In which Mr Quilp returns home to a dismayed and tearful Mrs Quilp, announcing his intention to live as a bachelor in a damp and smoky counting-house that he fittingly dubs his “Bachelor’s Hall,” delighting in his newfound freedom and the discomfort it brings to his family. Meanwhile, a whimsical and somewhat melancholy meeting between Mr Swiveller and Quilp reveals unexpected connections and reflections, as the dwarf plots in the background with his peculiar mixture of malice and mirth.