The Adventures of Roderick Random

Besieging the Earl with Importunity

Furious at being duped, the narrator besieges Strutwell at his public levee with repeated demands for his stolen property, though he never receives another private audience with the earl. He hides his growing desperation from Strap, whose mounting impatience is obvious every time the narrator returns home.

Disclosing My Necessity to Strap

When the narrator is reduced to his last guinea, he finally discloses his dire financial situation to Strap, though he tries to soften the news by repeating the empty promises of support he claims to receive from his patron.

Pawning the Sword for Subsistence

Though deeply distressed, Strap complies with the narrator’s request to pawn his ornate gold-inlaid steel sword to raise immediate funds, bringing in enough money to cover short-term expenses, even though the sacrifice pains Strap given his frugal, economical nature.

A Demand from the Landlord

Shortly after, the narrator’s landlord demands payment of his 5 guinea rent debt, citing a need to make up a sum of money. Though the narrator can barely afford the payment, his pride leads him to settle the debt in a dismissive, scornful manner, while Strap, aware of the narrator’s true financial state, is left horrified and despairing at the hidden strain.

Banter’s Advice to Visit the Gaming Tables

Miserable after the landlord’s demand, the narrator goes drinking with acquaintances but remains despondent. Banter, noticing his distress, chides him for being cowardly over losing money to the scoundrel Strutwell. When the narrator reveals he is down to less than two guineas, Banter offers to show him how to make a living in London without a fortune, and leads him to a public gaming house run by a Scottish lord under the Covent Garden piazzas.

A Fortunate Winning Streak

Initially horrified by the rough crowd of gamblers, sharpers, and disgraced apprentices at the gaming house, the narrator is persuaded to place a small bet of one shilling, and wins 30 shillings in less than an hour. Convinced the game is fair, he moves to higher stakes, eventually sitting at the gold table overnight, and leaves with a total of 150 guineas in winnings.

Defending My Winnings from Accusations

As the narrator prepares to leave with his winnings, a losing Gascon gambler furiously demands he refund his losses, supported by a Jew who claims the narrator cheated by wiping grease onto the gaming table. The narrator threatens to sue the Jew for defamation and refuses to refund any money, forcing the accusers to back down and let him leave, after the Jew issues a public apology.

An Altercation on the Street

Exiting the gaming house, the narrator accidentally steps on the foot of a rough, fierce-looking man, who hurls insults and demands gentlemanly satisfaction. The narrator challenges him to a duel in the piazzas, but the man refuses, saying he will choose his own time for the confrontation. The narrator retrieves his sword from the doorkeeper, pays the customary guinea tip, and goes home in a state of joy.

Strap’s Ecstasy over the Treasure

Strap, who stayed up all night worrying about the narrator, is overwhelmed with joy when he sees the 150 guineas, dancing ecstatically and repeating the phrase “God be praised!—a white stone!” so wildly that the narrator fears he has gone mad, until Strap explains he is referencing the Roman fasti days marked with a white stone.

The Penitent Arrival of Mrs. Gawky

Shortly after the narrator returns, a shabbily dressed young woman arrives at his rooms, revealed to be Mrs. Gawky (formerly Miss Lavement, the woman who originally framed the narrator). She falls to her knees begging forgiveness for her role in the conspiracy, explaining she was coerced by her husband, who abandoned her after being disowned by his father and cashiered for misconduct at the Battle of Dettingen. She reveals she was turned out of her parents’ home after bearing a child four months into her marriage, and has subsisted on charity until her friends refused to help her any longer.