Jonas has decided to put Chuffey into an insane asylum, supposedly assisted by Mrs. Gamp, who takes him upstairs. Mercy has gone to see Mrs. Todgers. Jonas asks Mrs. Gamp where her assistant is, but Mrs. Gamp says that Mrs. Prig is not to be trusted and so has asked Mrs. Harris to help. When Jonas asks to see her, Mrs. Gamp is hesitant. She is about to leave when Mr. Chuzzlewit and John Westlock arrive. Mr. Chuzzlewit accuses Jonas of murder, and Mr. Lewsome arrives to present his evidence against Jonas. Mr. Chuffey interrupts, saying that Anthony was not poisoned. He had discovered Jonas’s plan and so had not taken the medicine in which Jonas had put the poison. He felt guilt over raising a son who wanted to kill his father. He still loved Jonas and meant to forgive him but died before he could. Before he died, Anthony begged Chuffey to spare Jonas, which Chuffey has unwillingly done. He is now concerned about Mercy, but Mr. Chuzzlewit tells him that he has taken her into his care. Mr. Nadgett arrives and accuses Jonas of the murder of Montague Tigg, whose body has been discovered. Mr. Nadgett has been spying on Jonas and saw him throw the clothes that he wore during the murder into the Thames. They were recovered, with blood on them. Nadgett calls the police, one of whom happens to be Chevy Slyme, a Chuzzlewit relative. As they wait for the police van, Jonas tells Chevy to take his wallet, containing one hundred pounds, out of his pocket in exchange for giving him five minutes alone in the next room. Chevy does so, but interrupts him after a few minutes and returns the money. Jonas is taken off in the police van, where he takes poison and kills himself before they reach their destination.

Mr. Chuzzlewit gathers all his relatives and acquaintances together. Mr. Pecksniff also arrives, and seeing the group together, he accuses them of being leeches and bloodsuckers at Mr. Chuzzlewit’s expense. When he reaches out to Mr. Chuzzlewit, the latter knocks him down with his walking stick. He reveals that he has long instituted a plan by which he could expose Pecksniff’s hypocrisy. He tells everyone that the main curse of the Chuzzlewit family has been love of self, of which he has been the most guilty and the source for everyone else. He takes his grandson, Martin, and Mary by the hands, telling them that he has long intended that they should be together but by his own manipulations. He tells Pinch that although he at first disliked and mistrusted him, he has discovered him to be the most reliable of men. Pecksniff, stating that he is not injured but is hurt, tells Mr. Chuzzlewit that he forgives him. He leaves, saying that he has been deceived by everyone there. His exit is marred by the entrance of Mr. Sweedlepipe and Mrs. Gamp, followed by a bandaged Bailey, who is not dead after all. The group breaks up, with John escorting Ruth, while Mr. Chuzzlewit and Tom Pinch have business to attend to.