Compeyson found out that Jaggers' clerk Lowten is investigating him and warns Arthur he may discover their collusion; Lowten pretends his investigation has uncovered nothing, then collects payment from Arthur for losing all the damning documents he had found, expecting a better job. Emily recounts to Bucket her movements on Christmas Eve: upset over Bob's docked wages, she confronted Marley, who said he would be dockside, a dangerous area at night, at nine o'clock; Emily went, armed with a rolling pin; Marley nastily talked of selling off her children, groped her and she struck him a blow, then ran home. Honoria remains grief-stricken but Edward's business hopes depend on Sir Leicester's involvement, so he tells Frances to send word to him. Bucket visits vile Manning, wrongly jailed for Marley's murder, who cackles about his actual murders. Honoria summons the strength to come talk to Sir Leicester. Matthew Pocket tells Arthur that he has returned to deal with Compeyson. After discussing the paradoxes of law justice with Mr. Venus, Bucket takes Emily to the station but, amid a squalid melee, decides to let her go, allowing Manning to hang for Marley's murder.
—KGF Vissers