In September 1863, as he began work on what would be his last finished novel, Dickens’s negotiations with Chapman and Hall for Our Mutual Friend hit an unexpected snag. They had agreed quickly on a price, a whopping £6,000 for half copyright, but in writing to accept the terms the publishers made a surprise request: would Dickens be willing to provide contractually for the return of some money if he died before finishing the work? It is hard to know for certain what they saw in Dickens that made them ask. He remained hale and energetic – creased and careworn after his domestic troubles, but crackling with energy, running All the Year Round with his usual vigor and basking in the relatively recent success of Great Expectations.