Aurora Leigh

Marian continues her story in Book 4. While working on Lady Waldemar’s new dress, Marian hears that a fellow seamstress named Lucy Gresham is sick and goes to her bedside to care for her, although other coworkers are not so considerate. Romney appears, and the two bond over a mutual passion for social work. On the day that Lucy dies, Romney proposes to Marian. Here, Marian ends her tale, and Aurora asks whether Romney truly loves Marian. Decoding Aurora’s subtext, Marian acknowledges the disparity between their classes and accepts traditional gender roles by vowing to serve Romney well as a wife. As the women converse, Romney enters and declares that his decision to marry Marian is out of “less mutual love than common love” (Line 331). Aurora leaves, but Romney accompanies her, and the two talk about “modern books and daily papers” (Line 399). They soon part, and throughout the next month, Aurora tiredly supports the imminent marriage of Marian and Romney but fails to prevent Lady Waldemar from intercepting her cousin’s fiancé. 

The poor in the community are invited to a feast at Hampstead Heath after the wedding ceremony, and they attend the church in a socially stratified manner, filing into the room separately from the upper classes.