A Very Long Chapter, Containing a Very Great Incident
- How about these to-the-point chapter titles, eh?
- So even though Tom is now completely in love with Sophia, he hasn't forgotten about Molly. He goes over to the Seagrim house to talk to her.
- Goody Seagrim tells Tom that Molly isn't home.
- But Betty (Molly's older sister) jumps in to say that Molly is still in bed.
- Tom goes up to Molly's bedroom in the attic.
- Tom tells Molly that Squire Allworthy has made him promise not to see Molly anymore.
- But! (offers Tom) he could give her some money—
- Molly bursts into tears and then screams at Tom for seducing her and then leaving her behind.
- But just as Molly is really getting going, something happens to stop her complaints.
- This attic room has sloping ceilings, so that you can only stand up straight if you are in the middle of the room.
- There is also a small cubby in the corner that has been curtained off as a closet.
- As Molly is yelling, the curtain to the closet comes sliding down.
- And who should be crouched over in this tiny space but Mr. Square?
- He may be a philosopher in theory, but he's also, apparently, a horndog.
- With Tom laid up elsewhere with his broken arm, Molly has been left more or less on her own.
- So it's been about two weeks since Mr. Square and Molly started canoodling.
- When Tom first arrived at the house, Molly's mom tried to cover for her, but Molly's sister wanted Molly to get into trouble with Tom.
- Mr. Square tries to look serious and dignified, even in the middle of his extreme embarrassment.
- Tom promises he won't gossip about any of this—as long as Mr. Square is kind to Molly, Tom doesn't care what they do.
- Tom leaves, and Mr. Square and Molly make up.