Middlemarch, Chapter 41 summary

What happens

1. Land dealings between Bulstrode and Rigg produce letters, prompting the narrator to consider how apparently insignificant papers can cause trouble.
2. At Stone Court, Raffles asks Rigg for capital for his tobacco shop, claiming this can secure his mother’s comfort.
3. Rigg recalls Raffles’s abuse and theft, refuses the request, and threatens consequences if his stepfather returns.
4. Raffles obtains brandy and a sovereign, using a discarded folded paper to secure his flask inside its leather cover.
5. Raffles travels through Brassing by coach and railway, carrying the paper, which bears Nicholas Bulstrode’s signature.

What to notice

The closing disclosure connects Raffles’s small practical action with Bulstrode’s correspondence. Raffles carries the connection without recognizing it.

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