Middlemarch

Will’s Discomfort

Will Ladislaw feels mortified and clearly understands the reason for Dorothea’s sudden departure. He recognizes that this unexpected encounter has placed him at a disadvantage: not only is Dorothea not supremely occupied with him, but she has now seen him under circumstances where he might appear equally uninterested in her. He feels thrust to a new distance from her, amongst the Middlemarchers who form no part of her life. Will is acutely sensitive to the subtle barriers of “habitual sentiment” that threaten to divide them—barriers more fatal to mutual interest than physical distance. He reflects that while openly defying Casaubon’s tyrannical letter was easy, the prejudices of rank and status have a “double existence” that he feels keenly. He perceives that some sense of unfitness has sprung up in Dorothea’s mind, and their silence during his escorting her to the carriage had “had a chill in it.” He suspects Casaubon has been insisting that Will has socially “slid below” Dorothea.

Musical Conversation

Will re-enters the drawing-room and addresses Rosamond with irritation, commenting that it is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted and asking to return another day to finish the Italian song “Lungi dal caro bene.” Rosamond politely invites him to return and expresses envy of his acquaintance with Mrs. Casaubon, asking if she is very clever. When Will responds that he has never thought about it, Rosamond playfully recalls that Lydgate gave the same answer when asked if Dorothea were handsome. She probes further about what gentlemen think of when with Mrs. Casaubon, and Will provocatively replies that one thinks only of “herself”—one is conscious of her presence. Rosamond then teasingly announces she will be jealous when Lydgate goes to Lowick, and Will confirms that Mrs. Casaubon is “too unlike other women” to be compared. When Rosamond perceptively observes that Will is a “devout worshipper,” he becomes almost pettish, acknowledging that worship is typically theoretical rather than practical. He makes his excuses to leave, and Rosamond invites him to return another evening when her husband can enjoy the music together.

Rosamond’s Suspicions

Alone with Lydgate, Rosamond reports that Will had been singing with her when Mrs. Casaubon arrived, and he seemed vexed. She wonders if Will disliked her seeing him at their house, noting that Lydgate’s position should be more than equal to his whatever his relation to the Casaubons. When Lydgate dismisses this, calling Will a “sort of gypsy” who thinks nothing of social distinctions, Rosamond expresses that “music apart, he is not always very agreeable” and asks directly if Lydgate likes him. Lydgate affirms that Will is a “good fellow” though somewhat miscellaneous. Rosamond then drops her calculated hint: “Do you know, I think he adores Mrs. Casaubon.” Lydgate responds with amused sympathy, saying “Poor devil!” When Rosamond asks why, Lydgate explains that a man who adores such a woman only neglects his work and runs up bills. Rosamond is delighted by this insight into the world’s secrets—discovering that women even after marriage may make “conquests and enslave men.” Her romance centers on enjoying her husband’s assured subjection to her.

Lydgate’s Ambitions

When Lydgate asks if Rosamond has ambition enough to wish her husband something better than a Middlemarch doctor, he quotes a passage from an old poet about doing worthy the writing and writing worthy the reading. He explains that his goal is to “do worthy the writing” and then “write out” what he has done through his medical work—a man must work to achieve this. Rosamond protests that she does wish him to make discoveries and attain a high position, but they cannot live like hermits. When she asks if he is discontented with her, he reassures her tenderly: “No, dear, no. I am too entirely contented.” Lydgate then reveals that Dorothea’s visit concerned merely her husband’s health, but he believes she will give two hundred a year to their New Hospital—suggesting a potentially significant development for Lydgate’s ambitions in Middlemarch.