- Fred doesn't get to visit Mary again the next day because he develops a nasty fever overnight.
- His mother calls their usual surgeon, Mr. Wrench, who prescribes the wrong thing and then doesn't come back to check in on him.
- So Rosamond recommends that they call Mr. Lydgate (he's a fever expert), who immediately sees that it's typhoid fever (not good).
- Lydgate doesn't want to step on any toes or annoy Mr. Wrench, so he tries to be nice about the fact that Wrench totally screwed up.
- Everyone in Middlemarch finds out about the matter, but they all hear different versions of the story.
- Some gossip is even getting spread that Lydgate is the illegitimate son of Mr. Bulstrode.