Bulstrode. That Mr.
Farebrother, whose name was a chief flag of the anti-Bulstrode party, always
defended Lydgate and made a friend of him, was referred to Farebrother's
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 Lydgate's 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 house-surgeon
and dispenser, a clear-handed, neat-handed fellow; we'll get