The Adventures of Roderick Random

Crab’s True Motives

The narrator soon discovered Crab’s real motives for receiving him. Beyond the gratification of revenge against Potion and the affectation of generosity, Crab needed a young man who understood the profession to replace his eldest apprentice, recently dead under violent suspicion of foul play from the master’s brutality. This knowledge, combined with daily observations of Crab’s treatment of his wife and the young apprentice, did nothing to ease the narrator’s situation.

A Peculiar Temper

The narrator resolved to study Crab’s temper with all possible application and address. He discovered a strange peculiarity governing Crab’s behavior toward all dependents: when pleased, Crab was such a niggard of his satisfaction that any sign of participation by wife or servants offended him to an insupportable degree, bringing on fury whose effects they invariably felt. Conversely, when his indignation was roused, submission and soothing always exasperated it beyond reason.

Standing Up to Crab

When Crab insulted the narrator as an “ignorant whelp” and “lazy ragamuffin,” the narrator boldly replied that he was neither ignorant nor lazy, since he understood and performed his business as well as Crab could, and that he was descended from a better family than any Crab could claim alliance with. Crab appeared amazed, shaking his cane over the narrator’s head with a diabolical countenance. The narrator, convinced he had gone too far to retract and that this was the critical moment deciding his future lot, snatched up a pestle and declared he would defend himself if struck without cause. Crab remained silent, then declared the narrator would pay for this audacity and retired, leaving the narrator under dreadful apprehensions.