The bill that Mark signed for Sowerby proves to be only the beginning of his troubles as further obligations and demands from creditors draw him ever deeper into debt, leaving him increasingly anxious and unable to tell his wife Fanny the full truth while he slowly realizes that the fashionable connections and political influence he had admired offer little protection when genuine responsibility arrives, while the love between Lucy and Lord Lufton becomes serious enough for him to seek marriage but Lucy refuses to accept him against Lady Lufton’s wishes because she will not become the cause of a lasting breach between mother and son, and her restraint and sincerity gradually earn the respect of those around her, while Griselda Grantly moves toward a socially advantageous match with Lord Dumbello and the poverty and pride of the Crawley family, together with the stories of Miss Dunstable and Dr. Thorne, increasingly emphasize the contrast between outward rank and wealth and the deeper values of honesty, loyalty, and personal responsibility.
