Before I go on to the next chapter I want to note something about the sub-chapters of Chapter 4. It's title is of course The Liquidation of Anachronisms, and it is obvious that "liquidation" refers to the destruction or killing of these anachronisms. It just occured to me that all seven of these sub-chapters refer to the liquidation of a unique anachronism which I have listed here :
1 - The Dimble's house, a material loss which Mrs. Dimble takes in stride.
2 - William Hingest, who is murdered for snubbing the N.I.C.E.
3 - Rev. Straik's Christian Faith, which has given way to mistakenly worshiping "progress" as an engine of God's providence.
4 - Mark's hope of leaving the N.I.C.E. Even though this sub-chapter appears to simply repeat the news of Hingest's death, it is in fact a veiled warning from Wither about what awaits those who reject the N.I.C.E.
5 - Jane's "...bright narrow little life" has been destroyed with the revelation that her latest vision is in fact a horrible reality.
6 - Cure Hardy. But more than the village itself is Mark's inability to see the reality before him rather than the statistics which he has been taught to take seriously.
7 - The scholarly sanctuary of Bracton College which has been shattered along with the historic common room windows.