Installment 14 of 20, in The Pickwick Papers 180th anniversary readalong, hosted by On Bookes, and commencing in April, just as Dickens’ fourteenth installment was published.
Chapter
38 – Last month left us with Mr. Pickwick’s faithful manservant Sam about to
set off in search of Mr. Winkle. Mr. Winkle had run off after incurring the
wrath, and death threats, of Mr. Dowler – suspicious husband of a woman Winkle
had innocently stumbled into a seemingly compromising situation. Can you
imagine. Winkle, the professed sportsman, whom the reader now knows is a fraud,
ran off out of sheer cowardice. But Dickens employs a humorous description of
Winkle’s motives, dripping with irony, that is a prime example of one of Dickens’
favorite techniques.
The excellent and
considerate feelings which prompted Mr. Winkle to take this step can never be
too highly appreciated or too warmly extolled. ‘If’ reasoned Mr. Winkle with
himself, ‘if this Dowler attempts (as I have no doubt he will) to carry into
execution his threat of personal violence against myself, it will be incumbent
on me to call him out. He has a wife; that wife is attached to, and dependent
on him. Heavens! If I should kill him in the blindness of my wrath, what would
be my feelings ever afterwards!’ This painful consideration operated so
powerfully on the feelings of the humane young man, as to cause his knees to
knock together, and his countenance to exhibit alarming manifestations of
inward emotion. Impelled by such reflection, he grasped his carpet-bag, and
creeping stealthily down stairs, shut the detestable street-door with as little
noise as possible, and walked off.
Prince
of a man, our Winkle.
He
takes the first available coach, which happens to Bristol. While aimlessly wandering,
he chances upon Bob Sawyer and Ben Allen, whom we know from chapter 30.
(Dickens also loves coincident and happenstance.) Winkle is sweet on Ben’s
sister, Arabella. This is unknown to Ben, who intends Arabella for his friend Bob.
Winkle is dismayed, but too craven to announce his own intentions. Meanwhile
another happenstance, Mr. Dowler shows up – apparently also something of a
coward and now on the lamb to avoid Winkle. It’s not quite clear what made
Dowler so bold the night before and now so timid, but nevertheless Winkle and
Dowler acknowledge it was all a misunderstanding and are fast friends. And
then, Sam catches up with Winkle, prepared to return him to Pickwick bound hand
and foot if necessary. Winkle pleads he cannot leave, as he must find Arabella,
who is reportedly in the vicinity, in order to understand his position with
her. Sam agrees to post an urgent appeal to Mr. Pickwick and delay until an
answer is received.
Chapter
39 – The answer comes in the person of Mr. Pickwick himself, who proposes to
assist lovelorn Mr. Winkle. The first order of business is to locate Arabella.
Pickwick and Winkle set out together in search, with no clear method, and Sam
does the same but separately. More coincidence, Sam chances upon HIS
sweetheart, a servant in a local household, which happens to be next door to
the very home where Arabella is staying. After some misadventure, as
Pickwickians are want to encounter, Winkle achieves an interview with Arabella,
they express their mutual love and all is well – for the moment.
Chapter
40 – Mr. Pickwick and company return to Bath, and then return to London.
Shortly thereafter, officers of law arrive to execute the judgment against Mr.
Pickwick in the breach of promise suit. True to his defiant word, Pickwick
refuses to pay a farthing, and is processed for internment in debtor’s prison. This includes having his portrait done - a Victorian era mugshot if you will.
And
with this distressing circumstance we must wait, not one but two months, as
there will be no installment in May, just as there was no installment in May 1837.
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