Installment 9 of 20, in The Pickwick Papers 180th anniversary readalong, hosted by On Bookes, and commencing in November, just as Dickens’ ninth installment was published.
Chapter 24: Opens
on a new morning, and Pickwick meets Mr. Magnus from chapter 24, and intending to breakfast with him. Magnus is rather apprehensive as he anticipates meeting his
lady friend and offering a proposal of marriage that morning. He receives some
sensible advice from Pickwick on how to go about it and at the appointed time
goes off to meet the woman. A bit later he returns to announce that, happily
she has accepted him. However, as I predicted last month, his intended turns
out to be the very woman who Pickwick quite innocently but in
appearance quite scandalously, was discovered by the woman hiding in her room
as she settled in for the night. Upon meeting one another again, both are obviously distressed by the meeting and Magnus demands an explanation – an explanation
that neither will provide. The result – a duel. The sensible affianced woman
reports the matter to the local magistrate who orders Pickwick and his second, Tupman, arrested.
Chapter 25: The
magistrate, Mr. Nupkins proceeds with the trial, which does not appear likely to conclude well for Pickwick and company. But during a private
interview with the magistrate, it is discovered by Pickwick that the
magistrates daughter is being courted by Captain Fitz-Marshall who in truth is
the scoundrel Mr. Jingles who Pickwick has been pursuing for most of the story.
The magistrate fears public embarrassment that such a villain as Jingles so
easily won his confidence. He has Jingles and his servant Job Trotter rather ungently thrown out, but not really brought to justice. I am not at all certain, Pickwick
and company have suffered their last indignity at the hands of Jingle and
Trotter, but it does at least get Pickwick off the hook, and he prepares to
return to London.
Chapter 26: Is a short chapter, in which Pickwick’s
servant Sam Weller, returns to the boarding house of the widow Mrs. Bardell –
who you may recall is suing Pickwick for breach of promise – another innocent,
but dubious appearing mixup. Sam’s official mission is to collect Pickwick’s
belongings, pay the rent, and give notice. Pickwick is after all a most
honorable, though pompous and unlucky gentleman. Sam’s unofficial mission is to
collect intelligence on how the case against Pickwick is advancing. The news is
not to his comfort as Sam learns that the very able counsel for Mrs. Bardell, Messrs.
Dodson and Fogg, are mounting a daunting case.
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