Summary

In Chapter 4, we are introduced to Solomon Gills, a nautical instrument maker and shopkeeper who lives with his 14-year-old nephew Walter Gay. Walter has just gotten a job at Dombey and Son. Sol is beaming with pride and suggests that they toast to Walter and his future with one of two remaining bottles of Sol’s prized Madeira wine. They are clearly a loving pair and Sol is proud of Walter and hopeful that he will be successful and happy. Sol’s shop is not doing well financially because the market has dried up for nautical instruments. Moreover, Sol’s few investments are not doing well either. Both misfortunes Sol attributes to the fact that he is old-fashioned and cannot keep up with the pace of modern life. He does not believe he will have any inheritance for his beloved nephew and hopes...