History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter x.

  Consisting partly of facts, and partly of observations upon them.

  The letter then which arrived at the end of the preceding chapter wasfrom Mr Allworthy, and the purport of it was, his intention to comeimmediately to town, with his nephew Blifil, and a desire to beaccommodated with his usual lodgings, which were the first floor forhimself, and the second for his nephew.

  The chearfulness which had before displayed itself in the countenanceof the poor woman was a little clouded on this occasion. This news didindeed a good deal disconcert her. To requite so disinterested a matchwith her daughter, by presently turning her new son-in-law out ofdoors, appeared to her very unjustifiable on the one hand; and on theother, she could scarce bear the thoughts of making any excuse to MrAllworthy, after all the obligations received from him, for deprivinghim of lodgings which were indeed strictly his due; for thatgentleman, in conferring all his numberless benefits on others, actedby a rule diametrically opposite to what is practised by most generouspeople. He contrived, on all occasions, to hide his beneficence, notonly from the world, but even from the object of it. He constantlyused the words Lend and Pay, instead of Give; and by every othermethod he could invent, always lessened with his tongue the favours heconferred, while he was heaping them with both his hands. When hesettled the annuity of L50 a year therefore on Mrs Miller, he toldher, "it was in consideration of always having her first-floor when hewas in town (which he scarce ever intended to be), but that she mightlet it at any other time, for that he would always send her a month'swarning." He was now, however, hurried to town so suddenly, that hehad no opportunity of giving such notice; and this hurry probablyprevented him, when he wrote for his lodgings, adding, if they werethen empty; for he would most certainly have been well satisfied tohave relinquished them, on a less sufficient excuse than what MrsMiller could now have made.

  But there are a sort of persons, who, as Prior excellently wellremarks, direct their conduct by something

  Beyond the fix'd and settled rules Of vice and virtue in the schools, Beyond the letter of the law.

  To these it is so far from being sufficient that their defence wouldacquit them at the Old Bailey, that they are not even contented,though conscience, the severest of all judges, should discharge them.Nothing short of the fair and honourable will satisfy the delicacy oftheir minds; and if any of their actions fall short of this mark, theymope and pine, are as uneasy and restless as a murderer, who is afraidof a ghost, or of the hangman.

  Mrs Miller was one of these. She could not conceal her uneasiness atthis letter; with the contents of which she had no sooner acquaintedthe company, and given some hints of her distress, than Jones, hergood angel, presently relieved her anxiety. "As for myself, madam,"said he, "my lodging is at your service at a moment's warning; and MrNightingale, I am sure, as he cannot yet prepare a house fit toreceive his lady, will consent to return to his new lodging, whitherMrs Nightingale will certainly consent to go." With which proposalboth husband and wife instantly agreed.

  The reader will easily believe, that the cheeks of Mrs Miller beganagain to glow with additional gratitude to Jones; but, perhaps, it maybe more difficult to persuade him, that Mr Jones having in his lastspeech called her daughter Mrs Nightingale (it being the first timethat agreeable sound had ever reached her ears), gave the fond mothermore satisfaction, and warmed her heart more towards Jones, than hishaving dissipated her present anxiety.

  The next day was then appointed for the removal of the new-marriedcouple, and of Mr Jones, who was likewise to be provided for in thesame house with his friend. And now the serenity of the company wasagain restored, and they past the day in the utmost chearfulness, allexcept Jones, who, though he outwardly accompanied the rest in theirmirth, felt many a bitter pang on the account of his Sophia, whichwere not a little heightened by the news of Mr Blifil's coming to town(for he clearly saw the intention of his journey); and what greatlyaggravated his concern was, that Mrs Honour, who had promised toinquire after Sophia, and to make her report to him early the nextevening, had disappointed him.

  In the situation that he and his mistress were in at this time, therewere scarce any grounds for him to hope that he should hear any goodnews; yet he was as impatient to see Mrs Honour as if he had expectedshe would bring him a letter with an assignation in it from Sophia,and bore the disappointment as ill. Whether this impatience arose fromthat natural weakness of the human mind, which makes it desirous toknow the worst, and renders uncertainty the most intolerable of pains;or whether he still flattered himself with some secret hopes, we willnot determine. But that it might be the last, whoever has loved cannotbut know. For of all the powers exercised by this passion over ourminds, one of the most wonderful is that of supporting hope in themidst of despair. Difficulties, improbabilities, nay, impossibilities,are quite overlooked by it; so that to any man extremely in love, maybe applied what Addison says of Caesar,

  "The Alps, and Pyrenaeans, sink before him!"

  Yet it is equally true, that the same passion will sometimes makemountains of molehills, and produce despair in the midst of hope; butthese cold fits last not long in good constitutions. Which temperJones was now in, we leave the reader to guess, having no exactinformation about it; but this is certain, that he had spent two hoursin expectation, when, being unable any longer to conceal hisuneasiness, he retired to his room; where his anxiety had almost madehim frantick, when the following letter was brought him from MrsHonour, with which we shall present the reader _verbatim etliteratim._

  "SIR,

  "I shud sartenly haf kaled on you a cordin too mi prommiss haddunt itt bin that hur lashipp prevent mee; for to bee sur, Sir, you nose very well that evere persun must luk furst at ome, and sartenly such anuther offar mite not have ever hapned, so as I shud ave bin justly to blam, had I not excepted of it when her lashipp was so veri kind as to offar to mak mee hur one uman without mi ever askin any such thing, to be sur shee is won of thee best ladis in thee wurld, and pepil who sase to the kontrari must bee veri wiket pepil in thare harts. To bee sur if ever I ave sad any thing of that kine it as bin thru ignorens, and I am hartili sorri for it. I nose your onur to be a genteelman of more onur and onesty, if I ever said ani such thing, to repete it to hurt a pore servant that as alwais add thee gratest respect in thee wurld for ure onur. To be sur won shud kepe wons tung within wons teeth, for no boddi nose what may hapen; and to bee sur if ani boddi ad tolde mee yesterday, that I shud haf bin in so gud a plase to day, I shud not haf beleeved it; for to be sur I never was a dremd of any such thing, nor shud I ever have soft after ani other bodi's plase; but as her lashipp wass so kine of her one a cord too give it mee without askin, to be sur Mrs Etoff herself, nor no other boddi can blam mee for exceptin such a thing when it fals in mi waye. I beg ure Onur not to menshion ani thing of what I haf sad, for I wish ure Onur all thee gud luk in the wurld; and I don't cuestion butt thatt u will haf Madam Sofia in the end; butt ass to miself ure onur nose I kant bee of ani farder sarvis to u in that matar, nou bein under thee cumand off anuther parson, and nott mi one mistress, I begg ure Onur to say nothing of what past, and belive me to be, sir, ure Onur's umble servant to cumand till deth,

  "HONOUR BLACKMORE."

  Various were the conjectures which Jones entertained on this step ofLady Bellaston; who, in reality, had little farther design than tosecure within her own house the repository of a secret, which shechose should make no farther progress than it had made already; butmostly, she desired to keep it from the ears of Sophia; for thoughthat young lady was almost the only one who would never have repeatedit again, her ladyship could not persuade herself of this; since, asshe now hated poor Sophia with most implacable hatred, she conceived areciprocal hatred to herself to be lodged in the tender breast of ourheroine, where no such passion had ever yet found an entrance.

  While Jones was terrifying himself with the apprehension of a thousanddreadful mach
inations, and deep political designs, which he imaginedto be at the bottom of the promotion of Honour, Fortune, who hithertoseems to have been an utter enemy to his match with Sophia, tried anew method to put a final end to it, by throwing a temptation in hisway, which in his present desperate situation it seemed unlikely heshould be able to resist.