Chapters 9-10 Summary
On the second day of their stay in London, Mr. Pecksniff and his daughters are to deliver Tom Pinch’s letter to his sister, Ruth, who is a governess for the children of an important copper manufacturer. They are accompanied by Mrs. Todgers and find that Ruth Pinch is not as unattractive as they had assumed she would be. She is quite pretty and has the same grateful and pleasant personality as her brother. Ruth's pupil takes note of what the governess does to report later. The footman arrives to ask what the pupil is learning, which is a sign for the Pecksniffs to leave. As they depart, Pecksniff points out the architectural features of the house until the owner tells him to get off the grass and leave. Mr. Pecksniff assumes his usual hypocritically pleasant manner, while the girls are deeply offended and embarrassed.
The senior lodger, Mr. Jinkins, has invited Mercy and Charity to dine with the gentleman lodgers the following day. Bailey, the young servant boy, teases the girls and Mrs. Todgers unmercifully. Mrs. Todgers goes out of her way to prepare a massive feast. The gentlemen fall over themselves to serve the two young ladies, with Jinkins taking the lead, much to the ire of the youngest boarder. With much drinking, the party soon becomes tipsy, but none more than Mr. Pecksniff. After dinner, he becomes maudlin, telling Mrs. Todgers how much she reminds him of his late wife. Soon, Pecksniff falls over into the fireplace, from which he is quickly rescued. The boarders put him to bed, but he keeps coming out onto the landing to spout his moralizings. Finally, he is locked into his room with Bailey standing guard at the door.
Mr. Pecksniff goes each morning to the post office to see if there is a letter for him, but for several days, there is none. At last, he receives a notice from Mr. Chuzzlewit, arranging a meeting at Mrs. Todgers’ boarding house. As Mr. Chuzzlewit arrives, Mr. Pecksniff pretends that he is much calmer to receive him than he is. Mr. Chuzzlewit wants to meet Pecksniff's daughters, who are listening at the door. They come in and begin to follow their father’s example of fawning upon the old man. Mr. Chuzzlewit tells Pecksniff that he knows that his grandson is now living in the Pecksniff house. He informs Pecksniff that Martin already has matrimonial intentions, which shocks Pecksniff. Chuzzlewit tells Pecksniff to throw Martin out of his house, which Pecksniff agrees to do. Chuzzlewit plans to develop a relationship with the Pecksniffs that will throw the other Chuzzlewit relatives into a state of viciousness. After Chuzzlewit leaves, the Pecksniffs overhear the youngest lodger arguing with Mrs. Todgers about Jinkins’ treatment of him and threatening to leave the boarding house. Mrs. Todgers assures him that she could much easier lose Jinkins than himself. The youngest boarder is mollified and agrees to stay. Pecksniff afterward preaches to Mrs. Todgers about her deception, since she views Jinkins in a much better light than she does the youngest boarder.
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