the afternoon; at which time Jones promised to attend her.
Thus ended the adventure at the playhouse; where Partridge had
afforded great mirth, not only to Jones and Mrs. Miller, but to all
who sat within hearing, who were more attentive to what he said,
than to anything that passed on the stage.
He durst not go to bed all that night, for fear of the ghost; and
for many nights after sweated two or three hours before he went to
sleep, with the same apprehensions, and waked several times in great
horrors, crying out, "Lord have mercy upon us! there it is."
Chapter 6
In which the history is obliged to look back
It is almost impossible for the best parent to observe an exact
impartiality to his children, even though no superior merit should
bias his affection; but sure a parent can hardly be blamed, when
that superiority determines his preference.
As I regard all the personages of this history in the light of my
children; so I must confess the same inclination of partiality to
Sophia; and for that I hope the reader will allow me the same
excuse, from the superiority of her character.
This extraordinary tenderness which I have for my heroine, never
suffers me to quit her any long time without the utmost reluctance.
I could now, therefore, return impatiently to inquire what hath
happened to this lovely creature since her departure from her
father's, but that I am obliged first to pay a short visit to Mr.
Blifil.
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 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 everything 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 solicit the good pleasure of their
servants when they intend to take a journey; and who are by law, or
decency at least, withheld 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 7
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's 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 anybody 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 more 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 8
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 inquiry 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
