The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Chapter 18: A Settler in Cloisterham
by Charles Dickens
Dick Datchery, a new arrival to Cloisterham, talks to number of the townspeople about the Drood disappearance.
Dick Datchery, a new arrival to Cloisterham, talks to number of the townspeople about the Drood disappearance.
Hindley returns for his father's funeral and brings home his wife, Frances, who both disregard Catherine and Heathcliff, until they disappear one day. Upon their return, Hindley threatens Heathcliff with banishment if he ever speaks to Catherine again.
A tense situation with striking workers in Zenith forces the National Guard to intervene. George's criticism of Reverend Drew's sermon causes a noticeable change in his friends demeanor towards him.
A while later, Rochester fulfills his promise to Jane to tell her about his and Adèle’s pasts. He had a long affair with Adèle’s mother, the French singer and dancer named Celine Varens. When he discovered that Celine was engaged in relations with another man, Rochester ended the relationship. Rochester has always denied Celine’s claim that Adèle is his daughter, noting that the child looks utterly unlike him. Even so, when Celine abandoned her daughter, Rochester brought Adèle to England so that she would be properly cared for. Jane lies awake brooding about the strange insights she has gained into her employer’s past. She hears what sound like fingers brushing against the walls, and an eerie laugh soon emanates from the hallway. She hears a door opening and hurries out of her room to see smoke coming from Rochester’s door. Jane dashes into his room and finds his bed curtains ablaze. She douses the bed with water, saving Rochester’s life. Strangely, Rochester’s reaction is to visit the third floor of the house. When he returns, he says mysteriously, “I have found it all out, it is just as I thought.” He inquires whether Jane has ever heard the eerie laughter before, and she answers that she has heard Grace Poole laugh in the same way. “Just so. Grace Poole—you have guessed it,” Rochester confirms. He thanks Jane for saving his life and cautions her to tell no one about the details of the night’s events. He sleeps on the library sofa for the remainder of the night.
Catherine, still sulking, is visited by Henry who makes some interesting revelations to her.
On the way to Boston, the narrator strikes up a conversation with another man regarding racial issues. Once in Boston, they continue to debate and discuss the social/racial problems of the day. The narrator comes upon several other interesting characters.
Peter Pan quietly boards the Jolly Roger in an attempt to rescue Wendy and the Lost Boys. Peter and Captain Hook face each other one more time.
Amelia Sedley and Rebecca Sharp depart from Miss Pinkerton's finishing school.
In the midst of a storm, Peters, Pym, and Augustus attempt to take control of the ship.
Walter leaves home preparing himself for his new employment, but is distracted by a woman he meets on the road. She is mysterious and interesting to Walter, but is gone before he can find out more.
A biography of James Joseph Sylvester.
Victor recovers after reading the concerned letter from Elizabeth and introduces Henry to his professors. However, even the sight of chemical equipment makes Victor uneasy. He awaits his father’s letter to facilitate his return to Geneva.
Will diagnoses the Bjornstams illness as typhoid. Carol agrees to assist Bea and Olaf as they recover from their illness. Vida, Maud, and the minister's wife are turned away from the Bjornstams' home. A tragedy in the Bjornstams home prompts Miles to depart for Canada.
The Tuskegee School opens despite a number of setbacks. Booker turns to the community for contributions.
Walter explains the events that led to the sisters' reunion, as well as the circumstances that brought all three together once more.
Some of the villagers gather at the Rainbow, where the landlord is resolving a dispute.
Detailed descriptions of the various landmarks of St. Augustine as they were in 1918.
Appendix to the work.
The men are assisted by runaway slaves. They find food, but also discover several dead bodies.
An exchange of letters that do not bode well for many.
Jo's return home leaves Laurie with a broken heart.
Sherlock Holmes is faced with the Boscombe Valley Tragedy, in which a man is murdered and is son is accused of the crime.
On Jane’s second morning at Lowood, the girls are unable to wash, as the water in their pitchers is frozen. Jane quickly learns that life at the school is harsh. The girls are underfed, overworked, and forced to sit still during seemingly endless sermons. Still, she takes comfort in her new friendship with Helen, who impresses Jane with her expansive knowledge and her ability to patiently endure even the cruelest treatment from Miss Scatcherd. Helen tells Jane that she practices a doctrine of Christian endurance, which means loving her enemies and accepting her privation. Jane disagrees strongly with such meek tolerance of injustice, but Helen takes no heed of Jane’s arguments. Helen is self-critical only because she sometimes fails to live up to her ascetic standards: she believes that she is a poor student and chastises herself for daydreaming about her home and family when she should be concentrating on her studies.
Albert prepares his home for the Count of Monte Cristo.
George Washington's eighth Annual Address to Congress (now known as the State of the Union Address).