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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

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Student Question

What did Peter Wilks leave for his brothers, and where do Harvey and William Wilks live?

Quick answer:

Peter Wilks left three thousand dollars, a tanyard, horses, and land to his daughters, and also three thousand dollars to his brothers, Harvey and William Wilks. Harvey and William are believed to be living in England, as the king and duke impersonate them, claiming to have traveled from there to visit. The king and duke attempt to secure the inheritance by pretending to be the Wilks brothers, ultimately giving the money to the daughters to avoid suspicion.

Expert Answers

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In Chapter 25, the duke and king deceive Mary Jane, her sisters, and the townspeople by pretending to be Peter Wilks' brothers who are visiting from their home in England. The king pretends to be the English preacher, Harvey Wilks, and the duke pretends to be Peter and Harvey's other brother, William Wilks. After Peter's funeral, Mary Jane gives the king and duke a letter from Peter Wilks that he had written before he died. In the letter, Peter bestowed three thousand dollars, his tanyard, horses, and land to his daughters, and also gave three thousand dollars to his brothers, Harvey and William. The duke and king head to the cellar to retrieve the money, but decide to count it first. When they count it, there is four hundred and fifteen dollars missing. They decide to "make up the deffisit" by using the money from their previous con "The Royal Nonesuch." The duke then suggests that they give all the money to the girls to avoid suspicion. After they give the money to Peter's daughters, Dr. Robinson openly calls the king and duke frauds after hearing their unconvincing English accents. However, Mary Jane believes that the king and duke are actually Harvey and William Wilks and gives them the entire six thousand dollars to invest.

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