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MIDDLEMARCH-Part75_GEORGE ELIOT(1819-1880)_English Literature(文学)-第2页

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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--



which I can turn to good public purpose. If a fair number of the better

educated men went to work with the belief that their observations



might contribute to the reform of medicaldoctrine and practice,

we should soon see a change for the better. That's my point of view.



I hold that by refusing to work with Mr. Bulstrode I should be

turning my back on an opportunity of making my profession more



generally serviceable."

"I quite agree with you," said Dorothea, at once fascinated by



the situation sketched in Lydgate's words. "But what is there

against Mr. Bulstrode? I know that my uncle is friendly with him."



"People don't like his religious tone," said Lydgate, breaking off there.

"That is all the stronger reason for despising such an opposition,"



said Dorothea, looking at the affairs of Middlemarch by the light

of the great persecutions.



"To put the matter quite fairly, they have other objections to him:--

he is masterful and rather unsociable, and he is concerned with trade,



which has complaints of its own that I know nothing about.

But what has that to do with the question whether it would not be



a fine thing to establish here a more valuable hospital than any

they have in the county? The immediate motive to the opposition,



however, is the fact that Bulstrode has put the medical direction

into my hands. Of course I am glad of that. It gives me an



opportunity of doing some good work,--and I am aware that I have

to justify his choice of me. But the consequence is, that the



whole profession in Middlemarch have set themselves tooth and nail

against the Hospital, and not only refuse to cooperate themselves,



but try to blacken the whole affair and hinder subscriptions."

"How very petty!" exclaimed Dorothea, indignantly.



"I suppose one must expect to fight one's way: there is hardly

anything to be done without it. And the ignorance of people about



here is stupendous. I don't lay claim to anything else than having

used some opportunities which have not come within everybody's reach;



but there is no stifling the offence of being young, and a new-comer,

and happening to know something more than the old inhabitants.



Still, if I believe that I can set going a better method of treatment--

if I believe that I can pursue certain observations and inquiries



which may be a lasting benefit to medical practice, I should be

a base truckler if I allowed any consideration of personal comfort



to hinder me. And the course is all the clearer from there being

no salary in question to put my persistence in an equivocal light."



"I am glad you have told me this, Mr. Lydgate," said Dorothea, cordially.

"I feel sure I can help a little. I have some money, and don't know



what to do with it--that is often an uncomfortable thought to me.

I am sure I can spare two hundred a-year for a grand purpose like this.



How happy you must be, to know things that you feel sure will do

great good! I wish I could awake with that knowledge every morning.



There seems to be so much trouble taken that one can hardly see

the good of!"



There was a melancholycadence in Dorothea's voice as she spoke

these last words. But she presently added, more cheerfully,






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