Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
liveries; and to his late mother’s mercer, to send him down patterns of
the most fashionable silks, for my choice. I told him, I was unable to
express my gratitude for his favours and generosity: And as he knew
best what befitted his own rank and condition, I would wholly remit
myself to his good pleasure. But, by all his repeated bounties to me,
of so extraordinary a nature, I could not but look forward with awe
upon the condition to which he had exalted me; and now I feared I
should hardly be able to act up to it in such a manner as should
justify the choice he had condescended to make: But that, I hoped, I
should have not only his generous allowance for my imperfections, which
I could only assure him should not be wilful ones, but his kind
instructions; and that as often as he observed any part of my conduct
such as he could not entirely approve, he would let me know it; and I
would think his reproofs of beginning faults the kindest and most
affectionate things in the world because they would keep me from
committing greater; and be a means to continue to me the blessing of
his good opinion.
He answered me in the kindest manner; and assured me, That nothing
should ever lie upon his mind which he would not reveal, and give me an
opportunity either of convincing him, or being convinced myself.
He then asked me, When I should be willing to go to the Bedfordshire
house? I said, whenever he pleased. We will come down hither again
before the winter, said he, if you please, in order to cultivate the
acquaintance you have begun with Lady Jones, and Sir Simon’s family;
and, if it please God to spare us to one another, in the winter I will
give you, as I promised for two or three months, the diversions of
London. And I think, added he, if my dear pleases, we will set out next
week, about Tuesday, for t’other house. I can have no objection, sir,
said I, to any thing you propose; but how will you avoid Miss
Darnford’s solicitation for an evening to dance? Why, said he, we can
make Monday evening do for that purpose, if they won’t excuse us. But,
if you please, said he, I will invite Lady Jones, Mr. Peters and his
family, and Sir Simon and his family, to my little chapel, on Sunday
morning, and to stay dinner with me; and then I will declare my
marriage to them, because my dear life shall not leave this country
with the least reason for a possibility of any body’s doubting that it
is so. O! how good was this! But, indeed, his conduct is all of a
piece, noble, kind, and considerate! What a happy creature am I!—And
then, may be, said he, they will excuse us till we return into this
country again, as to the ball. Is there any thing, added he, that my
beloved Pamela has still to wish? If you have, freely speak.
Hitherto, my dearest sir, replied I, you have not only prevented my
wishes, but my hopes, and even my thoughts. And yet I must own, since
your kind command of speaking my mind seems to shew, that you expect
from me I should say something; that I have only one or two things to
wish more, and then I shall be too happy. Say, said he, what they are.
Sir, proceeded I, I am, indeed, ashamed to ask any thing, lest it
should not be agreeable to you; and lest it should look as if I was
taking advantage of your kind condescensions to me, and knew not when
to be satisfied!
I will only tell you, Pamela, said he, that you are not to imagine,
that these things, which I have done, in hopes of obliging you, are the
sudden impulses of a new passion for you. But, if I can answer for my
own mind, they proceed from a regular and uniform desire of obliging
you: which, I hope, will last as long as your merit lasts; and that, I
make no doubt, will be as long as I live. And I can the rather answer
for this, because I really find so much delight in myself in my present
way of thinking and acting, as infinitely overpays me; and which, for
that reason, I am likely to continue, for both our sakes. My beloved
wife, therefore, said he, for methinks I am grown fond of a name I once
despised, may venture to speak her mind; and I will promise, that, so
far as it is agreeable to me, and I cheerfully can, I will comply; and
you will not insist upon it, if that should not be the case.
To be sure, sir, said I, I ought not, neither will I. And now you
embolden me to become an humble petitioner, and that, as I ought, upon
my knees, for the reinstating such of your servants, as I have been the
unhappy occasion of their disobliging you. He raised me up, and said,
My beloved Pamela has too often been in this suppliant posture to me,
to permit it any more. Rise, my fairest, and let me know whom, in
particular, you would reinstate; and he kindly held me in his arms, and
pressed me to his beloved bosom. Mrs. Jervis, sir, said I, in the first
place; for she is a good woman; and the misfortunes she has had in the
world, must make your displeasure most heavy to her.
Well, said he, who next? Mr. Longman, sir, said I; and I am sure, kind
as they have been to me, yet would I not ask it, if I could not vouch
for their integrity, and if I did not think it was my dear master’s
interest to have such good servants.
Have you any thing further? said he.—Sir, said I, your good old butler,
who has so long been in your family before the day of your happy birth,
I would, if I might, become an advocate for!
Well, said he, I have only to say, That had not Mr. Longman and Mrs.
Jervis, and Jonathan too, joined in a body, in a bold appeal to Lady
Davers, which has given her the insolent handle she has taken to
intermeddle in my affairs, I could easily have forgiven all the rest of
their conduct; though they have given their tongues no little license
about me: But I could have forgiven them, because I desire every body
should admire you; and it is with pride that I observe not only their
opinion and love, but that of every body else that knows you, justify
my own.—But yet, I will forgive even this, because my Pamela desires
it; and I will send a letter myself, to tell Longman what he owes to
your interposition, if the estate he has made in my family does not set
him above the acceptance of it. And, as to Mrs. Jervis, do you, my
dear, write a letter to her, and give her your commands, instantly, on,
the receipt of it, to go and take possession of her former charge; for
now, my dearest girl, she will be more immediately your servant; and I
know you love her so well, that you’ll go thither with the more
pleasure to find her there.—But don’t think, added he, that all this
compliance is to be for nothing. Ah, sir! said I, tell me but what I
can do, poor as I am in power, but rich in will; and I will not
hesitate one moment. Why then, said he, of your own accord, reward me
for my cheerful compliance, with one sweet kiss—I instantly said, Thus,
then, dear sir, will I obey; and, oh! you have the sweetest and most
generous way in the world, to make that a condition, which gives me
double honour, and adds to my obligations. And so I clasped my arms
about his neck, and was not ashamed to kiss him once and twice, and
three times; once for every forgiven person.
Now, my dearest Pamela, said he, what other things have you to ask? Mr.
Williams is already taken care of; and, I hope, will be happy.—Have you
nothing to say for John Arnold?
Why, dear sir, said I, you have seen the poor fellow’s penitence in my
letters.—Yes, my dear, so I have; but that is his penitence for his
having served me against you; and, I think, when he would have betrayed
me afterwards, he deserves nothing to be said or done for him by
either.
But, dear sir, said I, this is a day of jubilee; and the less he
deserves, poor fellow, the more will be your goodness. And let me add
one word; That as he was divided in his inclinations between his duty
to you and good wishes to me, and knew not how to distinguish between
the one and the other, when he finds us so happily united by your great
goodness to me, he will have no more puzzles in his duty; for he has
not failed in any other part of it; but, I hope, will serve you
faithfully for the future.
Well, then, suppose I put Mrs. Jewkes in a good way of business, in
some inn, and give her John for a husband? And then your gipsy story
will be made out, that she will have a husband younger than herself.
You are all goodness, sir, said I. I can freely forgive poor Mrs.
Jewkes, and wish her happy. But permit me, sir, to ask, Would not this
look like a very heavy punishment to poor John? and as if you could not
forgive him, when you are so generous to every body else?
He smiled and said, O my Pamela, this, for a forgiving spirit, is very
severe upon poor Jewkes: But I shall never, by the grace of God, have
any more such trying services, to put him or the rest upon; and if you
can forgive him, I think I may: and so John shall be at your disposal.
And now let me know what my Pamela has further to wish?
O, my dearest sir, said I, not a single wish more has your grateful
Pamela! My heart is overwhelmed with your goodness! Forgive these tears
of joy, added I: You have left me nothing to pray for, but that God
will bless you with life, and health, and honour, and continue to me
the blessing of your esteem; and I shall then be the happiest creature
in the world.
He clasped me in his arms, and said, You cannot, my dear life, be so
happy in me, as I am in you. O how heartily I despise all my former
pursuits, and headstrong appetites! What joys, what true joys, flow
from virtuous love! joys which the narrow soul of the libertine cannot
take in, nor his thoughts conceive! And which I myself, whilst a
libertine, had not the least notion of!
But, said he, I expected my dear spouse, my Pamela, had something to
ask for herself. But since all her own good is absorbed in the delight
her generous heart takes in promoting that of others, it shall be my
study to prevent her wishes, and to make her care for herself
unnecessary, by my anticipating kindness.
In this manner, my dear parents, is your happy daughter blessed in a
husband! O how my exulting heart leaps at the dear, dear word!—And I
have nothing to do, but to be humble, and to look up with gratitude to
the all-gracious dispenser of these blessings.
So, with a thousand thanks, I afterwards retired to my closet, to write
you thus far. And having completed what I purpose for this packet, and
put up the kind obliging present, I have nothing more to say, but that
I hope soon to see you both, and receive your blessings on this happy,
thrice happy occasion. And so, hoping for your prayers, that I may
preserve an humble and upright mind to my gracious God, a dutiful
gratitude to my dear master and husband—that I may long rejoice in the
continuance of these blessings and favours, and that I may preserve, at
the same time, an obliging deportment to every one else, I conclude
myself, Your ever-dutiful and most happy daughter,
PAMELA B——
O think it not my pride, my dear parents, that sets me on glorying in
my change of name! Yours will be always dear to me, and what I shall
never be ashamed of, I’m sure: But yet—for such a husband!—What shall I
say, since words are too faint to express my gratitude and my joy!
I have taken copies of my master’s letter to Mr. Longman, and mine to
Mrs. Jervis, which I will send with the further occurrences, when I go
to the other dear house, or give you when I see you, as I now hope soon
to do.
Saturday morning, the third of my happy nuptials.
I must still write on, till I come to be settled in the duty of the
station to which I am so generously exalted, and to let you participate
with me the transporting pleasures that rise from my new condition, and
the favours that are hourly heaped upon me by the best of husbands.