The Great Trouble

The epigraph features a quote from Reverend Whitehead, discussing how each family in a building (and as many family members as possible) were interviewed in order to determine the source of the cholera epidemic.

Monday, September 4

The next morning, Eel decides to bring Mrs. Miggle the previous week’s two shillings, spurred by his fear that cholera has reached Henry. Despite the ongoing threat from Fisheye, Eel walks Henry to school. Henry asks about their mother, wondering if she was loved by Fisheye, who is now revealed to be their stepfather. Eel rejects this idea and warns Henry that Fisheye is “a villain.” He urges Henry to flee if he ever sees the man. Henry wants to live with Eel instead of with Mrs. Miggle, but he reluctantly promises to stay with the landlady. Eel returns to Snow’s, worried about Henry. He has breakfast under Mrs. Weatherburn’s stern eye, and she again warns Eel about taking advantage of the doctor’s kindness. Snow summons Eel to the study and tells him that they will start earlier the next day. Eel peers through Snow’s microscope, but neither can see the “cholera poison” in the water samples. Snow plans to try a colleague’s microscope, which is stronger.