History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter vii.

  Containing the whole humours of a masquerade.

  Our cavaliers now arrived at that temple, where Heydegger, the greatArbiter Deliciarum, the great high-priest of pleasure, presides; and,like other heathen priests, imposes on his votaries by the pretendedpresence of the deity, when in reality no such deity is there.

  Mr Nightingale, having taken a turn or two with his companion, soonleft him, and walked off with a female, saying, "Now you are here,sir, you must beat about for your own game."

  Jones began to entertain strong hopes that his Sophia was present; andthese hopes gave him more spirits than the lights, the music, and thecompany; though these are pretty strong antidotes against the spleen.He now accosted every woman he saw, whose stature, shape, or air, boreany resemblance to his angel. To all of whom he endeavoured to saysomething smart, in order to engage an answer, by which he mightdiscover that voice which he thought it impossible he should mistake.Some of these answered by a question, in a squeaking voice, Do youknow me? Much the greater number said, I don't know you, sir, andnothing more. Some called him an impertinent fellow; some made him noanswer at all; some said, Indeed I don't know your voice, and I shallhave nothing to say to you; and many gave him as kind answers as hecould wish, but not in the voice he desired to hear.

  Whilst he was talking with one of these last (who was in the habit ofa shepherdess) a lady in a domino came up to him, and slapping him onthe shoulder, whispered him, at the same time, in the ear, "If youtalk any longer with that trollop, I will acquaint Miss Western."

  Jones no sooner heard that name, than, immediately quitting his formercompanion, he applied to the domino, begging and entreating her toshow him the lady she had mentioned, if she was then in the room.

  The mask walked hastily to the upper end of the innermost apartmentbefore she spoke; and then, instead of answering him, sat down, anddeclared she was tired. Jones sat down by her, and still persisted inhis entreaties; at last the lady coldly answered, "I imagined Mr Joneshad been a more discerning lover, than to suffer any disguise toconceal his mistress from him." "Is she here, then, madam?" repliedJones, with some vehemence. Upon which the lady cried--"Hush, sir, youwill be observed. I promise you, upon my honour, Miss Western is nothere."

  Jones, now taking the mask by the hand, fell to entreating her in themost earnest manner, to acquaint him where he might find Sophia; andwhen he could obtain no direct answer, he began to upbraid her gentlyfor having disappointed him the day before; and concluded, saying,"Indeed, my good fairy queen, I know your majesty very well,notwithstanding the affected disguise of your voice. Indeed, MrsFitzpatrick, it is a little cruel to divert yourself at the expense ofmy torments."

  The mask answered, "Though you have so ingeniously discovered me, Imust still speak in the same voice, lest I should be known by others.And do you think, good sir, that I have no greater regard for mycousin, than to assist in carrying on an affair between you two, whichmust end in her ruin, as well as your own? Besides, I promise you, mycousin is not mad enough to consent to her own destruction, if you areso much her enemy as to tempt her to it."

  "Alas, madam!" said Jones, "you little know my heart, when you call mean enemy of Sophia."

  "And yet to ruin any one," cries the other, "you will allow, is theact of an enemy; and when by the same act you must knowingly andcertainly bring ruin on yourself, is it not folly or madness, as wellas guilt? Now, sir, my cousin hath very little more than her fatherwill please to give her; very little for one of her fashion--you knowhim, and you know your own situation."

  Jones vowed he had no such design on Sophia, "That he would rathersuffer the most violent of deaths than sacrifice her interest to hisdesires." He said, "he knew how unworthy he was of her, every way,that he had long ago resolved to quit all such aspiring thoughts, butthat some strange accidents had made him desirous to see her oncemore, when he promised he would take leave of her for ever. No,madam," concluded he, "my love is not of that base kind which seeksits own satisfaction at the expense of what is most dear to itsobject. I would sacrifice everything to the possession of my Sophia,but Sophia herself."

  Though the reader may have already conceived no very sublime idea ofthe virtue of the lady in the mask; and though possibly she mayhereafter appear not to deserve one of the first characters of hersex; yet, it is certain, these generous sentiments made a strongimpression upon her, and greatly added to the affection she had beforeconceived for our young heroe.

  The lady now, after silence of a few moments, said, "She did not seehis pretensions to Sophia so much in the light of presumption, as ofimprudence. Young fellows," says she, "can never have too aspiringthoughts. I love ambition in a young man, and I would have youcultivate it as much as possible. Perhaps you may succeed with thosewho are infinitely superior in fortune; nay, I am convinced there arewomen----but don't you think me a strange creature, Mr Jones, to bethus giving advice to a man with whom I am so little acquainted, andone with whose behaviour to me I have so little reason to be pleased?"

  Here Jones began to apologize, and to hope he had not offended inanything he had said of her cousin.--To which the mask answered, "Andare you so little versed in the sex, to imagine you can well affront alady more than by entertaining her with your passion for anotherwoman? If the fairy queen had conceived no better opinion of yourgallantry, she would scarce have appointed you to meet her at themasquerade."

  Jones had never less inclination to an amour than at present; butgallantry to the ladies was among his principles of honour; and heheld it as much incumbent on him to accept a challenge to love, as ifit had been a challenge to fight. Nay, his very love to Sophia made itnecessary for him to keep well with the lady, as he made no doubt butshe was capable of bringing him into the presence of the other.

  He began therefore to make a very warm answer to her last speech, whena mask, in the character of an old woman, joined them. This mask wasone of those ladies who go to a masquerade only to vent ill-nature, bytelling people rude truths, and by endeavouring, as the phrase is, tospoil as much sport as they are able. This good lady, therefore,having observed Jones, and his friend, whom she well knew, in closeconsultation together in a corner of the room, concluded she couldnowhere satisfy her spleen better than by interrupting them. Sheattacked them, therefore, and soon drove them from their retirement;nor was she contented with this, but pursued them to every place whichthey shifted to avoid her; till Mr Nightingale, seeing the distress ofhis friend, at last relieved him, and engaged the old woman in anotherpursuit.

  While Jones and his mask were walking together about the room, to ridthemselves of the teazer, he observed his lady speak to several masks,with the same freedom of acquaintance as if they had been barefaced.He could not help expressing his surprize at this; saying, "Sure,madam, you must have infinite discernment, to know people in alldisguises." To which the lady answered, "You cannot conceive anythingmore insipid and childish than a masquerade to the people of fashion,who in general know one another as well here as when they meet in anassembly or a drawing-room; nor will any woman of condition conversewith a person with whom she is not acquainted. In short, thegenerality of persons whom you see here may more properly be said tokill time in this place than in any other; and generally retire fromhence more tired than from the longest sermon. To say the truth, Ibegin to be in that situation myself; and if I have any faculty atguessing, you are not much better pleased. I protest it would bealmost charity in me to go home for your sake." "I know but onecharity equal to it," cries Jones, "and that is to suffer me to waiton you home." "Sure," answered the lady, "you have a strange opinionof me, to imagine, that upon such an acquaintance, I would let youinto my doors at this time of night. I fancy you impute the friendshipI have shown my cousin to some other motive. Confess honestly; don'tyou consider this contrived interview as little better than adownright assignation? Are you used, Mr Jones, to make these suddenconquests?" "I am not used, madam," said Jones, "to submit to suchsudden conquests; but as y
ou have taken my heart by surprize, the restof my body hath a right to follow; so you must pardon me if I resolveto attend you wherever you go." He accompanied these words with someproper actions; upon which the lady, after a gentle rebuke, and sayingtheir familiarity would be observed, told him, "She was going to supwith an acquaintance, whither she hoped he would not follow her; forif you should," said she, "I shall be thought an unaccountablecreature, though my friend indeed is not censorious: yet I hope youwon't follow me; I protest I shall not know what to say if you do."

  The lady presently after quitted the masquerade, and Jones,notwithstanding the severe prohibition he had received, presumed toattend her. He was now reduced to the same dilemma we have mentionedbefore, namely, the want of a shilling, and could not relieve it byborrowing as before. He therefore walked boldly on after the chair inwhich his lady rode, pursued by a grand huzza, from all the chairmenpresent, who wisely take the best care they can to discountenance allwalking afoot by their betters. Luckily, however, the gentry whoattend at the Opera-house were too busy to quit their stations, and asthe lateness of the hour prevented him from meeting many of theirbrethren in the street, he proceeded without molestation, in a dress,which, at another season, would have certainly raised a mob at hisheels.

  The lady was set down in a street not far from Hanover-square, wherethe door being presently opened, she was carried in, and thegentleman, without any ceremony, walked in after her.

  Jones and his companion were now together in a very well-furnished andwell-warmed room; when the female, still speaking in her masqueradevoice, said she was surprized at her friend, who must absolutely haveforgot her appointment; at which, after venting much resentment, shesuddenly exprest some apprehension from Jones, and asked him what theworld would think of their having been alone together in a house atthat time of night? But instead of a direct answer to so important aquestion, Jones began to be very importunate with the lady to unmask;and at length having prevailed, there appeared not Mrs Fitzpatrick,but the Lady Bellaston herself.

  It would be tedious to give the particular conversation, whichconsisted of very common and ordinary occurrences, and which lastedfrom two till six o'clock in the morning. It is sufficient to mentionall of it that is anywise material to this history. And this was apromise that the lady would endeavour to find out Sophia, and in a fewdays bring him to an interview with her, on condition that he wouldthen take his leave of her. When this was thoroughly settled, and asecond meeting in the evening appointed at the same place, theyseparated; the lady returned to her house, and Jones to his lodgings.