The Puzzle of Dickenss Last Plot | Page 6

he will have drugged,
and that he will allow Edwin to "walk off the tower into the air." There
are later suggestions to the same effect, as we shall see, but they are
deliberately misleading. There are also strong suggestions to the very
opposite effect: it is broadly indicated that Jasper is to strangle Edwin
with a thick black-silk scarf, which he has just taken to wearing for the
good of his throat.
The pair return to the crypt, Durdles falls asleep, dreams that Jasper
leaves him, "and that something touches him and something falls from
his hand. Then something clinks and gropes about," and the lines of
moonlight shift their direction, as Durdles finds that they have really
done when he wakens, with Jasper beside him, while the Cathedral
clock strikes two. They have had many hours, not less than five, for
their expedition. The key of the crypt lies beside Durdles on the ground.
They go out, and as Deputy begins stone-throwing, Jasper half
strangles him.
PURPOSE OF THE EXPEDITION
Jasper has had ample time to take models in wax of all Durdles's keys.

But he could have done that in a few minutes, while Durdles slept, if he
had wax with him, without leaving the crypt. He has also had time to
convey several wheelbarrowfuls of quicklime from Durdles's yard to
Mrs. Sapsea's sepulchre, of which monument he probably took the key
from Durdles, and tried its identity by clinking. But even in a Cathedral
town, even after midnight, several successive expeditions of a lay
precentor with a wheelbarrow full of quicklime would have been apt to
attract the comment of some belated physician, some cleric coming
from a sick bed, or some local roysterers. Therefore it is that Dickens
insists on the "utterly deserted" character of the area, and shows us that
Jasper has made sure of that essential fact by observations from the
tower top. Still, his was a perilous expedition, with his wheelbarrow!
We should probably learn later, that Jasper was detected by the wakeful
Deputy, who loathed him. Moreover, next morning Durdles was apt to
notice that some of his quicklime had been removed. As far as is shown,
Durdles noticed nothing of that kind, though he does observe
peculiarities in Jasper's behaviour.
The next point in the tale is that Edwin and Rosa meet, and have sense
enough to break off their engagement. But Edwin, represented as really
good-hearted, now begins to repent his past behaviour, and, though he
has a kind of fancy for Miss Landless, he pretty clearly falls deeper in
love with his late fiancee, and weeps his loss in private: so we are told.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas Eve comes, the day of the dinner of three, Jasper, Landless,
and Edwin. The chapter describing this fateful day (xiv.) is headed,
When shall these Three meet again? and Mr. Proctor argues that
Dickens intends that THEY SHALL meet again. The intention, and the
hint, are much in Dickens's manner. Landless means to start, next day,
very early, on a solitary walking tour, and buys an exorbitantly heavy
stick. We casually hear that Jasper knows Edwin to possess no
jewellery, except a watch and chain and a scarf-pin. As Edwin moons
about, he finds the old opium hag, come down from London, "seeking a
needle in a bottle of hay," she says--that is, hunting vainly for Jasper.
Please remark that Jasper has run up to town, on December 23, and has

saturated his system with a debauch of opium on the very eve of the
day when he clearly means to kill Edwin. This was a most injudicious
indulgence, in the circumstances. A maiden murder needs nerve! We
know that "fiddlestrings was weakness to express the state of" Jasper's
"nerves" on the day after the night of opium with which the story opens.
On December 24, Jasper returned home, the hag at his heels. The old
woman, when met by Edwin, has a curious film over her eyes; "he
seems to know her." "Great heaven," he thinks, next moment. "Like
Jack that night!" This refers to a kind of fit of Jasper's, after dinner, on
the first evening of the story. Edwin has then seen Jack Jasper in one of
his "filmy" seizures. The woman prays Edwin for three shillings and
sixpence, to buy opium. He gives her the money; she asks his Christian
name. "Edwin." Is "Eddy" a sweetheart's form of that? He says that he
has no sweetheart. He is told to be thankful that his name is not Ned.
Now, Jasper alone calls Edwin "Ned." "'Ned' is a threatened name, a
dangerous name," says the hag, who has heard Jasper threaten "Ned" in
his opium dreams.
Edwin determines to tell this adventure to Jasper, BUT NOT ON THIS
NIGHT: to-morrow