Middlemarch

Lydgate Begs Rosamond Not to Leave Him During Their Financial Trouble

Lydgate asks, with a bitter edge, when she will come back, and when she replies that it will only be in the evening and that she will not mention the subject to her mother, he pleads with her. He says that since they are united she should not leave him alone in their first real trouble, and that as his wife she cannot be prevented from sharing in his disgraces, if disgraces there are. Rosamond at last yields, agreeing to stay at home.

The Pair Clashes Over Servants Learning of Their Money Problems

The question of the servants becomes the next point of friction. Lydgate insists it is a matter of pride to handle the matter themselves and keep the servants from seeing as much of it as possible, while Rosamond dryly observes that the servants will know about any list of plate that is packed up. Lydgate concedes that they must meet some disagreeables as necessities and rises to find the ink and begin writing.

Lydgate and Rosamond Share a Tense, Forced Reconciliation

Lydgate puts his arm around Rosamond as she sets down the inkstand and draws her to him, telling her to let them make the best of things, since the frugality will only be temporary, and asking for a kiss. His warm-heartedness reasserts itself, and he feels keenly that an inexperienced girl has been brought into trouble by marrying him. Rosamond receives and faintly returns the kiss, and an appearance of accord is recovered for the moment, though Lydgate cannot help dreading the inevitable future discussions about expenditure and a complete change in their way of living.

CHAPTER LIX.

Chapter LIX centers on the spread of a rumor regarding a codicil in Casaubon’s will—a provision that would strip Dorothea of her inheritance should she marry Will Ladislaw. The chapter traces how this news travels from Lowick Parsonage through Fred Vincy to Rosamond Lydgate, and ultimately to Will himself, whose reaction is one of furious indignation. The narrative explores the contrast between Lydgate’s discreet, protective silence and Rosamond’s careless desire to share the secret, culminating in Will’s declaration that there will never be a marriage. The chapter concludes with Rosamond’s own ennui and dissatisfaction, revealing her superficial engagement with the affairs of those around her.

Epigraph on the Soul’s Whispering Aerial Form

The chapter opens with an epigraph drawn from an ancient conception of the soul as a smaller, subtler version of the self—a form that wanders forth from the body on its own inclinations. The passage describes a “pale-lipped form aerial” that floats beside a “cherub-face,” whispering its promptings into a little ear. This image of the soul as a separate, almost mischievous entity that moves freely and privately suggests the chapter’s thematic concern with hidden knowledge, private communications, and the way secrets travel between people like pollen on the wind.

Casaubon Codicil Rumor Spreads at Lowick Parsonage

At Lowick Parsonage, the ladies conduct a lively discussion fueled by gossip their old servant Tantripp has gathered from the Farebrother household. The subject is a codicil to Mr. Casaubon’s will, made shortly before his death, in which he makes a strange mention of Mr. Ladislaw. Miss Winifred Farebrother is astounded to discover that her brother Camden already knew of the codicil, observing that he is “the most wonderful man for knowing things and not telling them.” Mary Garth interjects with a deflecting joke about spiders and their habits, which Miss Winifred refuses to entertain. Mrs. Farebrother speculates that the news might explain the single occasion on which Mr. Ladislaw was seen at Lowick, and Miss Noble responds with small compassionate sounds of sympathy. The passage compares the thoughtless and effective dispersal of this news to pollen carried by bees that are unaware of their own powdery nature.

Fred Vincy Relays the Codicil Rumor to Rosamond

Fred Vincy encounters Rosamond at her home on an errand from his mother. He happens to notice Will Ladislaw departing as he arrives. The relationship between Fred and Rosamond has cooled since her marriage, partly because Fred has made the decision Rosamond considers “stupid and even reprehensible”—abandoning the Church to work in business with Mr. Garth. With little in common, Fred fills the conversation with what he considers “indifferent news,” and “a propos of that young Ladislaw,” casually mentions what he heard at Lowick Parsonage about the codicil. The reader understands that Fred has no real investment in the matter and is merely sharing gossip without comprehension of its gravity.