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Drood Summary: Installment 2 (Chapters VI-IX) Chapter VI introduces the reader to the home life of the Reverend Septimus Crisparkle, a kindly man of about 35 who lives in Minor Canon Corner with his elderly mother. At breakfast, Mrs. Crisparkle reads a letter from Mr. Honeythunder, a Philanthropist (most definitely with a capital "P") who informs them that he is sending his wards, Neville and Helena Landless, to Cloisterham to remedy their defective education. Neville will study with Mr. Crisparkle and board at Minor Canon Corner, while Helena will go to the Nuns' House. Mr. Crisparkle plans a dinner party for welcoming the two young people. The guests are to be Edwin Drood, Rosa Bud, and Miss Twinkleton (the head of the girls' seminary). John Jasper is also invited, since he is Drood's uncle. Unfortunately, Mr. Honeythunder decides to accompany his wards on the trip to Cloisterham and must be invited to dinner as well: "Always something in the nature of a Boil upon the face of society, Mr. Honeythunder expanded into an inflammatory Wen in Minor Canon Corner." The others conspire to rid themselves of him at the earliest opportunity, and Neville and Mr. Crisparkle take him back to the omnibus he needs to catch "with still half-an-hour to spare." As Neville and Mr. Crisparkle are walking back, Neville confides his past to the latter. He explains that he and his sister are from Ceylon, where they had a wretched existence. Their mother died when they were young and they lived with a cruel stepfather, who beat Helena. Upon the death of the stepfather, they discovered that he had passed their guardianship over to Mr. Honeythunder, a man they did not know. Neville opens up to Mr. Crisparkle and tells him that the need to "suppress a deathly and bitter hatred" toward the stepfather has left him "secret and revengeful" and wanting in civilized emotions or instincts. Neville further describes how his sister was never subdued by their existence and indeed took the lead in planning and leading their many attempts to escape the stepfather. "Each time, she dressed as a boy, and showed the daring of a man." He tells Crisparkle that the two of them have such a complete understanding of each other that they can communicate without words. After these revelations, he asks Crisparkle about the situation between Drood and Rosa, and comments to himself about now understanding Drood's "air of proprietorship" concerning Rosa. Neville and Crisparkle re-enter the house and rejoin the dinner party. Rosa is singing to Jasper's piano accompaniment. He is intently staring at her lips as he plays. Helena stands with her arm around Rosa, observing Jasper. Suddenly, Rosa bursts into tears and says that she is frightened and wants to leave. Helena attends to Rosa. Drood puts her fears down to nervousness at having an audience plus Jasper expecting too much from his pupil. The party breaks up. At the Nuns' House, Helena and Rosa prepare for bed and exchange confidences. They promise each other friendship. Rosa tells Helena of her situation with Drood, and admits, on Helena's questioning, that she knows that Jasper loves her. Jasper has never mentioned this to her directly, but she feels that "he has forced [her] to understand him; and forced [her] to keep silence, without his uttering a word." She feels threatened by him, but can't tell Drood about the problem because Drood is devoted to his uncle. Helena hugs her protectively. Drood and Neville walk back from the Nuns' House together after having escorted the ladies home. The two talk about Drood's betrothal and the conversation begins to become heated. The "secret springs" of their discord arise from Neville's admiration for Rosa, and hence his indignant feeling that Drood is far below her and doesn't appreciate his good fortune enough, as well as Drood's admiration of Helena and his indignation that her brother has "put him out of the way so entirely." While they are quarreling, Jasper appears behind them and gets them to declare a truce, afterwards inviting them both to his place for a drink. Jasper calls their attention to the portrait of Rosa (painted by Drood) that hangs in his rooms, which effectively restarts their quarrel. Jasper then prepares some mulled wine, "which seems to require much mixing and compounding," and they all drink. The quarreling escalates, and Neville accuses Drood of being vain and "a common boaster." Drood makes an insulting allusion to Neville's dark skin, which infuriates Neville so much that he flings his wine dregs at Drood and tries to throw the goblet at him as well. Jasper prevents this, whereupon Neville throws the goblet into the grate and storms out of the house. After a few moment, Neville goes back to Minor Canon Corner and tells Mr. Crisparkle what has occurred. He states that he had very little to drink "and that it overcame [him] in the strangest and most sudden manner" and believes that the same was true of Drood. Neville states that Drood goaded him beyond endurance, and that he wanted to cut him down. Mr. Crisparkle listens without comment and shows Neville to his bedroom, where Neville throws himself into a chair and bows his head "with an air of wretched self-reproach." Jasper then knocks on the outer door. He is there to return Neville's hat, and tells Crisparkle his version of the recent events. Jasper declares that Neville was "murderous" and that he fears for his nephew's safety if the two are ever alone together again. The next day, the rumor of what happened between Drood and Neville has gone through the whole town and "got into Miss Twinkleton's establishment before breakfast." The account of the quarrel has been blown out of proportion, and Neville is accused of having thrown various and sundry articles (including a knife) at Drood. Helena goes to talk with her brother and find out the truth of the matter, which she passes on to Rosa in a somewhat edited fashion, leaving out Rosa as a cause of the quarrel. She also tells Rosa that Neville has begged Rosa's forgiveness. Later that day, Rosa's guardian, Mr. Grewgious, comes to visit her and discuss the terms of her father's will and her impending marriage. Grewgious is "a man of incorruptible integrity," but one who feels uncomfortable with emotions and social relations. He gives Rosa a certified copy of her father's will and tells her that he proposes to give one to Jasper as well, as Drood's trustee. Rosa objects to this and says she doesn't want Jasper to come between her and Drood in any way. Rosa then questions Grewgious as to the legal status of her and Edwin's "betrothal." He explains that it is simply a wish that the two fathers had, and that two young people can only be betrothed of their own free will. There will be no adverse effects if either of them decide not to go through with the marriage. Grewgious asks Rosa if there's anything he can do for her concerning her affairs. She replies that she wants to settle them with Eddy first. He has apparently left Cloisterham that morning, but would return at Christmas, when everything would be wrapped up between them. Rosa asks Grewgious if she could ask him to come see her at Christmas if she had anything particular to say to him. He agrees, seeming honored by her request. Upon leaving the Nuns' House, Grewgious encounters Jasper, who tries to find out from him why he is in town. Grewgious explains that it was his duty to explain to Rosa that the betrothal could not be considered binding if either party wished to terminate it. Jasper summarizes what he has learned from Grewgious: "I understand that at Christmas they will complete their preparations for May, and that their marriage will be put in final train by themselves," leaving Jasper and Grewgious out of the planning. Grewgious agrees with this summary. He prepares to take his leave of Jasper, saying "God bless them both!" Jasper replies, "God save them both!" (End.)