"Oh, if you think of living as the Wrenches do!" said Rosamond, with a

little turn of her neck. "But I have heard you express your disgust at

that way of living."

"Yes, they have bad taste in everything--they make economy look ugly.

We needn't do that. I only meant that they avoid expenses, although

Wrench has a capital practice."

"Why should not you have a good practice, Tertius? Mr. Peacock had.

You should be more careful not to offend people, and you should send

out medicines as the others do. I am sure you began well, and you got

several good houses. It cannot answer to be eccentric; you should

think what will be generally liked," said Rosamond, in a decided little

tone of admonition.

Lydgate's anger rose: he was prepared to be indulgent towards feminine

weakness, but not towards feminine dictation. The shallowness of a

waternixie's soul may have a charm until she becomes didactic. But he

controlled himself, and only said, with a touch of despotic firmness--

"What I am to do in my practice, Rosy, it is for me to judge. That is

not the question between us. It is enough for you to know that our

income is likely to be a very narrow one--hardly four hundred, perhaps

less, for a long time to come, and we must try to re-arrange our lives

in accordance with that fact."

Rosamond was silent for a moment or two, looking before her, and then

said, "My uncle Bulstrode ought to allow you a salary for the time you

give to the Hospital: it is not right that you should work for nothing."

"It was understood from the beginning that my services would be

gratuitous. That, again, need not enter into our discussion. I have

pointed out what is the only probability," said Lydgate, impatiently.

Then checking himself, he went on more quietly--

"I think I see one resource which would free us from a good deal of the

present difficulty. I hear that young Ned Plymdale is going to be

married to Miss Sophy Toller. They are rich, and it is not often that

a good house is vacant in Middlemarch. I feel sure that they would be

glad to take this house from us with most of our furniture, and they

would be willing to pay handsomely for the lease. I can employ

Trumbull to speak to Plymdale about it."

Rosamond left her husband's knee and walked slowly to the other end of

the room; when she turned round and walked towards him it was evident

that the tears had come, and that she was biting her under-lip and

clasping her hands to keep herself from crying. Lydgate was

wretched--shaken with anger and yet feeling that it would be unmanly to

vent the anger just now.




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