Helaas ontbreken gegevens hoe Charles tot een vergelijk kwam met de schuldeisers van zijn vader.
Vele brieven van hem, en nagenoeg alle aan hem, zijn verloren gegaan of doelbewust vernietigd. In
1860 heeft hij zelf alle ontvangen brieven verbrand. In april 1879, negen jaren na de dood van
Charles Dickens, ontving zijn schoonzuster, Georgina Hogarth een doos met brieven uit het bezit van
Thomas Mitton. Zij schreef in 1883 hoe zij de brieven in handen kreeg van de executeur van Mittons
nalatenschap en wat zij deed met de inhoud:
Stapels van deze brieven heeft Georgina verbrand. Zij kon hebben gezworen, dat zij niet één die
vertrouwelijk of persoonlijk was, had gespaard.
Op 13 juli 1839 beklaagde Charles zelf zich bij Forst er over de 'hateful, sneering letters' die hij
ontving van zijn in Alphington weggestopte ouders: I am sick at heart with both her and father too.
Nochtans bleef hij hen helpen. Op 17 October ging ?13 naar 'Alphington'. Deze naam komt zeven
keer terug op zijn bankrekening tussen October 1839 en december 1841. Het totale bedrag, dat zijn
ouders in die periode ontvingen was 7121,9s.
Charles bleef ongerust over zijn vader. In januari 1840 schreef hij Charles Molloy, een jurist van het
kantoor waar hij gewerkt had:
Beide genoemden zijn partners in Charles' bank Coutts Co. Op 9 februari van het volgend jaar
schreef hij aan Edward Maijoribanks een brief, waaruit zijn ongerustheid blijkt. Kort daarop zond hij
een brief aan een bevriende journalist, Thomas Latimer, uitgever van de Western Times:
Pilgrim Ed,, Vol.1, Preface, p.xx. Onderstreping door Miss
Hogarth
took before the sick man could be brought to sign another (a duplicate) that we might have one apiece, was one of the
richest scraps of genuine drollery I ever saw in all my daysOf my subsequent visit to the upholsterer recommended
by Mrs.Pannell - of the absence of the upholsterer's wife, and the timidity of the upholsterer, fearful of acting in her
absence - of my sitting behind a high desk in a little dark shop calling over the articles in requisition and checking off the
prices as the upholsterer exhibited the goods and called them out - of my coming over the upholsterer's daughter with
many virtuous endearments, to propitiate the establishment and reduce the bill - of these matters I say nothing
I began to look through the box and found besides the letters from C.D. to Mitton, many of which related to the most
private money matters of C.D.'s father and many other members of his family, that there were letters to C.D. from his
father, from his mother, brothers and other relations, almost all of them in the same tone, money difficulties, application
money, all proving how from his earliest start in life Charles Dickens had helped and had greatly suffered from almost
every member of his own family. And most specially from his father. There was a correspondence in that box, letters
from both father and mother, and other documents and letters from Mitton on the same subject, which revealed not only
debt and difficulties, but most discreditable and dishonest dealing on the part of the father towards his son.... Pilgrim Ed.,
Vol.1, Preface, p.xx. Onderstreping door Miss Hogarth.(a)
I am still very uneasy and nervous lest any gentleman unknown should be signing my name for his own convenience -
and I think the best thing I can do will be to tell either Sir Edmund Antrobus or Mr.Marjoribanks what I have heard and
beg them to look out very carefully for me.
Your letter has occasioned me great grief and distress. It opens a very painful subject - one that has been a source of
constant anxiety, uneasiness, and expense to me for some years; and which I fondly hoped, when I settled my father in
Exeter, would haunt me no more.
I need scarcely tell you (for I am sure you will have anticipated already) that he "should have" had no need to borrow
money of you, or of any man; and that his making your note of hand payable at my publishers' was a moral outrage which
words can scarcely censure enough. They felt it so, as they knew I should, and refrained from informing me of the
circumstance, knowing how much it would hurt me.
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