Middlemarch

Mr. Featherstone’s Snide Comment About Fred

Mr. Featherstone’s Snide Comment About Fred

After Caleb leaves, Mr. Featherstone makes a pointed comment about Mary’s father wanting her earnings and suggests she should be saving for herself now that she’s of age. Mary responds coldly that she considers her father and mother “the best part of myself.” Featherstone then adds an unpleasant remark about Fred, instructing Mary not to keep him chattering if he visits tomorrow but to send him directly upstairs.

CHAPITRE XXVI.

Fred Vincy’s illness originated from his recent visits to the unsanitary streets of Houndsley while searching for his horse Diamond, and by the time he returned from Stone Court, what had initially seemed like mere depression and headache had worsened considerably. Dr. Wrench, the family physician, dismissed the condition as a slight derangement and departed without scheduling a follow-up visit, prescribing medications that proved unhelpful and actually exacerbated young Vincy’s suffering. When Lydgate happened to pass by Lowick Gate where the Vincy dining-room windows looked out, Mrs. Vincy impulsively called him in, and he immediately recognized the “pink-skinned stage of typhoid fever” that Wrench had missed, insisting that Fred must go to bed immediately with proper nursing and precautions. The Vincys’ anger at Wrench’s misdiagnosis led Mr. Vincy to confront the doctor sharply and dismiss him entirely, installing Lydgate as the new medical attendant despite the breach of medical etiquette, and the incident became the subject of widespread gossip throughout Middlemarch, with some condemning the Vincys’ behavior while others praised Lydgate’s providential arrival.

Fred’s Illness

Fred Vincy’s illness originated from visits to unsanitary streets in Houndsley while searching for the horse Diamond. Initially dismissing his symptoms as mere depression and headache, his condition deteriorated sharply after returning from Stone Court. Finding himself too ill to continue, he collapsed on the dining-room sofa and instructed his mother to summon Dr. Wrench.

Wrench’s Initial Visit

Dr. Wrench examined Fred but failed to recognize the severity of his condition, dismissing it as a “slight derangement.” The experienced physician, though generally reliable, had grown complacent through routine practice. He departed without scheduling a follow-up visit, prescribing white parcels containing what proved to be inappropriate black and drastic medications.

A Change for the Worse

Despite Fred’s insistence that he had merely caught cold from a damp ride, his condition declined rapidly. The next morning he could only shiver by the fire, unable to eat. When Wrench proved unavailable, Mrs. Vincy threatened to summon Dr. Sprague instead.

Rosamond Suggests Lydgate

While the family fretted, Rosamond Vincy observed Mr. Lydgate passing by on Lowick Gate. She pointed him out to her mother, noting that he had cured Ellen Bulstrode and possessed a reputation for curing everyone. Seizing the opportunity, Mrs. Vincy immediately called him in.

Lydgate’s Diagnosis

Lydgate quickly recognized the gravity of Fred’s condition, identifying him as being in the “pink-skinned stage of typhoid fever.” He immediately recognized that Wrench’s medications had been counterproductive and ordered Fred to bed with strict precautions: a regular nurse, specific appliances, and various medical safeguards. Despite knowing this would create professional awkwardness with Wrench, he prioritized the patient’s welfare.

Mrs. Vincy’s Distress

Mrs. Vincy’s terror manifested as bitter complaints against Wrench for neglecting her children. She catalogued his previous attendances while questioning his current failure to show proper solicitude. Her distress overwhelmed her composure, her characteristic good humor giving way to Niobe-like grief at the bedside. Only Lydgate’s assurance that Wrench had been misled by the fever’s ambiguous early symptoms could partially console her.

Mr. Vincy’s Indignation

Upon learning of the situation, Mr. Vincy expressed fierce anger at Wrench and declared that Lydgate should continue regardless of Wrench’s preferences. The Mayor immediately sent cancellations for Thursday dinner plans, stocked up on brandy as infection protection, and declared his intention to tell Wrench exactly what he thought. His concern for Fred’s recurring misfortunes revealed his underlying paternal anxiety.

The Confrontation with Wrench

When Wrench arrived for the evening consultation, he faced both parents’ grievances. Mrs. Vincy accused him of using her cruelly by abandoning her son, while Mr. Vincy confronted him with official airs, declaring fever in a mayor’s household a serious matter. Though Wrench suppressed his anger, he found Lydgate’s presence condescending, perceiving that the younger physician considered him in need of instruction.