Tom Jones Book 1, Chapter 10

The Hospitality of Allworthy; With a Short Sketch of the Characters of Two Brothers, a Doctor, and a Captain, Who Were Entertained By That Gentleman

• Squire Allworthy loves having guests, especially guests who are also students and scholars.
• Squire Allworthy also often financially supports people who are both smart and in need.
• For example, he sponsors a guy named Dr. Blifil.
• Dr. Blifil is rigidly religious (-seeming, at least), which Squire Allworthy likes.
• Someone else who likes Dr. Blifil? Bridget Allworthy.
• In fact, the two of them get along like a house on fire.
• Dr. Blifil would like to marry Bridget but (sadly) he is already married—and Squire Allworthy knows it, so Dr. Blifil can't pretend his wife doesn't exist.
• So Dr. Blifil decides to call in his brother, who can marry Bridget instead (and cash in on her money!).
• The younger Blifil, a captain in the army, is a bully.
• His father wanted him to be a priest, but that idea apparently did not appeal to younger Captain Blifil.
• Now that Captain Blifil has been booted out of the army, he has returned to reading the Bible.
• Dr. Blifil may not like his brother much, but he'd rather see his brother marry Bridget than anybody else.
• So Dr. Blifil invites Captain Blifil to Squire Allworthy's house.
• And Dr. Blifil also passes on some tips to his little brother about how to win Bridget's heart.