Little Dorrit, Chapter 4 summary

What happens

1. After putting Mrs. Clennam to bed, Affery retires without Jeremiah and seems to wake hours afterward.
2. Affery searches downstairs and sees Jeremiah sitting opposite a sleeping man who looks exactly like him.
3. Jeremiah wakes the visitor, gives him port, and carefully checks his hold on an iron box.
4. The visitor leaves with the box, while Affery stands frozen with fear on the stairs.
5. Jeremiah backs Affery into their bedroom, shakes her by the throat, and calls her experience a nightmare.
6. He threatens her with medicine if she dreams this way again, and she thanks him before returning to bed.

In this chapter

What to notice

Jeremiah replaces Affery's apparent discovery with his own explanation. His violence and threat make that explanation difficult for her to challenge.

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