The Usurer Pays Miss Jenny Five Guineas
At breakfast, Miss Jenny and the usurer Isaac are discovered missing from the company. Mrs. Weazel explains that Miss Jenny spent the night groaning and rose too ill to continue her journey. A message arrives summoning the waggoner to Miss Jenny’s chamber, where she lamentably claims she fears a miscarriage caused by last night’s fright from Isaac’s brutality. The ancient usurer is found hiding in the waggon and dragged before her. Miss Jenny threatens to involve a justice unless paid for the potential consequences. Isaac protests his innocence, explaining his presence in her bed resulted from her own invitation, but Miss Jenny demands one hundred guineas for a release. When Isaac protests his poverty, she reveals she knows him as Isaac Rapine, a money-broker in the Minories. After extensive negotiation, she finally accepts five guineas, which he pays reluctantly rather than face prosecution for rape. Immediately recovered, Miss Jenny joins the waggon, and the company travels peacefully with Strap riding Joey’s horse while the driver walks.
In Danger of Losing a Meal
On the sixth day, the passengers prepare for dinner when the innkeeper informs them that three newly arrived gentlemen have claimed the reserved victuals, declaring the waggon passengers might be damned and suggesting they dine on bread and cheese. The company convenes to remedy this disappointment, and Miss Jenny proposes that Captain Weazel, as a professional soldier, should protect them from insult. To the amazement of all, the captain refuses, swearing he would not be known to have traveled in a waggon for all the world, and claims he would sooner eat his sword than his provisions if he could appear with honor. Miss Jenny immediately snatches his weapon, runs to the kitchen, and threatens the cook with death unless the meals are served. The commotion brings the three strangers downstairs, where one recognizes Miss Jenny as “Jenny Ramper” and she reciprocates by embracing him as “Jack Rattle,” declaring she will dine with them instead. The waggon passengers face an uncomfortable meal until Joey enters the kitchen wielding a pitchfork and swearing to defend their provisions, causing the confrontation to escalate with drawn swords on both sides until the landlord intervenes by offering his own dinner to the strangers, which pacifies everyone.
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