The Captain’s Retaliation
The captain, having just found a substitute chamberpot and being himself in the dark, mistakes Strap’s rough head for Miss Jenny’s and, scandalized by the perceived assignation, empties the vessel onto the sleeping barber.
Mrs. Weazel’s Ire
Mrs. Weazel, furious at being drenched, strikes the captain repeatedly with the heel of her shoe, berating him as a jealous “man of lath” and a “poor, withered, sapless twig.”
Miss Jenny’s Outcry
Awakened by the noise, Miss Jenny cries out “Rape! Murder!” accusing the old usurer of attempting to assault her in her sleep, and calling for help.
The Usurer’s Plight
The servants find the old usurer sprawled on Miss Jenny’s bed, where she holds him by the ears and claims he tried to ruin her. He protests he is innocent, calls her a devil, and threatens to hang himself before she can extort money from him.
A Diverting Scene
The servants arrive with lights to find a diverting tableau: the captain stands shivering in his torn shirt, his wife sobs on the bed covered with the counterpane, the old usurer cowers with his meagre limbs exposed, and Miss Jenny cries violation while holding him fast.
Reconciliation
The captain apologizes to his wife, and they are reconciled. Mrs. Weazel is accommodated with Miss Jenny’s bed, the captain sleeps with the waggon master, and the narrator retires to find Strap already gone, having fled in terror during the confusion.
第十二章
Chapter XII continues the picaresque narrative journey with Captain Weazel engaging in a series of confrontations and comedic misadventures while traveling toward London in a waggon. The chapter exposes the captain’s cowardice and bluster through multiple trials, culminating in a practical joke orchestrated by Joey and the narrator that leaves the puffed-up officer thoroughly humiliated.
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