Middlemarch Book VII

Mr. Farebrother was aware that Lydgate was a proud man, but having very little corresponding fibre in him-self, and perhaps too little care about personal dignity, except the dignity of not being mean or foolish, he could hardly allow enough for the way in which Lydgate shrank, as from a burn, from the utterance of any word about his private affairs. And soon after that conversation at Mr. Toller‟s, the Vicar learned something which made him watch the more eagerly for an opportunity of indi-rectly letting Lydgate know that if he wanted to open himself about any difficulty there was a friendly ear re-ady.