Summary

Vholes (Richard’s attorney) appears unexpectedly at Bleak House one morning. The news he bears is that Richard is broke and may lose his army commission.

Esther goes to visit Richard at Deal, in Kent, taking Charley with her, as well as a letter in which Ada offers Richard her inheritance. Esther finds Richard almost unhinged. He wants to go to London with her and try once again to expedite the Chancery suit.

As they leave Kent, they accidentally meet Allan Woodcourt, who has just returned from India. Allan promises Esther that he will befriend Richard and try to be a good influence on him. Esther perceives that Allan is compassionate about her illness-ravaged face. Inwardly she welcomes his concern.

Analysis

Dickens knew that most of his readers would prefer to see some romance in Esther’s life despite the many virtues of the aging John Jarndyce (and Dickens has hinted, all along, that Allan Woodcourt finds Esther much to his liking). Hence, to prevent a possible sag in his readers’ interest, Dickens brings Allan onto the scene again immediately after Esther’s acceptance of her guardian’s proposal. Meanwhile, Richard moves closer and closer toward a bad end.