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Pudd'nhead Wilson Chapter 12: The Shame of Judge Driscoll Summary

  • Judge Driscoll goes fishing with his pal Pembroke Howard.
  • After they call it a day, a man in a boat comes by and tells Driscoll about how Luigi kicked Tom the previous night.
  • At first, Driscoll is proud that Tom handled it himself and didn't come running to his uncle for help.
  • But then the dude tells Driscoll that Tom sued Luigi for assault and battery (and won the case). What?!?! Driscoll is so disturbed that he faints.
  • Pembroke tells the messenger to get lost. Driscoll recovers from his fainting spell and heads home with Pembroke to talk to Tom.
  • Tom explains that, yeah, it's true: he took Luigi to court. Pudd'nhead tried to defend him but lost (aww, poor Pudd'nhead—losing the first case he's taken on).
  • Driscoll totally freaks out. See, he thinks Tom is a terrible coward for "crawl[ing] to a court of law" in order to rectify an injury. He should've challenged him to a duel like a real man!
  • Driscoll insists that Tom challenge Luigi to a duel that evening. Please, please no: Tom begs Driscoll not to make him do it.
  • What a disgrace to the family. Driscoll is appalled that such a coward is related to him so he takes out his will, tears it to shreds, and declares that he's disinheriting Tom again.
  • Driscoll orders Tom to go away and Tom obeys. Then he tells Pembroke to write up a statement and deliver it to Luigi: Driscoll is going to challenge Luigi to the duel himself.
  • Tom tries to figure out how to get back into Driscoll's good graces and be restored to the will.
  • The first step, he decides, is to pay off his gambling debt with what he's earned from his raid and then quit the gambling for good.