Cranford

Mrs Forrester’s Private Contribution Confession

After the formal ceremony, Mrs Forrester waylays the narrator in the dining-parlour to confess how very little she has to live upon, trembling as if confessing a crime. She is terrified that her small contribution will be misread as a measure of her love for Miss Matty, when in truth the sum represents more than a twentieth part of an income that does not nearly reach a hundred pounds. She repeats her wish to be richer purely for Miss Matty’s sake, with no thought of herself.

Mrs Fitz-Adam’s Personal Support Plea

Mrs Fitz-Adam in turn confides to the narrator that she deliberately put down less than she could afford, ashamed to appear too generous. She recounts a long-cherished memory of the young Miss Matty stopping to comfort her when she was only a country girl coming into Cranford with eggs and butter, and says she has loved her ever since. She offers her brother Mr Hoggins’s medical services free of charge, and begs for some secret way to give more without being detected.

Assessment of Miss Matty’s Remaining Assets

Returning to Miss Matty, the narrator finds her absorbed in small arrangements preparatory to giving up her house, a task that provides some relief from distressing thoughts about the bank directors. Old family hoards are examined and valued, though fortunately their monetary worth is small, sparing Miss Matty from having to part with such heirlooms as her mother’s wedding-ring. The household goods are roughly catalogued in readiness for the business meeting the next morning.

Miss Matty’s Father Reviews Her Finances

Miss Matty’s father arrives from Drumble to review her affairs, and the chapter passes over the detailed business in which the two women assented to accounts and schemes they barely comprehended. He is clear-headed and decisive, brushing aside their vague inquiries with impatient assurance. The narrator privately credits him with genuine effort, noting that he came despite pressing troubles of his own.