The Adventures of Roderick Random

Arrested for Debt

With no money to pay her debts to Mrs. Coupler, who had extended her 11 pounds in credit for board and clothes, Miss Williams was arrested for debt in the coffee house when Mrs. Coupler took out a writ against her. The room was full of people when the bailiff arrived, but no one offered to help her or pay her debt; some laughed at her distress, and one person even joked she would not lack admirers in Newgate.

Rescued by the Sea Lieutenant

A sea lieutenant entered the coffee house during Miss Williams’ arrest, inquired about her situation, and learned she owed 11 pounds plus writ costs. He paid the full debt, discharged the bailiff, and gave her an additional 5 guineas as a gift, advising her to find a better, safer line of work. Moved by his generosity, Miss Williams explained her full story to him at a nearby tavern, convincing him of the falsehood of the rumors about her. He became her patron, and they lived together harmoniously until he was killed in a storm at sea.

第二十三章

Chapter XXIII continues the lady’s first-person confession, in which she recounts how, after losing her benefactor and nearly exhausting his bounty, she resorted to imposture in order to survive. With the help of a female accomplice posing as her maid, she set herself up in genteel lodgings in Park Street, passed herself off as a wealthy heiress from the country, and nearly succeeded in securing a wealthy husband—until the unexpected appearance of her former keeper Horatio forced her to abandon the scheme. Pursued by creditors, she and her companion retreated by night, after which she descended into the streets, suffered brutal treatment, contracted a venereal disease, and was ultimately rescued from death by the narrator’s charity. The chapter closes with the narrator’s reflections on her misery, his successful efforts to restore her health, and their joint planning of a new life for her in country service.