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Middlemarch, Page 44

George Eliot


  CHAPTER XLIV.

  I would not creep along the coast but steer Out in mid-sea, by guidance of the stars.

  When Dorothea, walking round the laurel-planted plots of the NewHospital with Lydgate, had learned from him that there were no signs ofchange in Mr. Casaubon's bodily condition beyond the mental sign ofanxiety to know the truth about his illness, she was silent for a fewmoments, wondering whether she had said or done anything to rouse thisnew anxiety. Lydgate, not willing to let slip an opportunity offurthering a favorite purpose, ventured to say--

  "I don't know whether your or Mr.--Casaubon's attention has been drawnto the needs of our New Hospital. Circumstances have made it seemrather egotistic in me to urge the subject; but that is not my fault:it is because there is a fight being made against it by the othermedical men. I think you are generally interested in such things, forI remember that when I first had the pleasure of seeing you at TiptonGrange before your marriage, you were asking me some questions aboutthe way in which the health of the poor was affected by their miserablehousing."

  "Yes, indeed," said Dorothea, brightening. "I shall be quite gratefulto you if you will tell me how I can help to make things a littlebetter. Everything of that sort has slipped away from me since I havebeen married. I mean," she said, after a moment's hesitation, "thatthe people in our village are tolerably comfortable, and my mind hasbeen too much taken up for me to inquire further. But here--in such aplace as Middlemarch--there must be a great deal to be done."

  "There is everything to be done," said Lydgate, with abrupt energy."And this Hospital is a capital piece of work, due entirely to Mr.Bulstrode's exertions, and in a great degree to his money. But one mancan't do everything in a scheme of this sort. Of course he lookedforward to help. And now there's a mean, petty feud set up against thething in the town, by certain persons who want to make it a failure."

  "What can be their reasons?" said Dorothea, with naive surprise.

  "Chiefly Mr. Bulstrode's unpopularity, to begin with. Half the townwould almost take trouble for the sake of thwarting him. In thisstupid world most people never consider that a thing is good to be doneunless it is done by their own set. I had no connection with Bulstrodebefore I came here. I look at him quite impartially, and I see that hehas some notions--that he has set things on foot--which I can turn togood public purpose. If a fair number of the better educated men wentto work with the belief that their observations might contribute to thereform of medical doctrine and practice, we should soon see a changefor the better. That's my point of view. I hold that by refusing towork with Mr. Bulstrode I should be turning my back on an opportunityof making my profession more generally serviceable."

  "I quite agree with you," said Dorothea, at once fascinated by thesituation sketched in Lydgate's words. "But what is there against Mr.Bulstrode? I know that my uncle is friendly with him."

  "People don't like his religious tone," said Lydgate, breaking offthere.

  "That is all the stronger reason for despising such an opposition,"said Dorothea, looking at the affairs of Middlemarch by the light ofthe great persecutions.

  "To put the matter quite fairly, they have other objections to him:--heis masterful and rather unsociable, and he is concerned with trade,which has complaints of its own that I know nothing about. But whathas that to do with the question whether it would not be a fine thingto establish here a more valuable hospital than any they have in thecounty? The immediate motive to the opposition, however, is the factthat Bulstrode has put the medical direction into my hands. Of courseI am glad of that. It gives me an opportunity of doing some goodwork,--and I am aware that I have to justify his choice of me. But theconsequence is, that the whole profession in Middlemarch have setthemselves tooth and nail against the Hospital, and not only refuse tocooperate themselves, but try to blacken the whole affair and hindersubscriptions."

  "How very petty!" exclaimed Dorothea, indignantly.

  "I suppose one must expect to fight one's way: there is hardly anythingto be done without it. And the ignorance of people about here isstupendous. I don't lay claim to anything else than having used someopportunities which have not come within everybody's reach; but thereis no stifling the offence of being young, and a new-comer, andhappening to know something more than the old inhabitants. Still, if Ibelieve that I can set going a better method of treatment--if Ibelieve that I can pursue certain observations and inquiries which maybe a lasting benefit to medical practice, I should be a base trucklerif I allowed any consideration of personal comfort to hinder me. Andthe course is all the clearer from there being no salary in question toput my persistence in an equivocal light."

  "I am glad you have told me this, Mr. Lydgate," said Dorothea,cordially. "I feel sure I can help a little. I have some money, anddon't know what to do with it--that is often an uncomfortable thoughtto me. I am sure I can spare two hundred a-year for a grand purposelike this. How happy you must be, to know things that you feel surewill do great good! I wish I could awake with that knowledge everymorning. There seems to be so much trouble taken that one can hardlysee the good of!"

  There was a melancholy cadence in Dorothea's voice as she spoke theselast words. But she presently added, more cheerfully, "Pray come toLowick and tell us more of this. I will mention the subject to Mr.Casaubon. I must hasten home now."

  She did mention it that evening, and said that she should like tosubscribe two hundred a-year--she had seven hundred a-year as theequivalent of her own fortune, settled on her at her marriage. Mr.Casaubon made no objection beyond a passing remark that the sum mightbe disproportionate in relation to other good objects, but whenDorothea in her ignorance resisted that suggestion, he acquiesced. Hedid not care himself about spending money, and was not reluctant togive it. If he ever felt keenly any question of money it was throughthe medium of another passion than the love of material property.

  Dorothea told him that she had seen Lydgate, and recited the gist ofher conversation with him about the Hospital. Mr. Casaubon did notquestion her further, but he felt sure that she had wished to know whathad passed between Lydgate and himself "She knows that I know," saidthe ever-restless voice within; but that increase of tacit knowledgeonly thrust further off any confidence between them. He distrusted heraffection; and what loneliness is more lonely than distrust?