- description
- # Narrator's Tactics and Resolution
## Overview
This segment, titled "Narrator's Tactics and Resolution," is a portion of the short story "I and My Chimney." It spans lines 1075 to 1101 of the source text and details the narrator's actions to resolve a conflict regarding his chimney.
## Context
The segment is part of the short story "[I and My Chimney](arke:01KG8AJ72QDX8N8STJ3550X2NW)," which is included in the "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. This particular section follows the "[Introduction of Mr. Scribe and Survey](arke:01KG8AJNY34820558J4D1209B3)" and precedes the "[Wife's Continued Campaign](arke:01KG8AJNYAZCM6K81JTNXYFFXE)." The text was extracted from the file "[i_and_my_chimney.txt](arke:01KG89J1H4TA19251AXAPE3ZWC)".
## Contents
In this segment, the narrator, suspecting a plot and recalling his wife's insistence on following Mr. Scribe's decision, decides to bribe Mr. Scribe. He offers Mr. Scribe fifty dollars for his survey and requests a certificate confirming the chimney's soundness and lack of any secret closet. Mr. Scribe, after some hesitation, accepts the money and provides the certificate. The narrator then frames the certificate and hangs it over the dining-room fireplace, hoping it will permanently quell any further suspicions or schemes within his household.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:03.033Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- Narrator's Tactics and Resolution
- end_line
- 1101
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:36.358Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 1075
- text
- Here, now, thought I to myself, the cat leaps out of the bag. I looked
at him with a calm glance, under which he seemed somewhat uneasy. More
than ever now I suspected a plot. I remembered what my wife had said
about abiding by the decision of Mr. Scribe. In a bland way, I resolved
to buy up the decision of Mr. Scribe.
“Sir,” said I, “really, I am much obliged to you for this survey. It
has quite set my mind at rest. And no doubt you, too, Mr. Scribe, must
feel much relieved. Sir,” I added, “you have made three visits to the
chimney. With a business man, time is money. Here are fifty dollars,
Mr. Scribe. Nay, take it. You have earned it. Your opinion is worth it.
And by the way,”—as he modestly received the money—“have you any
objections to give me a—a—little certificate—something, say, like a
steamboat certificate, certifying that you, a competent surveyor, have
surveyed my chimney, and found no reason to believe any unsoundness; in
short, any—any secret closet in it. Would you be so kind, Mr. Scribe?”
“But, but, sir,” stammered he with honest hesitation.
“Here, here are pen and paper,” said I, with entire assurance.
Enough.
That evening I had the certificate framed and hung over the dining-room
fireplace, trusting that the continual sight of it would forever put at
rest at once the dreams and stratagems of my household.
- title
- Narrator's Tactics and Resolution