Little Dorrit

When Arthur Clennam returns to England after years abroad, his curiosity is piqued by the presence in his mother's house of a young seamstress, Amy Dorrit. Seeking to discover why Mrs Clennam, not usually given to charity, has taken on Amy, Arthur visits Marshalsea Prison where he meets and befriends Amy's father, William, the prison's longest-serving inmate.

Suspecting his family's involvement in their ruin, Arthur, having befriended Amy Dorrit, involves himself in her family's affairs. While hoping to pay off Amy's brother's debt and give him the chance to start again, Arthur himself is also planning to start again with a new job, and perhaps renew his love for childhood sweetheart Flora Casby.

Flintwinch taunts Arthur's mother about the mystery at the heart of the House of Clennam, while Amy discovers that 'a gentleman' has paid off her brother's debts, and Arthur is invited to Twickenham to renew his acquaintance with the lovely Pet Meagles.

Amy receives a proposal of marriage which throws her into confusion, Arthur is taken on as a partner in Daniel Doyce's engineering works, and the French villain Rigaud arrives in London.

Amy accompanies her sister Fanny to meet Mrs Merdle, queen bee of London society. Meanwhile, Rigaud comes into possession of the Clennam papers, and Chivery the turnkey asks Arthur to put in a word for young John with Amy.

Pancks recruits John Chivery to help him solve the mystery that connects the Dorrit family with the House of Clennam, while Arthur proposes to Pet Meagles. Elsewhere, Tattycoram runs away from Twickenham, and Amy resigns herself to a life without the man she loves.