A lot of the 19th century Writers “overwrote” because their books were often serialized in weekly publications.
Dickens, I am told, was paid by the WORD! LOL!
(That explains a LOT!)
One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing.
-- Oscar Wilde
Yep, and as you noted, they were often paid by the word, which is pretty strong motivation for more effusive prose.
A critical edition of Dickens' books will probably tell you where the breaks were between installments, but an observant reader can probably spot them. Oliver Twist, for example, has some pretty obvious cliffhangers.