He was really in chill gloom about her at that moment, but he dreaded a future without affection, and was determined to resist the oncoming of division between them.  Rosamond obeyed him, and he took her on his knee, but in her secret soul she was utterly aloof from him.  The poor thing saw only that the world was not ordered to her liking, and Lydgate was part of that world.  But he held her waist with one hand and laid the other gently on both of hers; for this rather abrupt man had much tenderness in his manners towards women, seeming to have always present in his imagination the weakness of their frames and the delicate poise of their health both in body and mind.  And he began again to speak persuasively.

“I find, now I look into things a little, Rosy, that it is wonderful what an amount of money slips away in our housekeeping.  I suppose the servants are careless, and we have had a great many people coming.  But there must be many in our rank who manage with much less:  they must do with commoner things, I suppose, and look after the scraps.  It seems, money goes but a little way in these matters, for Wrench has everything as plain as possible, and he has a very large practice.”

“Oh, if you think of living as the Wrenches do!” said Rosamond, with a little turn of her neck.  “But I have heard you express your disgust at that way of living.”

“Yes, they have bad taste in everything—­they make economy look ugly.  We needn’t do that.  I only meant that they avoid expenses, although Wrench has a capital practice.”

“Why should not you have a good practice, Tertius?  Mr. Peacock had.  You should be more careful not to offend people, and you should send out medicines as the others do.  I am sure you began well, and you got several good houses.  It cannot answer to be eccentric; you should think what will be generally liked,” said Rosamond, in a decided little tone of admonition.

Lydgate’s anger rose:  he was prepared to be indulgent towards feminine weakness, but not towards feminine dictation.  The shallowness of a waternixie’s soul may have a charm until she becomes didactic.  But he controlled himself, and only said, with a touch of despotic firmness—­

“What I am to do in my practice, Rosy, it is for me to judge.  That is not the question between us.  It is enough for you to know that our income is likely to be a very narrow one—­ hardly four hundred, perhaps less, for a long time to come, and we must try to re-arrange our lives in accordance with that fact.”

Rosamond was silent for a moment or two, looking before her, and then said, “My uncle Bulstrode ought to allow you a salary for the time you give to the Hospital:  it is not right that you should work for nothing.”

“It was understood from the beginning that my services would be gratuitous.  That, again, need not enter into our discussion.  I have pointed out what is the only probability,” said Lydgate, impatiently.  Then checking himself, he went on more quietly—­