Bleak House Chapters 46–50 Summary & Analysis

Jo is happy to see Snagsby and asks him to write out the facts of what happened after Jo has moved on as far as he can go, so that other people know he never meant to cause any harm. Snagsby agrees. The narrator says that Snagsby and Jo will never meet again.

When Woodcourt visits Jo, Jo is worse. Woodcourt leads Jo in a prayer, and Jo soon dies.

Summary: Chapter 48, “Closing in”

The narrator says that the Dedlocks are in their London home, and that Lady Dedlock is, as usual, still much revered and the center of attention. Tulkinghorn doesn’t reveal her secret, and no one suspects he has any power over her. Meanwhile, Lady Dedlock has decided to disregard their agreement and take action of her own. She tells Rosa that it’s time for her to leave. Rosa is distraught, but Lady Dedlock has already arranged for Mr. Rouncewell to pick her up. She goes to tell Sir Leicester that she has dismissed Rosa; Tulkinghorn is with him, and she tells him to stay. When Mr. Rouncewell arrives, Lady Dedlock announces to him that she has decided Rosa must leave her. He agrees to take Rosa with him. Rosa comes in, upset, and Lady Dedlock coldly says goodbye to her.

Later, Tulkinghorn speaks to Lady Dedlock alone and tells her she has violated their agreement. He thinks getting rid of Rosa will raise suspicions. He says that Lady Dedlock’s secret is actually his secret, since he has taken it on to protect Sir Leicester and his family. Lady Dedlock says she wanted to protect Rosa. Tulkinghorn says he will now proceed of his own accord and that she will receive no other notice of what he will do. She asks him when he will tell Sir Leicester, but he won’t give her a specific answer. He leaves.

The narrator says that Lady Dedlock goes walking in the garden alone that night. Meanwhile, Tulkinghorn is at home. The narrator describes the nighttime scene, then suddenly asks, “What’s that?” A gunshot has been heard. The narrator says that Tulkinghorn doesn’t go to the window to investigate. He says that the painted Roman on the ceiling, which has always been pointing aimlessly, is now pointing at Tulkinghorn’s dead body—he has been shot through the heart.

Summary: Chapter 49, “Dutiful Friendship”

The narrator describes Mrs. Bagnet’s birthday celebration. Mr. Bagnet prepares an elaborate dinner and tells Mrs. Bagnet that George will surely visit. She says she fears George may be about to resume his wandering ways, but Mr. Bagnet disagrees. At dinnertime, George arrives. He is pale and tells the Bagnets that the young boy he’d taken in has died. Later, Bucket arrives, saying he spotted George through the window. The Bagnets’ two daughters greet him excitedly, instantly enraptured with him. Mrs. Bagnet tells him that George is upset, but George won’t explain. Mrs. Bagnet asks if Bucket has a family; he has a wife but no children. Bucket suddenly compliments the Bagnets’ backyard and asks if there’s any way out of it; there isn’t.

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