Merdle's suicide note reveals that he was a swindler, robbing his investors and leaving thousands ruined. Mrs. Merdle agrees to Fanny's suggestion they do a 'moonlight flit' to escape creditors but Arthur submits to imprisonment in the Marshalsea, where the Plornishes bring food and optimism and John Chivery makes him realize Amy has always loved him. He succumbs to a fever and wakes up to find Amy has come to the Marshalsea to nurse him back to health. She tells him she loves him but he replies that, now he is ruined, he would only drag her down. Rigaud returns to taunt Mrs. Clennam, revealing what he knows from the stolen documents. Her hard heart drove her husband into an affair with another woman who bore a son, Arthur, whom she snatched and brought up lovelessly. The woman died and Mr. Clennam's father, seeking to help someone else who was disadvantaged, bequeathed money to Amy. Rigaud wants £2,000 to keep silent but instead she gets up and hobbles to the prison to confess to Amy what she has kept back, asking for Amy's forgiveness. Whilst she is out her house collapses, killing Rigaud, and she drops down dead on surveying the rubble. Tattycoram discovers that Miss Wade has been using her in her plan to hit back at Gowan and returns to the Meagles. Mr. Pancks exposes Casby as a miser and a hypocrite and cuts his beard off in front of his tenants before resigning. The Dorrit siblings are left penniless when their father's will is read, as he too had invested all his cash with Mr. Merdle, and Sparkler gets Tip a job at the Circumlocution Office. Daniel Doyce returns from Russia, having made a fortune, which he is happy to share with the man who set him up in business - Arthur, whose financial woes are now ended. Flora and John stand aside nobly and join all the other friends of Arthur and Amy at their wedding.
