feelings have not changed father« said Mary calmly »I shall be
constant to Fred as long as he is constant to me I dont think either of us
could spare the other or like any one else better however much we might admire
them It would make too great a difference to us like seeing all the old
places altered and changing the name for everything We must wait for each
other a long while but Fred knows that«
Instead of speaking immediately Caleb stood still and screwed his stick on
the grassy walk Then he said with emotion in his voice »Well Ive got a bit
of news What do you think of Fred going to live at Stone Court and managing
the land there«
»How can that ever be father« said Mary wonderingly
»He would manage it for his aunt Bulstrode The poor woman has been to me
begging and praying She wants to do the lad good and it might be a fine thing
for him With saving he might gradually buy the stock and he has a turn for
farming«
»Oh Fred would be so happy It is too good to believe«
»Ah but mind you« said Caleb turning his head warningly »I must take it
on my shoulders and be responsible and see after everything and that will
grieve your mother a bit though she maynt say so Fred had need be careful«
»Perhaps it is too much father« said Mary checked in her joy »There
would be no happiness in bringing you any fresh trouble«
»Nay nay work is my delight child when it doesnt vex your mother And
then if you and Fred get married« here Calebs voice shook just perceptibly
»hell be steady and saving and youve got your mothers cleverness and mine
too in a womans sort of way and youll keep him in order Hell be coming
byandby so I wanted to tell you first because I think youd like to tell him
by yourselves After that I could talk it well over with him and we could go
into business and the nature of things«
»Oh you dear good father« cried Mary putting her hands round her fathers
neck while he bent his head placidly willing to be caressed »I wonder if any
other girl thinks her father the best man in the world«
»Nonsense child youll think your husband better«
»Impossible« said Mary relapsing into her usual tone »husbands are an
inferior class of men who require keeping in order«
When they were entering the house with Letty who had run to join them Mary
saw Fred at the orchardgate and went to meet him
»What fine clothes you wear you extravagant youth« said Mary as Fred
stood still and raised his hat to her with playful formality »You are not
learning economy«
»Now that is too bad Mary« said Fred »Just look at the edges of these
coatcuffs It is only by dint of good brushing that I look respectable I am
saving up three suits one for a weddingsuit«
»How very droll you will look like a gentleman in an old fashionbook«
»Oh no they will keep two years«
»Two years be reasonable Fred« said Mary turning to walk »Dont
encourage flattering expectations«
»Why not One lives on them better than on unflattering ones If we cant be
married in two years the truth will be quite bad enough when it comes«
»I have heard a story of a young gentleman who once encouraged flattering
expectations and they did him harm«
»Mary if youve got something discouraging to tell me I shall bolt I
shall go into the house to Mr Garth I am out of spirits My father is so cut
up home is not like itself I cant bear any more bad news«
»Should you call it bad news to be told that you were to live at Stone
Court and manage the farm and be remarkably prudent and save money every year
till all the stock and furniture were your own and you were a distinguished
agricultural character as Mr Borthrop Trumbull says rather stout I fear
and with the Greek and Latin sadly weatherworn«
»You dont mean anything except nonsense Mary« said Fred colouring
slightly nevertheless
»That is what my father has just told me of as what may happen and he never
talks nonsense« said Mary looking up at Fred now while he grasped her hand as
they walked till it rather hurt her but she would not complain
»Oh I could be a tremendously good fellow then Mary and we could be
married directly«
»Not so fast sir how do you know that I would not rather defer our
marriage for some years That would leave you time to misbehave and then if I
liked some one else better I should have an excuse for jilting you«
»Pray dont joke Mary« said Fred with strong feeling »Tell me seriously
that all this is true and that you are nappy because of it because you love
me best«
»It is all true Fred and I am happy because of it because I love you
best« said Mary in a tone of obedient recitation
They lingered on the doorstep under the steeproofed porch and Fred almost
in a whisper said
»When we were first engaged with the umbrellaring Mary you used to «
The spirit of joy began to laugh more decidedly in Marys eyes but the
fatal Ben came running to the door with Brownie yapping behind him and
bouncing against them said
»Fred and Mary are you ever coming in or may I eat your cake«
Finale
Every limit is a beginning as well as an ending Who can quit young lives after
being long in company with them and not desire to know what befell them in
their afteryears For the fragment of a life however typical is not the
sample of an even web promises may not be kept and an ardent outset may be
followed by declension latent powers may find their longwaited opportunity a
past error may urge a grand retrieval
Marriage which has been the bourne of so many narratives is still a great
beginning as it was to Adam and Eve who kept their honeymoon in Eden but had
their first little one among the thorns and thistles of the wilderness It is
still the beginning of the home epic the gradual conquest or irremediable loss
of that complete union which makes the advancing years a climax and age the
harvest of sweet memories in common
Some set out like Crusaders of old with a glorious equipment of hope and
enthusiasm and get broken by the way wanting patience with each other and the
world
All who have cared for Fred Vincy and Mary Garth will like to know that
these two made no such failure but achieved a solid mutual happiness Fred
surprised his neighbours in various ways He became rather distinguished in his
side of the county as a theoretic and practical farmer and produced a work on
the Cultivation of Green Crops and the Economy of CattleFeeding which won him
high congratulations at agricultural meetings In Middlemarch admiration was
more reserved most persons there were inclined to believe that the merit of
Freds authorship was due to his wife since they had never expected Fred Vincy
to write on turnips and mangelwurzel
But when Mary wrote a little book for her boys called Stories of Great Men
taken from Plutarch and had it printed and published by Gripp amp Co
Middlemarch every one in the town was willing to give the credit of this work
to Fred observing that he had been to the University »where the ancients were
studied« and might have been a clergyman if he had chosen
In this way it was made clear that Middlemarch had never been deceived and
that there was no need to praise anybody for writing a book since it was always
done by somebody else
Moreover Fred remained unswervingly steady Some years after his marriage
he told Mary that his happiness was half owing to Farebrother who gave him a
strong pullup at the right moment I cannot say that he was never again misled
by his hopefulness the yield of crops or the profits of a cattle sale usually
fell below his estimate and he was always prone to believe that he could make
money by the purchase of a horse which turned out badly though this Mary
observed was of course the fault of the horse not of Freds judgment He kept
his love of horsemanship but he rarely allowed himself a days hunting and
when he did so it was remarkable that he submitted to be laughed at for
cowardliness at the fences seeming to see Mary and the boys sitting on the
fivebarred gate or showing their curly heads between hedge and ditch
There were three boys Mary was not discontented that she brought forth
menchildren only and when Fred wished to have a girl like her she said
laughingly »That would be too great a trial to your mother« Mrs Vincy in her
declining years and in the diminished lustre of her housekeeping was much
comforted by her perception that two at least of Freds boys were real Vincys
and did not »feature the Garths« But Mary secretly rejoiced that the youngest
of the three was very much what her father must have been when he wore a round
jacket and showed a marvellous nicety of aim in playing at marbles or in
throwing stones to bring down the mellow pears
Ben and Letty Garth who were uncle and aunt before they were well in their
teens disputed much as to whether nephews or nieces were more desirable Ben
contending that it was clear girls were good for less than boys else they would
not be always in petticoats which showed how little they were meant for
whereupon Letty who argued much from books got angry in replying that God made
coats of skins for both Adam and Eve alike also it occurred to her that in the
East the men too wore petticoats But this latter argument obscuring the
majesty of the former, was one too many for Ben answered contemptuously »The
more spooneys they« and immediately appealed to his mother whether boys were
not better than girls Mrs Garth pronounced that both were alike naughty but
that boys were undoubtedly stronger could run faster and throw with more
precision to a greater distance With this oracular sentence Ben was well
satisfied not minding the naughtiness but Letty took it ill her feeling of
superiority being stronger than her muscles
Fred never became rich his hopefulness had not led him to expect that but
he gradually saved enough to become owner of the stock and furniture at Stone
Court and the work which Mr Garth put into his bands carried him in plenty
through those »bad times« which are always present with farmers Mary in her
matronly days became as solid in figure as her mother but unlike her gave
the boys little formal teaching so that Mrs Garth was alarmed lest they should
never be well grounded in grammar and geography Nevertheless they were found
quite forward enough when they went to school perhaps because they had liked
nothing so well as being with their mother When Fred was riding home on winter
evenings he had a pleasant vision beforehand of the bright hearth in the
wainscoated parlour and was sorry for other men who could not have Mary for
their wife especially for Mr Farebrother »He was ten times worthier of you
than I was« Fred could now say to her magnanimously »To be sure he was« Mary
answered »and for that reason he could do better without me But you I
shudder to think what you would have been a curate in debt for horsehire and
cambric pockethandkerchiefs«
On inquiry it might possibly be found that Fred and Mary still inhabit Stone
Court that the creeping plants still cast the foam of their blossoms over the
fine stonewall into the field where the walnuttrees stand in stately row and
that on sunny days the two lovers who were first engaged with the umbrellaring
may be seen in whitehaired placidity at the open window from which Mary Garth
in the days of old Peter Featherstone had often been ordered to look out for
Mr Lydgate
Lydgates hair never became white He died when he was only fifty leaving
his wife and children provided for by a heavy insurance on his life He had
gained an excellent practice alternating according to the season between
London and a Continental bathingplace having written a treatise on Gout a
disease which has a good deal of wealth on its side His skill was relied on by
many paying patients but he always regarded himself as a failure he had not
done what he once meant to do His acquaintances thought him enviable to have so
charming a wife and nothing happened to shake their opinion Rosamond never
committed a second compromising indiscretion She simply continued to be mild in
her temper inflexible in her judgment disposed to admonish her husband and
able to frustrate him by stratagem As the years went on he opposed her less and
less whence Rosamond concluded that he had learned the value of her opinion on
the other hand she had a more thorough conviction of his talents now that he
gained a good income and instead of the threatened cage in Bride Street
provided one all flowers and gilding fit for the bird of paradise that she
resembled In brief Lydgate was what is called a successful man But he died
prematurely of diphtheria and Rosamond afterwards married an elderly and
wealthy physician who took kindly to her four children She made a very pretty
show with her daughters driving out in her carriage and often spoke of her
happiness as »a reward« she did not say for what but probably she meant that
it was a reward for her patience with Tertius whose temper never became
faultless and to the last occasionally let slip a bitter speech which was more
memorable than the signs he made of his repentance He once called her his basil
plant and when she asked for an explanation said that basil was a plant which
had flourished wonderfully on a murdered mans brains Rosamond had a placid but
strong answer to such speeches Why then had he chosen her It was a pity he had
not had Mrs Ladislaw whom he was always praising and placing above her And
thus the conversation ended with the advantage on Rosamonds side But it would
be unjust not to tell that she never uttered a word in depreciation of
Dorothea keeping in religious remembrance the generosity which had come to her
aid in the sharpest crisis of her life
Dorothea herself had no dreams of being praised above other women feeling
that there was always something better which she might have done if she had
only been better and known better Still she never repented that she had given
up position and fortune to marry Will Ladislaw and he would have held it the
greatest shame as well as sorrow to him if she had repented They were bound to
each other by a love stronger than any impulses which could have marred it No
life would have been possible to Dorothea which was not filled with emotion and
she had now a life filled also with a beneficent activity which she had not the
doubtful pains of discovering and marking out for herself Will became an ardent
public man working well in those times when reforms were begun with a young
hopefulness of immediate good which has been much checked in our days and
getting at last returned to Parliament by a constituency who paid his expenses
Dorothea could have liked nothing better since wrongs existed than that her
husband should be in the thick of a struggle against them and that she should
give him wifely help Many who knew her thought it a pity that so substantive
and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the life of another and be
only known in a certain circle as a wife and mother But no one stated exactly
what else that was in her power she ought rather to have done not even Sir
James Chettam who went no further than the negative prescription that she ought
not to have married Will Ladislaw
But this opinion of his did not cause a lasting alienation and the way in
which the family was made whole again was characteristic of all concerned Mr
Brooke could not resist the pleasure of corresponding with Will and Dorothea
and one morning when his pen had been remarkably fluent on the prospects of
Municipal Reform it ran off into an invitation to the Grange which once
written could not be done away with at less cost than the sacrifice hardly to
be conceived of the whole valuable letter During the months of this
correspondence Mr Brooke had continually in his talk with Sir James Chettam
been presupposing or hinting that the intention of cutting off the entail was
still maintained and the day on which his pen gave the daring invitation he
went to Freshitt expressly to intimate that he had a stronger sense than ever of
the reasons for taking that energetic step as a precaution against any mixture
of low blood in the heir of the Brookes
But that morning something exciting had happened at the Hall A letter had
come to Celia which made her cry silently as she read it and when Sir James
unused to see her in tears asked anxiously what was the matter she burst out
in a wail such as he had never heard from her before
»Dorothea has a little boy And you will not let me go and see her And I am
sure she wants to see me And she will not know what to do with the baby she
will do wrong things with it And they thought she would die It is very
dreadful Suppose it had been me and little Arthur and Dodo had been hindered
from coming to see me I wish you would be less unkind James«
»Good heavens Celia« said Sir James much wrought upon »what do you wish
I will do anything you like I will take you to town tomorrow if you wish it«
And Celia did wish it
It was after this that Mr Brooke came and meeting the Baronet in the
grounds began to chat with him in ignorance of the news which Sir James for
some reason did not care to tell him immediately But when the entail was
touched on in the usual way he said »My dear sir it is not for me to dictate
to you but for my part I would let that alone I would let things remain as
they are«
Mr Brooke felt so much surprise that he did not at once find out how much
he was relieved by the sense that he was not expected to do anything in
particular
Such being the bent of Celias heart it was inevitable that Sir James
should consent to a reconciliation with Dorothea and her husband Where women
love each other men learn to smother their mutual dislike Sir James never
liked Ladislaw and Will always preferred to have Sir Jamess company mixed with
another kind they were on a footing of reciprocal tolerance which was made
quite easy only when Dorothea and Celia were present
It became an understood thing that Mr and Mrs Ladislaw should pay at least
two visits during the year to the Grange and there came gradually a small row
of cousins at Freshitt who enjoyed playing with the two cousins visiting Tipton
as much as if the blood of these cousins had been less dubiously mixed
Mr Brooke lived to a good old age and his estate was inherited by
Dorotheas son who might have represented Middlemarch but declined thinking
that his opinions had less chance of being stifled if he remained oat of doors
Sir James never ceased to regard Dorotheas second marriage as a mistake
and indeed this remained the tradition concerning it in Middlemarch where she
was spoken of to a younger generation as a fine girl who married a sickly
clergyman old enough to be her father and in little more than a year after his
death gave up her estate to marry his cousin young enough to have been his
son with no property and not wellborn Those who had not seen anything of
Dorothea usually observed that she could not have been »a nice woman« else she
would not have married either the one or the other
Certainly those determining acts of her life were not ideally beautiful
They were the mixed result of young and noble impulse struggling amidst the
conditions of an imperfect social state in which great feelings will often take
the aspect of error and great faith the aspect of illusion For there is no
creature whose inward being is so strong that it is not greatly determined by
what lies outside it A new Theresa will hardly have the opportunity of
reforming a conventual life any more than a new Antigone will spend her heroic
piety in daring all for the sake of a brothers burial the medium in which
their ardent deeds took shape is for ever gone But we insignificant people with
our daily words and acts are preparing the lives of many Dorotheas some of
which may present a far sadder sacrifice than that of the Dorothea whose story
we know
Her finelytouched spirit had still its fine issues though they were not
widely visible Her full nature like that river of which Cyrus broke the
strength spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth But the
effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive for the
growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts and that
things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to
the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs