The History of Tom Jones (Penguin Classics)

by Henry Fielding

  He then concluded with many solemn and vehement Protestations of the Truth of what he had at first asserted.

  The Faith of Nightingale was now again staggered, and began to incline to credit his Friend, when Mrs. Miller appeared, and made a sorrowful Report of the Success of her Embassy; which when Jones had heard, he cried out most heroically, ‘Well, my Friend, I am now indifferent as to what shall happen, at least with Regard to my Life; and if it be the Will of Heaven that I shall make an Atonement with that for the Blood I have spilt, I hope the Divine Goodness will one Day suffer my Honour to be cleared, and that the Words of a dying Man at least, will be believed, so far as to justify his Character.’

  A very mournful Scene now past between the Prisoner and his Friends, at which, as few Readers would have been pleased to be present, so few, I believe, will desire to hear it particularly related. We will, therefore, pass on to the Entrance of the Turnkey, who acquainted Jones, that there was a Lady without who desired to speak with him, when he was at Leisure.

  Jones declared his Surprize at this Message. He said, ‘He knew no Lady in the World whom he could possibly expect to see there.’ However, as he saw no Reason to decline seeing any Person, Mrs. Miller and Mr. Nightingale presently took their Leave, and he gave Orders to have the Lady admitted.

  If Jones was surprized at the News of a Visit from a Lady, how greatly was he astonished when he discovered this Lady to be no other than Mrs. Waters! In his Astonishment then we shall leave him a-while, in order to cure the Surprize of the Reader, who will likewise, probably, not a little wonder at the Arrival of this Lady.

  Who this Mrs. Waters was, the Reader pretty well knows; what she was, he must be perfectly satisfied. He will therefore be pleased to remember, that this Lady departed from Upton in the same Coach with Mr. Fitzpatrick and the other Irish Gentleman, and in their Company travelled to the Bath.

  Now there was a certain Office in the Gift of Mr. Fitzpatrick at that Time vacant, namely, that of a Wife; for the Lady who had lately filled that Office had resigned, or at least deserted her Duty. Mr. Fitzpatrick therefore having thoroughly examined Mrs. Waters on the Road, found her extremely fit for the Place, which, on their Arrival at Bath, he presently conferred upon her, and she, without any Scruple, accepted. As Husband and Wife this Gentleman and Lady continued together all the Time they stayed at Bath, and as Husband and Wife they arrived together in Town.

  Whether Mr. Fitzpatrick was so wise a Man as not to part with one good Thing till he had secured another, which he had at present only a Prospect of regaining; or whether Mrs. Waters had so well discharged her Office, that he intended still to retain her as Principal, and to make his Wife (as is often the Case) only her Deputy, I will not say; but certain it is he never mentioned his Wife to her, never communicated to her the Letter given him by Mrs. Western, nor ever once hinted his Purpose of repossessing his Wife; much less did he ever mention the Name of Jones. For though he intended to fight with him wherever he met him, he did not imitate those prudent Persons who think a Wife, a Mother, a Sister, or sometimes a whole Family, the safest Seconds on these Occasions. The first Account therefore which she had of all this, was delivered to her from his Lips, after he was brought home from the Tavern where his Wound had been drest.

  As Mr. Fitzpatrick however had not the clearest Way of telling a Story at any Time, and was now, perhaps, a little more confused than usual, it was some Time before she discovered, that the Gentleman who had given him this Wound was the very same Person from whom her Heart had received a Wound, which, though not of a mortal Kind, was yet so deep that it had left a considerable Scar behind it. But no sooner was she acquainted that Mr. Jones himself was the Man who had been committed to the Gatehouse for this supposed Murder, than she took the first Opportunity of committing Mr. Fitzpatrick to the Care of his Nurse, and hastened away to visit the Conqueror.

  She now entered the Room with an Air of Gaiety, which received an immediate Check from the melancholy Aspect of poor Jones, who started and blessed himself when he saw her. Upon which she said, ‘Nay, I do not wonder at your Surprize; I believe you did not expect to see me; for few Gentlemen are troubled here with Visits from any Lady, unless a Wife. You see the Power you have over me, Mr. Jones. Indeed I little thought when we parted at Upton, that our next Meeting would have been in such a Place.’ ‘Indeed, Madam,’ says Jones, ‘I must look upon this Visit as kind; few will follow the Miserable, especially to such dismal Habitations.’ ‘I protest, Mr. Jones,’ says she, ‘I can hardly persuade myself you are the same agreeable Fellow I saw at Upton. Why, your Face is more miserable than any Dungeon in the Universe. What can be the Matter with you?’ ‘I thought, Madam,’ said Jones, ‘as you knew of my being here, you knew the unhappy Reason.’ ‘Pugh,’ says she, ‘you have pinked a Man in a Duel, that’s all.’ Jones exprest some Indignation at this Levity, and spoke with the utmost Contrition for what had happened. To which she answered, ‘Well then, Sir, if you take it so much to Heart, I will relieve you; the Gentleman is not dead; and, I am pretty confident, is in no Danger of dying. The Surgeon indeed who first dressed him was a young Fellow, and seemed desirous of representing his Case to be as bad as possible, that he might have the more Honour from curing him; but the King’s Surgeon2 hath seen him since, and says, unless from a Fever, of which there are at present no Symptoms, he apprehends not the least Danger of Life.’ Jones shewed great Satisfaction in his Countenance at this Report; upon which she affirmed the Truth of it, adding, ‘By the most extraordinary Accident in the World I lodge at the same House, and have seen the Gentleman; and I promise you he doth you Justice, and says, Whatever be the Consequence, that he was entirely the Aggressor, and that you was not in the least to blame.’

  Jones expressed the utmost Satisfaction at the Account which Mrs. Waters brought him. He then informed her of many Things which she well knew before, as who Mr. Fitzpatrick was, the Occasion of his Resentment, & c. He likewise told her several Facts of which she was ignorant, as the Adventure of the Muff, and other Particulars, concealing only the Name of Sophia. He then lamented the Follies and Vices of which he had been guilty; every one of which, he said, had been attended with such ill Consequences, that he should be unpardonable if he did not take Warning, and quit those vicious Courses for the future. He lastly concluded with assuring her of his Resolution to sin no more, lest a worse Thing should happen to him.

  Mrs. Waters with great Pleasantry ridiculed all this, as the Effects of low Spirits and Confinement. She repeated some Witticisms about the Devil when he was sick,3 and told him, ‘She doubted not but shortly to see him at Liberty, and as lively a Fellow as ever; and then,’ says she, ‘I don’t question but your Conscience will be safely delivered of all these Qualms that it is now so sick in breeding.’

  Many more Things of this Kind she uttered, some of which it would do her no great Honour, in the Opinion of some Readers, to remember; nor are we quite certain but that the Answers made by Jones would be treated with Ridicule by others. We shall therefore suppress the rest of this Conversation, and only observe, that it ended at last with perfect Innocence, and much more to the Satisfaction of Jones than of the Lady: For the former was greatly transported with the News she had brought him; but the latter was not altogether so pleased with the penitential Behaviour of a Man whom she had at her first Interview conceived a very different Opinion of from what she now entertained of him.

  Thus the Melancholy occasioned by the Report of Mr. Nightingale was pretty well effaced; but the Dejection into which Mrs. Miller had thrown him still continued. The Account she gave, so well tallied with the Words of Sophia herself in her Letter, that he made not the least Doubt but that she had disclosed his Letter to her Aunt, and had taken a fixed Resolution to abandon him. The Torments this Thought gave him, were to be equalled only by a Piece of News which Fortune yet had in Store for him, and which we shall communicate in the second Chapter of the ensuing Book.

  BOOK XVIII.

  Containing about
Six Days.

  CHAPTER I.

  A Farewel to the Reader.

  We are now, Reader, arrived at the last Stage of our long Journey. As we have therefore travelled together through so many Pages, let us behave to one another like Fellow-Travellers in a Stage-Coach, who have passed several Days in the Company of each other; and who, notwithstanding any Bickerings or little Animosities which may have occurred on the Road, generally make all up at last, and mount, for the last Time, into their Vehicle with Chearfulness and Good-Humour; since after this one Stage, it may possibly happen to us, as it commonly happens to them, never to meet more.

  As I have here taken up this Simile, give me Leave to carry it a little farther. I intend then in this last Book to imitate the good Company I have mentioned in their last Journey. Now it is well known, that all Jokes and Raillery are at this Time laid aside; whatever Characters any of the Passengers have for the Jest-sake personated on the Road, are now thrown off, and the Conversation is usually plain and serious.

  In the same Manner, if I have now and then, in the Course of this Work, indulged any Pleasantry for thy Entertainment, I shall here lay it down. The Variety of Matter, indeed, which I shall be obliged to cram into this Book, will afford no Room for any of those ludicrous Observations which I have elsewhere made, and which may sometimes, perhaps, have prevented thee from taking a Nap when it was beginning to steal upon thee. In this last Book thou wilt find nothing (or at most very little) of that Nature. All will be plain Narrative only; and, indeed, when thou hast perused the many great Events which this Book will produce, thou wilt think the Number of Pages contained in it, scarce sufficient to tell the Story.

  And now, my Friend, I take this Opportunity (as I shall have no other) of heartily wishing thee well. If I have been an entertaining Companion to thee, I promise thee it is what I have desired. If in any Thing I have offended, it was really without any Intention. Some Things perhaps here said may have hit thee or thy Friends; but I do most solemnly declare they were not pointed at thee or them. I question not but thou hast been told, among other Stories of me, that thou wast to travel with a very scurrilous Fellow: But whoever told thee so, did me an Injury. No Man detests and despises Scurrility more than myself; nor hath any Man more Reason; for none hath ever been treated with more: And what is a very severe Fate, I have had some of the abusive Writings of those very Men fathered upon me, who in other of their Works have abused me themselves with the utmost Virulence.1

  All these Works, however, I am well convinced, will be dead long before this Page shall offer itself to thy Perusal: For however short the Period may be of my own Performances, they will most probably outlive their own infirm Author, and the weakly Productions of his abusive Cotemporaries.

  CHAPTER II.

  Containing a very tragical Incident.

  While Jones was employed in those unpleasant Meditations, with which we left him tormenting himself, Partridge came stumbling into the Room with his Face paler than Ashes, his Eyes fixed in his Head, his Hair standing an End, and every Limb trembling. In short, he looked as he would have done had he seen a Spectre, or had he indeed been a Spectre himself.

  Jones, who was little subject to Fear, could not avoid being somewhat shocked at this sudden Appearance. He did indeed himself change Colour, and his Voice a little faultered, while he asked him what was the Matter.

  ‘I hope, Sir,’ said Partridge, ‘you will not be angry with me. Indeed I did not listen, but I was obliged to stay in the outward Room. I am sure I wish I had been a hundred Miles off, rather than have heard what I have heard.’ ‘Why what is the Matter?’ said Jones. ‘The Matter, Sir? O good Heaven!’ answered Partridge, ‘was that Woman who is just gone out, the Woman who was with you at Upton?’ ‘She was, Partridge,’ cries Jones. ‘And did you really, Sir, go to Bed with that Woman?’ said he trembling.———‘I am afraid what past between us, is no Secret,’ said Jones.—‘Nay, but pray, Sir, for Heaven’s Sake, Sir, answer me,’ cries Partridge. ‘You know I did,’ cries Jones.—‘Why then the Lord have Mercy upon your Soul, and forgive you,’ cries Partridge; ‘but as sure as I stand here alive, you have been a-Bed with your own Mother.’

  Upon these Words, Jones became in a Moment a greater Picture of Horror than Partridge himself. He was indeed, for some Time, struck dumb with Amazement, and both stood staring wildly at each other. At last his Words found Way, and in an interrupted Voice he said, —‘How! how! What’s this you tell me?’ ‘Nay, Sir,’ cries Partridge, ‘I have not Breath enough left to tell you now— but what I have said is most certainly true—That Woman who now went out is your own Mother. How unlucky was it for you, Sir, that I did not happen to see her at that Time, to have prevented it? Sure the Devil himself must have contrived to bring about this Wickedness.’

  ‘Sure,’ cries Jones, ‘Fortune will never have done with me,’till she hath driven me to Distraction. But why do I blame Fortune? I am myself the Cause of all my Misery. All the dreadful Mischiefs which have befallen me, are the Consequences only of my own Folly and Vice. What thou hast told me, Partridge, hath almost deprived me of my Senses. And was Mrs. Waters then——But why do I ask? for thou must certainly know her.——If thou hast any Affection for me; nay, if thou hast any Pity, let me beseech thee to fetch this miserable Woman back again to me. O good Heavens! Incest—with a Mother! To what am I reserved?’ He then fell into the most violent and frantic Agonies of Grief and Despair, in which Partridge declared he would not leave him: But at last having vented the first Torrent of Passion, he came a little to himself; and then having acquainted Partridge that he would find this wretched Woman in the same House where the wounded Gentleman was lodged, he dispatched him in quest of her.

  If the Reader will please to refresh his Memory, by turning to the Scene at Upton in the Ninth Book, he will be apt to admire the many strange Accidents which unfortunately prevented any Interview between Partridge and Mrs. Waters, when she spent a whole Day there with Mr. Jones. Instances of this Kind we may frequently observe in Life, where the greatest Events are produced by a nice Train of little Circumstances; and more than one Example of this may be discovered by the accurate Eye, in this our History.

  After a fruitless Search of two or three Hours, Partridge returned back to his Master, without having seen Mrs. Waters. Jones, who was in a State of Desperation at his Delay, was almost raving mad when he brought him this Account. He was not long however in this Condition, before he received the following Letter.

  Sir,

  Since I left you, I have seen a Gentleman, from whom I have learnt something concerning you which greatly surprizes and affects me; but as I have not at present Leisure to communicate a Matter of such high Importance, you must suspend your Curiosity till our next Meeting, which shall be the first Moment I am able to see you. O Mr. Jones, little did I think, when I past that happy Day at Upton, the Reflection upon which is like to embitter all my future Life, who it was to whom I owed such perfect Happiness. Believe me to be ever sincerely your unfortunate

  J. Waters.

  P.S. I would have you comfort yourself as much as possible; for Mr. Fitzpatrick is in no Manner of Danger; so that whatever other grievous Crimes you may have to repent of, the Guilt of Blood is not among the Number.

  Jones having received the Letter, let it drop (for he was unable to hold it, and indeed had scarce the Use of any one of his Faculties). Partridge took it up, and having received Consent by Silence, read it likewise; nor had it upon him a less sensible Effect. The Pencil, and not the Pen, should describe the Horrors which appeared in both their Countenances. While they both remained speechless, the Turn-key entered the Room, and without taking any Notice of what sufficiently discovered itself in the Faces of them both, acquainted Jones that a Man without desired to speak with him. This Person was presently introduced, and was no other than Black George.

  As Sights of Horror were not so usual to George as they were to the Turnkey, he instantly saw the great Disorder which appeared in the Face of Jone
s. This he imputed to the Accident that had happened, which was reported in the very worst Light in Mr. Western’s Family; he concluded therefore that the Gentleman was dead, and that Mr. Jones was in a fair Way of coming to a shameful End. A Thought which gave him much Uneasiness; for George was of a compassionate Disposition, and notwithstanding a small Breach of Friendship which he had been over-tempted to commit, was, in the main, not insensible of the Obligations he had formerly received from Mr. Jones.

  The poor Fellow therefore scarce refrained from a Tear at the present Sight. He told Jones he was heartily sorry for his Misfortunes, and begged him to consider, if he could be of any Manner of Service. ‘Perhaps, Sir,’ said he, ‘you may want a little Matter of Money upon this Occasion; if you do, Sir, what little I have is heartily at your Service.’