Itisstrange——itseemstomedeplorable——thatDickenshimselfwasnotcontenttoleavehiswonderfulhypocrite——onewhoshouldstandimperishableincomedy——inthetwodimensionsofhisownadmirableart。AfterhehadenjoyedhisownPecksniff，tastinghimwiththe\"strenuoustongue\"ofKeats’svoluptuarybursting\"joy’sgrapesagainsthispalatefine，\"DickensmostunfairlygiveshimselftheotherandincompatiblejoyofgraspinghisPecksniffinthethirddimension，seizeshim\"intheround，\"horsewhipshimoutofallkeeping，andfinallykickshimoutofasplendidartoffictionintoasorryartof\"poeticaljustice，\"aPecksniffnotonlydefeatedbutundone。
AndyetDickens’sretributionuponsinnersisalessfaultthanhisreformingthem。Itistrulyanactdenotingexcessivesimplicityofmindinhim。Heneververitablyallowshisresponsibilityasamantolapse。Menoughttobegood，orelsetobecomegood，andhedoesviolencetohisownexcellentart，andyieldsituptohissenseofmorality。Ah，canwemeasurebyyearsthetimebetweenthatdayandthis？Isthefastidious，theimpartial，thenon-moralnovelistonlythegrandchild，andnottheremoteposterity，ofDickens，whowouldnotleaveScroogetohisegoism，orGradgrindtohisfacts，orMercyPecksnifftoherabsurdity，orDombeytohispride？Nay，whomakesMicawberfinallytoprosper？Truly，themostunpardonablethingDickensdidinthosedeplorablelastchaptersofhiswastheprosperityofMr。Micawber。\"Ofason，indifficulties\"——theperfectMicawbernatureisrespectedastohisorigin，andthenpervertedastohisend。ItisapitythatMr。PeggottyevercamebacktoEnglandwithsuchtidings。AndourlastglimpseoftheemigrantshadbeenmadejoyousbythesightoftheyoungMicawbersontheeveofemigration；\"everychildhaditsownwoodenspoonattachedtoitsbodybyastrongline，\"inpreparationforColoniallife。AndthenDickensmustneedsgobehindthegayscenes，andtellusthatthelonganduntiringdelightofthebookwasover。
Mr。Micawber，intheColonies，wasneveragaintomakepunchwithlemons，inacrisisofhisfortunes，and\"resumehispeelingwithadesperateair\"；nortoobservetheexpressionofhisfriends’facesduringMrs。Micawber’smasterlyexpositionofthefinancialsituationorofthepossibilitiesofthecoaltrade；nortoeatwalnutsoutofapaperbagwhattimethediewascastandallwasover。Alas！nothingwasoveruntilMr。Micawber’specuniaryliabilitieswereover，andtheperfectcomedyturnedintodulness，thejoyousimpossibilityofafigureofimmortalfunintocoldimprobability。
Thereareseveralsuchlateorlastchaptersthatonewouldgladlycutaway：thatofMercyPecksniff’spathos，forexample；thatofMr。Dombey’sinstallationinhisdaughter’shome；thatwhichundeceivesusastoMr。Boffin’santicdisposition。Buthowtrueandhowwholeaheartitwasthaturgedtheseunluckyconclusions！
Howshallweventuretocomplain？ThehandthatmadeitsPecksniffinpurewit，hasitnottherighttobelabourhiminearnest——albeitakindofearnestthatdisappointsus？AndMr。DombeyisDickens’sownDombey，andhemustdowhathewillwiththatfinelywroughtfigureofpride。ButthereisalittleironyinthefactthatDickensleavesmorethanonevillaintohisorderlyfateforwhomwecarelittleeitherway；itisnothingtous，whomCarkerneverconvinced，thatthetrainshouldcatchhim，northatthemanwiththemoustacheandthenose，whodidbutwearyus，shouldbecrushedbythefallinghouse。Heretheendholdsgoodinart，buttheartwasnotgoodfromthefirst。Butthen，again，neitherdoesBillSikesexperienceachangeofheart，norJonasChuzzlewit；andtheendofeachismostexcellentlytold。