LXVIII explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Selfishness and Moral Compromise

  Bulstrode's desperate measures to conceal his past and control Raffles highlight his moral compromises and selfish fear of exposure.

• Money and Economic Pressure

  The financial arrangements for Stone Court, Bulstrode's capital dealings with the Vincy family, and Lydgate's debts underscore the economic pressures driving characters' decisions.

• Community and Gossip

  The threat of Raffles revealing Bulstrode's secrets to the town reflects the power of gossip and public reputation in Middlemarch society.

Characters to notice

• Nicholas Bulstrode

  Tormented by Raffles' return and the threat of exposure; he prays and plans to remove Raffles, while also agreeing to Caleb Garth's proposal for Fred Vincy to lease Stone Court.

• John Raffles

  Reappears at The Shrubs on Christmas Eve, proving unmanageable and tormenting Bulstrode with his drunken, cunning behavior.

• Caleb Garth

  Devises a plan for Fred Vincy to lease Stone Court under his management, and eagerly inspects the property, keeping the scheme secret from Fred and Mary.

• Mrs. Garth

  Cautions Caleb against revealing the plan prematurely and expresses concern about his overworking himself.

• Fred Vincy

  The intended beneficiary of Caleb's plan to lease Stone Court, though he remains unaware of the arrangement.

• Mrs. Bulstrode

  Anxious about Rosamond's debts and troubled by her husband's perceived hardness toward her family; her remonstrance influences Bulstrode's decision to help Fred.

Key passages

• “That change of plan and shifting of interest which Bulstrode stated or betrayed in his conversation with Lydgate, had been determined in him by some severe experience which he had gone through since the epoch of Mr. Larcher’s sale, when Raffles had recognized Will Ladislaw, and when the banker had in vain attempted an act of restitution which might move Divine Providence to arrest painful consequences.”

  Bulstrode's recent change in plans was driven by the traumatic return of Raffles, who had recognized Will Ladislaw at an earlier sale and thwarted Bulstrode's attempt at restitution to avert divine punishment.

  Explains the motivation behind Bulstrode's altered behavior and his fear of Raffles.

• “He kept him in his own room for the evening and saw him to bed, Raffles all the while amusing himself with the annoyance he was causing this decent and highly prosperous fellow-sinner, an amusement which he facetiously expressed as sympathy with his friend’s pleasure in entertaining a man who had been serviceable to him, and who had not had all his earnings.”

  Bulstrode confined Raffles to his room for the night, while Raffles mockingly enjoyed the distress he caused this respectable but guilty man, joking about the hospitality owed to someone who had helped him and not been fully paid.

  Illustrates Raffles' cruel manipulation and Bulstrode's helplessness.

• “But many of these misdeeds were like the subtle muscular movements which are not taken account of in the consciousness, though they bring about the end that we fix our mind on and desire.”

  Many of Bulstrode's wrongdoings were unconscious habits that nonetheless helped him achieve his goals, similar to how unnoticed bodily movements can accomplish a desired action.

  Reflects on the nature of moral culpability and self-deception.

• “What if Bulstrode would agree to his placing Fred Vincy there on the understanding that he, Caleb Garth, should be responsible for the management? It would be an excellent schooling for Fred; he might make a modest income there, and still have time left to get knowledge by helping in other business.”

  Caleb wondered if Bulstrode would let Fred Vincy lease Stone Court under Caleb's supervision, providing Fred with practical training and a modest income while he continued learning through other work.

  Shows Caleb's hopeful plan for Fred's future and his belief in practical education.

• “He was certainly more eager in these visits than the probable speed of events required him to be; but he was stimulated by a fatherly delight in occupying his mind with this bit of probable happiness which he held in store like a hidden birthday gift for Fred and Mary.”

  Caleb visited Stone Court more often than necessary because he took fatherly joy in secretly planning this future happiness for Fred and Mary, like a surprise gift.

  Highlights Caleb's affectionate and hopeful nature.