Oliver Twist Chapter 35 Summary

"Containing the Unsatisfactory Result of Oliver’s Adventure, and a Conversation of Some Importance Between Harry Maylie and Rose"

  • Harry realizes immediately what must have happened (although Oliver isn’t articulating it very well), and grabs a heavy stick and runs out of the house to pursue the intruders.
  • Oliver and Mr. Giles follow, and Mr. Losberne does as well once he realizes what’s going down.
  • They aren’t able to find even the tracks of the two men, though.
  • Oliver insists that he wasn’t dreaming, and they believe him.
  • They keep looking until it’s dark outside, and the next day they look some more, and ask around town whether anyone’s seen two men matching the description offered by Oliver. Still no luck.
  • Meanwhile, Rose has been recovering nicely from her fever, but occasionally looks like she’s been crying.
  • Finally Harry manages to have a private conversation with her.
  • Harry tells her she’s an angel, and beautiful, and lots of other lovely things, and that he wants to marry her.
  • She says he should forget all about her, because she doesn’t want to be an "obstacle" to his "progress in the world."
  • Harry manages to get her to admit that she loves him, and that it’s just her sense of duty that keeps her from accepting him.
  • He presses his point for a while, and finally gets her to agree that within the next year, he’ll ask her again, and see whether or not her answer is still the same.