Barnaby Rudge · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens.

Read with companions Book page

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

Chapter 1
Barnaby Rudge
This is the opening chapter of Barnaby Rudge, introducing the novel's title character and setting the stage for the story of the Gordon Riots of 1780.
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
The chapter opens at the Maypole Inn on a stormy March evening, where the landlord John Willet presides over his regulars—Solomon Daisy, Tom Cobb, and Phil Parkes—and two strangers: a weather-beaten man with a scarred face and a young, well-dressed gentleman. The conversation turns to a twenty-two-year-old murder at the Warren, the Haredale estate, where a gardener killed his master and vanished. The scarred stranger reacts with unease to the scrutiny, while the young gentleman remains aloof. John Willet's son Joe serves the guests, and the chapter establishes the inn's atmosphere and the lingering mystery of the old crime.
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
A mysterious stranger at the Maypole Inn departs hastily for London despite the storm, after a tense exchange with Joe Willet. He rides recklessly through the dangerous, unpaved roads, nearly colliding with a chaise driven by Gabriel Varden, the locksmith. After a brief, hostile encounter, the stranger threatens Varden's life before galloping away. Varden, despite his resolution to avoid the Maypole, decides to stop there for a light, tempted by its warmth and comfort.
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Gabriel Varden, returning from the Maypole, encounters a wounded stranger and is aided by Barnaby, who is terrified of blood. After bringing the man to safety, Varden returns to the Maypole where he discusses the stranger with the company, leading to Joe Willet's outburst against his father's treatment. Joe expresses his desire for independence, and Varden advises him to be patient. Joe asks Varden not to spread the story of his humiliation, and Varden departs for London, reflecting on his adventure and how to explain it to his wife.
Chapter 5
Chapter 4: The Locksmith's Household
The chapter introduces the Varden household in Clerkenwell, detailing the eccentricities of the house and its inhabitants. Gabriel Varden recounts his encounter with a masked young lady at a masquerade, which caused quite a stir. His apprentice, Simon Tappertit, displays his vanity and ambition, while Dolly Varden reacts with feigned indifference to news of Joe Willet's possible departure. Mrs. Varden, in a fit of temper, demands her usual comforts and the Protestant Manual, signaling her displeasure.

Free preview

77 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.

77 more companions → free preview

Barnaby Rudge

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4: The Locksmith's Household