Summary
Dorothea asks Farebrother if it would be possible to approach
Lydgate about the scandal and offer help. Farebrother tells her
that Lydgate may not respond positively to questioning. Sir James
says that they cannot manage another man's life for him. Dorothea
decides to wait until she approaches Lydgate about taking over Bulstrode's interest
in the hospital before broaching the subject of the scandal.
Lydgate deduces that Bulstrode loaned him the money to
bind him through a strong obligation in the event that Raffles disclosed any
damaging details about his past. The townspeople avoid him, and
he begins losing clients. He resolves to stay in Middlemarch and face
the worst, but the thought of Rosamond's reaction pains him deeply.
Mrs. Bulstrode suspects something terrible when Lydgate accompanies
her husband home from the meeting. Neither Lydgate nor her friends
will give her a straight answer, so she goes to her brother, Mr.
Vincy. He sorrowfully tells her the whole sad story, but he is careful
to let her know that no one blames her. He tells her that he will
stand by her no matter what she chooses to do.
Bulstrode knows that his wife returned home, claiming
that she wasn't well, so he perceives that she has heard everything.
He prepares himself to hear her say that she is leaving him. She
dresses herself in mourning clothing and goes to see him. He will
not look at her. A wave of compassion hits her when she sees his
shrunken frame. He bursts into tears with her sitting by his side.
His confession and her resolve to stick with him are unspoken.
Happy to be free of debt, Rosamond sends out invitations
to a dinner party. She is bored in Middlemarch and misses Will Ladislaw's
company. She feels jealous of his admiration for Dorothea. He writes
to tell her that he will visit Middlemarch soon. She still hopes to
convince Lydgate to leave Middlemarch.
All the invitations to Rosamond's dinner party are declined.
She visits her parents. They tell her everything and say that Lydgate
will probably have to leave town. Lydgate perceives that she knows
of the scandal, but to his disappointment, she does not express
the belief that he is innocent.
