History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
Page 175
Chapter xi.
Containing curious, but not unprecedented matter.
There was a lady, one Mrs Hunt, who had often seen Jones at the housewhere he lodged, being intimately acquainted with the women there, andindeed a very great friend to Mrs Miller. Her age was about thirty,for she owned six-and-twenty; her face and person very good, onlyinclining a little too much to be fat. She had been married young byher relations to an old Turkey merchant, who, having got a greatfortune, had left off trade. With him she lived without reproach, butnot without pain, in a state of great self-denial, for about twelveyears; and her virtue was rewarded by his dying and leaving her veryrich. The first year of her widowhood was just at an end, and she hadpast it in a good deal of retirement, seeing only a few particularfriends, and dividing her time between her devotions and novels, ofwhich she was always extremely fond. Very good health, a very warmconstitution, and a good deal of religion, made it absolutelynecessary for her to marry again; and she resolved to please herselfin her second husband, as she had done her friends in the first. Fromher the following billet was brought to Jones:--
"SIR,
"From the first day I saw you, I doubt my eyes have told you too plainly that you were not indifferent to me; but neither my tongue nor my hand should have ever avowed it, had not the ladies of the family where you are lodged given me such a character of you, and told me such proofs of your virtue and goodness, as convince me you are not only the most agreeable, but the most worthy of men. I have also the satisfaction to hear from them, that neither my person, understanding, or character, are disagreeable to you. I have a fortune sufficient to make us both happy, but which cannot make me so without you. In thus disposing of myself, I know I shall incur the censure of the world; but if I did not love you more than I fear the world, I should not be worthy of you. One only difficulty stops me: I am informed you are engaged in a commerce of gallantry with a woman of fashion. If you think it worth while to sacrifice that to the possession of me, I am yours; if not, forget my weakness, and let this remain an eternal secret between you and
"ARABELLA HUNT."
At the reading of this, Jones was put into a violent flutter. Hisfortune was then at a very low ebb, the source being stopt from whichhitherto he had been supplied. Of all he had received from LadyBellaston, not above five guineas remained; and that very morning hehad been dunned by a tradesman for twice that sum. His honourablemistress was in the hands of her father, and he had scarce any hopesever to get her out of them again. To be subsisted at her expense,from that little fortune she had independent of her father, went muchagainst the delicacy both of his pride and his love. This lady'sfortune would have been exceeding convenient to him, and he could haveno objection to her in any respect. On the contrary, he liked her aswell as he did any woman except Sophia. But to abandon Sophia, andmarry another, that was impossible; he could not think of it upon anyaccount, Yet why should he not, since it was plain she could not behis? Would it not be kinder to her, than to continue her longerengaged in a hopeless passion for him? Ought he not to do so infriendship to her? This notion prevailed some moments, and he hadalmost determined to be false to her from a high point of honour: butthat refinement was not able to stand very long against the voice ofnature, which cried in his heart that such friendship was treason tolove. At last he called for pen, ink, and paper, and writ as followsto Mrs Hunt:--
"MADAM,
"It would be but a poor return to the favour you have done me to sacrifice any gallantry to the possession of you, and I would certainly do it, though I were not disengaged, as at present I am, from any affair of that kind. But I should not be the honest man you think me, if I did not tell you that my affections are engaged to another, who is a woman of virtue, and one that I never can leave, though it is probable I shall never possess her. God forbid that, in return of your kindness to me, I should do you such an injury as to give you my hand when I cannot give my heart. No; I had much rather starve than be guilty of that. Even though my mistress were married to another, I would not marry you unless my heart had entirely effaced all impressions of her. Be assured that your secret was not more safe in your own breast, than in that of your most obliged, and grateful humble servant,
"T. JONES."
When our heroe had finished and sent this letter, he went to hisscrutore, took out Miss Western's muff, kissed it several times, andthen strutted some turns about his room, with more satisfaction ofmind than ever any Irishman felt in carrying off a fortune of fiftythousand pounds.