After awakening from nightmares, Dickens dresses in his disguise and goes on a walk. He starts to feel the disguise consuming him and enjoys the sensation. When he goes to Bumble’s Toy Shop, Mr. Bumble sees through his disguise, but Dickens denies his true identity. As Scrooge, he accuses Mr. Bumble of contributing to consumerism and declares that he will not donate to any charities on his behalf. He then leaves angrily.

Dickens’s mental block is now at its worst, and he wavers between believing Forster’s warnings and trusting Eleanor. His frustration peaks at the suspicion that that Eleanor has lied to him, but he cannot stop thinking about her. He walks through London and finds himself near Marshalsea Prison, where his father was once sent as a debtor. The place brings out dark feelings and bad memories in him, and he wants to forget about the prison altogether.

When Dickens returns to Furnival’s, he finds his father waiting for him with the latest newspaper from The Times. John praises his son for the message in the newspaper, believing that Dickens’s declaration of his intention not to give money to his relatives is merely a joke. However, he is hurt when Dickens tells him that the message is no joke.