Chapter Twenty-Two Summary

Eugene tells his court-appointed lawyer that he never swears, he never masturbates and that he loves to clean house. The lawyer is pleased he doesn't curse, since it makes defending him easier, but wonders why not? Eugene tells him that his Grandfather always told him anyone who swears is a weaker-willed and less imaginative man. As if offering proof, his Grandfather always told of a village wherein the town clerk struck the city bells everyday at noon without fail, year in and year out. One day, however, he falls sick and the bells don't ring at high noon. Everyone rushes outside, shouting, "What was that?" Eugene suggests to his lawyer this story tells it all about how the absence of swearing makes a louder sound. Eugene remembers when he was fired from Tarkington, he ran into Sam Wakefield's wife Andrea. Andrea...