52 pages 1 hour read

Elizabeth Gaskell

Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1848

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Chapters 25-32Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 25 Summary: “Mrs. Wilson’s Determination”

Sally finds Mary the next day and tells her that people are coming to Mary’s place of work to catch a glimpse of the woman who inspired a murder. Mary says she will never come back to work. Sally doesn’t understand Mary’s feelings or realize that Mary doesn’t like her. Mary and Job see Jane, who they don’t think is well enough to travel to Liverpool. Jane is determined to go. Job says he will find Will and that Jane and Mary should follow him the next day, but Mary knows she is the one that must find Will. Margaret agrees.

Chapter 26 Summary: “The Journey to Liverpool”

On the train to Liverpool, Mary hears people talking about the murder and her suspected part in it. When she reaches the lodgings where Will always stays, the landlady tells her that his ship left that morning.

Chapter 27 Summary: “In the Liverpool Docks”

As the landlady comforts Mary, her son, who had seen Will’s ship go out, tells her there is still time: She can hire a boat at the pier to catch him. The boy helps her hire a boat and rows her out to Will’s ship.