Chapter 68

On Christmas Eve, John Raffles arrives at Bulstrode’s house and invites himself to stay. He derives pleasure from upsetting Bulstrode as much as possible, and his coarse nature prevents him from seeing that he is going too far. Bulstrode is so unhappy that he finally finds the resolution to deal firmly with Raffles. Early in the morning, he orders his carriage to take Raffles to Ilsley, where he has the choice of traveling onward by train or coach. 

Bulstrode promises to give him money and provide more in the future, but if he returns to Middlemarch again, he will receive nothing. If Raffles does not comply with this plan, Bulstrode says he will call the police immediately. When Raffles has gone, Bulstrode asks Caleb Garth to find him a tenant for Stone Court. Garth suggests Fred Vincy, and Bulstrode reluctantly agrees. Although he does not particularly like Fred or any of his wife’s family, he thinks the plan will help to reconcile Mrs. Bulstrode to the prospect of leaving Middlemarch. 

Chapter 69

Caleb Garth finds Raffles at Stone Court, seriously ill. He goes to the bank to tell Bulstrode and also says that he cannot conduct business with Bulstrode any longer after hearing about his conduct from Raffles. He says that he will never repeat what Raffles told him and is sorry for Bulstrode but cannot find it in his heart to work with him. Bulstrode goes to Stone Court, hoping that Raffles may have died, but finds him alive, though pale, feeble, and mentally agitated. He calls in Lydgate, who says that Raffles should be watched closely and given no alcohol. Bulstrode volunteers to stay the night with Raffles, though Lydgate thinks this hardly necessary, as there are servants in the house. When Lydgate returns home, he finds that there is an agent in his house ready to take his furniture, while Rosamond is weeping in the bedroom. 

Chapter 70

Bulstrode goes through Raffles’s pockets for indications of where he has been since he was last in Middlemarch. A bill from an inn shows that he has been staying in Bilkley, a town about forty miles away, and Bulstrode feels somewhat relieved because no one there would be interested in hearing scandalous stories about him. 

When Raffles wakes up, he rambles deliriously, calls for brandy, and refuses the food Bulstrode offers him. Bulstrode thinks that Raffles will soon die and wishes he had given Lydgate the money for which he had asked. He feels Lydgate is now his enemy and will be disposed to make matters awkward for him if he hears anything discreditable from Raffles or if Raffles dies in suspicious circumstances. When Lydgate returns, he gives him a check for one thousand pounds, for which Lydgate is profoundly grateful. 

That night, Raffles continues to demand brandy. Mrs. Abel, Bulstrode’s housekeeper, asks if she should give it to him, and Bulstrode agrees despite Lydgate’s instructions to the contrary. The next day, when Lydgate returns to Stone Court, he and Bulstrode both witness the death of Raffles. When Lydgate returns home, he receives a visit from Mr. Farebrother and says that he is now free from financial troubles. Mr. Farebrother, however, asks whether, in paying his debts, he has not merely incurred another debt that will be equally troublesome. 

Chapter 71

Five days after Raffles dies, Bambridge the horse dealer is talking to some friends at the Green Dragon. He says that he heard some gossip about Bulstrode from a man named Raffles when he was at the Bilkley horse fair recently. If people had their just...