Tom Jones Book 16, Chapter 2

A Whimsical Adventure Which Befel the Squire, With the Distressed Situation of Sophia

• Squire Western has found a place to stay in London, in Piccadilly.
• When he arrives there with Sophia, he tells her that Mr. Blifil is coming to London for a few days.
• Sophia still refuses to marry him.
• So Squire Western locks her up in a room. (Again? Squire Western never has any new ideas, does he?)
• The second morning of Sophia's imprisonment, Squire Western is having breakfast with Mr. Supple.
• Someone comes to speak to Squire Western.
• It's a well-dressed man with a ribbon on his hat (which is a sign that he's in the military).
• He asks for permission for his master to come and speak with Squire Western.
• Then, another man comes into the room.
• He's a captain, and he's representing Lord Fellamar.
• Lord Fellamar is willing to let bygones be bygones with Squire Western—he knows the squire was pretty drunk when they last met.
• He still wants to marry Sophia.
• Squire Western answers that Sophia is already engaged.
• What's more, Squire Western would never let his daughter marry some fancy-schmancy, stuck-up lord.
• The messenger warns Squire Western that, if he's not going to be Lord Fellamar's father-in-law, then Lord Fellamar can't forgive him for swearing at Lord Fellamar the last time they met.
• Squire Western does not help things by saying that this is "a d—n'd lie" (16.2.19).
• The captain hits Squire Western for calling him a liar.
• Mr. Supple comes running up to ask what's going on.
• Squire Western protests that the captain just hit him, out of nowhere!
• The captain takes off, saying that Squire Western isn't worth "[dirtying] his fingers" (16.2.24).
• Sophia overhears all of this squabbling and starts to scream.
• Her father comes up to her room to see what is the matter.
• She asks him if he has been hurt at all, and who has been insulting him?
• Squire Western says it's just some stupid lord.
• Squire Western offers Sophia presents and money if she'll consent to marry Mr. Blifil.
• Sophia asks if Squire Western wants to make her miserable?
• Squire Western answers that it would be better for her to think she's unhappy than to know the misery of being married to a poor man.
• Squire Western orders that she will marry Mr. Blifil, even if she "[hangs herself] the next morning" (16.2.26).
• For a second, it looks like Squire Western is going to hit her.
• But at the sight of her tears, he just locks her back in and goes back to Mr. Supple.