a resemblance he bears to Sydney Carton, a lawyer in the court. Carton, a dissolute genius, Stryver, and Darnay all aspire to the hand of Lucie Manette. Darnay is accepted and marries Lucie: Carton has too good a knowledge of his own shortcomings, but he is ready to do anything for Lucie's happiness. Darnay goes to Paris to secure the liberation of Gabelle, and is himself imprisoned as an aristocrat. Lucie and Dr. Manette go to Paris to his relief and secure his release; but he is rearrested at once on another charge and sentenced by the Tribunal. Sydney Carton undertakes the work at this point. By his knowledge of the antecedents of the spy, who has become a turnkey, he obtains admission to the prison, where he impersonates Darnay. Darnay and his friends all succeed in escaping from France-Miss Pross with the greatest difficulty, leaving Madame Defarge dead behind her. Jerry Cruncher relinquishes his trade of body-snatcher. And Sydney Carton dies beneath the blade of the guillotine. Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices. (With Wilkie Collins.) (Published 1857.) A series of articles written by Dickens and Wilkie Collins, describing a holiday tour. Hunted Down. (Published 1860.) The story of the pursuit of Mr. Julius Slinkton by Mr. Meltham, and his ultimate detection. Slinkton poisons his niece, who was married to Meltham, and attempts to poison Meltham, who had assumed another name. The Uncommercial Traveller. (Published in volume form 1861.) Travel papers from home and abroad dealing with many subjects grave and gay. Great Expectations. (Published in volume form 1861.) Pip is introduced as a very small orphan boy, being "brought up by hand" by his sister, wife of Joe Gargery, blacksmith in a village in the Kentish marshes. He falls in with a convict escaped from the marshes, who terrifies him into purloining food and a file. Pip sees his convict captured with another by the soldiers, and his petty theft is not discovered. Things go on in their quiet way, Pip meantime being educated at the village dame-school, until he is taken by Uncle Pumbleehook to play with Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham is a demented lady who was deserted on the eve of her wedding. Miss Havisham's only companion is Estella, whom she is bringing up to break men's hearts. The girl begins early and practises on Pip. His visits to Miss Havisham cease, however, and he is apprenticed to Joe Gargery, Miss Havisham paying for his indentures. Joe's man,' ," Orlick, entertains a deadly hatred for Pip, and almost murders Mrs. Joe, although the perpetrator of the crime is not discovered until long afterwards. The Great Expectations enter into the story when Mr. Jaggers takes Pip to London to make a gentleman of him. The secret benefactor is believed to be Miss Havisham. Pip quickly adapts himself to his new circumstances, spending money at a great rate. He shares chambers with Herbert Pocket, and is tutored by his friend's father. This continues for some years until the return of Provis reveals to Pip that he does not owe his rise to Miss Havisham, but to the convict whom he had assisted whilst a little boy in the marshes. The great business then is to secure the safety of Provis, who is in instant danger of capture. Their plans are all laid, and the boat from which they are to board the steamer far down the river. But on the very brink of success Provis is recaptured through the instrumentality of Compeyson, a fellow convict, and the man who had so cruelly wrecked Miss Havisham's life. Provis is sentenced to death, but the injuries he received in his endeavour to escape prove fatal, and he dies before his execution takes place. Pip now finds himself penniless, and soon after he passes through a serious illness. He recovers to find that Joe has nursed him and has paid his debts. He goes down home, intending to propose to Biddy, the homely friend of his childhood, but learns that she has married Joe, whose wife died as a result of the injuries inflicted by Orlick. Miss Havisham dies, and Estella marries Bentley Drummle, who leads her an unhappy life until his death. Pip becomes a clerk in Herbert's firm and ultimately becomes a partner. He pays a visit to England, and accidentally meets Estella, whom he marries. Our Mutual Friend. (Published in volume form in 1865.) Old Harmon has made an enormous fortune as a dust contractor, which he leaves to his son on condition that he marries Bella Wilfer. The son on his return to England is supposed to be drowned and the money is inherited by Mr. Boffin. Young John Harmon is not drowned, however, but adopts the names first of Julius Handford and then of John Rokesmith, and becomes the private secretary of Mr. Boffin. The Boffins take a large mansion and adopt Bella. John falls in love with Bella, but she repulses him as only the secretary. Mrs. Boffin discovers Rokesmith's identity, and they all concoct a plot by which Bella's interest and love are to be aroused. Boffin feigns to be a miser and abuses his secretary in season and out of season until the end is attained and John and Bella are married. The simple deception is continued, however, for some time, until Rokesmith is arrested by the police for his own murder. The revelation is then made. Side by side with this are at least two other stories: Gaffer Hexam is a questionable riverside character who is accused by his former accomplice, Rogue Riderhood, of the murder of Harmon, but on the evening of his arrest he is found drowned. His son and daughter, Lizzie and Charley, separate. Charley has been secretly educated and becomes a pupilteacher and, later on, a full-fledged schoolmaster. Lizzie supports herself and meets Eugene Wrayburn, the friend of Mortimer Lightwood, the lawyer entrusted with Mr. Boffin's affairs. Eugene does not know whether he is serious or not in his intentions, but he arouses the intense jealousy of Bradley Headstone, the superior of Charley Hexam. Headstone attempts to murder Eugene up the river, where he has pursued Lizzie. Rogue Riderhood has become a deputy lockkeeper, and discovers Headstone's dark secret. He uses it to obtain hush-money from his victim, but Headstone is driven mad by his thoughts and his jealousy, and commits suicide, drowning Rogue at the same time. Eugene recovers and marries Lizzie. A friend of Lizzie's is the girl Cleaver, Jenny Wren. She is a dolls' dressmaker and obtains her pieces from Riah the Jew, who is ostensibly Pudsey and Co. In reality Pudsey and Co. are Fascination Fledgeby. Fascination enters into an agreement with Alfred Lammle to pay him a sum of money on Lammle bringing about his (Fledgeby's) marriage with Georgina Podsnap. Lammle is a fortune hunter who has married Miss Akersham, only to discover that she also is a fortune hunter. Having no fortune between them they are obliged to live by their wits. The marriage scheme falls through, and Fledgeby ruins Lammle by buying up bills against him. Lammle discovers his duplicity and administers a sound thrashing before leaving England. When Boffin comes into his fortune he employs Silas Wegg, a man "with a wooden leg" to read to him. Wegg is a precious rascal who thinks he has discovered a will that will dispossess his employer, and threatens him with absolute ruin. He takes a man named Venus into his confidence, but Venus has no liking for the part, and informs Mr. Boffin of the plot. The will turns out to be valueless, having been invalidated by one of a later date. The grand climax is reached when Wegg is unmasked and turned out, and the real state of affairs is revealed to Bella. Venus marries Pleasant Riderhood. Christmas Stories. (Published 1854-1867.) Seven Poor Travellers. (1854.) Holly Tree. (1855.) Wreck of the Golden Mary. (1856.) Perils of Certain English Prisoners. (1857.) Going into Society. (A House to Let.) (1858.) Haunted House. (1859.) Message from the Sea. (1860.) Two Ghost Stories. (Dr. Marigold's Prescriptions.) (1865-6.) (1866.) No Thoroughfare. (1867.) George Silverman's Explanation. (Published 1868.) The story of an orphan who is befriended and educated. By his exertions he secures a scholarship at Cambridge, and is eventually presented with a "living" by Lady Fareway. Lady Fareway's daughter studies under his direction, and an affection grows up between them. He perceives the disparity between them, however, and endeavours to transfer her affection to Granville Wharton. He succeeds, and the two young people are married. George Silverman is dismissed from his living by Lady Fareway, but he secures a college living through the assistance of the young couple. Holiday Romance. (Published 1868.) King Watkins the First has many children, but his eldest child is Alicia, who is mother to her brothers and sisters and housewife as well. Her godmother gives her a magic fishbone, which for one occasion only will bring her what she wishes for. She keeps the fishbone until the King's money is all gone and he is unable to get any more anywhere, when she wishes for Quarter Day. It is Quarter Day and the King's salary falls down the chimney. The Princess Alicia is married by her godmother to Prince Certainpersonio. SYNOPSES OF THE VARIOUS WORKS "Mystery of Edwin Drood. (Published in volume form 1870.) !xxvii This, the last novel, was never completed, and various guesses have been made from time to time of the conclusion. The scene is laid in Cloisterham. John Jasper is the choirmaster of Cloisterham Cathedral and uncle and guardian of Edwin Drood, but secretly he is addicted to the opium habit. Edwin Drood is a young engineer who has been betrothed by his late father to Rosa Bud. Edwin and Rosa do not feel that they love one another sufficiently to marry. Neville and Helena Landless come to Cloisterham, the latter to the Nun's House, the former to study under the Rev. Crisparkle. They make the acquaintance of Edwin and Rosa. A quarrel arises between the two young men, and this John Jasper fans and magnifies. Jasper is in love with Rosa, although ignorant that she and Edwin have proposed to be brother and sister only in their affections. Crisparkle intervenes and the young men become reconciled. They both visit Jasper on Christmas Eve. After the event Edwin disappears and Neville is arrested on the charge of having murdered him. He is released, however, but leaves Cloisterham and takes up his residence in London. Rosa flies to London to her guardian on account of Jasper's unwelcome attentions; and Helena joins her brother. Two new characters enter the story at this point, Lieutenant Tarter, and Datchery. The latter is a mysterious old man generally believed to be one of the other characters disguised. What place he had to fill can only be guessed, nor can the murderer of Edwin be singled out with any certainty. Miscellaneous Papers, Plays and Poems. (Published in volume form 1908.) These miscellaneous essays and tracts are gathered from several periodicals and spread over a period from 1838 to 1869. They do not warrant a minute analysis here, but a list of the contents will be found under the abbreviations. |