At Sunwich Port, Part 5.: Contents: Chapters 21-25

In Short

Set in a bustling English coastal town, this comic Edwardian novel follows the chaotic fallout when young Jack Nugent entangles himself with the local secondhand dealer's daughter. To rescue Jack from an unwanted marriage, a bold young suitor named Jem Hardy conspires with a local merchant to fake a terminal illness and alter a fictitious fortune. Their scheme throws the town's gossips, schemers, and matchmakers into total disarray. Blending dry wit with sharp observational humor, W. W. Jacobs delivers an enduring masterpiece of small-town intrigue, working-class maneuverings, and lighthearted domestic warfare.

The Story

The quiet rhythms of Sunwich Port are shattered by a tangle of romantic rivalries, class friction, and elaborate hoaxes. At the heart of the disturbance is Captain Nugent, a proud retired shipmaster engaged in an ongoing feud with the family of Jem Hardy. Undeterred by the captain’s fierce hostility, Jem Hardy insists on visiting the Nugent household under the thinnest of pretexts. He stoically endures the old captain's icy discourtesy and the rivalry of Dr. Murchison simply to remain in the orbit of the captain's sharp-witted daughter, Kate Nugent.

Meanwhile, a crisis brews in the lower strata of the town. Captain Nugent’s son, Jack, has foolishly engaged himself to Amelia Kybird, the daughter of a scheming local undertaker and clothes-dealer. Desperate to break off this disastrous match before the wedding banns are finalized, Jem Hardy joins forces with Mr. Adolphus Swann, an eccentric shipbroker. Together they devise an audacious plot: Mr. Swann feigns a near-fatal illness and lets slip to the local rascal, Nathan Smith, that he has left his massive £10,000 fortune to Amelia's former suitor, Edward "Teddy" Silk.

The deception works with hilarious precision. Believing Teddy is about to become an extraordinarily wealthy man, Nathan Smith and the Kybird family instantly abandon Jack Nugent. They pressure Amelia into ditching Jack and secretly marrying Teddy by special license before the news of the inheritance breaks. Jack, delighted to be freed from his romantic trap without paying damages for breach of promise, gleefully bids the furious Kybirds farewell and celebrates his sudden freedom.

In the wake of the secret wedding, the conspirators’ house of cards collapses in triumph. Mr. Swann resurrects himself entirely, strolling down the High Street in peak health to mock the thoroughly outwitted Nathan Smith and Mr. Kybird. Meanwhile, Jack’s friend, the meek retired steward Samson Wilks, narrowly escapes the matrimonial clutches of Teddy's mother, Mrs. Silk, by falsely claiming to already have an estranged wife living in Stepney.

With the Kybird threat neutralised and Jack saved from ruin, Captain Nugent grudgingly acknowledges Jem Hardy's cleverness. Though the captain pretends to enforce a strict bargain to forbid Hardy from visiting his house, he dryly advises the young man to "try the garden" instead. Jem promptly walks down to the garden path to find Kate. Despite her initial protests over his scheming methods, Kate yields to his persistent proposals, and the two walk back into the house hand-in-hand alongside her father.

How It Unfolds

A stubborn caller stays Jem Hardy continues to drop in on Captain Nugent despite the old sailor's open hostility and polite attempts to freeze him out. During one awkward afternoon, Jem ruthlessly uses local obituary gossip to completely unnerve his rival, Dr. Murchison.

The ten-thousand-pound rumor The shady Nathan Smith rushes to Mr. Kybird with secret news that the dying merchant Mr. Swann has made a new will leaving ten thousand pounds. The conspirators hatch a plan to trick the gloomy clerk Teddy Silk into marrying Amelia Kybird at once before he learns he is rich.

A hasty marriage arranged Mr. Kybird visits Teddy Silk, fabricating tales of Amelia crying over her wedding dress to reignite his passion. Overcome with sudden hope, Teddy agrees to marry her immediately by special license, keeping the arrangement hidden from his sharp-eyed mother.

The trap springs shut Amelia and Teddy return fully wedded, confronting Jack Nugent and demanding he clear out. Jack feigns a broken heart to conceal his pure joy, mockingly lamenting his lack of wedding cake before gleefully dancing his way down the street.

The steward's desperate defense Cornered by the overbearing Mrs. Silk, who views him as her next husband, Samson Wilks relies on Jack Nugent's quick thinking to invent a fake wife in Stepney. The outrageous lie sends Mrs. Silk flying out the door in a rage, leaving the steward safe in his bachelorhood.

The dead man walks Mr. Swann strolls vibrantly through the High Street in full health, leaving Nathan Smith and Mr. Kybird to realize they have been completely duped. The ruined co-conspirators turn on each other in bitter anger while Swann happily raises his clerk's salary.

A garden reconciliation Captain Nugent acknowledges Jem's successful scheme to save Jack and orders him out of the house, while hinting he try the garden instead. Jem finds Kate in the yard, where he refuses to leave her side until she finally accepts his hand.

The People

Captain Nugent A proud, rigid retired shipmaster who fiercely guards his domestic authority. He wants to keep Jem Hardy at a distance and protect his children from shameful marriages, but his stern exterior hides a dry, pragmatic affection for his family.

Jem Hardy A confident, relentless young man who wants nothing more than to win the heart of Kate Nugent. Unfazed by discourtesy, hostility, or social awkwardness, he uses his sharp wits and cool demeanor to orchestrate complex plots for the woman he loves.

Kate Nugent The captain's spirited, highly perceptive daughter. She desires an honorable suitor who respects her independence, and while she pretends to scold Jem for his outrageous scheming, she secretly admires his devotion and sharp mind.

Mr. Kybird A greedy, blustering secondhand dealer who constantly searches for an easy profit. Driven entirely by monetary gain, he drops Jack Nugent the moment he believes Teddy Silk is inheriting a vast fortune.

Mr. Nathan Smith A crafty local boarding-master who prides himself on being the cleverest schemer in Sunwich Port. His boundless arrogance leads him straight into Mr. Swann's trap, ending in total embarrassment.

Samson Wilks A gentle, timid former ship's steward who wants only a peaceful bachelor life, but finds himself relentlessly pursued by match-making widows until saved by a desperate lie.

In Its Own Voice

"He sank back in his chair and crossing his legs smoked, with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. It was difficult to know what to do with a young man who was apparently destitute of any feelings of shame or embarrassment."

— Captain Nugent attempts to endure Jem Hardy's unwanted presence in his living room.

"'Teddy Silk on a pound or thereabouts a week and Teddy Silk with ten thousand pounds 'ud be two different people.'"

— Nathan Smith explains why they must trick Teddy into marrying Amelia before he discovers his fake inheritance.

"'If ever you try to come bothering me with your talk again I'll forbid you the house.'"

— Captain Nugent grudgingly surrenders to Jem Hardy, using an order of banishment to direct him toward the garden and his daughter.

What It's Really About

Beneath its buoyant domestic comedy, the story examines the absurdities of small-town social mobility and class pride. Jacobs exposes how quickly affection, family honor, and moral righteousness evaporate when the prospect of sudden wealth appears. The petty schemers of Sunwich Port view marriage strictly as a financial transaction, making them instantly vulnerable to their own greed. In contrast, true affection quietly triumphs through patience, humor, and persistence. The plot asks whether rigid social barriers and generational feuds can withstand the relentless pressure of youthful cleverness, demonstrating that stubborn pride is no match for warm-hearted ingenuity.

Why Read It Today

W. W. Jacobs is best remembered today for his classic horror masterpiece The Monkey's Paw, but his true literary legacy rests in his brilliant, lighthearted tales of Edwardian maritime towns. At Sunwich Port showcases his finest talents: razor-sharp dialogue, impeccable comedic timing, and an affection for small-town eccentrics. Readers who enjoy the dry, witty domestic satire of P. G. Wodehouse or the gentle coastal humor of E. F. Benson will find themselves thoroughly charmed by this bustling world of retired sea captains and scheming shopkeepers.

The book moves at a breezy, highly entertaining pace, rely on rich situational comedy rather than heavy prose. Modern readers should note that the dialogue heavily features exaggerated Cockney and regional dialect spellings, which take a few pages to adjust to. However, once the rhythm of the speech takes hold, the colorful language becomes one of the book's greatest strengths. It is an ideal comfort read—warm, immensely clever, and deeply satisfying in its resolution.