After the wedding, Tom and Partridge are back on their way to London. Funds are running low, and Partridge suggests borrowing from Sophia’s hundred to get them some food, they both could use some. Particularly Tom, who hadn’t had anything but a poached egg in a long time, unlike Partridge at the wedding “he had feasted only his understanding.” Tom refuses to steal (or, borrow, but he knows it’d really be stealing) and the two get into a heated argument about it.
They do stop for some food and things cool down. When they leave a stranger asks if he can travel with them—and after a little bit, he pulls a gun on them and demands that hundred. A scuffle (a really tame one by this book’s standards) ensues and Tom gets the guy on his back and disarmed easily. This was his first attempted mugging—the pistol isn’t even loaded—he’s poor, he has five kids with another on the way. Tom gives him a little bit of money (over Partridge’s objections—he’s getting hard to like), and goes on his way.
They end up in London and now Tom has to find Sophia. He tracks down Mrs. Fitzpatrick and tries to get information about Sophia from her. Mrs. Fitzpatrick is convinced he’s Mr. Blifil and doesn’t give him anything. As Tom leaves, her maid clues her in—which involves catching her up on who Tom is, as Sophia left him out of her stories.
In that case, Mrs. Fitzpatrick both wants to meet with him again and to get Sophia’s friend, Lady Bellaston, involved, too. The next day when Tom comes again to try to get information out of Mrs. Fitzpatrick the two ladies make some observations and discuss him at some length after he leaves again.
After fisticuffs being a frequent occurrence for a bit, it’s now been weeks since we had one. And it looks like it’s going to be a few before we get another after this very short altercation. I’m not saying I need them, it’s just something that was common enough that I joked about it, and now it’s gone by the wayside. Instead, it looks like we’re getting into a groove of domestic kind of action—Sophia’s female relatives or friends looking out for her and making Tom jump through hoops. Maybe I’m wrong, but I bet the last little bit is going to repeat itself for a few chapters.
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