Summary for The Reverse of the Medal

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Current revision as of 19:20, 5 May 2008

A chapter by chapter look at The Reverse of the Medal

CHAPTER 1

Bridgetown, Barbados - Surprise with whaler in tow - Captain Goole blackguards Jack to Mrs Goole - Jack and Stephen come aboard flag - Pullings safe in Plymouth with Danae - Jack, warned by Stephen, prevaricates about paper money - Hermione deserters to be hanged - résumé of current state of the war - Jack calls on Gooles, news of Sophia - Stephen examines surgeon of Irresistible, decides to operate - meets Sam Panda, he has letter from Sophia - takes him to Jack - not recognised till mention of Sally M'puta - blessing.

CHAPTER 2

Sam sails for Brazil - discussed by Jack and Stephen - they go aboard flag - operation has gone septic - dismal court martial, description of Hermione mutiny - Stephen reflects on Wray (not yet suspected), Diana, Sir Joseph Blaine - Ledward - the Committee - Wray taking revenges on Jack - Mowett's poems find publisher - Martin explains the Trade (booksellers) - Tom Pullings's encounter with Spartan - privateering explained - Admiral's secretary indiscreet, Stephen concerned for his anonymity - gunroom dinner - riddles and toasts - court martial wound up - Surprise sails in pursuit of Spartan before hangings.

CHAPTER 3

Jack's luck is considered out, Joe Plaice's reflections, what do Sophia and her mother think of Sam? - slow passage to Azores - six squeakers - probably last voyage, but happiness in restored routine and disguising as merchantman - gunnery, Surprise's armaments - record set - General Aubrey, more disastrous then ever - sightings, Jamaican privateer, West Indiamen, Portuguese frigate, finally Spartan - complex manoeuvring, luffing-match - boat launched, sunk by Awkward Davies - night and day chase - fishing boats - gunroom dinner, poverty of authors - dirty weather - Spartan jettisons water and guns - she runs through Channel Fleet - Jack ordered aboard flag.

CHAPTER 4

Surprise paid off - Jack recapitulates, reprimand from Admiral - Stephen uneasy - Jack worrying about Surprise, cartel? laid up? - Dover - Ellis Palmer, the Quaker, flash cove - scuffle over chaise - Palmer gives Jack enormous tip for Stock Exchange - Jack in London, stockbrokers, club - General Aubrey - Jack pumped for information.

CHAPTER 5

The Grapes burned down, Diana's house deserted - letter at club, Diana has bolted with Jagiello, offended by his apparent liaison with Laura Fielding - Jack, with Stock Exchange tip, hints everybody believed in liaison - Stephen calls on Wray to ask about his letter, not at home - Blaine, ousted, smells rat or considerable mouse - Stephen shows Danae papers - Blaine conceives trap to be made with Nathan, warns Stephen of intrigue against him - Jack calls on Melville - Stephen calls on Wray at Admiralty, kicking heels, walks out - at his home, Wray is 'out' - at Admiralty again, to deliver Danae papers - Mr Lewis, whey-faced nestlecock, nose pulled - Blaine - Clarence at levée, Barrow notices - Fitzgeralds - Wray cordial, deceives Stephen about Diana - Admiralty again, Stephen gets rid of Danae papers to Barrow - Stephen offered trip to France, obvious trap.

CHAPTER 6

Stephen in Portsmouth coach - springtime in Hampshire, badgersk - Ashgrove Cottage deserted - cricket match, Sophia in Ireland - Padeen makes a run - Babbington and Fanny Wray - Martin, shopping for his wedding, prefers cricket to birdwatching - house clean swept for Sophia's return - return premature - supper in stables - she liked Sam - Jack arrested for fraud.

CHAPTER 7

Blaine says Jack's trial political - General Aubrey in hiding - Pratt, convinced of Jack's innocence - also that the scam conceived at very high level - Stephen admits to extreme prosperity, inherited from godfather - Sir Joseph Banks - Stephen goes to Marshalsea, getting lost in Southwark - Jack all shipshape in prison - sceptical about lawyers - Stephen speaks with Mr Lawrence - Pratt has found Ellis Palmer, dead and faceless - Jack refuses to incriminate his father - Mr Lawrence not confident - Jack may be dismissed the service - Stephen considers buying Surprise as privateer - tells Jack Gibbon's view of lawyers, in vain.

CHAPTER 8

Blaine supports Stephen's plan to buy Surprise - advice on manning etc - deep suspicion about machinations in the Department - sounds Stephen on South America - Lawrence not well, despondent - Lieutenant Grant to appear against Jack - Sam Panda connection known - to Portsmouth with Tom Pullings - status of privateers - Dundas helpful - auction, Stephen owner of Surprise - back to London - trial over - Lawrence in a fever, Jack condemned, butchery - account of trial.

CHAPTER 9

No appeal, disrating inevitable despite Duke of Clarence and Mrs Fitzherbert - Stephen asks Sophia to tell Jack of Surprise purchase - Blaine provides letters of marque, promises South American mission - Jack to command, so can't be sent to prison - condemned to pillory - Fanny Wray sympathetic - Jack in Marshalsea, inwardly destroyed, accepts letter of marque - pillory, crowd of seamen, enemy routed by Awkward Davies etc, cheering.

CHAPTER 10

Stephen drives bargain with Foreign Office - Jack ready for sea - trial has misfired, Government unpopular - Martin's pamphlet on naval immorality - message from Cuvier about Blue Peter - meeting with Duhamel in Regent's Park - diamond restored - Duhamel wants to escape to Canada - Stephen arranges passage with Dundas - Duhamel was friend of Palmer - incriminates Wray and Ledward - they organized Stock Exchange scam.