Unfortunately, in the heat of the action, Honour runs into Blifil and the events of act begin to wind to a climax. The meddling barber points Blifil to the room where Tom and his lady are to be found and Western, thinking to find the lad indecently closeted with Sophia, bursts in on Lady Bellaston in a fine imbroglio. As a finale of accusations and assertions rages, Tom's glance alights on Sophia's muff, left once more behind. With withering horror he realises the identity of the cloaked lady to whom he spoke so carelessly and understands what he has done. At once he prepares to go after his beloved and Lady Bellaston, determined not to let him go from her sight, offers her coach to take him to London. ACT 3 Between the acts, Sophia has reached London, carried thence in Squire Western's coach driven by the useful Gregory, and in next to no time she has been hailed in society as a fashionable beauty. Back in Somerset even more momentous things have been happening. Mr Allworthy has discovered from the barber Partridge that Tom Jones is actually his own sister's illegitimate son and therefore Blifil's elder brother. He has communicated his shattering news to Western who is now in London looking for Sophia, albeit with little success, since he has been< doing his looking mainly in the bottoms of glasses in ale houses. As the act opens he is scouring much more likely territory at Ranelagh Gardens. Gregory and Honour have chosen the same pleasure spot to spend their dalliance and, to the yokel's chagrin, his bright little lady is the subject of a certain amount of attention from the gallants of the town whom she answers with a cautionary tale of country one-up-womanship. Tom himself is next on the scene with a song as the principals of the story gather in the one venue but continue to manage to keep missing each other amongst the festivities of the gardens. Honour and Partridge meet up long enough for him to give her the idea that Tom is to wed Lady Bellaston, before Sophia appears on the scene with a circle of admirers and the famous waltz song. When Tom, Sophia, Lady Bellaston, Honour and Partridge all finally come together in one place, the complications start to get a little unravelled, but the malice of Lady Bellaston seems likely to part the lovers in misunderstanding. Partridge has an attempt at getting a little misunderstanding going between Honour and Gregory, to his own advantage, but the only result is a trio. Honour now knows from Gregory that the Squire is of a new mind regarding a match between Tom and Sophia, but Sophia still thinks she has been betrayed and she will not allow herself to hope until she overhears Lady Bellaston attempting unsuccessfully to bribe Tom back to her bed. Tom's protestations prove him, in spite of everything, to be true to his Sophia and all can happily end with a finale full of wedding bells. CHARACTERS • Tom Jones, a foundling • Mr Allworthy, a Somerset magistrate • Blifil, his nephew • Benjamin Partridge, a village barber • Squire Western, a fine old English gentleman • Miss Western, his sister • Sophia, his daughter • Honour, her maid • Lady Bellaston, a lady of quality • Gregory • Grizzle • Dobbin • Betty • Peggy Squire Cloddy, Pimlott, Tony, Officer, Highwaymen, Colonel Hampstead, Tom Edwards, Colonel Wilcox, Postboy, Waiter, Etoff, Rosie Lucas, Hostess, Susan, Bessie Wiseacre, Letty Wheatcroft, etc. SCENES & SETTINGS Act 1 - The Lawn at Squire Western's Act 2 - The Inn at Upton Act 3 - Raleigh Gardens
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