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chapter seventeen

There is Hope for Kit

Several evenings later Daniel Quilp asked Sampson Brass to come and see him at his boatyard. Mr Brass hated going to that place - it was far away, dark and dangerous. When he reached the boatyard, Mr Brass knocked on the counting-house door and walked inside. After some moments of conversation Quilp told Mr Brass why he had asked to see him.

‘I told you to get a clerk and you did,’ he began. ‘Now I’m telling you to get rid of him.’

‘What’ said Mr Brass in surprise.

‘I brought Richard Swiveller to you so that I could know where he was and what he was doing,’ replied Quilp. ‘He wanted to marry Nell because he thought her grandfather was rich, but I thought he was as poor as a rat. That marriage would have been something to see! But if the lodger is looking for the old man, then he can’t really be poor, can he? So there would be no fun in helping Richard to marry Nell, none at all.’

‘Oh,’ replied Mr Brass.

‘And his friend, Fred Trent, has disappeared,’ said Quilp. ‘I’ve heard that he had to run away because he got into trouble. I think he’s gone abroad. I hate him, so that’s the best place for him - far away.’

‘Yes, of course’ agreed Brass.

‘Swiveller is stupid and weak and I don’t want him any longer,’ Quilp told Brass. ‘Do what you like with him - kill him or let him die of hunger. I don’t care. But as soon as Kit’s trial is finished, get rid of Richard.’

A few days later, Kit’s trial was held. The trial did not go well for Kit and he was found guilty. Kit was shocked, and his mother was very upset and could not stop crying. Richard Swiveller kindly took her home, then he returned to Mr Brass’s office. He was beginning to think that perhaps Kit was innocent.

But Richard had some bad news of his own when he arrived at the lawyer’s office. His boss told him that he was no longer needed there and that he should look for work somewhere else. Richard was shocked and angry. He picked up his things and left without saying goodbye.

The last few days had been difficult for Richard Swiveller. That night he became very ill with a high temperature. He went home and went to bed and fell into a terrible half-sleep during which he did not know what time or day it was.

When at last he started to feel a little better, he realized that there was someone in the room with him. As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw the Marchioness. Yes, it is her, he thought, sitting at my table playing cards by herself! When she saw him looking at her she started to cry with joy.

Richard had been very ill for nearly three weeks. When the Marchioness had heard that he was ill - the only person who had ever been nice to her - she had run away from Mr Brass and Sally. She had stayed at Richard’s apartment and looked after him.

She told him that Kit had been sentenced to transportation, and that she felt terrible about it because she knew he was not guilty. She said she had heard Mr Brass and Sally talking about Kit and about how Daniel Quilp had asked them to get rid of the boy. She had also heard them planning to hide the five-pound note in Kit’s hat.

When the Marchioness had finished talking, Richard was very upset and angry about what he had just heard. Kit really was innocent! Richard was too weak to get out of bed so he sent the Marchioness to go and bring Mr Garland at once.