The Arrival of Mr. Western, With Some Matters Concerning the Paternal Authority
- Squire Western comes striding in, angry as always.
- He tells Squire Allworthy that, all of this time, they have been worrying about Tom, when really, they should have been worrying about some lord.
- Squire Western went to see his sister the night before.
- He found her surrounded by ladies, including Lady Bellaston.
- The ladies swooped in and told him that he should engage Sophia to Lord Fellamar.
- Squire Allworthy offers to break off the engagement between Sophia and Mr. Blifil.
- Squire Allworthy sees that Sophia really, truly does not want to marry Mr. Blifil.
- It makes him sad, but he refuses to agree to their marriage under these circumstances.
- Squire Western refuses not to consent to it. By which we mean, he absolutely insists that it go forward.
- Mr. Blifil jumps in: certainly, it's wrong to use violence to get a woman to marry you.
- But is it wrong to keep working at it (nonviolently, of course) until she agrees?
- After all, he doesn't think she wants to marry Lord Fellamar, either.
- She still wants to marry Tom, "that wickedest of men" (17.3.17).
- Squire Allworthy gives Mr. Blifil permission to write and visit Sophia, but he won't have her locked up or any of the crazy things Squire Western has been up to.
- Squire Western, meanwhile, is dancing around the room with happiness that Tom is about to be hanged.
- After Squire Western is gone, Squire Allworthy advises Mr. Blifil to give up on Sophia.