Hope everyone's been doing well. We have arrived at Book VII - Two Temptations!

Summary

The chapter opens with gossip at Mr Toller’s about Lydgate. They dislike him for his medical practices and are jealous that he married Rosamond. On New Year’s, Farebrother goes to the Vincys’ party, of which Lydgate is present. Farebrother approaches Lydgate, attempting to be friendly, and hints that he’d be happy to support Lydgate in his personal matters. Lydgate, however, is too proud to ask for financial help, and brushes Farebrother off.

Lydgate is a thousand pounds in debt, and his constant moodiness about his financial troubles distances himself further from Rosamond. Lydgate tells her that they should sell their house to Ned Plymdale and his new wife and take a smaller house, and Rosamond blames him for his unconventional medical work. Rosamond goes to see Ned’s mother and asks what house they’re likely to take, and she says that they are still choosing. After this, Rosamond visits Mr Trumbull, and pleads with him to halt the plans to give her house to Plymdale but to keep it a secret she came to him. That evening, Lydgate is asked by Rosamond the amount of money needed to stay in their house (1000), and the next day Rosamond writes to Sir Godwin, Lydgate’s uncle, telling him that she thinks Lydgate should leave Middlemarch and that they need 1000 pounds. The morning of Vincys’ New Year’s party, Rosamond admits that she told Trumbull not to look for another house, and Lydgate is furious that she went behind his back.

References

Systole and diastole are the rhythmic contraction and dilation of the chambers of the heart.

Psyche is the Greek goddess of the soul and often represented with butterfly wings.

Ken and Tillotson were famous seventeenth-century churchmen and writers.

A waternixie is a water spirit, beautiful but usually devious, dishonest, or unfriendly.