CHAPTER XI.

Butdeedsandlanguagesuchasmendouse, Andpersonssuchascomedywouldchoose, Whenshewouldshowanimageofthetimes, Andsportwithhumanfollies,notwithcrimes. —BENJONSON. Lydgate,infact,wasalreadyconsciousofbeingfascinatedbyawomanstrikinglydifferentfromMissBrooke:hedidnotintheleastsupposethathehadlosthisbalanceandfalleninlove,buthehadsaidofthatparticularwoman,“Sheisgraceitselfsheisperfectlylovelyandaccomplished.Thatiswhatawomanoughttobe:sheoughttoproducetheeffectofexquisitemusic.”Plainwomenheregardedashedidtheotherseverefactsoflife,tobefacedwithphilosophyandinvestigatedbyscience.ButRosamondVincyseemedtohavethetruemelodiccharmandwhenamanhasseenthewomanwhomhewouldhavechosenifhehadintendedtomarryspeedily,hisremainingabachelorwillusuallydependonherresolutionratherthanonhis.Lydgatebelievedthatheshouldnotmarryforseveralyears:notmarryuntilhehadtroddenoutagoodclearpathforhimselfawayfromthebroadroadwhichwasquitereadymade.HehadseenMissVincyabovehishorizonalmostaslongasithadtakenMr.Casaubontobecomeengagedandmarried:butthislearnedgentlemanwaspossessedofafortunehehadassembledhisvoluminousnotes,andhadmadethatsortofreputationwhichprecedesperformance,—oftenthelargerpartofaman’sfame.Hetookawife,aswehaveseen,toadorntheremainingquadrantofhiscourse,andbealittlemoonthatwouldcausehardlyacalculableperturbation.ButLydgatewasyoung,poor,ambitious.Hehadhishalf-centurybeforehiminsteadofbehindhim,andhehadcometoMiddlemarchbentondoingmanythingsthatwerenotdirectlyfittedtomakehisfortuneorevensecurehimagoodincome.Toamanundersuchcircumstances,takingawifeissomethingmorethanaquestionofadornment,howeverhighlyhemayratethisandLydgatewasdisposedtogiveitthefirstplaceamongwifelyfunctions.Tohistaste,guidedbyasingleconversation,herewasthepointonwhichMissBrookewouldbefoundwanting,notwithstandingherundeniablebeauty.Shedidnotlookatthingsfromtheproperfeminineangle.Thesocietyofsuchwomenwasaboutasrelaxingasgoingfromyourworktoteachthesecondform,insteadofreclininginaparadisewithsweetlaughsforbird-notes,andblueeyesforaheaven. CertainlynothingatpresentcouldseemmuchlessimportanttoLydgatethantheturnofMissBrooke’smind,ortoMissBrookethanthequalitiesofthewomanwhohadattractedthisyoungsurgeon.Butanyonewatchingkeenlythestealthyconvergenceofhumanlots,seesaslowpreparationofeffectsfromonelifeonanother,whichtellslikeacalculatedironyontheindifferenceorthefrozenstarewithwhichwelookatourunintroducedneighbor.Destinystandsbysarcasticwithourdramatispersonaefoldedinherhand. Oldprovincialsocietyhaditsshareofthissubtlemovement:hadnotonlyitsstrikingdownfalls,itsbrilliantyoungprofessionaldandieswhoendedbylivingupanentrywithadrabandsixchildrenfortheirestablishment,butalsothoselessmarkedvicissitudeswhichareconstantlyshiftingtheboundariesofsocialintercourse,andbegettingnewconsciousnessofinterdependence.Someslippedalittledownward,somegothigherfooting:peopledeniedaspirates,gainedwealth,andfastidiousgentlemenstoodforboroughssomewerecaughtinpoliticalcurrents,someinecclesiastical,andperhapsfoundthemselvessurprisinglygroupedinconsequencewhileafewpersonagesorfamiliesthatstoodwithrockyfirmnessamidallthisfluctuation,wereslowlypresentingnewaspectsinspiteofsolidity,andalteringwiththedoublechangeofselfandbeholder.Municipaltownandruralparishgraduallymadefreshthreadsofconnection—gradually,astheoldstockinggavewaytothesavings-bank,andtheworshipofthesolarguineabecameextinctwhilesquiresandbaronets,andevenlordsw