Bailey tells Charity that she has a visitor. Charity is intrigued, since she doesn’t know anyone in the city. Mercy is jealous. The visitor is Jonas Chuzzlewit. He wonders if Charity and Mercy have thought about him. Charity claims she hasn’t, but she doesn’t know her sister’s thoughts.
He tells her he would have come before if he had known where they were lodging. He found out today when he saw her father. Jonas comments on how sly her father is, and Charity admonishes him for talking about her father. He says she can say anything she likes about his father. His father is eighty years old, and Jonas doesn’t think he has any business living so long.
He invites Charity for a walk to see the sites and to come to his house afterwards. Her father will come by in the evening to bring her home. He shows her a letter that her father had written, encouraging them to go with their cousin. Charity goes to fetch her sister.
Jonas gives them a very extensive tour of the sites. He never takes them inside of the places, though, because he doesn’t want to pay the fee. In the evening, he takes him to his home. The home is mostly a place of business.
They greet Anthony Chuzzlewit and are introduced to Mr. Chuffey, a clerk. Jonas says that Chuffey is a good clerk, though odd and extremely old. He is devoted to Anthony Chuzzlewit and only responds to him. Jonas makes fun of Chuffey choking on his food. Anthony Chuzzlewit takes pride in his son, even if he suffers jokes at his expense, because Jonas is what Anthony raised him to be.
After dinner, Chuffey retires to sit in front of the fireplace. Anthony Chuzzlewit falls asleep. Charity and Jonas pair off and leave Mercy to read yesterday’s paper. After tea, the Pecksniff girls and Jonas play cards. Jonas shares all the tricks he knows about how professionals win at cards.
When it becomes very late and their father fails to come, the ladies wish to go home. Jonas won’t allow it. When he fails to detain them, he takes them to Todgers—preferring to walk rather than riding there, despite the lateness of the hour.
Mrs. Todgers informs the girls that the gentlemen intend to serenade them. The ladies are excited at first, but they get sleepy and go to bed. They are not happy to be woken up later by the serenading gentlemen. Jinkins upsets the youngest gentlemen after telling him not to play is flute.
The next day, the Pecksniffs start packing to leave Todgers. Bailey tells them he is going to leave for the army because he is tired of being mistreated by Mrs. Todgers. He asks for a tip, which they give him.
Anthony and Jonas Chuzzlewit call when Pecksniff is treating the gentlemen to wine. Pecksniff has become friendly with Jinkins. Anthony Chuzzlewit remarks that he and Pecksniff could be impressive if they joined forces. Pecksniff agrees that unity is a good thing, though Anthony says there are people he would rather disagree with. However, he comments on how much his son is taken with Charity—and how that could be a good future in the making.
The next day, the Pecksniffs leave. Mrs. Todgers and the gentlemen grieve for losing their amiable guests. The youngest gentleman’s flower goes to the coach driver instead of Mercy Pecksniff.