The Way We Live Now · Character
Mr. Bideawhile
A cautious, respectable lawyer of the firm of Slow and Bideawhile, who finds himself demanding eighty thousand pounds from a man who offers bills instead.
supporting
Also known as Bideawhile, old Bideawhile, Slow and Bideawhile
First appearance: ii the carbury family
As a supporting figure in The Way We Live Now, Mr. Bideawhile is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Family lawyer for the Longestaffes; his office is the source of the disputed letter and is opposed to Squercum's methods.
Bideawhile acts for the Longestaffes in the sale of Pickering Park, and his dealings with Melmotte expose the gap between old-fashioned commercial honour and the new finance's casual insolence. When Melmotte proposes to pay for a great estate with bills at three and six months, Bideawhile is nearly beside himself, convinced that he and his client have been robbed. His dismay is the sound of the respectable City discovering what it has let into its drawing-room.
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Character Web
13 connectionsA slice of how Mr. Bideawhile sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Legal and property advisors
- Central plot drivers
+8 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the central emotional and psychological crisis: Hett…
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Mr. Bideawhile appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Mr. Bideawhile in ii the carbury family