Our Mutual Friend

Sophronia Akershem and Alfred Lammle, both recent guests of the Veneerings, have gotten engaged. To talk about this wedding, Twemlow dines with the Veneerings and Podsnap.

The wedding itself is a lavish affair, but during the honeymoon, the couple discovers that neither of them actually has any money. They are horrified, having been tricked by the Veneerings into believing that they would each be benefiting financially from the marriage. They keep their unhappiness a secret and plot revenge against the Veneerings while also devising schemes to make money.

When Georgiana Podsnap turns 18, her parents throw a birthday party for her. The Veneerings and the Lammles are invited and listen to the very patriotic Podsnap talk about the glories of the British Empire. Veneering talks about the Harmon estate, which Boffin has inherited. He has since earned the nickname the “Golden Dustman” due to the vast dust heaps that made Harmon’s fortune and on which Boffin once worked. Veneering also mentions that Bella’s father works for the Veneering family firm. During the party, Mrs. Lammle talks to Georgiana, who confesses that her shyness means that she is not good at parties. Podsnap argues with another guest about the plight of the poor in London. As he leaves with his wife, Lammle encourages her to continue befriending Georgiana as part of their plot to make money.

Eugene and Mortimer share a rented cottage during the summer months. Over the course of dinner, Eugene mentions that his “respected father” has selected a wife for him. This displeases Eugene, who refuses to meet this woman. A man interrupts the dinner, claiming that he wishes to make a statement to Mortimer regarding Harmon’s murder. He introduces himself as a “waterside character” named Rogue Riderhood and claims that Hexam murdered John Harmon. The lawyers probe him, and he discusses his past dealings with Hexam. Lizzie, he says, will contradict his story to protect her father. Mortimer asks for proof, and Riderhood claims that Hexam confessed to him on the night that the body was found. Since then, Riderhood claims, he has been unsure of how to proceed, but the reward has prompted him to come forward.

The lawyers do not trust Riderhood but agree to take him to the police station, as they also distrust Hexam. Riderhood takes them to the Six Jolly Fellowship-Porters and then to Hexam’s home, where only Lizzie is present. At the police station, they submit the confession to the police inspector, who suggests that he wait in the pub with the lawyers while Riderhood keeps watch on the Hexam home. When alone with the lawyers, the inspector admits that he suspects that Riderhood is implicated in the murder somehow.

The lawyers wait with the inspector at the pub. Mortimer and Eugene voice their concerns for Lizzie if her father is arrested. The inspector eventually joins Riderhood on his watch while the lawyers stay in the pub. Eugene briefly joins the two observers, seeing Lizzie in her house as she waits for her father’s return. Eventually, all four men are watching the house. Riderhood suggests that he should use his own boat to venture out to find Hexam. When he returns, he says that Hexam’s boat was floating alone on the river.

The lawyers and the inspector examine Hexam’s empty boat, dragging it to the shore. They find that Hexam’s corpse is tied to the boat, and the inspector suggests that he may accidently have fallen in the river. Mortimer loses Eugene, so he decides to return to the cottage. The next day, he sees Eugene, who claims to have gone for “a walk” the previous evening.

The Boffins examine “disordered papers” regarding their recent inheritance. Rokesmith arrives, following up on his offer to work for them. When he shows them how useful he could be, he is hired. Boffin explains his plan to move into a new, nicer house that has been personally recommended by his “literary man,” Silas Wegg. He instructs Rokesmith to begin the process for this move. The Boffins walk Rokesmith around their house, talking about their fond recollections of the Harmon children.

Silas comes to the house to read to Boffin, who has recently been worried that he is not treating Silas properly. When he moves into his new house, he says, Silas should look after the Bower and give up his stall. Silas agrees; he has been angling for this job for a long time but has allowed Boffin to feel as though he came up with the idea. Mrs. Boffin interrupts the evening’s reading with talk of ghosts of the Harmon family. She cannot be comforted.

Rokesmith begins working on the Boffins’ affairs, showing intricate knowledge of the Harmon will. This does not worry Boffin, though he notes that Rokesmith refuses to work with the Boffins’ lawyer, Mortimer Lightwood. Meanwhile, with Hexam dead, Mortimer is confounded in his mission to obtain more information about John Harmon’s death. He would like to speak to Julius Handford but cannot locate him. He places an advertisement but receives no response.

Rokesmith also helps Mrs. Boffin find a suitable orphan to adopt. He goes with her to meet an orphan suggested by Reverend Milvey. The orphan, Johnny, is currently under the care of Betty Higden, who is also caring for Toddles and Poddles. She is helped by a boy named Sloppy. She fears the workhouse more than anything else. On hearing Mrs. Boffin’s talk of adoption, she is thrilled about the better life Johnny will have but is loath to lose him. Mrs. Boffin gives her time to think.

Later, Rokesmith meets Bella while she is out for a walk. She will be able to move into the Boffins’ house in two weeks, he tells her, revealing his new role. He believes that, with a bit of effort, Bella could convince the Boffins to give her a large part of the inheritance that she was meant to receive. When she seems to react to this with “a certain ambitious triumph” (206), he is disappointed.

Eventually, the Boffins move into their new home. Many people swarm around the newly rich couple, hoping to take advantage of them. These opportunistic people include the Veneerings, the Podsnaps, a client of Mortimer’s named Lady Tippins, and Twemlow. Rokesmith works hard to protect his employers while Silas moves into the Bower, the Boffins’ old home, and spends many hours searching all over the house, apparently looking for something.