Summary
The next day, Harmon feels more resolved that he has done everything he can to mitigate the consequences of his deception, and it is best for him to never reveal his true identity. He speaks with Mr. Wilfer, who explains his hopes that with the Boffins’s introduction into society, Bella will be able to marry a wealthy man, though he is sure she is not currently interested in anyone. He then encounters Betty Higden, who explains that Sloppy is trying to find a way to both help her and become part of the Boffin household, whereas she knows that is not possible. Her plan is to run away from him: she is living a melancholy life, haunted by ghosts from her past, but is too proud to accept any form of charity.
John explains the proposal to Mrs. Boffin, suggesting that she respect Higden’s desire to decide her own fate. Mrs. Boffin agrees and they provide Betty Higden with the supplies she needs to make a living roaming and selling handiwork. After asking some questions about what line of work Sloppy might go into, John prepares a document for Riderhood to sign. He plans to have the document sent anonymously to Lizzie, since he cannot risk having either Lizzie or Charley recognize him. Nonetheless, he wishes he had a way to find out Lizzie’s reaction to this document. He decides that since Sloppy is going to need some education, if he hires the same schoolteacher who is instructing Charley, he might be able to forge some ties with the family.
That night, John meets with Headstone, explaining to him that he learned about him through Lightwood, and is surprised that Headstone openly declares his dislike of Lightwood’s friend Wrayburn. Headstone becomes even more agitated when John tries to transition the conversation to the subject of Lizzie, worrying that there is now some connection between Lizzie and Wrayburn. John asks whether Lizzie’s reputation has been damaged by the accusation against her father, and Headstone says she has not, hinting that there is a man who would happily marry Lizzie. After they finish, John gets Riderhood to sign the recantation and mails it anonymously to Lizzie. Before she leaves, Betty is given a letter stating that she is the friend of the Boffins, and then leaves London.
A short time after meeting with the secretary, Charley and Headstone go to visit Lizzie. As they walk along, Charley indicates that he plans to leave Headstone and Lizzie together so that he can ask her something and that he supports the question Headstone is going to ask. Lizzie tries to object, but Charley insists and leaves her alone with Headstone. He declares his passionate love for her, but Lizzie gently refuses to marry him. When she reasserts that she does not need time to think, and that she will never change her mind, Headstone makes a violent threat against “him.” When Lizzie reacts with fear, he makes it clear that he sees Wrayburn as his rival for Lizzie’s affection. Headstone flees in rage, pain, and distress.
Charley sees that the conversation has not gone well and is angry with Lizzie for refusing his friend’s proposal. He explains how the marriage would be favorable to both of them, and asks Lizzie to consider changing her mind. He lashes out in anger, and leaves Lizzie weeping in despair. By chance, Riah comes across her and offers to walk her home. As they make their way, they run into Wrayburn who is confused and alarmed by Lizzie’s distress. He tries to take charge of Lizzie but Riah remains by her side. Lizzie also begs Wrayburn to be careful; finally, the two men walk her home together.
Mr. and Mrs. Lammle are celebrating their anniversary, and Twemlow and Fledgeby both attend the party, along with the Veneerings, Lady Tippins, Wrayburn, Lightwood, and the Podsnaps. Lady Tippins remembers Lightwood’s connection to the Harmon murder, and asks for more gossip. Lightwood explains that Lizzie Hexam recently received an anonymous message clearing her father’s name, which she forwarded to Mr. Boffin. Boffin asked the secretary to reach out to Lizzie, who is surprised to find that she cannot be located. Lightwood also tries to reach her, but Lizzie seems to have vanished.
As the party winds to an end, Mrs. Lammle asks to speak with Twemlow, explaining that she will do so in an unusual manner since she may be being watched. While they pretend to be looking at a book of portraits, Mrs. Lammle swears him to secrecy and explains that there is a plot to trick Georgiana into marrying Fledgeby for money. She asks him to warn Podsnap that she is a matchmaker and encourage him to prevent his daughter from spending time with the Lammles.
Analysis
Through the various subplots, this section focuses on three women struggling to maintain control and independence: Lizzie, Mrs. Lammle, and Betty. Betty is the least developed character, and Dickens could be criticized for using her to represent an idealized figure of poverty as a way of manipulating the sympathy of his mostly middle-class readers. However, her sense of grief that comes with a long life of enduring loss and loneliness echoes a universal theme: as a result of having lost children and now a great-grandchild, Betty shares an experience that connects her to Mrs. Boffin, who has never been a mother, and even old Mr. Harmon, who died alone and mourning for the family he once had such high hopes for. Betty's insistence that she wants to set out alone and continue to live independently is something of a rarity in a novel where most of the characters live closely connected to one another, and where it seems that apparent strangers are never more than a few degrees of separation apart. However, it also enhances her nobility and integrity because she rejects the systems of patronage, nepotism, bribery, and even double-dealing that inform how most other characters make their living and run their businesses.
Lizzie's problems are also anchored in her class and social position, but her youth, beauty, and personal charisma give her the opportunity to find a new position via marriage. In this section, the crisis that has been brewing between Headstone and Lizzie finally comes to a head with his proposal. He does not ask in a way that signals respect, or even real affection, but instead describes his desire to possess Lizzie like a kind of gnawing affliction. In a sense, by highlighting how much suffering his desire causes him, he tries to guilt her into accepting the proposal; Headstone also seems relatively confident that because he is disregarding Lizzie's lack of education and tainted reputation, she will be grateful and willing to marry him. Headstone, unlike many of the other characters in the novel, never shows greed in terms of acquiring wealth, but the same intense hunger that drives other people to try and acquire wealth by any means prompts him to obsessively pursue Lizzie. He treats her much like an object that he needs to own and control at any price.
Lizzie, despite her gentle and kind manner, shows in this section that she is capable of standing up for herself. In the Victorian era, where marriage was such an important part of a woman's life, turning down a proposal was always somewhat noteworthy, and as we see other characters coldly calculate, Lizzie is unlikely to get many chances. By turning down Headstone, Lizzie is effectively shutting down her one chance at a secure and comfortable life, and a family of her own. Yet, she refuses to yield and trusts the integrity of her heart telling her it would be wrong to marry a man she does not love, and who in fact makes her feel afraid and uncomfortable. Paradoxically, the very things that might make it hard for Lizzie to find a husband also give her the freedom to choose. While it was unusual for a young woman to earn her own living and live with a family like Jenny and her father, Lizzie's independence means she can reject Headstone and keep on living her life.
Two things make Lizzie's rejection of the proposal especially difficult: the threat of violence against Wrayburn, and Charley's cruelty to his sister. Headstone shows his narcissism by immediately rushing to assume that Lizzie rejects him because she has feelings for another man. He isn't entirely wrong, but as Lizzie tries to argue, a rival is not the thing that prevents her from accepting him: she would rather remain single forever than marry the schoolmaster. Headstone nevertheless is obsessed with the idea of not only having Lizzie for himself, but also ensuring no one else has her. His violent and frightening remarks foreshadow what is to come, and make Lizzie feel protective of Wrayburn. Meanwhile, in a novel filled with betrayals, Charley disappoints and hurts his sister in a particularly cruel way. He does not stand up for her decision, even though she is visibly distressed. If Charley was worried about his sister and wanted to ensure she was well-cared for and supported, his behavior might be more forgivable, but his primary concern is his own social position and avoiding embarrassment. He would be happy to see Lizzie sacrifice her own happiness so that he can advance up the social ladder.
The Lammle plotline echoes many of these themes around greed, betrayal, independence, and integrity. In a surprising turn, Mrs. Lammle finds herself unable to trap Georgiana into an unhappy and false marriage. Presumably because she knows the unhappiness her own marriage has caused her, she cannot trap an innocent young girl into a similar situation. Mrs. Lammle betrays her husband by revealing the plot they have been working on, but here the betrayal actually confirms her integrity rather than violate it. She still looks out for her own best interests by using Twemlow as a decoy to protect herself, but she is willing to sacrifice her own reputation and social status in the eyes of the Podsnap family. The scene where Mrs. Lammle and Twemlow appear to be innocently looking at a book while she is actually disclosing these secrets to him highlights how, in the world of the novel and especially in high society, nothing is ever what it seems, and characters always have a hidden agenda.
