Chapter VII
Partridge is shocked to hear that Allworthy banished Tom, since he truly that
Tom is Allworthy's own son. He secretly believes that Tom ran away from home,
and begins to devise a plan to send Tom back to Allworthy so that he can, in
turn, be restored to Allworthy's favor. Jones has bonded with the landlord, who
is bed-ridden from gout, over horse-racing. This man spends much of his time
fighting with his wife, who constantly invokes her first husband. Tom and
Partridge leave for their expedition. The landlady does not condescend to say
farewell.
Chapter VIII
Tom Jones and Partridge head for Gloucester and, on arriving there, decide to
lodge at the Bell, which the narrator recommends to his readers. The landlord's
wife, Mrs. Whitefield, is beautiful and good-natured and generally free of silly
notions. She notices "in the Air of our Heroe something which distinguished him
from the Vulgar" and invites Jones to dine with her that night. At dinner, Jones
meets Dowling, the attorney from Salisbury who conveyed the news of Mrs.
Blifil's death, and a petty-fogger, a term for a lawyer willing to take
any case. Displeased with the paltry conversation, Tom leaves the table as soon
as the food has been cleared. After he has left, the petty-fogger proceeds to
tell a distorted history of Tom's life. He claims that Tom is "the Bastard of a
Fellow who was hanged for Horse-stealing." When the Petty-fogger says the man's
name is "Thomas Jones," Dowling gets excited, saying he has heard about many
good things about him. The landlady no longer likes Tom and refuses to drink tea
with him. She is so rude to him that he pays his bill and leaves the house.
Chapter IX
Tom and Partridge depart from Gloucester early in the morning. It would be dark
if it were not for the full, red moon. Tom launches into quotations about the
moon, but Partridge complains of the cold. Partridge wishes to return to
Gloucester, since they are unsure of their route. Tom wants to go forward and
Partridge is forced to comply. As they walk, Tom wonders whether Sophia
might be watching that same moon. Tom asks if Partridge was ever in love.
Partridge says not only has he experienced the enjoyments of love, but the
nastiness too, for his wife was very unkind to him. Partridge says he knows a
way for Tom to be in Sophia's arms. Tom claims that at present his greatest
desire is to effect "a glorious Death in the Service of my King and Country."
Partridge suddenly realizes that he and Tom are on opposing sides of the
conflict—whereas Tom supports King George, he himself supports the
Jacobite rebellion.
Chapter X
Tom and Partridge arrive at the base of a sheer hill. Through the trees on the
hill, they see lights shining and approach to investigate. No one answers their
knocking, but eventually an old woman appears at a window. Partridge promises
her that Tom is a gentleman and she lets them in for half a crown. The woman,
whom Partridge thinks is a witch, warns the men that her Master, the Man of the
Hill, will be home soon and that he is a hermit who "keeps no Company with any
Body." Suddenly there is hollering outside of the door and voices demanding
money. Tom grabs a sword from the wall and scares some robbers away from the Man
of the Hill, who was returning home. The Man of the Hill, at first suspicious,
now calls Jones his "Deliverer" and "Preserver."
Chapter XI
The Man of the Hill begins his history. Born in the village of Mark-in-
Somersetshire in 1657, he is the younger son of a "Gentleman Farmer" and his
"arrant Vixen of a Wife." The Man of the Hill's older brother cares for nothing
but hunting. The Man of the Hill, however, advances rapidly in his studies and
attracts the attention of learned men in the neighborhood. He is sent to Exeter
College at Oxford where he meets a rich, debauched man called Sir George
Gresham, who corrupts him. He becomes so rebellious that he is almost expelled
by the vice chancellor. His father refuses to loan him more money, so he steals
forty guineas from a friend. The Man of the Hill escapes punishment by running
away with a lady to London, where he continues his wild lifestyle. This lady
informs on him and soon he is thrown into jail, where he reflects on his
behavior. He is allowed to return to Oxford, where he finds that his friend has
dropped the charges. Partridge interrupts, telling a story about a man who was
hanged for stealing a horse and came back as a ghost to torment the plaintiff.
Chapter XII
The Man of the Hill continues his story. Now that he has ruined his reputation
at Oxford, he returns to London. He has no money and no friends. One night he
meets up with an old Oxford friend named Watson, with whom he eats and gambles.
