MIDDLEMARCH (Completed)

Chapter 44

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 New

Hospital with Lydgate, had learned from him that there were no signs

of change in Mr. Casaubon's bodily condition beyond the mental

sign of anxiety to know the truth about his illness, she was

silent for a few moments, wondering whether she had said or done

anything to rouse this new anxiety. Lydgate, not willing to let

slip an opportunity of furthering a favorite purpose, ventured to say--

"I don't know whether your or Mr.--Casaubon's attention has been drawn

to the needs of our New Hospital. Circumstances have made it seem

rather 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 other

medical men. I think you are generally interested in such things,

for I remember that when I first had the pleasure of seeing you

at Tipton Grange before your marriage, you were asking me some

questions about the way in which the health of the poor was affected

by their miserable housing."

"Yes, indeed," said Dorothea, brightening. "I shall be quite

grateful to you if you will tell me how I can help to make things

a little better. Everything of that sort has slipped away from me

since I have been married. I mean," she said, after a moment's

hesitation, "that the people in our village are tolerably comfortable,

and my mind has been too much taken up for me to inquire further.

But here--in such a place 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 man can't do everything in a scheme of this sort. Of course

he looked forward to help. And now there's a mean, petty feud

set up against the thing 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

town would almost take trouble for the sake of thwarting him.

In this stupid world most people never consider that a thing is good

to be done unless it is done by their own set. I had no connection

with Bulstrode before I came here. I look at him quite impartially,

and I see that he has some notions--that he has set things on foot--