The Woodlanders

The Melburys’ elderly female servant, Grammer Oliver, falls ill. When Grace is tending to her, Grammer explains that she had entered a deal with Dr. Fitzpiers, whereby she would allow him to have her brain for dissection after she died in exchange for 10 pounds. Now sick, she wants to revoke the deal and worries that the anxiety caused by it will kill her. As such, she persuades Grace to go and talk to Dr. Fitzpiers on her behalf, arguing that her youth and looks might help convince the doctor to abandon the agreement.

Grace visits Dr. Fitzpiers’s house and is led by his landlady into a room where he appears to be asleep. She notices though in a glass reflection for a second that Dr. Fitzpiers has his eyes open and was merely pretending to sleep. This leads Grace to leave the house, but Dr. Fitzpiers sees her leaving and catches up with her on his garden path. There, Grace tells him about the request of Grammer Oliver regarding their deal, and the doctor agrees to revoke it. She also mentions the incident where he seemed to be feigning sleep to observe her, to which Dr. Fitzpiers says, “never could I deceive you” (110), to Grace.