Chapter II: 1853-1855

Pages 51-75.

HOME INCIDENTS AND HARD TIMES. AET. 41-43.

Titles proposed for _Bleak House_ 52
Restlessness 52
Tavistock House 53
Last child born 54
A young stage aspirant 54
Deaths of friends 55
At Boulogne 55
Publishing agreements 56
At Birmingham 56
Self-changes 57
Employments in Boulogne 59
First reading in public 60
Argument against paid readings 61
Children's theatricals 62
Mr. H. in _Tom Thumb_ 62
Dickens in Fortunio 63
Titles for a new story 65
Difficulties of weekly parts 66
Mr. Ruskin on _Hard Times_ 67
Truths enforced 68
Early experiences 69
Strike at Preston 69
Speaking at Drury Lane 70
Stanfield scenes 71
Tavistock House theatricals 71
Peter Cunningham 73
Incident of a November night 74
Degrees in misery 75