Mr. Western, in the first Confusion into which his Mind was cast, upon the sudden News he received of his Daughter, and in the first Hurry to go after her, had not once thought of sending any Account of the Discovery to Blifil. He had not gone far, however, before he recollected himself, and accordingly, stopt at the very first Inn he came to, and dispatched away a Messenger to acquaint Blifil with his having found Sophia, and with his firm Resolution to marry her to him immediately, if he would come up after him to Town.
As the Love which Blifil had for Sophia was of that violent Kind, which nothing but the Loss of her Fortune, or some such Accident, could lessen, his Inclination to the Match was not at all altered by her having run away, though he was obliged to lay this to his own Account. He very readily, therefore, embraced this Offer. Indeed, he now proposed the Gratification of a very strong Passion besides Avarice, by marrying this young Lady, and this was Hatred: For he concluded that Matrimony afforded an equal Opportunity of satisfying either Hatred or Love; and this Opinion is very probably verified by much Experience. To say the Truth, if we are to judge by the ordinary Behaviour of married Persons to each other, we shall perhaps be apt to conclude, that the Generality seek the Indulgence of the former Passion only in their Union of every Thing but of Hearts.
There was one Difficulty, however, in his Way, and this arose from Mr. Allworthy. That good Man, when he found by the Departure of Sophia, (for neither that, nor the Cause of it, could be concealed from him) the great Aversion which she had for his Nephew, began to be seriously concerned that he had been deceived into carrying Matters so far. He by no Means concurred with the Opinion of those Parents, who think it as immaterial to consult the Inclinations of their Children in the Affair of Marriage, as to sollicit the good Pleasure of their Servants when they intend to take a Journey; and who are, by Law or Decency at least, with-held often from using absolute Force. On the contrary, as he esteemed the Institution to be of the most sacred Kind, he thought every preparatory Caution necessary to preserve it holy and inviolate; and very wisely concluded, that the surest Way to effect this, was by laying the Foundation in previous Affection.
Blifil indeed soon cured his Uncle of all Anger on the Score of Deceit, by many Vows and Protestations that he had been deceived himself, with which the many Declarations of Western very well tallied; but now to persuade Allworthy to consent to the renewing his Addresses, was a Matter of such apparent Difficulty, that the very Appearance was sufficient to have deterred a less enterprizing Genius; but this young Gentleman so well knew his own Talents, that nothing within the Province of Cunning seemed to him hard to be atchieved.
Here then he represented the Violence of his own Affection, and the Hopes of subduing Aversion in the Lady by Perseverance. He begged that in an Affair on which depended all his future Repose, he might at least be at Liberty to try all fair Means for Success. Heaven forbid, he said, that he should ever think of prevailing by any other than the most gentle Methods! ‘Besides, Sir, said he, if they fail, you may then (which will be surely Time enough) deny your Consent.’ He urged the great and eager Desire which Mr. Western had for the Match, and lastly, he made great Use of the Name of Jones, to whom he imputed all that had happened; and from whom, he said, to preserve so valuable a young Lady was even an Act of Charity.
All these Arguments were well seconded by Thwackum, who dwelt a little stronger on the Authority of Parents than Mr. Blifil himself had done. He ascribed the Measures which Mr. Blifil was desirous to take, to Christian Motives; ‘and though,’ says he, ‘the good young Gentleman hath mentioned Charity last, I am almost convinced, it is his first and principal Consideration.’
Square, possibly, had he been present, would have sung to the same Tune, though in a different Key, and would have discovered much moral Fitness in the Proceeding; but he was now gone to Bath for the Recovery of his Health.
Allworthy, though not without Reluctance, at last yielded to the Desires of his Nephew. He said, he would accompany him to London, where he might be at Liberty to use every honest Endeavour to gain the Lady: ‘But I declare,’ said he, ‘I will never give my Consent to any absolute Force being put on her Inclinations, nor shall you ever have her, unless she can be brought freely to Compliance.’
Thus did the Affection of Allworthy for his Nephew betray the superior Understanding to be triumphed over by the inferior; and thus is the Prudence of the best of Heads often defeated, by the Tenderness of the best of Hearts.
Blifil having obtained this unhoped for Acquiescence in his Uncle, rested not till he carried his Purpose into Execution. And as no immediate Business required Mr. Allworthy’s Presence in the Country, and little Preparation is necessary to Men for a Journey, they set out the very next Day, and arrived in Town that Evening, when Mr. Jones, as we have seen, was diverting himself with Partridge, at the Play.
The Morning after his Arrival, Mr. Blifil waited on Mr. Western, by whom he was most kindly and graciously received, and from whom he had every possible Assurance (perhaps more than was possible) that he should very shortly be as happy as Sophia could make him; nor would the Squire suffer the young Gentleman to return to his Uncle, till he had, almost against his Will, carried him to his Sister.
CHAPTER VII.
In which Mr. Western pays a Visit to his Sister, in
Company with Mr. Blifil.
Mrs. Western was reading a Lecture on Prudence, and Matrimonial Politics to her Niece, when her Brother and Blifil broke in with less Ceremony than the Laws of Visiting require. Sophia no sooner saw Blifil, than she turned pale, and almost lost the Use of all her Faculties; but her Aunt on the contrary waxed red, and having all her Faculties at Command began to exert her Tongue on the Squire.
‘Brother,’ said she, ‘I am astonished at your Behaviour, will you never learn any Regard to Decorum? Will you still look upon every Apartment as your own, or as belonging to one of your Country Tenants? Do you think yourself at Liberty to invade the Privacies of Women of Condition, without the least Decency or Notice?’——‘Why, what a Pox! is the Matter now? quoth the Squire, one would think, I had caught you at———’ ‘None of your Brutality, Sir, I beseech you,’ answered she. ‘———You have surprized my poor Niece so, that she can hardly, I see, support herself.——Go, my Dear, retire and endeavour to recruit your Spirits; for I see you have Occasion.’ At which Words, Sophia, who never received a more welcome Command, hastily withdrew.
‘To be sure, Sister,’ cries the Squire, ‘you are mad, when I have brought Mr. Blifil here to court her, to force her away.’
‘Sure, Brother,’ says she, ‘you are worse than mad, when you know in what Situation Affairs are, to———I am sure, I ask Mr. Blifil Pardon, but he knows very well to whom to impute so disagreeable a Reception. For my own Part, I am sure, I shall always be very glad to see Mr. Blifil; but his own good Sense would not have suffered him to proceed so abruptly, had you not compelled him to it.’
Blifil bowed and stammered and looked like a Fool; but Western, without giving him Time to form a Speech for the Purpose, answered, ‘Well, well, I am to blame if you will, I always am, certainly; but come, let the Girl be fetched back again, or let Mr. Blifil go to her——He’s come up on Purpose, and there is no Time to be lost.’
‘Brother,’ cries Mrs. Western, ‘Mr. Blifil, I am confident, understands himself better than to think of seeing my Niece any more this Morning after what hath happened. Women are of a nice Contexture; and our Spirits when disordered, are not to be recomposed in a Moment. Had you suffered Mr. Blifil to have sent his Compliments to my Niece, and to have desired the Favour of waiting on her in the Afternoon, I should possibly have prevailed on her to have seen him; but now I despair of bringing about any such Matter.’
‘I am very sorry, Madam,’ cried Blifil, ‘that Mr. Western’s extraordinary Kindness to me, which I can never enough acknowledge, should have occasioned——’ ‘Indeed, Sir,’ said she, interrupting him, ‘you need make no Apologies, we all know my Brother
so well.’
‘I don’t care what any Body knows of me,’ answered the Squire, — ‘but when must he come to see her? for consider, I tell you, he is come up on Purpose, and so is Allworthy.’ ‘Brother,’ said she, ‘whatever Message Mr. Blifil thinks proper to send to my Niece, shall be delivered to her; and I suppose, she will want no Instructions to make a proper Answer. I am convinced she will not refuse to see Mr. Blifil at a proper Time.’——‘The Devil she won’t,’ answered the Squire. — ‘Odsbud! — Don’t we know,——I say nothing, but some Volk are wiser than all the World.——If I might have had my Will, she had not run away before: And now I expect to hear every Moment she is guone again. For as great a Fool as some Volk think me, I know very well she hates’———‘No Matter, Brother,’ replied Mrs. Western, ‘I will not hear my Niece abused. It is a Reflection on my Family. She is an Honour to it; and she will be an Honour to it, I promise you. I will pawn my whole Reputation in the World on her Conduct. — I shall be glad to see you, Brother, in the Afternoon; for I have somewhat of Importance to mention to you.——At present Mr. Blifil, as well as you, must excuse me; for I am in haste to dress.’——‘Well but,’ said the Squire, ‘do appoint a Time.’ — ‘Indeed,’ said she, ‘I can appoint no Time. — I tell you, I will see you in the Afternoon.’ — ‘What the Devil would you have me do?’ cries the Squire, turning to Blifil, ‘I can no muore turn her, than a Beagle can turn an old Hare. Perhaps, she will be in a better Humour in the Afternoon.’ — ‘I am condemned, I see, Sir, to Misfortune,’ answered Blifil, ‘but I shall always own my Obligations to you.’———He then took a ceremonious Leave of Mrs. Western, who was altogether as ceremonious on her Part; and then they departed, the Squire muttering to himself with an Oath, that Blifil should see his Daughter in the Afternoon.
If Mr. Western was little pleased with this Interview, Blifil was less. As to the former, he imputed the whole Behaviour of his Sister to her Humour only, and to her Dissatisfaction at the Omission of Ceremony in the Visit; but Blifil saw a little deeper into Things. He suspected somewhat of more Consequence, from two or three Words which dropt from the Lady; and, to say the Truth, he suspected right, as will appear when I have unfolded the several Matters which will be contained in the following Chapter.
CHAPTER VIII.
Schemes of Lady Bellaston for the Ruin of Jones.
Love had taken too deep a Root in the Mind of Lord Fellamar to be plucked up by the rude Hands of Mr. Western. In the Heat of Resentment he had indeed given a Commission to Captain Egglane, which the Captain had far exceeded in the Execution; nor had it been executed at all, had his Lordship been able to find the Captain after he had seen Lady Bellaston, which was in the Afternoon of the Day after he had received the Affront; but so industrious was the Captain in the Discharge of his Duty, that having after long Enquiry found out the Squire’s Lodgings very late in the Evening, he sat up all Night at a Tavern, that he might not miss the Squire in the Morning, and by that Means missed the Revocation which my Lord had sent to his Lodgings.
In the Afternoon then next after the intended Rape of Sophia, his Lordship, as we have said, made a Visit to Lady Bellaston, who laid open so much of the Character of the Squire, that his Lordship plainly saw the Absurdity he had been guilty of in taking any Offence at his Words, especially as he had those honourable Designs on his Daughter. He then unbosomed the Violence of his Passion to Lady Bellaston, who readily undertook the Cause, and encouraged him with certain Assurance of a most favourable Reception, from all the Elders of the Family, and from the Father himself when he should be sober, and should be made acquainted with the Nature of the Offer made to his Daughter. The only Danger, she said, lay in the Fellow she had formerly mentioned, who, though a Beggar and a Vagabond, had by some Means or other, she knew not what, procured himself tolerable Cloaths, and past for a Gentleman. ‘Now,’ says she, ‘as I have, for the Sake of my Cousin, made it my Business to enquire after this Fellow, I have luckily found out his Lodgings’; with which she then acquainted his Lordship. ‘I am thinking, my Lord,’ added she, ‘(for this Fellow is too mean for your personal Resentment) whether it would not be possible for your Lordship to contrive some Method of having him pressed and sent on board a Ship.1 Neither Law nor Conscience forbid this Project: for the Fellow, I promise you, however well drest, is but a Vagabond, and as proper as any Fellow in the Streets to be pressed into the Service; and as for the conscientious Part, surely the Preservation of a young Lady from such Ruin is a most meritorious Act; nay, with Regard to the Fellow himself, unless he could succeed (which Heaven forbid) with my Cousin, it may probably be the Means of preserving him from the Gallows, and perhaps may make his Fortune in an honest Way.’
Lord Fellamar very heartily thanked her Ladyship, for the Part which she was pleased to take in the Affair, upon the Success of which his whole future Happiness entirely depended. He said, he saw at present no Objection to the pressing Scheme, and would consider of putting it in Execution. He then most earnestly recommended to her Ladyship, to do him the Honour of immediately mentioning his Proposals to the Family; to whom, he said, he offered a Carte Blanche, and would settle his Fortune in almost any Manner they should require. And after uttering many Ecstasies and Raptures concerning Sophia, he took his Leave and departed, but not before he had received the strongest Charge to beware of Jones, and to lose no Time in securing his Person where he should no longer be in a Capacity of making any Attempts to the Ruin of the young Lady.
The Moment Mrs. Western was arrived at her Lodgings, a Card was dispatched with her Compliments to Lady Bellaston; who no sooner received it, than with the Impatience of a Lover, she flew to her Cousin, rejoiced at this fair Opportunity, which beyond her Hopes offered itself: for she was much better pleased with the Prospect of making the Proposals to a Woman of Sense, and who knew the World, than to a Gentleman whom she honoured with the Appellation of Hottentot; though indeed from him she apprehended no Danger of a Refusal.
The two Ladies being met, after very short previous Ceremonials, fell to Business, which was indeed almost as soon concluded as begun; for Mrs. Western no sooner heard the Name of Lord Fellamar than her Cheeks glowed with Pleasure; but when she was acquainted with the Eagerness of his Passion, the Earnestness of his Proposals, and the Generosity of his Offer, she declared her full Satisfaction in the most explicit Terms.
In the Progress of their Conversation, their Discourse turned to Jones, and both Cousins very pathetically lamented the unfortunate Attachment which both agreed Sophia had to that young Fellow; and Mrs. Western entirely attributed it to the Folly of her Brother’s Management. She concluded however at last, with declaring her Confidence in the good Understanding of her Niece, who though she would not give up her Affection in Favour of Blifil, will, I doubt not, says she, soon be prevailed upon to sacrifice a simple Inclination to the Addresses of a fine Gentleman, who brings her both a Title and a large Estate: ‘For indeed,’ added she, ‘I must do Sophy the Justice to confess, this Blifil is but a hideous kind of Fellow, as you know, Bellaston, all Country Gentlemen are, and hath nothing but his Fortune to recommend him.’
‘Nay,’ said Lady Bellaston, ‘I don’t then so much wonder at my Cousin; for I promise you, this Jones is a very agreeable Fellow, and hath one Virtue which the Men say is a great Recommendation to us. What do you think, Bell— I shall certainly make you laugh; nay, I can hardly tell you myself for laughing — Will you believe that the Fellow hath had the Assurance to make Love to me? But if you should be inclined to disbelieve it, here is Evidence enough, his own Hand-writing, I assure you.’ She then delivered her Cousin the Letter with the Proposals of Marriage, which if the Reader hath a Desire to see, he will find already on Record in the XVth Book of this History.
‘Upon my Word, I am astonished,’ said Mrs. Western, ‘this is indeed a Master-piece of Assurance. With your Leave, I may possibly make some Use of this Letter.’ ‘You have my full Liberty,’ cries Lady Bellaston, ‘to apply it to what Purpose you
please. However, I would not have it shewn to any but Miss Western, nor to her unless you find Occasion.’ ‘Well, and how did you use the Fellow?’ returned Mrs. Western. ‘Not as a Husband,’ said the Lady. ‘I am not married, I promise you, my Dear. You know, Bell, I have try’d the Comforts once already; and once I think is enough for any reasonable Woman.’
This Letter, Lady Bellaston thought would certainly turn the Balance against Jones in the Mind of Sophia, and she was emboldened to give it up, partly by her Hopes of having him instantly dispatched out of the Way, and partly by having secured the Evidence of Honour, who, upon sounding her, she saw sufficient Reason to imagine, was prepared to testify whatever she pleased.
But perhaps the Reader may wonder why Lady Bellaston, who in her Heart hated Sophia, should be so desirous of promoting a Match, which was so much to the Interest of the young Lady. Now, I would desire such Readers to look carefully into human Nature, Page almost the last, and there he will find in scarce legible Characters, that Women, notwithstanding the preposterous Behaviour of Mothers, Aunts, &c. in matrimonial Matters, do in Reality think it so great a Misfortune to have their Inclinations in Love thwarted, that they imagine, they ought never to carry Enmity higher than upon these Disappointments; again, he will find it written much about the same Place, that a Woman who hath once been pleased with the Possession of a Man, will go above half way to the Devil, to prevent any other Woman from enjoying the same.
The History of Tom Jones (Penguin Classics) Page 97