'He rose and gave his arm to Bulstrode.'

Grayscale illustration of a young man linking his arms with an elderly man to help him walk. Other men in the room watch the interaction.

This illustration depicts Dr. Lydgate’s reluctant yet compassionate act of assisting the disgraced Mr. Bulstrode from the town hall after his public humiliation. This act of mercy precipitates Lydgate’s own social downfall, as the community misinterprets it as proof of his complicity in Bulstrode’s crimes. "He rose and gave his arm to Bulstrode, and in that way led him out of the room; yet this act, which might have been one of gentle duty and pure compassion, was at this moment unspeakably bitter to him" (Book 7, Chapter 71).

Brock, Charles E. (1870-1938)

George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org

1908

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Brock, Charles E. (1870-1938), 'He rose and gave his arm to Bulstrode.', George Eliot Illustrations Gallery, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/83487