their Friends, and often pry into their Cloſets and Cupboards, only to diſcover their Poverty and Meanneſs to the World.
However, as Perſons who ſuſpect they have given others Cauſe of Offence, are apt to conclude they are offended; ſo Sophia imputed an Action of Maſter Blifil, to his Anger, which the ſuperior Sagacity of Thwackum and Square diſcerned to have ariſen from a much better Principle.
Tom Jones, when very young, had preſented Sophia with a little Bird, which he had taken from the Neſt, had nurſed up, and taught to ſing.
Of this Bird, Sophia, then about thirteen Years old, was ſo extremely fond, that her chief Buſineſs was to feed and tend it, and her chief Pleaſure to play with it. By theſe Means little Tommy, for ſo the Bird was called, was become ſo tame, that it would feed out of the Hand of its Miſtreſs, would perch upon her Finger, and lie contented in her Boſom, where it ſeemed almoſt ſenſible of its own Happineſs; tho’ ſhe always kept a ſmall String about its Leg, nor would ever truſt it with the Liberty of flying away.
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