Middlemarch

Fred's new horse is not worth the money he paid. The horse injures itself in the stable. After his "ill-fortune" (341), Fred has no choice but to go to Mr. Garth and admit that he cannot pay his debt and he offers half the money that he received from Featherstone (£50). After admitting that he cannot pay the debt, Fred feels remorse for the first time. He knows that the Garth family are not wealthy. Mrs. Garth is a housewife but she also works as a teacher to raise extra money for her family, though she has "only one" (350) student left. To cover the gap in the accounts left by Fred's outstanding debt, Mrs. Garth must take the money she had "put by" (352) to put her son Alfred in an apprenticeship. She must also ask her daughter Mary for financial help. Ashamed of his actions, Fred leaves the Garth house. Mrs. Garth complains to her husband that the wealthy, arrogant young Fred has left his debt with old friends who can "least afford to lose" (354). The "poor" (357) Garth family struggle financially because Mr. Garth is bad at turning his expertise as a surveyor and builder into a profitable business.

Fred confesses his shame to Mary, labelling himself a "good-for-nothing blackguard" (359). She is more concerned about her parents' financial situation than Fred's shame. When Fred asks her to show him pity, she calls him "selfish" (360). Later that day, Mr. Vincy visits Mary to borrow money. Knowing that Mary and Fred have been friends for many years, he warns her not to trust Fred. Should she marry Fred, he says, she will be burdened by his failures for many years. Mary insists that she will never marry anyone who is not independent and who relies on "others" (366) to provide for him.

Fred falls "very ill" (368). Dr. Wrench, the family doctor, assures the Vincy family that they do not need to worry. When Fred's condition fails to improve, Mrs. Vincy asks the passing Lydgate for a second opinion. Lydgate diagnoses Fred with typhoid fever, prescribing a very different treatment regimen. Infuriated, the Vincy family believes that Wrench failed in his duties as a doctor. When Wrench hears about Lydgate's diagnosis, he does not "take it at all well" (372). He is angry with Lydgate for treating his patient. Lydgate offers to collaborate with Wrench on Fred's treatment but Wrench is too proud. He leaves his position as the Vincy family doctor, so Lydgate takes on the responsibility. The dispute is "a subject of general conversation in Middlemarch" (374).

Fred is suffering from typhoid fever. To prevent his illness from spreading, the Vincy family sends the young children and their governess to stay elsewhere. Rosamond elects to stay. She claims that she is concerned for her brother but she is secretly pleased that his illness allows her to spend more time "within effective proximity" (375) of Lydgate. With her mother sitting beside Fred's bed for most of the day, Rosamond works hard to impress Lydgate. As Fred's condition improves, Lydgate spends more of his time at the Vincy household in Rosamond's company. He dismisses their "peculiar intimacy" (378) as a simple distraction from his busy life, knowing that he does not have the money to marry, nor has he achieved his professional ambitions yet. Rosamond thinks differently. She believes that she and Lydgate are "as good as engaged" (386).

Dorothea and Casaubon return from their honeymoon. Dorothea is feeling increasingly disillusioned with "married life" (389). She resents her lack of agency and responsibility; everything is done for her and no one asks for her help. She looks to a portrait of Will's grandmother, Julia, for sympathy and support, believing that the now-deceased woman understood what it meant to suffer an "unfortunate marriage" (391). According to the stories she has heard, Dorothea knows that Julia made a marriage that did not please her family, one which she may have regretted. Casaubon complains that he is sick. Though he is feeling palpitations, he meets with Arthur and Celia when they visit. Celia and Dorothea share a warm embrace, then Celia reveals that she is now engaged to James Chettam. Dorothea is delighted that her sister will marry "a good, honorable man" (395). 

Casaubon is similarly unimpressed by his marriage. He is perturbed that he does not feel the bliss and satisfaction he had expected from a marriage. Rather, the marriage is just another way in which he can fail. Much to his displeasure, Dorothea insists that she can help him with his work, saving him the trouble of employing a "hired secretary" (397). She reads to him or performs administrative tasks.

One day, Celia and Chettam are visiting the house. While they are present, Casaubon receives a letter from Will. The letter contains a separate letter, addressed to Dorothea. Casaubon does not trust Will and believes that his presence is a distraction and a "fatigue" (402). He does not want Will to come to the house, but he tells Dorothea to read the letter. Dorothea is shocked that her husband would ever believe that she might do anything to annoy him. In a passionate outburst, she loudly declares that she will not read Will's letter. Casaubon is overwhelmed. He suffers from a heart attack and Chettam calls on someone to "send for Lydgate" (405).

Casaubon does not die. As he begins to "recover his usual condition" (408), Dorothea talks to Lydgate. The doctor warns her that Casaubon is not a healthy man. He may live 15 years or he may drop dead unexpectedly. The only way to prolong his life is to avoid stress and strenuous activity. Dorothea's "intense anxiety" (410) and dedication to Casaubon moves Lydgate.

When Lydgate is gone, Dorothea reads the letter from Will to Casaubon. In the letter, Will insists that he will take responsibility for his own affairs. He offers to bring Naumann's completed portrait of Casaubon "to Lowick in person" (415). Realizing that Will may be visiting and that his arrival may agitate Casaubon, Dorothea asks Arthur to write to Will and tell him not to visit. Wondering whether Will might be good company, Arthur invites Will to visit Tipton Grange. He hopes Will can advise him on political matters. However, he forgets to mention anything about Dorothea and Casaubon. He continues "without telling Dorothea what he had put into the letter" (417).

Mrs. Bulstrode has a "long-standing" (420) friendship with Mrs. Plymdale. Mrs. Plymdale's son Ned loves Rosamond but she does not love him. Mrs. Plymdale complains to Mrs. Bulstrode that Rosamond rejected Ned's marriage proposal. She mentions that Rosamond cited her engagement to Lydgate as a reason to reject Ned. Mrs. Bulstrode is surprised that "anything serious" (422) could have happened without her knowledge. She visits Rosamond to ask whether her niece is actually engaged to the young doctor. In speaking to Rosamond, however, she realizes that no formal engagement has been set, though Rosamond is "quite confident" (425) that they may marry in the future.

Mrs. Bulstrode talks to Lydgate. The young doctor says that he has no plans to marry Rosamond any time soon. Mrs. Bulstrode gives him a vague warning about "young men" (426) who allow young women to believe that they have intentions of marriage when no such intentions exist. Lydgate understands her meaning. He stops his regular visits to the Vincy household "except on business" (427). When ten days have passed, Lydgate treats the sickly Featherstone. The sick man is visited by Mrs. Vincy, who asks Lydgate to tell her husband about the "marked change" (428) in Featherstone's condition. Lydgate does as she asks. He goes to the Vincy home in search of Mr. Vincy but finds that Rosamond is by herself. She is pleased to see him but her pleasure disappears when she realizes that he is only visiting for professional reasons. She is on the verge of tears, prompting Lydgate's sympathy. The sight of Rosamond turns Lydgate's "flirtation into love" (430) They embrace and she tells him that she loves him. Lydgate, unexpectedly moved, asks Rosamond to marry him. He leaves the house as "an engaged man" (431) and returns with her father's seal of approval.

Featherstone is sick but "visibly numerous" (433) people continue to visit his house, Stone Court. His relatives have heard about his faltering health and they gather around his sickbed in the hope that he will write them into his will. They all expect to receive some sort of inheritance, whether they are rich, poor, or "troublesome" (436). These vulture-like relatives treat Mary with either disdain or respect, unsure whether she is trying to take advantage of Featherstone or whether she may inherit everything from him. Among the guests are Mrs. Vincy and Fred, who still needs Featherstone's inheritance to pay off his debts. Featherstone dismisses his relatives from his bedside but asks for Fred and Mrs. Vincy to stay close by. As the relatives are ushered from the room, they call back to Featherstone, warning him not to leave anything to strangers (or relatives through marriage) such as Mary and Fred.

In the “small hours” (450) of the morning, Mary attends to the sickly Featherstone. She does not like the greedy “relations” (452) who have filled the house, nor does she appreciate Mrs. Vincy’s fear of Mary being alone with Fred. Privately, she believes that Fred will not receive anything from Featherstone’s will. Early in the morning, Mary is called to Featherstone’s room. He asks her to fetch his will from an iron chest. She finds two documents ’nd Featherstone explains to her that the ”two wills” (453) divide his fortune in two different ways. He plans to burn one of the wills, offering money to Mary if she will help him. Mary refuses. She insists that they wait for a lawyer. Featherstone pushes her harder, asking her to fetch Fred but Mary refuses again. Deciding that Mary will not be convinced, Featherstone abandons his petition. Later that night, he dies.