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.