I hope she is innocent as to fact; but I know not what to say to it. He ought to be hanged, if he did not say she was. Yet I have a great opinion of his veracity and yet he is so bold a wretch!-And her inconsideration is so great

But, lest I should alarm your fears, I will wait till I have the account he gives you of this dark affair: till when, I congratulate you upon the leave you have obtained to quit the town, and on your setting out for a place so much nearer to Tunbridge. Forgive me, Pamela; but he is an intriguing wretch! and I would not have you to be too secure, lest the disappointment should be worse for you, than what you knew before. But assure yourself, that I am, in all cases and events,

Your affectionate sister and admirer,

B. DAVERS.

P.S. Your bar, and some other parts of your conduct in your trial, as you call it, make me (as, by your account, it seemed to do him) apprehensive that you would hardly have been able to have kept your intellect so untouched as were to be wished, had this affair proceeded. And this, as it would have been the most deplorable misfortune that could have befallen us, who love and admire you so justly, redoubles my joy that it is likely to end so happily. God send it may !

LETTER LXXVII.

Mrs. B to Lady Davers.

MY DEAREST LADY,-Mr. B- came back from Bedfordshire to his time. Everything being in readiness, we set out with my baby and his nurse. Mrs. Jervis, when

everything in London is settled by her direction, goes to Bedfordshire.

We were met by my father and mother in a chaise and pair, which your kind brother had presented to them unknown to me, that they might often take the air together, and go to church in it (which is at some distance from them) on Sundays. The driver is clothed in a good brown cloth suit, but no livery; for that my parents could not have borne, as Mr. B's goodness made him consider.

Your ladyship must needs think how we were all overjoyed at this meeting. For my own part, I cannot express how much I was transported, when we arrived at the farmhouse, to see all I delighted in upon one happy spot together!

Mr. B

here;

is much pleased with the alterations made

* and it is a sweet, rural, and convenient place. We were welcomed into these parts by the bells, and by the minister, and people of most note; and were at church together on Sunday.

Mr. B is to set out on Tuesday for Tunbridge, with my papers. A happy issuc attend that affair, I pray God! He has given me the following particulars of it, to the time of my trial, beginning at the masquerade.

He says, that at the masquerade, when pleased with the fair nun's shape, air, and voice, he had followed her to a corner most unobserved, she said in Italian, Why are my retirements invaded, audacious Spaniard?

Because, my dear nun, I hope you would have it so.

I can no otherwise, returned she, strike dead thy bold presumption, than to show thee my scorn and anger thus -and unmasking, she surprised me, said Mr. B——, with a face as beautiful, but not so soft, as my Pamela's.—And I, said Mr. B-, to show I can defy your resentment, will show you a countenance as intrepid as yours is lovely. And so he drew aside his mask too.

See vol. ii. page 162.

He says, he observed his fair nun to be followed, wherever she went, by a mask habited like Testimony in Sir Courtly Nice, whose attention was fixed upon her and him; and he doubted not that it was Mr. Turner. So he and the fair nun took different ways, and he joined me and Miss Darnford, and found me engaged in the manner I related to your ladyship in a former letter; and his nun at his elbow, unexpected.

That afterwards, as he was engaged in French with a lady who had the dress of an Indian princess, and the mask of an Ethiopian, his fair nun said, in broken Spanish, Art thou at all complexions?-By St. Ignatius, I believe thou'rt a

rover!

I am trying, replied he in Italian, whether I can meet with any lady comparable to my lovely nun.

And what is the result?

Not one; no, not one.

I wish you could not help being in earnest, said she; and slid from him.

He engaged her next at the sideboard, drinking under her veil a glass of champagne. You know, Pamela, said he, there never was a sweeter mouth in the world than the countess's, except your own. She drew away the glass, as if, unobserved by anybody, to show me the lower part of

her face.

I cannot say, continued he, but I was struck with her charming manner, and an unreservedness of air and behaviour that I had not before seen so becoming-the place, and the freedom of conversation and deportment allowed there, gave her great advantages, in my eye, although her habit required, as I thought, continued he, a little more gravity and circumspection: And I could not tell how to resist a secret pride and vanity, which is but too natural to both sexes, when they are taken notice of by persons so worthy of regard.

Naturally fond of everything that carried the face of an intrigue, I longed to know who this charming nun was.— And next time I engaged her, My good sister, said I, how

happy should I be, if I might be admitted to a conversation with you at your grate!

Answer me, said she, thou bold Spaniard (for that was a name she seemed fond to call me by, which gave me to imagine that boldness was a qualification with which she was not displeased: tis not unusual with our vain sex, observed he, to construe even reproaches to our advantage), Is the lady here, whose shackles thou wearest ?

Do I look like a man shackled, my fairest nun?

No-No! not much like such a one. But I fancy thy wife is either a widow, or a quaker?

Neither, replied I, taking, by equivocation, her question literally.

And art thou not a married wretch? Answer me quickly! -We are observed.

No said I.

Swear to me thou art not.

By St. Ignatius, then! For, my dear, I was no wretch, you know.

Enough! said she-and slid away; and the fanatic would fain have engaged her, but she avoided him as industriously.

Before I was aware, continued Mr. B- -, she was at my elbow, and in Italian said, That fair quaker yonder is the wit of the assemblée: her eyes seem always directed to thy motions: and her person shows some intimacies have passed with somebody: is it with thee?

It would be my glory if it was, said I, were her face answerable to her person.

Is it not?

I long to know, replied Mr. B

I am glad thou dost not.

I am glad to hear my fair nun say that.

Dost thou, said she, hate shackles? Or is it, that thy hour is not yet come?

I wish, replied he, this be not the hour, the very hourpretending (naughty gentleman!-What ways these men have!)—to sigh.

She went again to the sideboard, put her handkerchief

upon it. Mr. Bfollowed her, and observed all her motions. She drank a glass of lemonade, as he of Burgundy; and a person in a domino, who was supposed to be the king, passing by, took up every one's attention but Mr. B -'s, who eyed her handkerchief, not doubting but she laid it there on purpose to forget to take it up. Accordingly she left it there; and slipping by him, he, unobserved, as he believes, put it in his pocket, and at one corner found the cover of a letter,-To the Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of

That after this, the fair nun was so shy, so reserved, and seemed so studiously to avoid him, that he had no opportunity to return her handkerchief; and the fanatic observing how she shunned him, said, in French, What, monsieur, have you done to your nun?

I found her to be a very coquette; and told her so ;and she is offended.

How could you affront a lady, replied he, with such a charming face?

By that I had reason to think, said Mr. B, that he had seen her unmask; and I said-It becomes not any character but that you wear, to pry into the secrets of others, in order to make ill-natured remarks, and perhaps to take ungentlemanlike advantages.

No man would make that observation, returned he, whose views would bear prying into.

I was nettled, said Mr. B-, at this warm retort, and drew aside my mask; nor would any man, who wore not a mask, tell me so!

He took not the challenge, and slid from me, and I saw him no more that night.

So! thought I, another instance this might have been of the glorious consequences of masquerading-O my lady, these masquerades are abominable things!

The king, they said, met with a free speaker that night. In truth, I was not very sorry for it; for if monarchs will lay aside their sovereign distinctions, and mingle thus at masquerade with the worst as well as the highest (I cannot