The Mill on the Floss Book 6, Chapter 12 Summary

A Family Party

  • Maggie and Lucy are paying a visit to the Pullets and some other family members are coming over as well.
  • The manager that Mr. Wakem had for the mill has had an accident and may die. He was drunk at the time too. Wakem is ready to sell the mill and it looks like Tom will be able to get it back now after all.
  • The group start discussing Tom being able to move back to the old house and the mill.
  • They then turn on Maggie and tell her to not go off to work as a governess again since there really isn’t a need to do so.
  • Mrs. Glegg tells Maggie she can come live with her if she wants.
  • The aunts and uncles discuss what Maggie ought to do some more.
  • Tom then shows up.
  • Things are still strained between him and Maggie.
  • The aunts and uncles discuss how well Tom turned out and how he really is more of a Dodson than a Tulliver, thankfully.
  • Lucy wants to try to convince Tom to be nicer to Maggie and to accept her and Philip but she doesn’t know where to start. Tom is a mystery to her.
  • The narrator discusses how Tom is a very unimaginative and prejudiced individual.
  • Lucy doesn’t succeed in swaying Tom’s opinion.