The Puzzle of Dickenss Last Plot | Page 8

is Dickens's secret. But whereas Grewgious, if he believes Jasper
to be an actual murderer, should take him seriously; in point of fact, he
speaks of Jasper in so light a tone, as "our local friend," that we feel no
certainty that he is not really aware of Edwin's escape from a
murderous attack by Jasper, and of his continued existence.
Presently Crisparkle, under some mysterious impression, apparently
telepathic (the book is rich in such psychical phenomena), visits the
weir on the river, at night, and next day finds Edwin's watch and chain
in the timbers; his scarf-pin in the pool below. The watch and chain
must have been placed purposely where they were found, they could
not float thither, and, if Neville had slain Edwin, he would not have

stolen his property, of course, except as a blind, neutralised by the
placing of the watch in a conspicuous spot. However, the increased
suspicions drive Neville away to read law in Staple Inn, where
Grewgious also dwells, and incessantly watches Neville out of his
window.
About six months later, Helena Landless is to join Neville, who is
watched at intervals by Jasper, who, again, is watched by Grewgious as
the precentor lurks about Staple Inn.
DICK DATCHERY
About the time when Helena leaves Cloisterham for town, a new
character appears in Cloisterham, "a white-headed personage with
black eyebrows, BUTTONED UP IN A TIGHTISH BLUE SURTOUT,
with a buff waistcoat, grey trowsers, and something of a military air."
His shock of white hair was unusually thick and ample. This man, "a
buffer living idly on his means," named Datchery, is either, as Mr.
Proctor believed, Edwin Drood, or, as Mr. Walters thinks, Helena
Landless. By making Grewgious drop the remark that Bazzard, his
clerk, a moping owl of an amateur tragedian, "is off duty here," at his
chambers, Dickens hints that Bazzard is Datchery. But that is a mere
false scent, a ruse of the author, scattering paper in the wrong place, in
this long paper hunt.
As for Helena, Mr. Walters justly argues that Dickens has marked her
for some important part in the ruin of Jasper. "There was a slumbering
gleam of fire in her intense dark eyes. Let whomsoever it most
concerned look well to it." Again, we have been told that Helena had
high courage. She had told Jasper that she feared him "in no
circumstances whatever." Again, we have learned that in childhood she
had dressed as a boy when she ran away from home; and she had the
motives of protecting Rosa and her brother, Neville, from the
machinations of Jasper, who needs watching, as he is trying to ruin
Neville's already dilapidated character, and, by spying on him, to break
down his nerve. Really, of course, Neville is quite safe. There is no
corpus delicti, no carcase of the missing Edwin Drood.

For the reasons given, Datchery might be Helena in disguise.
If so, the idea is highly ludicrous, while nothing is proved either by the
blackness of Datchery's eyebrows (Helena's were black), or by
Datchery's habit of carrying his hat under his arm, not on his head. A
person who goes so far as to wear a conspicuous white wig, would not
be afraid also to dye his eyebrows black, if he were Edwin; while either
Edwin or Helena MUST have "made up" the face, by the use of paint
and sham wrinkles. Either Helena or Edwin would have been detected
in real life, of course, but we allow for the accepted fictitious
convention of successful disguise, and for the necessities of the novelist.
A tightly buttoned surtout would show Helena's feminine figure; but let
that also pass. As to the hat, Edwin's own hair was long and thick: add
a wig, and his hat would be a burden to him.
What is most unlike the stern, fierce, sententious Helena, is Datchery's
habit of "chaffing." He fools the ass of a Mayor, Sapsea, by most
exaggerated diference: his tone is always that of indolent mockery,
which one doubts whether the "intense" and concentrated Helena could
assume. He takes rooms in the same house as Jasper, to whom, as to
Durdles and Deputy, he introduces himself on the night of his arrival at
Cloisterham. He afterwards addresses Deputy, the little gamin, by the
name "Winks," which is given to him by the people at the Tramps'
lodgings: the name is a secret of Deputy's.
JASPER, ROSA, AND TARTAR
Meanwhile Jasper formally proposes to Rosa, in the school garden:
standing apart and leaning against a sundial, as the garden is
commanded by many windows. He offers to resign his hopes of
bringing Landless to the gallows (perhaps this bad man would provide
a corpus delicti of his own making!) if Rosa will accept him: he
threatens to