The Wasp, 1918 · page 213 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 213: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page depicts a confrontation between two colonial officials. Alexander has accused Captain Nash of leaking information to someone named Stanton about a family member (James). Nash responds with elaborate, theatrical outrage—swearing repeatedly that he's innocent and deeply insulted by the accusation. He lists reasons he won't challenge Alexander to a duel: his official position, love for his motherless child, and old affection for Alexander himself. The satire targets the performative nature of colonial political honor: Nash's excessive swearing and elaborate excuses undercut his claims of innocence, while his reluctance to actually duel (despite claiming sufficient cause) reveals the gap between gentlemanly posturing and real conviction. Alexander's quick capitulation suggests he recognizes he's misjudged—perhaps the real joke is on him for taking the political theater seriously. The specific colonial setting and characters remain unclear without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
24 =~=“‘(“‘( es TE promise you that I will forget the incident with- out loss of time. You have behaved very handsomely, gentlemen, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Captain Cross, I thank you for your splendid indignation in behalf of my—of a member of my family. Gentlemen one and all, your humble servant. Boy, bring a dozen of claret—or shall it be a fresh brew of punch, gentlemen ?” Alexander went up to Government House that evening and told his excellency of Stanton’s attack. He wanted to know, very naturally, how Percy had come by his information concern- ing James. — =) Captain Nash iced furiously about, the ‘room and swore. He swore that Stanton had learned nothing from him or his. He swore that he had never been so insulted in all his life before as by Alexander’s unjust, unkind, and altogether indescribable suspicion. He swore that he had thought better of Alexander. He swore that, — but for his official position, his love for his _ motherless child, and his old liking for Alexander himself, he would call Alexander out for it. | And then he swore some more. Alexander saw that he had made a serious mistake, and said as much. He begged the icomiicbooks!coml|| |