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Chapter 52: I Assist at an Explosion
Dora's condition was better and could be left alone for sometime. Therefore, Miss Betsey Trotwood, Dick, Traddles and David kept their appointment with Mr. Micawber at Canterbury. Mr. Micawber asked them to follow him to Mr. Wickfield's house as he had something important to disclose. Mr. Wickfield was ill and bed ridden. Uriah was quite surprised to see all of them there. Mr. Micawber had a large office rule sticking out of his waistcoat. He asked Mrs. Heep and Agnes to come in as well. Then he set about exposing all the misdeeds of Uriah. He took a firm stand and called Uriah a scoundrel and produced from his pocket a foolscap document. The charges against Uriah were written on it. He had forged Mr. Wickfield's transactions. He had falsely impressed on Mr. Wickfield that the firm had become bankrupt and advised him to withdraw money (which Miss Betsey had entrusted him for investing in shares) so as to meet the business charges and deficits. In fact, these charges never existed and Uriah had. swindled all the money.
Uriah, however, no longer pretended to be humble. He threatened all present with dire consequences. His ill-will, malice and hatred for people was now fully revealed. He even tried to snatch the paper from Mr. Micawber. But Traddles stepped in and produced further proofs. The account books of the firm and other documents which Uriah had forged had been passed on secretly at an earlier date by Mr. Micawber to Traddles. These were now in the possession of Tradles. On the strength of these papers, Traddles threatened Uriah in turn that he would be imprisoned if he did not surrender all the other papers including partnership deed and the money misappropriated and then leave for good.
Miss Betsey Trotwood who had been hearing all this attentively pounced upon Uriah and shook him by the collar. Now, when she realized that Uriah and Mr. Wickfield were not at fault, she wanted to recover her money.
When everything had been settled Miss Betsey Trotwood and David went home with Mr. Micawber. They saw him reconciled with his family. Miss Trotwood stepped in and promised to help the Micawbers with money if they wished to emigrate to Australia.