Chapter 22- Does the wizard behead Ben?

I looked at Ben. He seemed to be calm and composed, undeterred by the talk of his getting beheaded by the stake. He was just looking blankly at the stake, as if he could not sense anything that was happening around him. He seemed to be totally under the control of the wizard, Doyle Stalin. He simply behaved like an encaged animal who was unable to make out that he was imprisoned and who could not speak anything.

I got worried again. I was feeling that Doyle Stalin, who pretended to be innocent, was not that immaculate a person and was actually wanting to behead Ben. “Why did he give me the wrong impression if his intentions were malicious? He seems to be in favor of Joseph Andrews. After all, greed and need can make even a righteous person sinful.” I thought as I tried to study the wizard’s face carefully. But this time there seemed to be no change in his expressions. He seemed to be meditating, as if waiting for the eclipse to occur so that he could execute his plans.

Soon, we could