This is long-arm talking to butchie bleam about his love for Cecillia. Then they go back to the town and long-arm tells everyone about this incident. The serpent refers to the devil which is (they believe) making butchie have these feelings, so he is sentenced to death by hanging so that all of the others in the town can see what happens when you fall in love. They (the town) also assume he is having these feelings just because he hasnt ever had sex and so he has an itch for it and his feelings arent based on love. He is left with the phrase "I'm so sorry for you, you'll never love again." from the judge and is thrown in jail.
This is long-arm talking to butchie bleam about his love for Cecillia. Then they go back to the town and long-arm tells everyone about this incident. The serpent refers to the devil which is (they believe) making butchie have these feelings, so he is sentenced to death by hanging so that all of the others in the town can see what happens when you fall in love. They (the town) also assume he is having these feelings just because he hasnt ever had sex and so he has an itch for it and his feelings arent based on love. He is left with the phrase "I'm so sorry for you, you'll never love again." from the judge and is thrown in jail.