Tom Jones Book 14, Chapter 7

The Interview Between Mr. Jones and Mr. Nightingale

• Tom finds Mr. Nightingale looking miserable in his new apartment.
• Tom describes the sad scenes he's just left behind.
• Mr. Nightingale is very sorry.
• He really wishes that Nancy hadn't received the letter while she was surrounded by people.
• Tom tells Mr. Nightingale that he should marry Nancy.
• Mr. Nightingale worries about how it will look to marry a girl who is so clearly not a virgin.
• Tom tells Mr. Nightingale not to talk about Nancy that way.
• Mr. Nightingale is the one who promised to marry her before sleeping with her.
• As soon as he did that, he became her husband in honor, if not in law.
• Mr. Nightingale has a responsibility to treat Nancy as his wife.
• Mr. Nightingale wails that, if it were up to him, he'd marry Nancy tomorrow.
• But what about his father's orders?
• Tom swears that he will convince Mr. Nightingale's father (who we are going to call Nightingale Senior.)
• Tom asks Mr. Nightingale to go see the Millers while he talks to Nightingale Senior.
• Mr. Nightingale suggests that Tom tell his father that he's already married.
• Nightingale Senior such a stubborn old cuss that he might actually take the idea of this marriage better if he thinks it's already out of his hands.