The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

Upon asking around London for Sophia, Tom is directed to the lodgings of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who declines to tell him where to find Sophia in an effort to protect her cousin from marrying “a Rake and a Beggar” (531).

Mrs. Fitzpatrick visits Lady Bellaston, who has determined not to tell Squire Western where his daughter is, because she heard that the Squire mistreated his wife. She is interested in Tom, however, who is described as extremely handsome.

Tom calls upon Mrs. Fitzpatrick again, saying he needs to return her pocketbook to Sophia. Lady Bellaston sees him and decides to keep Sophia and Tom apart.

Tom and Partridge stay at the inn of a woman named Mrs. Miller, who has two daughters: Nancy, 17, and Betty, 10. One of the men staying in the house is Nightengale, “one of those young Gentlemen […] called Men of Wit and Pleasure about Town” (536). Tom breaks up a fight between Nightengale and his footman. Nightengale invites Tom to have a drink and explains that he returned home to find his footman gambling.

At breakfast, Tom observes that Nightengale flirts with Nancy, but Nancy seems subdued and sad. A letter comes for Tom from someone styling themselves the Queen of the Fairies; they also send him a mask and an invitation to a masquerade. Tom hopes this will lead him to Sophia. He is concerned because he has run out of money. Partridge again suggests that he return home, but Tom says that Allworthy never wants to see him again.

Tom searches through the masquerade for a woman resembling Sophia. A lady pulls him aside and says she will not allow him to ruin Sophia. Tom declares he would sacrifice anything for Sophia but would never be the cause of her ruin. The masked lady flirts with Tom and invites him to take her home. Hoping she will lead him to Sophia, Tom agrees. The lady unmasks, revealing herself to be Lady Bellaston. Tom spends the night with her. Lady Bellaston promises to allow Tom to see Sophia if he meets her again the next night.

Lady Bellaston gives Tom some money. Mrs. Miller relates the sad tale of her cousin, who she says is a warning about marrying indiscreetly (i.e., for love rather than for practicality). The poor woman’s family now lives in desperate poverty, and her husband has no income. Tom privately takes Mrs. Miller aside and gives her 50 pounds for the family, while Nightengale publicly proclaims his compassion and offers them a guinea.

Tom meets Lady Bellaston again. The narrator says he will avoid giving the particulars of their conversation. Lady Bellaston says that Sophia wishes to hide from him, and he agrees not to cause conflict between Sophia and her father. Lady Bellaston develops a “violent Fondness” (554) for Tom, giving him money for clothing and entertainments, for which he believes he should somehow repay her. The home where they met for their assignations is no longer available, as the owner will no longer condone Lady Bellaston’s affairs, so Lady Bellaston invites Tom to her house.

Mr. Anderson, the man whose family Tom helped, visits. Both men are astonished to realize that he is the same man who attempted to rob Tom on the road. Tom refuses to mention that incident and refuses to be thanked, saying he takes delight in giving happiness to others.

Tom arrives at Lady Bellaston’s to find that she has been delayed. Meanwhile, Sophia enters the drawing room and is shocked to see him. Tom gives Sophia her pocketbook and begs her pardon for what happened at Upton, swearing he was faithful to Sophia in his heart. Instead of being upset at his infidelity, Sophia is more upset that he talked about her publicly. Tom declares his love but has no wish to ruin her. Lady Bellaston enters and pretends not to know Tom. He departs.

Sophia also pretends that she does not know who Tom was. Lady Bellaston reminds her that she has sworn not to marry without her father’s consent and emphasizes that she must give up hope of being with Tom.

The narrator debates how much learning it is necessary for a writer to have. He discusses how great writers and artists came by their knowledge, then repeats that his book “is of the comic Class” (568).

Lady Bellaston comes to Tom’s room. Mrs. Honour comes shortly thereafter, and Tom hides Lady Bellaston behind a curtain. Mrs. Honour gossips about Lady Bellaston, then gives Tom a letter from Sophia. Lady Bellaston is furious and jealous that Tom prefers Sophia to her, but she still wishes to continue their affair. Hoping to see Sophia again, Tom agrees to visit Lady Bellaston’s house.

Sophia’s letter begs Tom not to see her again. Tom decides to resolve his dilemma with Lady Bellaston by pretending to be sick. Mrs. Miller chides him for receiving women in his rooms and reminds him that she has to guard the reputations of her girls. Tom is outraged to learn that Partridge is telling everyone about Tom’s business, but Partridge protests that someone else must be telling tales.

Tom learns that Nightengale means to move out of the house and scolds his friend for leading on Nancy, Mrs. Miller’s daughter. The narrator reveals that, though otherwise a gentleman of honesty, Nightengale has been deceitful in affairs of love and boasts about his skill in seducing women.

Mrs. Miller, having learned that Tom is connected to Mr. Allworthy, invites him to tea and tells him her story. She was raised a gentlewoman but left in poverty due to her father’s debts. Mrs. Miller married a clergyman, whom she loved, but was again left penniless at his death. Mr. Allworthy gave her money and her current house, as well as an annuity. She regards him as her benefactor. Tom relates their falling out, gaining Mrs. Miller’s pity and concern.

Nancy is pregnant and in distress that Nightengale has abandoned her. Mrs. Miller laments what will happen to both her daughters, whom she has tried to educate and care for so diligently. Tom promises to intercede with Nightengale.

Tom finds Nightengale feeling guilty and sorry for himself. Nightengale says he cannot marry Nancy now that it she has been publicly revealed to have had sex outside marriage. Tom scolds him for seducing Nancy, making promises, and breaking her heart. Nightengale says he wants to marry her, but his father has arranged a match with a young woman who has a dowry. Tom offers to speak to Mr. Nightengale.

Mr. Nightengale is mainly concerned with his fortune; money matters most to him. Tom sings Nancy’s praises. Mr. Nightengale’s brother, who likes to antagonize Mr. Nightengale, takes his nephew’s side and asks to see the young man.

Tom brings the uncle to the inn, where young Nightengale is dining with the Millers. The uncle tells Nightengale that he must not marry Nancy. He insists that Nightengale, like his own daughter, should do what his father pleases.

Dinner concludes, and Tom suspects that something is wrong. He has new troubles when Mrs. Honour visits with bad news about Sophia.

The narrator declares that the doctrine that “Virtue is the certain Road to Happiness, and Vice to Misery,” (600) is simply not true, or Tom would be in much better circumstances.

Lady Bellaston sees Sophia as a rival for Tom’s affections and decides to get rid of her. She suggests to young Lord Fellamar (whose courtship Sophia has rejected) that he should force her into marriage. She persuades Fellamar that Sophia is an unschooled country girl who doesn’t know yet how the world works. She suggests that Sophia needs to be rescued from her attachment to Tom.

Lady Bellaston has guests over and prevails upon one of them to spread the story that Tom was killed that morning in a duel. Sophia’s distressed reaction convinces the watchers that she is indeed attached to Tom.

Lord Fellamar hesitates to force himself upon Sophia, but Lady Bellaston gives him many instances of rape in classical literature, including the rape of the Sabine women and the abduction of Helen of Troy. She insists that if he marries her after raping her, Sophia will eventually forgive him.

Sophia is reading an emotionally moving romance novel when Lord Fellamar enters the room. Declaring, “Love hath so totally deprived me of Reason, that I am scarce accountable for any of my Actions” (611), he puts his arms around her and kisses her neck. Sophia screams. Squire Western bursts into the room. Lord Fellamar asks to marry Sophia, which Lady Bellaston encourages, but the Squire, who hates the nobility, says he will not marry his daughter to a lord. Lady Bellaston is happy to see Sophia leave with her father.

The narrator explains that the Squire discovered Sophia’s whereabouts when Mrs. Fitzpatrick wrote a letter to Aunt Western, hoping to get back in her good graces. The squire, who dislikes Lady Bellaston, set out to collect his daughter, and Aunt Western followed.

Mrs. Honour informs Tom that she has been fired and that Sophia is with her father. She insists that Sophia loves Tom. Lady Bellaston visits Tom’s room, and he hides Mrs. Honour behind the bed curtain. A drunken Nightengale also bursts into Tom’s room, so Lady Bellaston tries to hide behind the bed curtain and discovers Mrs. Honour. Mrs. Honour is upset to realize that, once again, Tom is being unfaithful to Sophia.

Nightengale is drunk because his uncle plied him with wine in an attempt to dissuade him from marrying Nancy. However, the uncle then received news that, in his absence, his own daughter ran away with a neighboring clergyman. He left to deal with that matter. Nightengale marries Nancy the next morning, and Tom attends the wedding.

Nightengale informs Tom that he is not the first young man whom Lady Bellaston has toyed with. The narrator declines to repeat all the gossip that Nightengale shares. Tom wonders how to extricate himself from Lady Bellaston, as he still loves Sophia. He writes a letter to Lady Bellaston proposing marriage, and she declines, wishing to retain control of her fortune. She suggests they might continue their affair, but Tom replies that he could never so risk her reputation. She calls him a villain and declares that she never wants to see him again.

Allworthy sends a letter informing Mrs. Miller that he and his nephew Blifil are coming to town, and he wants to stay at her lodgings. Nightengale and Nancy remove to Nightengale’s new lodgings, and Tom goes with them. He hopes to hear news of Sophia, but instead gets a letter from Mrs. Honour informing him that she has taken employment with Lady Bellaston.

A wealthy young widow, Mrs. Hunt, writes to Tom, inviting him to court her. Tom, who realizes that his source of income from Lady Bellaston is now gone, wrestles with the temptation but replies that his affections are engaged.

Partridge reports that he has met Black George, who has come to town with the Squire. Tom writes Sophia a letter which he will ask George to deliver.