The Chimes
faith in himself, in his class, and in life has been somewhat disturbed. There follows in quick succession a series of experiences all calculated to increase his doubts: Mr. Filer’s demonstration that Toby himself is unpardonably past the average age, and that when he eats tripe he is stealing his food out of the mouths of widows and orphans; Alderman Cute’s denunciation of Meg’s desire to wed; Sir Joseph Bowley’s horror that, unlike himself, Toby is not entering the New Year with a clean slate; finally, the hideous newspaper account of the poverty-stricken mother who has slain herself and her child. No one of these details is included idly. Each contributes to Toby’s mood; each is to be used in working out the final resolution of the tale.
In the vision itself there are other careful bits of foreshadowing. Especially noteworthy for its delicate handling of a gross subject is the scene between Meg and Lilian in the Third Quarter, where we get the first hint that Lilian is to become a prostitute. Equally effective is Toby’s repeated wondering, as he searches the throngs of his vision, concerning the whereabouts of Richard. In this way suspense is developed, and Richard’s final appearance, dissipated and broken by hardship and disappointment, is made all the more impressive. The Chickenstalker episode, at the beginning of the Fourth Quarter, serves as legitimate comic relief, but it does more than that. It has a vital connexion with the story, and the conversation between Mrs. Chickenstalker and Tugby includes a careful summary of the various influences that have conspired to wreck Meg and
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