Oliver Twist
Chapter 40: A Strange Interview, Which is a Sequel to the Last Chamber.
by Charles Dickens
Nancy confesses her guilt in Oliver's disappearance before telling Rose the full content of Monk and Fagin's conversation.
Nancy confesses her guilt in Oliver's disappearance before telling Rose the full content of Monk and Fagin's conversation.
Beth's visit to the Hummel family has unintended consequences.
A wronged pet proves to be a man's undoing.
Miss Havisham confesses to Pip. Pip professes his feelings to Estella. Pip receives a note from Wemmick.
A young man searches for the true nature of fear.
Ethan thinks about the previous evenings events. Zeena leaves for Bettsbridge.
Thoreau explores the moral complexities of hunting.
David receives a welcomed letter from Dora's aunt, prompting David to pay visit.
A brief overview of the Etymology of the word "whale".
The monkey and the crab were playing along the river. The monkey finds a persimmon seed and the crab a rice dumpling; the monkey convinces the crab to exchange the items. The crab grows a tree from the seed, and asks the monkey to help him pick the fruit. The monkey is greedy, and eats all the fruit and then throws hard seeds at the crab, killing him. The crab’s son plans revenge on the monkey, eventually killing him.
Archer and May officially announce their engagement.
Rochester has been gone for a week, and Jane is dismayed to learn that he may choose to depart for continental Europe without returning to Thornfield—according to Mrs. Fairfax, he could be gone for more than a year. A week later, however, Mrs. Fairfax receives word that Rochester will arrive in three days with a large group of guests. While she waits, Jane continues to be amazed by the apparently normal relations the strange, self-isolated Grace Poole enjoys with the rest of the staff. Jane also overhears a conversation in which a few of the servants discuss Grace’s high pay, and Jane is certain that she doesn’t know the entire truth about Grace Poole’s role at Thornfield. Rochester arrives at last, accompanied by a party of elegant and aristocratic guests. Jane is forced to join the group but spends the evening watching them from a window seat. Blanche Ingram and her mother are among the party’s members, and they treat Jane with disdain and cruelty. Jane tries to leave the party, but Rochester stops her. He grudgingly allows her to go when he sees the tears brimming in her eyes. He informs her that she must come into the drawing room every evening during his guests’ stay at Thornfield. As they part, Rochester nearly lets slip more than he intends. “Good-night, my—” he says, before biting his lip.
During the following week, St. John continues to pressure Jane to marry him. She resists as kindly as she can, but her kindness only makes him insist more bitterly and unyieldingly that she accompany him to India as his wife. Diana tells Jane that she would be a fool to go to India with St. John, who considers her merely a tool to aid his great cause. After dinner, St. John prays for Jane, and she is overcome with awe at his powers of speech and his influence. She almost feels compelled to marry him, but at that moment she hears what she thinks is Rochester’s voice, calling her name as if from a great distance. Jane believes that something fateful has occurred, and St. John’s spell over her is broken.
William decides to reveal his feelings to Frances.
The ladies frequent church, for varying reasons. Agnes Grey meets with Mr. Weson again, which leads to teasing from the Murray girls.
Jane befriends Diana and Mary, who admire her drawings and give her books to read. St. John, on the other hand, remains distant and cold, although he is never unkind. After a month, Diana and Mary must return to their posts as governesses. St. John has found a position for Jane, running a charity school for girls in the town of Morton. Jane accepts, but St. John presumes that she will soon leave the school out of restlessness, perhaps because he himself is quite restless. His sisters suspect he will soon leave England for a missionary post overseas. St. John tells his sisters that their Uncle John has died and left them nothing, because all his money went to another, unknown, relative. Jane learns that it was Uncle John who led Mr. Rivers into his disastrous business deal.
Matthew convinces Anne to change her mind. Marilla starts to develop a motherly affection for Anne.
Victor decides to leave Geneva in pursuit of the monster, who leaves him little clues and taunts to his whereabouts. They end up in the north and Victor falls ill and begs Walton to continue his quest. Walton believes his story. Just before Walton and his crew leave for England, Victor dies and the monster is found weeping over his creator’s body. He apologizes for the evil he has caused and he departs into the darkness.
Agnes Grey tries to supervise Miss Murray in her visits with the rector. She discovers the true depth of their relationship.
By using his wits, a tailor achieves success.
Chapter VIII takes place almost entirely at the ball and deals with Catherine’s social misfortunes.
Lucy’s manipulative nature is again shown by her resolution to take advantage of the Colonel’s wealth and generosity as much as she can, as a result of having him confirmed in her opinion as an extremely kind and giving person.
This chapter focuses on the events at Fort Caroline. The men are getting sicker, there is a mistaken “attack” on an Indian camp, and the soldiers mutiny.
Elinor finds the company of Mrs. Jennings somewhat awkward, given a lack of things in common and the brevity of their acquaintance.