Previous - next
Davers's shaking her head, and saying, Ah! brother! and no more. God, I
hope, will give me his grace: and so I will not, if I can help it, make
myself too uneasy; for I hope there is no occasion. But every little
matter that happens, I will acquaint you with, that you may continue to
me your good advice, and pray for
Your sad-hearted PAMELA.
LETTER X
DEAR MOTHER,
You and my good father may wonder you have not had a letter from me in so
many weeks; but a sad, sad scene, has been the occasion of it. For to be
sure, now it is too plain, that all your cautions were well grounded. O
my dear mother! I am miserable, truly miserable!--But yet, don't be
frightened, I am honest!--God, of his goodness, keep me so!
O this angel of a master! this fine gentleman! this gracious benefactor
to your poor Pamela! who was to take care of me at the prayer of his good
dying mother; who was so apprehensive for me, lest I should be drawn in
by Lord Davers's nephew, that he would not let me go to Lady Davers's:
This very gentleman (yes, I must call him gentleman, though he has fallen
from the merit of that title) has degraded himself to offer freedoms to
his poor servant! He has now shewed himself in his true colours; and, to
me, nothing appear so black, and so frightful.
I have not been idle; but had writ from time to time, how he, by sly mean
degrees, exposed his wicked views; but somebody stole my letter, and I
know not what has become of it. It was a very long one. I fear, he that
was mean enough to do bad things, in one respect, did not stick at this.
But be it as it will, all the use he can make of it will be, that he may
be ashamed of his part; I not of mine: for he will see I was resolved to
be virtuous, and gloried in the honesty of my poor parents.
I will tell you all, the next opportunity; for I am watched very
narrowly; and he says to Mrs. Jervis, This girl is always scribbling; I
think she may be better employed. And yet I work all hours with my
needle, upon his linen, and the fine linen of the family; and am,
besides, about flowering him a waistcoat.--But, oh! my heart's broke
almost; for what am I likely to have for my reward, but shame and
disgrace, or else ill words, and hard treatment! I'll tell you all soon,
and hope I shall find my long letter.
Your most afflicted DAUGHTER.
May-be, I he and him too much: but it is his own fault if I do. For why
did he lose all his dignity with me?
LETTER XI
DEAR MOTHER,
Well, I can't find my letter, and so I'll try to recollect it all, and be
as brief as I can. All went well enough in the main for some time after
my letter but one. At last, I saw some reason to suspect; for he would
look upon me, whenever he saw me, in such a manner, as shewed not well;
and one day he came to me, as I was in the summer-house in the little
garden, at work with my needle, and Mrs. Jervis was just gone from me;
and I would have gone out, but he said, No don't go, Pamela; I have
Previous - next
