History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter ix.

  Containing strange matters.

  At his return to his lodgings, Jones found the situation of affairsgreatly altered from what they had been in at his departure. Themother, the two daughters, and young Mr Nightingale, were now sat downto supper together, when the uncle was, at his own desire, introducedwithout any ceremony into the company, to all of whom he was wellknown; for he had several times visited his nephew at that house.

  The old gentleman immediately walked up to Miss Nancy, saluted andwished her joy, as he did afterwards the mother and the other sister;and lastly, he paid the proper compliments to his nephew, with thesame good humour and courtesy, as if his nephew had married his equalor superior in fortune, with all the previous requisites firstperformed.

  Miss Nancy and her supposed husband both turned pale, and lookedrather foolish than otherwise upon the occasion; but Mrs Miller tookthe first opportunity of withdrawing; and, having sent for Jones intothe dining-room, she threw herself at his feet, and in a mostpassionate flood of tears, called him her good angel, the preserver ofher poor little family, with many other respectful and endearingappellations, and made him every acknowledgment which the highestbenefit can extract from the most grateful heart.

  After the first gust of her passion was a little over, which shedeclared, if she had not vented, would have burst her, she proceededto inform Mr Jones that all matters were settled between MrNightingale and her daughter, and that they were to be married thenext morning; at which Mr Jones having expressed much pleasure, thepoor woman fell again into a fit of joy and thanksgiving, which he atlength with difficulty silenced, and prevailed on her to return withhim back to the company, whom they found in the same good humour inwhich they had left them.

  This little society now past two or three very agreeable hourstogether, in which the uncle, who was a very great lover of hisbottle, had so well plyed his nephew, that this latter, though notdrunk, began to be somewhat flustered; and now Mr Nightingale, takingthe old gentleman with him upstairs into the apartment he had latelyoccupied, unbosomed himself as follows:--

  "As you have been always the best and kindest of uncles to me, and asyou have shown such unparalleled goodness in forgiving this match,which to be sure may be thought a little improvident, I should neverforgive myself if I attempted to deceive you in anything." He thenconfessed the truth, and opened the whole affair.

  "How, Jack?" said the old gentleman, "and are you really then notmarried to this young woman?" "No, upon my honour," answeredNightingale, "I have told you the simple truth." "My dear boy," criesthe uncle, kissing him, "I am heartily glad to hear it. I never wasbetter pleased in my life. If you had been married I should haveassisted you as much as was in my power to have made the best of a badmatter; but there is a great difference between considering a thingwhich is already done and irrecoverable, and that which is yet to do.Let your reason have fair play, Jack, and you will see this match inso foolish and preposterous a light, that there will be no need of anydissuasive arguments." "How, sir?" replies young Nightingale, "isthere this difference between having already done an act, and being inhonour engaged to do it?" "Pugh!" said the uncle, "honour is acreature of the world's making, and the world hath the power of acreator over it, and may govern and direct it as they please. Now youwell know how trivial these breaches of contract are thought; even thegrossest make but the wonder and conversation of a day. Is there a manwho afterwards will be more backward in giving you his sister, ordaughter? or is there any sister or daughter who would be morebackward to receive you? Honour is not concerned in theseengagements." "Pardon me, dear sir," cries Nightingale, "I can neverthink so; and not only honour, but conscience and humanity, areconcerned. I am well satisfied, that, was I now to disappoint theyoung creature, her death would be the consequence, and I should lookupon myself as her murderer; nay, as her murderer by the cruellest ofall methods, by breaking her heart." "Break her heart, indeed! no, no,Jack," cries the uncle, "the hearts of women are not so soon broke;they are tough, boy, they are tough." "But, sir," answeredNightingale, "my own affections are engaged, and I never could behappy with any other woman. How often have I heard you say, thatchildren should be always suffered to chuse for themselves, and thatyou would let my cousin Harriet do so?" "Why, ay," replied the oldgentleman, "so I would have them; but then I would have them chusewisely.--Indeed, Jack, you must and shall leave the girl."----"Indeed,uncle," cries the other, "I must and will have her." "You will, younggentleman;" said the uncle; "I did not expect such a word from you. Ishould not wonder if you had used such language to your father, whohath always treated you like a dog, and kept you at the distance whicha tyrant preserves over his subjects; but I, who have lived with youupon an equal footing, might surely expect better usage: but I knowhow to account for it all: it is all owing to your preposterouseducation, in which I have had too little share. There is my daughter,now, whom I have brought up as my friend, never doth anything withoutmy advice, nor ever refuses to take it when I give it her." "You havenever yet given her advice in an affair of this kind," saidNightingale; "for I am greatly mistaken in my cousin, if she would bevery ready to obey even your most positive commands in abandoning herinclinations." "Don't abuse my girl," answered the old gentleman withsome emotion; "don't abuse my Harriet. I have brought her up to haveno inclinations contrary to my own. By suffering her to do whatevershe pleases, I have enured her to a habit of being pleased to dowhatever I like." "Pardon, me, sir," said Nightingale, "I have not theleast design to reflect on my cousin, for whom I have the greatestesteem; and indeed I am convinced you will never put her to so severea tryal, or lay such hard commands on her as you would do on me.--But,dear sir, let us return to the company; for they will begin to beuneasy at our long absence. I must beg one favour of my dear uncle,which is that he would not say anything to shock the poor girl or hermother." "Oh! you need not fear me," answered he, "I understand myselftoo well to affront women; so I will readily grant you that favour;and in return I must expect another of you." "There are but few ofyour commands, sir," said Nightingale, "which I shall not verychearfully obey." "Nay, sir, I ask nothing," said the uncle, "but thehonour of your company home to my lodging, that I may reason the casea little more fully with you; for I would, if possible, have thesatisfaction of preserving my family, notwithstanding the headstrongfolly of my brother, who, in his own opinion, is the wisest man in theworld."

  Nightingale, who well knew his uncle to be as headstrong as hisfather, submitted to attend him home, and then they both returned backinto the room, where the old gentleman promised to carry himself withthe same decorum which he had before maintained.