Middlemarch, Chapter 40 summary

What happens

1. At breakfast, Mary chooses a teaching position in York despite her dislike of schoolroom life.
2. Sir James Chettam’s letter offers Caleb estate work, and Caleb tells Mary to give up the school position.
3. Mr. Farebrother reports Fred’s shame about his debt and his plan to study for his degree again.
4. Caleb privately explains Mary’s refusal to burn Featherstone’s will, while Farebrother notices his own possible jealousy over her.
5. Caleb proposes training Fred in estate work, but Susan recommends waiting until Fred’s plans and Caleb’s position become clearer.
6. Caleb reveals that Bulstrode and Rigg Featherstone separately request the same valuation, raising the possibility of a land sale.

In this chapter

What to notice

Caleb rejects social objections to training Fred. He measures the proposal by its usefulness rather than by the Vincys’ possible suspicions.

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