BLEAK HOUSE
by
Charles Dickens
CONTENTS
| [Preface ] | |
| [I.] | In Chancery |
| [II.] | In Fashion |
| [III.] | A Progress |
| [IV.] | Telescopic Philanthropy |
| [V.] | A Morning Adventure |
| [VI.] | Quite at Home |
| [VII.] | The Ghost’s Walk |
| [VIII.] | Covering a Multitude of Sins |
| [IX.] | Signs and Tokens |
| [X.] | The Law-Writer |
| [XI.] | Our Dear Brother |
| [XII.] | On the Watch |
| [XIII.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [XIV.] | Deportment |
| [XV.] | Bell Yard |
| [XVI.] | Tom-all-Alone’s |
| [XVII.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [XVIII.] | Lady Dedlock |
| [XIX.] | Moving On |
| [XX.] | A New Lodger |
| [XXI.] | The Smallweed Family |
| [XXII.] | Mr. Bucket |
| [XXIII.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [XXIV.] | An Appeal Case |
| [XXV.] | Mrs. Snagsby Sees It All |
| [XXVI.] | Sharpshooters |
| [XXVII.] | More Old Soldiers Than One |
| [XXVIII.] | The Ironmaster |
| [XXIX.] | The Young Man |
| [XXX.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [XXXI.] | Nurse and Patient |
| [XXXII.] | The Appointed Time |
| [XXXIII.] | Interlopers |
| [XXXIV.] | A Turn of the Screw |
| [XXXV.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [XXXVI.] | Chesney Wold |
| [XXXVII.] | Jarndyce and Jarndyce |
| [XXXVIII.] | A Struggle |
| [XXXIX.] | Attorney and Client |
| [XL.] | National and Domestic |
| [XLI.] | In Mr. Tulkinghorn’s Room |
| [XLII.] | In Mr. Tulkinghorn’s Chambers |
| [XLIII.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [XLIV.] | The Letter and the Answer |
| [XLV.] | In Trust |
| [XLVI.] | Stop Him! |
| [XLVII.] | Jo’s Will |
| [XLVIII.] | Closing In |
| [XLIX.] | Dutiful Friendship |
| [L.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [LI.] | Enlightened |
| [LII.] | Obstinacy |
| [LIII.] | The Track |
| [LIV.] | Springing a Mine |
| [LV.] | Flight |
| [LVI.] | Pursuit |
| [LVII.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [LVIII.] | A Wintry Day and Night |
| [LIX.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [LX.] | Perspective |
| [LXI.] | A Discovery |
| [LXII.] | Another Discovery |
| [LXIII.] | Steel and Iron |
| [LXIV.] | Esther’s Narrative |
| [LXV.] | Beginning the World |
| [LXVI.] | Down in Lincolnshire |
| [LXVII.] | The Close of Esther’s Narrative |
PREFACE
A Chancery judge once had the kindness to inform me, as one of a company of some hundred and fifty men and women not labouring under any suspicions of lunacy, that the Court of Chancery, though the shining subject of much popular prejudice (at which point I thought the judge’s eye had a cast in my direction), was almost immaculate. There had been, he admitted, a trivial blemish or so in its rate of progress, but this was exaggerated and had been entirely owing to the “parsimony of the public,” which guilty public, it appeared, had been until lately bent in the most determined manner on by no means enlarging the number of Chancery judges appointed—I believe by Richard the Second, but any other king will do as well.