MIDDLEMARCH (Completed)

Chapter 70

Our deeds still travel with us from afar,

And what we have been makes us what we are."

Bulstrode's first object after Lydgate had left Stone Court was

to examine Raffles's pockets, which he imagined were sure to carry

signs in the shape of hotel-bills of the places he had stopped in,

if he had not told the truth in saying that he had come straight

from Liverpool because he was ill and had no money. There were

various bills crammed into his pocketbook, but none of a later

date than Christmas at any other place, except one, which bore

date that morning. This was crumpled up with a hand-bill about

a horse-fair in one of his tail-pockets, and represented the cost

of three days' stay at an inn at Bilkley, where the fair was held--

a town at least forty miles from Middlemarch. The bill was heavy,

and since Raffles had no luggage with him, it seemed probable that he

had left his portmanteau behind in payment, in order to save money

for his travelling fare; for his purse was empty, and he had only

a couple of sixpences and some loose pence in his pockets.

Bulstrode gathered a sense of safety from these indications that

Raffles had really kept at a distance from Middlemarch since his

memorable visit at Christmas. At a distance and among people who

were strangers to Bulstrode, what satisfaction could there be to

Raffles's tormenting, self-magnifying vein in telling old scandalous

stories about a Middlemarch banker? And what harm if he did talk?

The chief point now was to keep watch over him as long as there

was any danger of that intelligible raving, that unaccountable

impulse to tell, which seemed to have acted towards Caleb Garth;

and Bulstrode felt much anxiety lest some such impulse should come

over him at the sight of Lydgate. He sat up alone with him through

the night, only ordering the housekeeper to lie down in her clothes,

so as to be ready when he called her, alleging his own indisposition

to sleep, and his anxiety to carry out the doctor's orders.

He did carry them out faithfully, although Raffles was incessantly

asking for brandy, and declaring that he was sinking away--

that the earth was sinking away from under him. He was restless

and sleepless, but still quailing and manageable. On the offer

of the food ordered by Lydgate, which he refused, and the denial

of other things which he demanded, he seemed to concentrate

all his terror on Bulstrode, imploringly deprecating his anger,

his revenge on him by starvation, and declaring with strong oaths