The Last Chronicle of Barset · Chapter
Mr. Crosbie Goes Into the City explained
Adolphus Crosbie, facing financial ruin, first attempts to borrow £500 from his colleague Mr.
What happens
Adolphus Crosbie, facing financial ruin, first attempts to borrow £500 from his colleague Mr. Butterwell, then visits the City firm of Dobbs Broughton and Musselboro to renew a bill for £250. He is rebuffed by Musselboro and a drunken Broughton, leaving his debt unpaid and his situation desperate.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this chapter, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when John Eames, after years of unrequited love f…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Social Class and Reputation
Crosbie's fall from a respectable West End secretary to a supplicant in Hook Court highlights the link between financial stability and social standing.
- Poverty and Suffering
Crosbie's financial distress and humiliation in seeking money from moneylenders illustrate the suffering caused by debt.
Characters to notice
- Adolphus Crosbie
Desperate for money, seeks a loan from Butterwell and then a bill renewal from Broughton's firm, but is refused.
- Mr. Butterwell
Crosbie's colleague, approached for a £500 loan; he is wealthy and good-natured but nervous.
- Augustus Musselboro
Sits in Broughton's chair, refuses Crosbie's request for renewal, claiming money is tight.
- Mr. Dobbs Broughton
Returns to the office half-drunk and refuses Crosbie's request, insisting the bill must be paid.
Key passages
“I want you to lend me five hundred pounds? It must be for not less than three months.”
Crosbie asks Butterwell for a £500 loan for at least three months.
Crosbie's first desperate attempt to get money from a colleague.
“The best commercial bills going can’t be done under nine, and any other kind of paper can’t so much as get itself looked at.”
Musselboro says even top-quality bills require 9% interest, and other paper is worthless.
Musselboro explains the tight money market to Crosbie.
“Mr. Crosbie must take up his bill; that’s all.”
Broughton insists Crosbie must pay the bill when due.
Broughton's drunken refusal to renew the bill.
