Welcome back Middlemarcheteers. As always thank you for the insightful comments and discussions last week. Just a short one today as both chapters weren't too long, but as always plenty of questions in the comments if you fancy. Alternatively ask your own questions or just offer you own thoughts and observations. To Middlemarch....

SUMMARY

Fred goes to see Mary at Stone Court and confesses all. Mary is understandably upset, but more so for her mother's loss and Alfred's sacrifice. Fred suggests that Mary ask Mr. Featherstone for an advance, but she refuses to "go begging". Mary calls Fred selfish and says she could never love such an idle man. Fred succeeds in turning Mary's anger into pity before briefly visiting his uncle and leaving. Caleb arrives after dusk to talk business with Mr. Featherstone. Mary gives him her savings, and in return he warns her not to trust Fred. Mary tells him not to worry as she couldn't love a man with no "manly independence".

The next day Fred comes down with a fever and the doctor is called. Mr. Wrench prescribes some medicine but doesn't return the next day. Mrs. Vincy is worried, but luckly Mr. Lydgate is walking past. He diagnoses Fred with Typhoid fever and corrects his treatment. Mr. And Mrs Vincy are furious with Mr. Wrench and replace him as Fred's doctor with Mr. Lydgate. The two doctors don't think much of each other. The incident fuels the gossip in Middlemarch.

REFERENCES

• Nothing much this week. Just the use of the word Niobe - describing Mrs. Vincy when Fred was diagnosed with Typhoid fever: a daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion who while weeping for her slain children is turned into a stone from which her tears continue to flow.