At the centre of the plot of Bleak House is a mystery surrounding the beautiful and haughty Lady Dedlock. The discovery of her guilty secret by the cunning old lawyer Tulkinghorn sets in motion a series of tragic events, investigated by the detective Bucket. But Bleak House is also a novel about the injustices of the out-of-date English legal system, which bring misery and ruin to the characters involved in settling the distribution of the Jarndyce estate. The other great theme of the novel is that of hypocritical philanthropist--portrayed here in the character of Mrs. Jellyby--who bestow charity on distant lands at the expense of family and neighbours.