Chapter ix.
Containing an incident of a more heinous kind, with the comments ofThwackum and Square.
It hath been observed by some man of much greater reputation forwisdom than myself, that misfortunes seldom come single. An instanceof this may, I believe, be seen in those gentlemen who have themisfortune to have any of their rogueries detected; for here discoveryseldom stops till the whole is come out. Thus it happened to poor Tom;who was no sooner pardoned for selling the horse, than he wasdiscovered to have some time before sold a fine Bible which MrAllworthy gave him, the money arising from which sale he had disposedof in the same manner. This Bible Master Blifil had purchased, thoughhe had already such another of his own, partly out of respect for thebook, and partly out of friendship to Tom, being unwilling that theBible should be sold out of the family at half-price. He thereforedeposited the said half-price himself; for he was a very prudent lad,and so careful of his money, that he had laid up almost every pennywhich he had received from Mr Allworthy.
Some people have been noted to be able to read in no book but theirown. On the contrary, from the time when Master Blifil was firstpossessed of this Bible, he never used any other. Nay, he was seenreading in it much oftener than he had before been in his own. Now, ashe frequently asked Thwackum to explain difficult passages to him,that gentleman unfortunately took notice of Tom's name, which waswritten in many parts of the book. This brought on an inquiry, whichobliged Master Blifil to discover the whole matter.
Thwackum was resolved a crime of this kind, which he called sacrilege,should not go unpunished. He therefore proceeded immediately tocastigation: and not contented with that he acquainted Mr Allworthy,at their next meeting, with this monstrous crime, as it appeared tohim: inveighing against Tom in the most bitter terms, and likening himto the buyers and sellers who were driven out of the temple.
Square saw this matter in a very different light. He said, he couldnot perceive any higher crime in selling one book than in sellinganother. That to sell Bibles was strictly lawful by all laws bothDivine and human, and consequently there was no unfitness in it. Hetold Thwackum, that his great concern on this occasion brought to hismind the story of a very devout woman, who, out of pure regard toreligion, stole Tillotson's Sermons from a lady of her acquaintance.
This story caused a vast quantity of blood to rush into the parson'sface, which of itself was none of the palest; and he was going toreply with great warmth and anger, had not Mrs Blifil, who was presentat this debate, interposed. That lady declared herself absolutely ofMr Square's side. She argued, indeed, very learnedly in support of hisopinion; and concluded with saying, if Tom had been guilty of anyfault, she must confess her own son appeared to be equally culpable;for that she could see no difference between the buyer and the seller;both of whom were alike to be driven out of the temple.
Mrs Blifil having declared her opinion, put an end to the debate.Square's triumph would almost have stopt his words, had he neededthem; and Thwackum, who, for reasons before-mentioned, durst notventure at disobliging the lady, was almost choaked with indignation.As to Mr Allworthy, he said, since the boy had been already punishedhe would not deliver his sentiments on the occasion; and whether hewas or was not angry with the lad, I must leave to the reader's ownconjecture.
Soon after this, an action was brought against the gamekeeper bySquire Western (the gentleman in whose manor the partridge waskilled), for depredations of the like kind. This was a mostunfortunate circumstance for the fellow, as it not only of itselfthreatened his ruin, but actually prevented Mr Allworthy fromrestoring him to his favour: for as that gentleman was walking out oneevening with Master Blifil and young Jones, the latter slily drew himto the habitation of Black George; where the family of that poorwretch, namely, his wife and children, were found in all the miserywith which cold, hunger, and nakedness, can affect human creatures:for as to the money they had received from Jones, former debts hadconsumed almost the whole.
Such a scene as this could not fail of affecting the heart of MrAllworthy. He immediately gave the mother a couple of guineas, withwhich he bid her cloath her children. The poor woman burst into tearsat this goodness, and while she was thanking him, could not refrainfrom expressing her gratitude to Tom; who had, she said, longpreserved both her and hers from starving. "We have not," says she,"had a morsel to eat, nor have these poor children had a rag to puton, but what his goodness hath bestowed on us." For, indeed, besidesthe horse and the Bible, Tom had sacrificed a night-gown, and otherthings, to the use of this distressed family.
On their return home, Tom made use of all his eloquence to display thewretchedness of these people, and the penitence of Black Georgehimself; and in this he succeeded so well, that Mr Allworthy said, hethought the man had suffered enough for what was past; that he wouldforgive him, and think of some means of providing for him and hisfamily.
Jones was so delighted with this news, that, though it was dark whenthey returned home, he could not help going back a mile, in a showerof rain, to acquaint the poor woman with the glad tidings; but, likeother hasty divulgers of news, he only brought on himself the troubleof contradicting it: for the ill fortune of Black George made use ofthe very opportunity of his friend's absence to overturn all again.