Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter 4 - The Stage Coach: This chapter begins with Tom being woken up by a servant in the roadside inn where he and his father are staying while they wait for the coach to take Tom to Rugby School. Narration describes how Tom got there, traveling via London and arriving around suppertime. Narration also describes the Squire's final words of wisdom to his son, and the complex thought process the Squire went through to choose exactly the right words. Narrative then describes Tom's early morning ride on the stagecoach to Rugby, during which the coachman tells him stories about the wild misbehavior of the other Rugby boys he has driven. After stopping for breakfast, which Tom proudly pays for himself, just like a grownup, the coach begins the last stage of its journey. At one point two students run alongside the...