The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Frederick receives another letter from Helen and visits Gilbert in order to share its contents with him. In the letter, Helen invites Gilbert to tell his family whatever he likes of her, but she wishes he would put her from his mind. She then goes on to describe her continued efforts to nurse Arthur back to health. It is uphill work. He is constantly working against her, and wants to eat and drink as he did before. The worst of the entire situation, though, is his attempt at showing her affection. She recoils at what she sees as insincere gestures, and she cannot return his love. The two of them come to a wry sort of understanding. It’s too bad that it has come to this: he has a nurse who feels nothing for him, and out of desperation, he is grateful for whatever crumbs of kindness she throws his way.

Helen has the pleasure of seeing Esther during her time at Grassdale, but it’s a mixed pleasure. Esther is no longer the joyful young woman Helen remembers. She has been worn down by her mother’s constant pestering. Mrs. Hargrave wants so much to see Esther married that she continually accuses her of being a burden to the family, and Esther is convinced that Walter hates her for her obstinacy. Esther says she has gone so far as to threaten her mother with running away and making her own living. Helen feels for her. She wishes a worthy man would come along and save her from her sad fate.

The letter alternately depresses Gilbert and makes him happy. He has less hope for their future, but is consoled by the fact he can now let his mother and Rose in on the fact that Helen is a blameless and upstanding woman. Rose is particularly gratified to hear Helen’s story, as is Mary Millward, whom Helen had always valued, in spite of her plainness. Gilbert is happy to discover that Miss Millward is engaged to Richard Wilson, who is now a student at Cambridge. The two were carrying on a secret engagement, waiting for the Reverend Millward to seek a curate. Now that he has selected Richard as his successor, the unassuming Mary and bookish Richard can finally marry and be open with their happiness.

Gilbert flashes forward somewhat in this letter to Halford, updating him on Richard and the former Miss Millward, who are now living in another vicarage where they are both well loved by the parishioners. Meanwhile, Eliza has married a tradesman, who, Gilbert assumes, is too dumb to realize his misfortune, and Jane Wilson, having never received an offer of marriage she thought good enough for her, is living alone in a country village, a small-minded and cold-hearted old maid.