Dropsy

Dropsy is the illness that has left Peter Featherstone’s legs swollen and his constitution failing. In a brief scene with Fred Vincy, its physical effects interrupt Featherstone’s habitual demands and expose the vulnerable body behind his bargaining manner.

Physical Condition and Setting

During Fred’s visit, Featherstone walks around the room with difficulty. His dropsical legs make him look more pitiable than usual, and his declining constitution is evident to Fred as he offers an arm. The narrative gives the condition a concrete domestic setting rather than treating it as an abstract diagnosis: Featherstone pauses by the window and then by the sparse bookshelves while making familiar remarks about the guinea-fowls and weather-cock.

Effects on the Encounter

Featherstone’s illness alters Fred’s response without erasing his irritation. Fred feels some sorrow for the old man, whom he regards as unloved and unvenerated, and reflects that he would not wish to grow old with his own constitution breaking down. He waits patiently while supporting Featherstone, showing a moment of kindness within a visit otherwise shaped by money and obligation.

That transaction remains present: Featherstone has asked Fred to bring a letter from Bulstrode denying that Fred has been borrowing and promising to pay his debts out of Featherstone’s land; only then will Featherstone consider backing him. The physical dependence of the walk sits beside this conditional bargain, bringing illness and financial leverage into the same room without making either disappear.

Narrative Significance

The scene presents dropsy through its immediate consequences—impaired walking, visible swelling, and the need for another person’s arm—while keeping the illness distinct from Fred’s moral response. Fred’s pity is limited and situational, but it briefly softens his irritation and makes him attend to Featherstone as a frail old man rather than solely as a source of potential assistance. The disease thus sharpens the contrast between Featherstone’s bodily vulnerability and his continuing power to set terms.