Nightly Reflections
The narrator returns to his lodgings very late, and is too excited by the day’s events to sleep. He alternates between fantasizing about marrying Melinda and her £10,000 fortune, and worrying about Banter’s warning about her character, as well as the large sum of money he lost at cards (money that is not even his own). He is plagued by doubts and anxieties about the feasibility of pursuing a courtship that requires such high expenses, and stays awake for most of the night.
Banter’s Visit
The next morning, Strap comes to the narrator’s room to shave him, and the narrator asks his opinion of Melinda, who Strap calls a beautiful, wealthy woman, and laments that the narrator did not insist on riding in her coach. The narrator reveals he spent the entire night before at Melinda’s lodgings, and Strap initially rejoices, assuming the narrator has made a successful match. The narrator then recounts Banter’s warning about Melinda’s character, and Strap reacts by declaring there is no faith in women. The narrator admits he lost eighteen guineas at cards the night before, which shocks Strap so much he drops the shaving basin and is nearly speechless with horror, before he recovers his composure and reassures the narrator of his loyalty. Strap’s steadfast friendship moves the narrator, and he resolves to pursue Melinda seriously to secure a fortune that will let him repay Strap’s loyalty, even as he acknowledges that a few more nights of losses like the last will leave him unable to continue the courtship. Shortly after, Banter visits the narrator, and makes sarcastic remarks about the public scene the narrator made with Bragwell at Hampstead, noting that the whole town is now gossiping about him, with rumors circulating that he is a Jesuit, a Pretender agent, an upstart gambler, or an Irish fortune hunter. Banter confirms his earlier warning, saying Melinda is not a suitable match, and if the narrator does win her, he will only end up with a wife who will spend her entire fortune in a short time. As a “proof of friendship,” Banter then borrows five guineas from the narrator, having learned from Tom Tossle that the narrator had just lost eighteen guineas at cards and might be short of cash. Banter also reveals that Melinda is an obvious card cheat whose tricks would only fool a complete novice, news that stings the narrator’s pride, though he resolves not to tolerate insults to Melinda’s character or mockery of his own behavior.
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