finale-第3部分

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Dorothea's　son；　who　might　have　represented　Middlemarch；　but　declined；

thinking　that　his　opinions　had　less　chance　of　being　stifled　if　he

remained　out　of　doors。



Sir　James　never　ceased　to　regard　Dorothea's　second　marriage　as　a　mistake；

and　indeed　this　remained　the　tradition　concerning　it　in　Middlemarch；

where　she　was　spoken　of　to　a　younger　generation　as　a　fine　girl

who　married　a　sickly　clergyman；　old　enough　to　be　her　father；　and　in

little　more　than　a　year　after　his　death　gave　up　her　estate　to　marry

his　cousinyoung　enough　to　have　been　his　son；　with　no　property；

and　not　well…born。　Those　who　had　not　seen　anything　of　Dorothea

usually　observed　that　she　could　not　have　been　〃a　nice　woman；〃

else　she　would　not　have　married　either　the　one　or　the　other。



Certainly　those　determining　acts　of　her　life　were　not　ideally　beautiful。　

They　were　the　mixed　result　of　young　and　noble　impulse　struggling

amidst　the　conditions　of　an　imperfect　social　state；　in　which　great

feelings　will　often　take　the　aspect　of　error；　and　great　faith　the

aspect　of　illusion。　　For　there　is　no　creature　whose　inward　being　is

so　strong　that　it　is　not　greatly　determined　by　what　lies　outside　it。　

A　new　Theresa　will　hardly　have　the　opportunity　of　reforming

a　conventual　life；　any　more　than　a　new　Antigone　will　spend　her

heroic　piety　in　daring　all　for　the　sake　of　a　brother's　burial：　

the　medium　in　which　their　ardent　deeds　took　shape　is　forever　gone。　

But　we　insignificant　people　with　our　daily　words　and　acts　are

preparing　the　lives　of　many　Dorotheas；　some　of　which　may　present

a　far　sadder　sacrifice　than　that　of　the　Dorothea　whose　story　we　know。



Her　finely　touched　spirit　had　still　its　fine　issues；　though　they　were

not　widely　visible。　　Her　full　nature；　like　that　river　of　which　Cyrus

broke　the　strength；　spent　itself　in　channels　which　had　no　great

name　on　the　earth。　　But　the　effect　of　her　being　on　those　around

her　was　incalculably　diffusive：　　for　the　growing　good　of　the　world

is　partly　dependent　on　unhistoric　acts；　and　that　things　are　not　so

ill　with　you　and　me　as　they　might　have　been；　is　half　owing　to　the

number　who　lived　faithfully　a　hidden　life；　and　rest　in　unvisited　tombs。






The　End