What Happened to Mr. Jones in the Prison
- Mr. Nightingale comes back a full day later to see Tom in prison.
- He has tracked down the group of sailors who saw the duel with Mr. Fitzpatrick.
- Apparently, all the witnesses disagree with Tom's account.
- They say that Tom was the one who struck first.
- Tom doesn't understand why they wouldn't tell the truth.
- And as Mr. Nightingale points out, a jury will definitely not believe Tom's word against a bunch of witnesses.
- Mrs. Miller comes in just then to say that Sophia refuses to send a letter back to Tom.
- Tom decides that he doesn't care what happens to him.
- If he is executed, that's fine—it will also help him to atone for (apparently) killing Mr. Fitzpatrick.
- A jailer arrives to say that a woman is here to see him.
- It is absolutely the last person that Tom might have guessed: Mrs. Waters. (Remember, the captain's "wife" from Books 9 and 10?)
- Ever since that coach ride from Upton, Mr. Fitzpatrick and Mrs. Waters have been living together as man and wife.
- After the duel, Mr. Fitzpatrick has been a bit confused, and it takes some time for Mrs. Waters to put two and two together.
- But finally, she realizes that her Tom is the guy who injured Mr. Fitzpatrick.
- She immediately runs off to the prison to visit him.
- She asks why Tom is looking so gloomy.
- She quickly reassures Tom that nothing really bad has happened: Mr. Fitzpatrick isn't going to die.
- And Mr. Fitzpatrick has been telling everyone that he's the one who attacked Tom.
- So no one is holding Tom responsible for the duel.
- Tom is thrilled!
- Mrs. Waters tells him to cheer up.
- She's sure he'll be free soon.
- Mrs. Waters is starting to get a little annoyed with Tom's regretful moralizing about the mistakes of his past.
- He seems very different now than when they jumped into bed together at Upton.