 says, Gluttons who give high Prices for Delicacies, are very worthy to be
called generous. In short, I am resolved, from this Instance, never to give Way
to the Weakness of Human Nature more, nor to think any thing Virtue which doth
not exactly quadrate with the unerring Rule of Right.«
    The Goodness of Allworthy had prevented those Considerations from occurring
to himself; yet were they too plausible to be absolutely and hastily rejected,
when laid before his Eyes by another. Indeed what Square had said sunk very
deeply into his Mind, and the Uneasiness which it there created was very visible
to the other; though the good Man would not acknowledge this, but made a very
slight Answer, and forcibly drove off the Discourse to some other Subject. It
was well, perhaps, for poor Tom, that no such Suggestions had been made before
he was pardoned; for they certainly stamped in the Mind of Allworthy the first
bad Impression concerning Jones.
 

                                  Chapter XII

 Containing much clearer Matters; but which flowed from the same Fountain with
                        those in the preceding Chapter.
 
The Reader will be pleased, I believe, to return with me to Sophia. She passed
the Night, after we saw her last, in no very agreeable Manner. Sleep befriended
her but little, and Dreams less. In the Morning, when Mrs. Honour her Maid
attended her, at the usual Hour, she was found already up and drest.
    Persons who live two or three Miles Distance in the Country are considered
as next Door Neighbours, and Transactions at the one House fly with incredible
Celerity to the other. Mrs. Honour, therefore, had heard the whole Story of
Molly's Shame; which she, being of a very communicative Temper, had no sooner
entered the Apartment of her Mistress, than she began to relate in the following
Manner:
    »La Ma'am, what doth your La'ship think? the Girl that your La'ship saw at
Church on Sunday, whom you thought so handsome; though you would not have
thought her so handsome neither, if you had seen her nearer; but to be sure she
hath been carried before the Justice for being big with Child. She seemed to me
to look like a confident Slut; and to be sure she hath laid the Child to young
Mr. Jones. And all the Parish says Mr. Allworthy is so angry with young Mr.
Jones, that he won't see him. To be sure, one can't help pitying the poor young
Man, and yet he doth not deserve much Pity neither, for demeaning himself
