Summary

Will Ladislaw and his artist friend, Naumann, sees Dorothea in a museum, and Naumann wishes to paint her. Will gets upset and objects, arguing that ‘language is a finer medium’ which would better capture Dorothea in a painting, as language gives ‘a fuller image, which is all the better for being vague’. Naumann nevertheless wants to be introduced to Dorothea, and Will is annoyed at himself for being irritated.

Dorothea is upset and alone in her apartment whilst Casaubon is working at the Vatican. She’s unsure as to why she is unhappy as she ‘had married the man of her choice and contemplated her marriage chiefly as the beginning of new duties.’ Casaubon has not changed, which confuses Dorothea, and she has become increasing upset about Casaubon’s dismissive mannerisms towards her. In a conversation with Casaubon concerning his studies, Dorothea gets frustrated at the fact that he has not actually written the book and all he had were his notes. They briefly argue and are both shocked by each other. Soon after, Dorothea drove with Casaubon to the Vatican and parted with him, and is spotted by Naumann and Will in the gallery.

References

Quakers are ‘people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends.

Antigone, in Greek mythology, is the daughter of Oedipus (and likely his mother Jocasta). Very nice, Naumann.

‘How far the judicious Hooker or any other hero of erudition would have been the same at Mr. Casaubon’s time of life, she had no means of knowing’, refers to Richard Hooker, who was English priest in the Church of England and an influential theologian.

Cupid and Psyche is a story from Metamorphoses, written by Apuleius.

The Cabeiri were a group of enigmatic chthonic (underworld) deities.