oh boy. *rubs hands in glee*
:: chapter forty-nine ::
monks arrives at mr. brownlow's house (by mr. brownlow's machinations). unable to safely escape, monks is forced to answer some hard questions, and we get some answers.
'It is because I am your father's oldest friend, young man,' returned Mr. Brownlow; 'it is because the hopes and wishes of young and happy years were bound up with him, and that fair creature of his blood and kindred rejoined her God in youth, and left me here a solitary, lonely man; it is because he knelt with me beside his only sister's death-bed when he was yet a boy, on the morning that would -- but Heaven willed otherwise -- have made her my young wife; it is because my seared heart clung to him, from that time forth, through all his trials and errors, till he died; it is because old recollections and associations fill my heart, and even the sight of you brings with it old thoughts of him; it is of all these things that I am moved to treat you gently now -- yes, Edward Leeford, even now -- and blush for your unworthiness who bear the name.'things are beginning to make sense.
mr. leeford (sr.) was forced into an early and ultimately unhappy marriage; they separated, after edward leeford, jr. (now monks), was born; sr. met a man with two daughters: one almost twenty, and the other two. mr. leeford and the older daughter fell in love, but he didn't tell her about his still-living wife; she "trusted him too far," and the "offspring of a guilty and most miserable love" was... oliver. (the woman whose picture he resembled must have been mr. brownlow's fiancee: mr. leeford's long-dead sister.) called away to rome on business, mr. leeford died leaving no will, and therefore all his property went to his wife and legitimate son, monks.
mr. brownlow, becoming interested in oliver after rescuing him -- and losing him -- set out to find monks and learn the truth. he proves now that he knows the whole story.
'I did not,' replied Mr. Brownlow, rising too; 'but within the last fortnight I have learned it all. You have a brother; you know it, and him. There was a will, which your mother destroyed, leaving the secret and the gain to you at her own death. ...You repaired to the place of his birth. There existed proofs -- proofs long suppressed -- of his birth and parentage. These proofs were destroyed by you, and now, in your own words to your accomplice the Jew, "the only proofs of the boy's identity lie at the bottom of the river, and the old hag that received them from the mother is rotting in her coffin."'that lack of will? monks's mother destroyed it in favor of her son. now, with the proofs of oliver's birth parents gone, he can't claim any inheritance.
the narrative switches here, and we return to fagin & co.; but dickens isn't done with monks. we'll hear more.
:: chapter fifty ::
toby crackit (the flash), mr. chitling, and a new guy named kags are all upstairs in a scummy part of town, scared out of their wits: nancy's body was found, and they're all wanted by the police. bet is in the hospital, fagin's in prison (and so is noah), but charley bates and the rest are skulking and trying to stay out of sight.
and then sikes shows up.
they all loathe him, but nothing happens until charley comes in.
'Let me go into some other room,' said the boy, retreating still farther.
'Why, Charley!' said Sikes, stepping forward, 'don't you -- don't you know me?'
'Don't come nearer me,' answered the boy, still retreating, and looking, with horror in his eyes, upon the murderer's face. 'You monster!'
risking his life, charley jumps on sikes (not so smart) and calls for help, giving away the murderer's hiding place (much smarter). although he's been a pickpocket and criminal, charley wasn't so bad; and his revulsion towards sikes seems to indicate a stronger character in him than before -- does he see where his petty thievery is leading him? is this indicative of a break with his current life?
sikes attempts to escape: tying a rope to the chimney, he's going to jump down to a ditch below and run from the vengeful crowd -- but his overactive, guilty imagination causes him to slip, and the rope tightens around his neck. "He fell for five-and-thirty feet. There was a sudden jerk, a terrific convulsion of the limbs; and there he hung, with the open knife clenched in his stiffening hand."
his dog jumps after him, trying to reach sikes's shoulders. "Missing his aim, he fell into the ditch, turning completely over as he went; and striking his head against a stone, dashed out his brains."
how awful. just; and therefore awful.
:: chapter fifty-one ::
oliver is returning, with all the good guys, to the town of his birth and early years;
...and here was Mr. Grimwig, all ready to receive them, kissing the young lady, and the old one too, when they got out of the coach, as if he were the grandfather of the whole party, all smiles and kindness, and not offering to eat his head -- no, not once; not even when he contradicted a very old postboy about the nearest road to London, and maintained he knew it best, though he had only come that way once, and that time fast asleep.the next day, everyone else shows up.
like, no, seriously, everyone. ...well, just about. the final big reveal is here.
mr. leeford died in repentance and sorrow for the shame he caused oliver's mother, agnes; he left a letter to her, a letter to mr. brownlow, and a will. he left an 800-pound annuity to his wife and son, splitting the remainder between agnes fleming and their child: unconditionally if a girl, but, if a boy, only if that boy never "stained his name with any public act of dishonour, meanness, cowardice, or wrong." mrs. leeford burnt the will, and kept the letters, training her son to hate his father and half-brother; to hunt down the child who is oliver and bring about his ruin.
the ring and locket mr. leeford left for agnes, bought by his son off mrs. bumble, are gone; but the bumbles are not. true to form, "'I always loved that boy as if he'd been my -- my -- my own grandfather,' said Mr. Bumble, halting for an appropriate comparison. 'Master Oliver, my dear, you remember the blessed gentleman in the white waistcoat? Ah! he went to heaven last week, in a oak coffin with plated handles, Oliver.'"
when mrs. bumble refuses to acknowledge her transaction with monks, the "palsied women," who "hovered" back in chapter 24, are brought in. they had listened and watched at the door when young agnes fleming died. mrs. bumble admits to her part.
anything else? well... what happened to the other daughter -- agnes fleming's young sister? oliver's aunt? also thought of as the illegitimate child, who refused a certain harry maylie because of her base beginnings?
ta-da: rose
Let the tears which fell, and the broken words which were exchanged, in the long close embrace between the orphans, be sacred. A father, sister, and mother, were gained, and lost, in that one moment. Joy and grief were mingled in the cup; but there were no bitter tears: for even grief arose so softened, and clothed in such soft and tender recollections, that it became a solemn pleasure, and lost all character of pain.everyone is happy! ...but not quite. harry maylie the bold and brave and lovable is back, and asking rose once again to marry him. what stands in the way? rose. I honestly have to say she loses some in my esteem here. we all know rose is the typical pure, beautiful, perfect dickens heroine; in my opinion, she's manageable at face value, in small doses. but this?...seriously, no girl ever in a million years would think that way.
oh well. it gives harry the chance to shine forth in all his gloriousness, and the chapter ends with sweetness and tears.
'I mean but this -- that when I left you last, I left you with a firm determination to level all fancied barriers between yourself and me; resolved that if my world could not be yours, I would make yours mine.... This I have done. Those who have shrunk from me because of this, have shrunk from you, and proved you so far right. Such power and patronage: such relatives of influence and rank: as smiled upon me then, look coldly now; but there are smiling fields and waving trees in England's richest county; and by one village church -- mine, Rose, my own -- there stands a rustic dwelling which you can make me prouder of, than all the hopes I have renounced, measured a thousandfold. This is my rank and station now, and here I lay it down!'MR. GRIMWIG IS AWESOME.
* * *'It's a trying thing waiting supper for lovers,' said Mr. Grimwig, waking up, and pulling his pocket-handkerchief from over his head. Truth to tell, the supper had been waiting a most unreasonable time. Neither Mrs. Maylie, nor Harry, nor Rose (who all came in together), could offer a word in extenuation. 'I had serious thoughts of eating my head to-night,' said Mr. Grimwig, 'for I began to think I should get nothing else. I'll take the liberty, if you'll allow me, of saluting the bride that is to be.' Mr. Grimwig lost no time in taking this notice into effect upon the blushing girl; and the example, being contagious, was followed both by the doctor and Mr. Brownlow. Some people affirm that Harry Maylie had been observed to set it, originally, in a dark room adjoining; but the best authorities consider this downright scandal: he being young and a clergyman.
DICKENS FTW.
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