Middlemarch III

Rosy and Lydgate become engaged but he can't afford to marry at first. He becomes friendly with another wealthy businessman, Mr Bulstrode, who is related to Rosy, but feels uneasy at having to cosy up to rich men to get ahead in his professon. Bulstrode is very religious and prim and proper, but it later emerges that his wealth is based on a dubious start in life. Lydgate and Rosy marry but soon, they find themselves in debt, as both are extravagant. Rosy wants to be a society hostess in the town, and Lydgate has expensive tastes. He realises that although she is pretty and charming, she's very selfish. Will Ladislaw is now living in Middlemarch, and he becomes friendly with Rosy. Meanwhile, Causubon's health is declining and he is difficult to live with, getting resentful of Will Ladislaw. Dorothea realises that Will is right about the need to learn German and that her husband's great work will be a failure. She feels uneasy as she still cares for her husband and wishes he could produce a great book, but she's too honest to lie to him. Lydgate worries about money adn the fact that his wife quietly disobeys him so often. A man turns up in Middlemarch who is the illegitimate son of Peter Featherstone, and he visits Bulstrode, reminding the prissy religous man that he started out in life by marrying a widow whose family business was very dubious, involving receiving stolen goods. Bulstrode becomes very uneasy that Featherstone's son, who is a drunkard, may reveal his scandalous beginnings. Edward Causubon dies, and in his will, he shockingly leaves his estate to Dorothea provided she does not marry Ladislaw. At the same time, Featherstone's son dies of alcohol poisoning. Bulstrode had asked Lydgate to attend to him, and Lydgate told him not to give te man alcohol. Bulstrode, fearing exposure by the man, let the nurse give him drink and it killed him. Bulstrode's shady behaviour comes to light and Lydgate is implicated. Dorothea is hurt and upset by her husband's will, as she realises she is in love with Ladislaw but if she marries him, there will be talk that she was involved wih him before her husband's death. Mr Brooke and Sir James are horrified by the will also. Then Rosy decides to tell Dorothea that Will is in love with her, and Dorothea decides that she will marry him, in spite of hte gossip and the fact that she will lose her husband's money. Mr Brooke is upset that she is doing this, but he is fond of his neice and of Ladislaw. DOrothea tells Will that she has a modest income of her own, and she will manage as his wife. Mr Brooke's estate is supposed to go to DOrothea's son when she has one, and in the end, Mr Brooke decides to let things stand and let the estate go to her son. In due course, she and Will have a son, and he inherits the Brooke estate. Dorothea and Will go to London where Will becomes a reforming MP. Lydgate leaves Middlemarch with his wife and they also go to to London where he gives up his ideas of doing medical research and helping people and becomes a fashionable doctor, which is what Rosy wants. She and he are not close but their marriage is tolerable though Rosy still wishes for more money and Lydgate is resentful that he has given up his ideals. They have children but Lydgate dies young and Rosy marries another richer man. Rosy's brother, Fred VIncy gives up his idle lifestyle and become manager to an estate, and Mary Garth marries him, now that he is doing something useful. The chief characters end with mixed lives, Dorothea has given up her ideas of doing good by herself and is willing to help her husband. Lydgate has given up his ideals but he has managed to save his marriage.