Middlemarch

CHAPITRE XXXV.

The chapter gathers the disappointed Featherstone relatives around the freshly read will of Peter Featherstone, who has bequeathed Stone Court to the obscure Mr. Joshua Rigg rather than to his brothers and sisters. Jonah, Solomon, Mrs. Waule, and Mrs. Cranch each voice their bitterness in turn, mocking Peter’s late-blooming piety and trading barbs with the new proprietor before departing, while Fred Vincy, pale and cold-handed, is left to face the ruin of his expectations in the company of Mary Garth. Mary urges him to be brave and to take another situation, but Fred answers peevishly that he must now go into the Church, prompting the narrator to break off into a satirical reflection on the difficulty of dignifying a provincial history populated by loobies rather than lords.

Reactions to Peter Featherstone’s Will

Reactions to Peter Featherstone’s Will The assembled company at Stone Court reacts with anger, bitterness, and lamentation to the revelation of Peter Featherstone’s will, which disinherits his natural family in favor of the outsider Joshua Rigg. Various relatives—Jonah, Solomon, Mrs. Cranch, and Mrs. Waule—each express their grievances, while Caleb Garth, Fred Vincy, and others absorb the shock of the unexpected disposition.

Caleb’s Response to the Lawyer’s Challenge

Caleb’s Response to the Lawyer’s Challenge The lawyer challenges Caleb Garth with incredulity at his “strange sentiment” for a Christian man, demanding to know how he will back it up. Caleb leans forward, adjusts his fingertips with care, and meditatively looks at the ground, finding that words are always the hardest part of business for him.

Jonah Featherstone’s Frustration Over the Will

Jonah Featherstone’s Frustration Over the Will Brother Jonah Featherstone breaks in to denounce the deceased Peter as a hypocrite whose will cuts out his own family. He bitterly declares that had he known, no team of horses could have drawn him from Brassing, and he announces he will don a white hat and drab coat the next day in token of mourning.

Mrs. Cranch’s Lament Over Travel Costs

Mrs. Cranch’s Lament Over Travel Costs Mrs. Cranch weeps over the wasted expense of traveling to Stone Court and the poor lad left sitting idle there so long. She notes with bewildered hurt that this is the first time she has ever heard her brother Peter was so wishful to please God Almighty, and concludes that, however much she may be struck helpless, the outcome is hard—she can think no other.

Solomon’s Bitter Remarks on Peter Featherstone

Solomon’s Bitter Remarks on Peter Featherstone Solomon expresses with remarkable genuineness the belief that Peter Featherstone’s charitable bequests will do him no good in the afterlife. He pronounces Peter a bad liver whose almshouses cannot cover his sins, and his tone, though candid, cannot help being sly.

Mrs. Waule’s Grievance About the Inheritance

Mrs. Waule’s Grievance About the Inheritance Mrs. Waule protests that Peter had his own lawful family—brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces—who sat in church beside him whenever he chose to appear. She laments that he could have left his property respectably to those unaccustomed to extravagance, and recounts her many sisterly visits, insisting that the Almighty has allowed this only to punish him.

Solomon and Mrs. Waule’s Departure Plans

Solomon and Mrs. Waule’s Departure Plans Mrs. Waule announces she will leave if Brother Solomon will drive her, and Solomon declares he has no desire to set foot on the premises again, having his own land and property to will away. The two Featherstones rise to depart, with Solomon muttering loud asides against leaving money to be “poured down the sink” or to “foundlings from Africay.”

Joshua Rigg’s Nonchalant Behavior as New Proprietor

Joshua Rigg’s Nonchalant Behavior as New Proprietor Mr. Joshua Rigg appears untroubled by innuendoes and shows a notable change of manner, walking coolly up to Mr. Standish and putting business questions with composure. The Middlemarch mercer seizes the opportunity to engage him in conversation, hoping for custom in hose and other goods, while the new proprietor’s high chirping voice and vile accent strike Fred, who no longer finds him laughable but rather the lowest monster he has ever seen.