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Joseph Andrews Book 2, Chapters 16-17 Summary

  • The travelers head on, thanks to the peddler's charity. They meet up with a random guy who seems to be super nice. He offers to put them up in his home, lend them horses, and pay all their expenses. Score.
  • As soon as the group accepts the offer, the gentleman remembers something. His housekeeper isn't home, so they can't stay at the house.
  • Oh, yeah, and they can't borrow his horses, either. It's, uh… the groom's fault.
  • Surely, the gentleman will pay their bill at the inn?
  • Nope, the gentleman takes off before the bill comes due.
  • The innkeeper tells Adams, Joseph, and Fanny that they've been had. Apparently, this gentleman pulls these kinds of tricks all the time.
  • The innkeeper and Adams get in a little tiff: the host says his travels have taught him everything, whereas Adams says the only way to travel is by reading books.
  • Joseph and Fanny know that Adams can be a loudmouth. They interrupt him and proceed with their journey.