The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling: Book 13, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Tom comes again to see Mrs. Fitzpatrick the next day, but she is apparently out. The narrator reveals that the Irish lord has forbidden Mrs. Fitzpatrick from seeing Tom anymore. Tom goes back to the lodgings he shares with Partridge, with a widow in town that he learned about from Allworthy. Her name is Mrs. Miller, and she has a teenaged daughter named Nancy and a younger daughter named Betsey.

Another floor of Mrs. Miller’s house is inhabited by a writer named Mr. Nightingale, who has a reputation for being witty, although the narrator himself is skeptical if his work deserves that level of praise. Tom is frustrated when he gets back from Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s. But he suddenly snaps to attention when he sees Mr. Nightingale’s footman pinning Mr. Nightingale to the wall.

Nancy cries out that Mr. Nightingale will be killed, so Tom rushes to save him. He manages to knock down the footman, and Mr. Nightingale soon fires him, agreeing to pay his remaining wages first. Mr. Nightingale tries to explain to Tom that he doesn’t usually hit his servants, but just now, he came home early and walked in on his footman gambling, with the footman having spilled beer all over his expensive Hoyle (book of rules for gambling). Caught in the act, the footman also made a rude remark about a young lady, implying that Mr. Nightingale’s unusual arrival time was due to having sex with her. This led Mr. Nightingale to strike first.

Tom says he would’ve done the same thing in Mr. Nightingale’s position. Mrs. Miller and Nancy return from a play, and Tom thinks that they’re both charming, especially the pretty, innocent Nancy. Tom has dinner with all of them and after some wine reflects on what a nice fellow Mr. Nightingale is.