The chapter begins with Franklin's Philadelphia reading group debating poetry. Ralph tricks him into passing off Ralph's psalm translation as Franklin's own work, and the praise convinces Ralph he should become a poet. Meanwhile Governor Keith has been delaying the promised letters that are supposed to set Franklin up in business. Franklin waits, packs, and finally boards ship believing the governor's word. When Franklin finally sails for London with Ralph, Keith avoids him in Newcastle and says the letters will come on the ship.
In the English Channel Franklin searches the mail bag and finds nothing addressed to him. A merchant named Denham explains that Keith makes generous promises he cannot keep and has no real credit to give. Stranded at eighteen, Franklin finds work in London print shops. He becomes known as the Water-American because he drinks water while coworkers drink beer from morning to night. He outworks them, pays a compositors' fee he dislikes in order to get along, and even changes some shop breakfast habits. His friend Ralph borrows his money, chases failed acting and writing careers, and later borrows Franklin's name when he goes to teach school in the country. Franklin is left broke and angry at himself for trusting both men. He keeps his head down, works harder than the beer-drinking compositors, and slowly earns respect in the London shops even without Keith's help.
Franklin also neglects Deborah Read, which he later calls one of his worst mistakes. He writes rarely and lets years pass while he chases work and adventure in England. He writes a pamphlet on liberty and necessity, sells curiosities to Sir Hans Sloane, and swims so well that people talk about him around London. Denham eventually offers him a real job as a clerk and brings him back to Philadelphia. For a short time that path looks secure. Then Denham dies, Deborah has married another man in Franklin's absence, and Keith is out of power when Franklin returns.
Franklin goes back to work for Keimer, who hires him mainly to train cheap workers and may push him out once they improve. Franklin keeps working hard anyway. He teaches the new hands, fixes broken type, and makes himself too useful to fire quickly. He makes type when the shop runs short, takes in an Oxford scholar sold into service, and learns again how costly misplaced trust can be. The chapter ends with tension rising at Keimer's shop, where a small public insult is about to break the relationship for good. When he returns to Philadelphia without Denham's protection, he must start over again at Keimer's shop. The closing quarrel with Keimer will soon push him toward independence he has been building toward since London.
Coming Up in Chapter 4
Keimer's patience with Franklin is running out, and Franklin knows it. A small public humiliation is about to snap whatever is left between them, and out of that break something new will have to be built. The question is whether Franklin has enough allies, enough skill, and enough nerve to make his own move before Keimer makes his.
