Chapter vi.
In which the mistake of the landlord throws Sophia into a dreadfulconsternation.
Mrs Fitzpatrick was proceeding in her narrative when she wasinterrupted by the entrance of dinner, greatly to the concern ofSophia; for the misfortunes of her friend had raised her anxiety, andleft her no appetite but what Mrs Fitzpatrick was to satisfy by herrelation.
The landlord now attended with a plate under his arm, and with thesame respect in his countenance and address which he would have put onhad the ladies arrived in a coach and six.
The married lady seemed less affected with her own misfortunes thanwas her cousin; for the former eat very heartily, whereas the lattercould hardly swallow a morsel. Sophia likewise showed more concern andsorrow in her countenance than appeared in the other lady; who, havingobserved these symptoms in her friend, begged her to be comforted,saying, "Perhaps all may yet end better than either you or I expect."
Our landlord thought he had now an opportunity to open his mouth, andwas resolved not to omit it. "I am sorry, madam," cries he, "that yourladyship can't eat; for to be sure you must be hungry after so longfasting. I hope your ladyship is not uneasy at anything, for, as madamthere says, all may end better than anybody expects. A gentleman whowas here just now brought excellent news; and perhaps some folks whohave given other folks the slip may get to London before they areovertaken; and if they do, I make no doubt but they will find peoplewho will be very ready to receive them."
All persons under the apprehension of danger convert whatever they seeand hear into the objects of that apprehension. Sophia thereforeimmediately concluded, from the foregoing speech, that she was known,and pursued by her father. She was now struck with the utmostconsternation, and for a few minutes deprived of the power of speech;which she no sooner recovered than she desired the landlord to sendhis servants out of the room, and then, addressing herself to him,said, "I perceive, sir, you know who we are; but I beseech you--nay, Iam convinced, if you have any compassion or goodness, you will notbetray us."
"I betray your ladyship!" quoth the landlord; "no (and then he sworeseveral very hearty oaths); I would sooner be cut into ten thousandpieces. I hate all treachery. I! I never betrayed any one in my lifeyet, and I am sure I shall not begin with so sweet a lady as yourladyship. All the world would very much blame me if I should, since itwill be in your ladyship's power so shortly to reward me. My wife canwitness for me, I knew your ladyship the moment you came into thehouse: I said it was your honour, before I lifted you from your horse,and I shall carry the bruises I got in your ladyship's service to thegrave; but what signified that, as long as I saved your ladyship? Tobe sure some people this morning would have thought of getting areward; but no such thought ever entered into my head. I would soonerstarve than take any reward for betraying your ladyship."
"I promise you, sir," says Sophia, "if it be ever in my power toreward you, you shall not lose by your generosity."
"Alack-a-day, madam!" answered the landlord; "in your ladyship'spower! Heaven put it as much into your will! I am only afraid yourhonour will forget such a poor man as an innkeeper; but, if yourladyship should not, I hope you will remember what reward Irefused--refused! that is, I would have refused, and to be sure it maybe called refusing, for I might have had it certainly; and to be sureyou might have been in some houses;--but, for my part, would notmethinks for the world have your ladyship wrong me so much as toimagine I ever thought of betraying you, even before I heard the goodnews."
"What news, pray?" says Sophia, something eagerly.
"Hath not your ladyship heard it, then?" cries the landlord; "nay,like enough, for I heard it only a few minutes ago; and if I had neverheard it, may the devil fly away with me this instant if I would havebetrayed your honour! no, if I would, may I--" Here he subjoinedseveral dreadful imprecations, which Sophia at last interrupted, andbegged to know what he meant by the news.--He was going to answer,when Mrs Honour came running into the room, all pale and breathless,and cried out, "Madam, we are all undone, all ruined, they are come,they are come!" These words almost froze up the blood of Sophia; butMrs Fitzpatrick asked Honour who were come?--"Who?" answered she,"why, the French; several hundred thousands of them are landed, and weshall be all murdered and ravished."
As a miser, who hath, in some well-built city, a cottage, value twentyshillings, when at a distance he is alarmed with the news of a fire,turns pale and trembles at his loss; but when he finds the beautifulpalaces only are burnt, and his own cottage remains safe, he comesinstantly to himself, and smiles at his good fortunes: or as (for wedislike something in the former simile) the tender mother, whenterrified with the apprehension that her darling boy is drowned, isstruck senseless and almost dead with consternation; but when she istold that little master is safe, and the Victory only, with twelvehundred brave men, gone to the bottom, life and sense again return,maternal fondness enjoys the sudden relief from all its fears, and thegeneral benevolence which at another time would have deeply felt thedreadful catastrophe, lies fast asleep in her mind;--so Sophia, thanwhom none was more capable of tenderly feeling the general calamity ofher country, found such immediate satisfaction from the relief ofthose terrors she had of being overtaken by her father, that thearrival of the French scarce made any impression on her. She gentlychid her maid for the fright into which she had thrown her, and said"she was glad it was no worse; for that she had feared somebody elsewas come."
"Ay, ay," quoth the landlord, smiling, "her ladyship knows betterthings; she knows the French are our very best friends, and come overhither only for our good. They are the people who are to make OldEngland flourish again. I warrant her honour thought the duke wascoming; and that was enough to put her into a fright. I was going totell your ladyship the news.--His honour's majesty, Heaven bless him,hath given the duke the slip, and is marching as fast as he can toLondon, and ten thousand French are landed to join him on the road."
Sophia was not greatly pleased with this news, nor with the gentlemanwho related it; but, as she still imagined he knew her (for she couldnot possibly have any suspicion of the real truth), she durst not showany dislike. And now the landlord, having removed the cloth from thetable, withdrew; but at his departure frequently repeated his hopes ofbeing remembered hereafter.
The mind of Sophia was not at all easy under the supposition of beingknown at this house; for she still applied to herself many thingswhich the landlord had addressed to Jenny Cameron; she thereforeordered her maid to pump out of him by what means he had becomeacquainted with her person, and who had offered him the reward forbetraying her; she likewise ordered the horses to be in readiness byfour in the morning, at which hour Mrs Fitzpatrick promised to bearher company; and then, composing herself as well as she could, shedesired that lady to continue her story.
History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Page 125
