Hello everyone and welcome back to Middlemarch for this weeks discussion. The leaves are changing colour here, and I feel like we are now on the count down to the end of the year and wrapping up the novel. Including this one there are only 10 discussions left! Anyway let's head on over to Middlemarch and quite a bit of drama....

SUMMARY

Caleb Garth meets Mr. Bulstrode at the bank and tells him Raffles has turned up at Stone Court and is ill. A message is sent to Mr. Lydgate. After hearing what Raffles has to say Caleb can no longer work for Mr. Bulstrode, and so he quits. Mr. Bulstrode feels grateful that only Caleb was told, but once he goes to Raffles, who insists he hasn't told anyone anything, he gets more and more nervous. Mr. Lydgate diagnoses Raffles with alcohol poisoning and directs Mr. Bulstrode in how to care for the patient. When Mr. Lydgate gets home Rosamund is sobbing in bed. Dover's man had been. Rosamund tells Mr. Lydgate that she will be moving back in with her parents until he can sort out this mess.

Upon searching Raffles' pockets Mr. Bulstrode discovers he had spent 3 days at an Inn in a village with a horse fair. Raffles was raving, demanding alcohol and refusing to sleep. Mr. Bulstrode started to think if Raffles were to die so would his risk of getting outed. When Mr. Lydgate finally arrived in the middle of the day he looked ruffled and Mr. Bulstrode considered how he had made an enemy of the doctor with his refusal of financial aid the day before. He wrote Mr. Lydage a cheque for £1000. Raffles was worse so Mr. Lydgate prescribed moderate opium doses and strictly no alcohol. Mr. Bulstrode prayed for Raffles' death and becomes increasingly occupied with the thought of his death as a way out. Mr. Bulstrode gave a sleepless Raffles opium then handed his care over to Mrs. Abel. He remembered that he hadn't passed on all the instructions for Raffles' care to Mrs. Abel, but he doean't rectify this mistake. He even goes so far as to give her the key to the wine cooler so Raffles may have some brandy. The next morning Mr. Bulstrode doesn't help the struggling Raffles and even hiding the empty opium and brandy bottles. Mr. Lydgate is suspicious but realises he can't speak out against Mr. Bulstrode now that he is indebted to the banker. Mr. Farebrother visits Mr. Lydgate out of concern only to be well recieved and learn that Mr. Bulstrode's assistance has saved Mr. Lydgate. Mr. Lydgate describes his plans of setting up a surgery.

REFERENCES

• "But as he [Mr. Lydgate] put his hack into a canter, that he might get the sooner home, and tell the good news to Rosamond." In this case "hack" is referring to an inferior or worn out horse. Presumably all he can now afford.