Chapters 81-86 and Finale Summary and Analysis
Chapter 81
When Dorothea arrives at Lydgate’s house, he tells her how deeply grateful he is for the check she sent, saying that thanks are unsatisfactory for such kindness. He then fetches Rosamond, who is agitated about seeing Dorothea after their last meeting. Dorothea says she has come to talk about the injustice with which Lydgate has been treated, adding that she believes in him and assuring him that he has many other friends, including her father, Mr. Farebrother, and Sir James Chettam, who will support him. She says that Lydgate cares deeply for Rosamond’s happiness, causing Rosamond to burst into tears.
Rosamond then tells Dorothea that the scene between her and Will the previous day was not as it appeared. Will was telling her he loved another woman and now feels that Dorothea will think ill of him. Dorothea is amazed and relieved. She does her best to reassure Rosamond that her husband loves her and that there is hope for the future. When she has left, Rosamond tells Lydgate that she thinks Dorothea “must be better than anyone” and hopes he will not become discontented with her if he compares the two of them.
Chapter 82
Will had various objectives in mind when he returned to Middlemarch. One of these was to talk to Lydgate about a philanthropic plan for which he might use the money Bulstrode had offered him. He also planned to spend time with Mr. Farebrother at Lowick and reflected that the parsonage was close to Lowick Manor, meaning that he might see Dorothea. However, the combination of the scandal involving Bulstrode and Lydgate and the situation in which he found himself with Rosamond almost made him return immediately to London.
Instead, Will decides to return to Lydgate’s house, where Rosamond receives him coldly, an attitude which Lydgate attributes to nervous exhaustion. While Rosamond is pouring the tea she hands Will a note, which he reads when he has returned to the inn. Rosamond has written that she explained the situation to Dorothea, who was very kind, meaning that Will has no reason to reproach her.
Chapter 83
The second day after Dorothea’s visit to Rosamond, she finds herself at a loose end. She has slept well and feels full of energy, but nobody seems to need her help. She is sitting in the library attempting to concentrate on a book about political economy and practical philanthropy when Mr. Farebrother’s sister, Miss Noble, comes in to see her. Miss Noble says that Will is outside but hesitates to come into the manor because he is afraid that he has offended Dorothea.
Dorothea invites Will inside, and they are both embarrassed, finding it hard to express themselves. They both say that they have been miserable: Will because he felt Dorothea despised him, and Dorothea because she momentarily doubted Will’s integrity. There is a storm outside, and when the lightning flashes, they clasp hands.
Will says that he can never marry Dorothea because he is poor and she is rich. When Dorothea says that they might marry despite this, Will protests, telling her that they would likely live in poverty. Dorothea says that she does not mind poverty and would despise her wealth if it separated them. Will puts his arms around her as she sobs, saying that they can easily live on her small fortune if she does not care about luxuries.
Chapter 84
The Chettams and the Cadwalladers are discussing politics after the defeat of the Reform Bill in the House of Lords; their conversation is interrupted when Mr. Brooke arrives, saying that he has...
(This entire section contains 1300 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
sad news. After a pause, he tells them that Dorothea is engaged to be married to Will Ladislaw. Sir James is furious, saying he should have shot Ladislaw a year ago or at least had him sent away immediately after Casaubon’s funeral. They argue over the matter, but Sir James becomes less strident when he realizes that his anger comes partly from the selfish fact that his son will no longer inherit Mr. Brooke’s estate as well as his own. Mr. Cadwallader takes Will’s side and says that none of his wife’s relatives wanted her to marry him.
Celia goes to Lowick and finds Dorothea in her boudoir. Dorothea is delighted to see her sister, but Celia is very upset, telling her how shocked Sir James is and saying that they will never see each other. Dorothea replies that if they never see each other it will not be her fault, though she is determined to move to London with Will. Celia realizes that there is no chance of changing her sister’s mind and asks her to tell the story of how she came to fall in love with Will. Dorothea, however, says that Celia would “have to feel with” her to understand.
Chapter 85
Bulstrode is preparing to leave Middlemarch and go to a place where he is unknown. He considers telling his wife everything that happened, as he is afraid she may think he is a murderer. However, he thinks that he might wait until he is dying to do this. In the meantime, he takes great care of her and asks if there is anything she would like him to do before their departure. Mrs. Bulstrode says that she would like to do something for her brother’s family and suggests helping the Lydgates. However, Bulstrode says that Lydgate will not accept any help from him. He then suggests allowing Fred to live at Stone Court, as Caleb Garth once proposed. Mrs. Bulstrode approves of this idea, saying it would be a comfort to Mr. Vincy.
Chapter 86
Caleb Garth tells Mary that it will be a long time before she can be married. Mary says that she does not mind and asks him if he is contented with Fred as a son-in-law, saying that Fred has a deep respect for Caleb as well as a good temper. Caleb then asks how she would feel about Fred going to live at Stone Court and managing it for the Bulstrodes. Mary is delighted, telling her father that this is “too good to believe.” When Fred arrives at the Garths’ house, Mary tells him the good news, and Fred thinks she is joking. However, she tells him that she is perfectly serious and that she loves him, too.
Finale
Many marriages which start full of promise end in disappointment. This was not the case for Fred Vincy and Mary Garth. Fred became a capable farmer and, though he never grew rich, he became more responsible. He wrote a book on the cultivation of crops and cattle feeding and saved enough money to buy the stock and furniture at Stone Court. Mary became a solid, matronly figure, the mother of three sons.
Lydgate became “what is called a successful man,” but he regarded himself as a failure when he died of diphtheria at the age of fifty. He made money with his practice in London and in Europe but never did any of the scientific or reforming work he had intended. He and Rosamond had four children, and after his death, she married a wealthy old doctor and described her happiness with him as “a reward.”
Dorothea was never sorry that she had given up her fortune to marry Will Ladislaw. He entered a career in public life and became a Member of Parliament. Sir James always thought her marriage to Will was a mistake but takes Celia to see her when she has a baby and gradually becomes reconciled to the situation. Dorothea’s life was not perfectly beautiful but her goodness positively affected those around her in a way that cannot be calculated.
