Victorians! discussion

Mr. Perker arrives at the Fleet with a deal for Mr. Pickwick - if he will pay Mrs. Bardell's legal costs to release her from prison, she will forget about the damages and release him as well. Pickwick does not want to pay even this much lower amount, but then Winkle arrives with Arabella (and the maid Mary) and announces that they are married. Mary had also given her notice at the house where she was employed in order to become their maid. Arabella insists that Mr. Pickwick must be the one to break it to her brother, and Perker suggests that Pickwick would also be the best person to break it to Winkle's father. Pickwick finally says he cannot stand in the way of love, and agrees to the deal. Sam immediately sends his lawyer Pell a note his father had previously written, forgiving his debt and releasing him, as well. As they are leaving, all the prisoners wish Pickwick well; he has been of benefit to many of them, and he introduces Perker to Jingle, of whom he had previously spoken, and Perker tells Jingle and Job he will come back to meet with them next day. Meanwhile, Bob Sawyer is failing in his medical practice, and Ben Allen is even more insistent that he must marry Arabella to get a thousand pounds which she will receive upon her marriage. However, the aunt comes to tell them of Arabella's elopement, upon which they both swear vengeance upon the bridegroom. Mr. Pickwick arrives with Sam and, after some initial difficulties, manages to smooth it all over. Ben agrees to accompany Pickwick to the elder Mr. Winkle's. That night at the inn, Pickwick meets a man who tells him a fanciful story about his uncle's experience with some ghostly mail coaches. The punchline, after the story is over, is when the landlord wonders what they carry in those coaches, and the bagman says the dead letters of course!