bis anger! and I fell upon my knees, as soon as I saw him, and said—Good Sir, let me beseech you as you hope to be forgiven yourself, and for the sake of my dear good lady, your mother, who recommended me to you with her last words, to forgive me all my faults; and only grant me this favour, the last I shall ask you, that you will let me depart your house with peace and quietness of mind, that I may take such a leave of my dear fellow-servants as befits me; and that my heart be not quite broken.'

He took me up in a kinder manner than ever I had known; and he said'Shut the door, Pamela, and come to me in my closet: I want to have a little serious talk with you.'-' How can I, Sir,' said I; how can I!' and wrang my hands. O pray, Sir, let me go out of your presence, I beseech you. By the God that made me,' said he, I'll do you no harm. Shut the parlour door, and come to me in my library.'

He then went into his closet, which is his library, and full of rich pictures besides a noble apartment, though called a closet, and next the private garden, into which it has a door that opens. I shut the parlour door, as he bid me, but stood at it irresolute.

6

Place some confidence in me,' said he: surely you may, when I have spoken thus solemnly.' So I crept towards him with trembling feet, and my heart throbbing through my handkerchief, Come in,' said he, when Ibid you.' I did so. Pray Sir,' said I, pity and spare me !' I will,' said he, as I hope to be saved.' He sat down upon a rich settee, and took hold of my hand, and said- Don't doubt me, Pamela. From this moment I will no more consider you as my servant; and I desire you'll not use me with ingratitude for the kindness I am going to express towards you.' This a ttle emboldened me; he said, holding both my hands between his You have too much good sense not to discover, that I, in spite of my heart, and all the pride of it, cannot but love you. Look up to me my sweet-faced girl! I must say I love you: and have put on a behaviour to you, that was much against my heart, in hopes to frighten you from your reservedness. You see I own it ingenuously and don't play your sex upon me for it.' I was unable

to speak; and he seeing me too muc oppressed with confusion to go on in that strain, said― Well, Pamela, let me know in what situation of life is your father: I know he is a poor man: but is he as low and as honest as he was when my mother took you?'

Then I could speak a little; and with a down look, (and I felt my face glow like fire) I said-'Yes, Sir, as poor and as honest too: and that is my pride.'Says he, 'I will do something for him, if it be not your fault, and make all your family happy.'- Ah, Sir!' said I, he is happier already than ever he can be, if his daughter's innocence is to to be the price of your favour and I beg you will not speak to me on the only side that can wound me.'-' I have no design of that sort,' said he. 'O Sir,' said I, tell me not so, tell me not so!'-'Tis easy,' said he, to be the making of your father, without injuring you. Well, Sir,' said I, 'if this can be done, let me know how; and all I can do with innocence shall be the study and practice of my life.But, what can such a poor creature as I do?' I would,' said he, have you stay a week or a fortnight only, and behave yourself with kindness to me; I stoop to beg it of you: you shall see all shall turn out beyond your expectations. I see,' said he, are going to answer otherwise than I would have you; and I begin to be vexed I should thus meanly sue. Your behaviour before honest Longman, when I used you as I did, and you could so well have vindicated yourself, has quite charmed me.

you

And though I am

not pleased with all you said yesterday while I was in the closet, yet you have moved me more to admire you than before; I see more worthiness in you, than ever I saw in any lady in the world. All the servants from the highest to the lowest, doat upon you, instead of envying you; and look upon you in so superior a light, as speaks what you ought to be. I have seen more of your letters than you imagine; (this surprised me!) and am quite overcome with your charming manuer of writing; so free, so easy, and many of your sentiments so much above your years; all which put together, makes me love you to extravagance. Now, Pamela, as I have stooped to acknowledge this, oblige me only to say another week or fortnight, to give me time to bring about

some certain affairs, and you shall see how much you may find your account in it.'

I tremble to find my poor heart giv. ing way. O good Sir,' said I, 'spare a poor girl that cannot look up to you, and speak. My heart is full; and why should you wish to undo me?'- Only oblige me,' said he, to stay a fortnight longer, and John shall carry word to your father, that I will see him in the mean time, either here, or at the Swan, in his village.'-O Sir,' said I, my heart will burst, but, on my bended knees, I beg you to let me go to-morrow, as I designed; and don't offer to tempt a poor creature, whose will would be yours, if my virtue would permit. It shall permit it,' said he; for I intend no injury to you, God is my witness! Impossible!' said I: I cannot, Sir, believe you, after what has passed how many ways are there to undo poor creatures! Good God, protect me, this one time, and send me but to my dear father's cot in safety !' Strange, damned fate!' says he, 'that when I speak so solemnly, I can't be believed!'- What should I believe, Sir?' said I, what can I believe? What have you said, but that I am to stay a fortnight longer? and what then is to become of me?'-My pride of birth and fortune' (damn them both!' said he, 'since they cannot obtain credit with you, but only add to your suspicions) will not let me descend all at once: I therefore ask you but a fortnight's stay, that, after this declaration, I may pacify those proud demands upon me.' Ŏ how my heart throbbed and I begun (for I did not know what I did) to say the Lord's Prayer. None of your beads to me, Pamela! said he; thou art a perfect nun.' But I said aloud, with my eyes lifted up to Heaven, Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil, O my good God!' He hugged me in his arms, and said, Well, my dear girl, then you stay this fortnight, and you shall see what I will do for you. I'll leave you a moment, and walk into the next room, to give you time to think of it, and to shew you I have no design upon you.' Well, this, I thought, did not look amis.!

·

He went out, and I was tortured with twenty different doubts in a minute; sometimes I thought, that to stay a week or fortnight longer in this house, to obey

him, while Mrs. Jervis was with me, could do no great harm: But then,' thought I, how do I know what I may be able to do? I have withstood his anger; but may. I not relent at his kindness? How shal! I stand that ?— Well, I hope, by the same protecting grace in which I will always confide?

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this

But then, what has he promised? Why, he will make my poor father and mother's life comfortable. O!' said I to myself, that is a rich thought; but let me not dwell upon it, for fear I should indulge it to my ruin. What can he do for me, poor girl as I am!--What can his greatness stoop to! He talks,' thought I, of his pride of heart, and pride of condition: O these are in his head, and in his heart too, or he would not confess them to me at such as instant. Well, then,' thought I, can be only to seduce me. He has promised nothing." But I am to see what he will do, if I stay a fortnight. And this fortnight is no such great matter: and I shall see in a few days how he carries it.' But then when I again reflected upon the distance between him and me, and his now open declaration of love, as he called it; and that after this he would talk with me on this subject more plainly than ever, and I should be less armed, may be, to withstand him ; and then I bethought myself, "Why, if he meant no dishonour, he should not speak before Mrs. Jervis;' and the odious, frightful closet came into my head, and my narrow escape upon it; and how easy it might be for him to send Mrs. Jervis, and the maids out of the way; that all the mischief he designed me might be brought about in less than that time; I resolved to go away, and trust all to Providence, and nothing to myself. And how ought I to be thankful for this resolution l'as you shall hear,

But just as I have writ to this place, John sends me word, that he is going this minute your way; and so I will send you as far as I have written, and hope by to-morrow night to ask your blessings, at your own poor, but happy abode, and tell you the rest by word of mouth: and so I rest, till then, and for ever, your dutiful daughter.

LETTER XXXI.

DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER, I WILL continue my writing still, because, may be, I shall like to read it, when I am with you, to see what dau.

gers I have been enabled to escape; although I bring it along with me.

·

I told you my resolution, my happy resolution, as I have reason to think it; and just then he came in again, with great kindness in his looks, and said, "I make no doubt, Pamela, you will stay this fortnight to oblige me.' I knew not how to frame my words so as to deny, and not yet make him storm. "But, said I, forgive, Sir, your poor distressed servant, I know I cannot possibly deserve any favour at your hands, consistent with virtue; and I beg you will let me go to my poor father. Why,' said he, thou art the greatest fool that I ever knew. I tell you I will see your father; I'll send for him hither to-morrow, in my travelling chariot, if you will; and I'll let him know what I intend to do for him and you.'-'What, Sir, can that be? Your honour's noble estate may easily make him happy, and not unuseful, perhaps, to you, in some respect or other. But what price am I to pay for all this You shall be happy as you can wish,' said he, 'I do assure you: here, I will give you this purse, in which are fifty guineas, which I will allow your father yearly, and find an employ suitable to his liking, to deserve that and more: Pamela, he shall never want, depend upon it. I would have given you still more for him, but that perhaps you'd suspect I intended it as a design upon you.'-'O Sir,' said I, take back your guineas; I will not touch one, nor will my father, I am sure, till he knows what is to be done for them, and particularly what is to become of me.'-'Why, then, Pamela,' said he,suppose I find a man of probity, and genteel calling, for your husband, that shall make you a gentlewoman as long as you live!'-'I want no husband, Sir,' said I; for now I began to see him in all his black colours; yet, being so much in his power, I thought I would a little dissemble. But,' said he, you are so pretty, that, go where you will, you can never be free from the designs of some or other of our sex; and I shall think I don't answer the care of my dying mother for you, who committed you to me, if I don't provide you a husband to protect your virtue, and your innocence; and a worthy one I have thought of for you.'

O black, perfidious creature! thought I, what an implement art

thou in the hands of Lucifer, to rain this innocent heart!'-Yet still I dissembled; for I feared much both him and the place I was in. But whom, pray, Sir, have you thought of ?'- Why,' said he, young Mr. Williams, my chaplain, in Lincolnshire, who will make you happy. Does he know, Sir,' said I, any thing of your honour's intentions? No, my girl,' said he, and kissed me, (much against my will; for his very breath was now poison to me:) but his dependence upon my favour, and your beauty and merit, will make him rejoice at my kindness to him.'- Well, Sir,' said I, then it is time enough to consider of this matter; and it cannot hinder me from going to my father's: for what will staying a fortnight longer signify to this! Your honour's care and goodness may extend to me there, as well as here; and Mr.. Williams, and all the world, shall know that I am not ashamed of my father's poverty.'

He would kiss me again; and I said, If 1 am to think of Mr. Williams, or any body, I beg you will not be so free with me; that is not pretty, I'm sure.’

Well,' said he, but you stay this next fortnight, and in that time I'll have both Williams and your father here; for I will have the match concluded in my house; and when I have brought it on, you shall settle it as you please together. Meantime take and send these fifty pieces to your father, as an earnest of my favour, and I'll make you all happy.- Sir,' said I,

I beg at least two hours to consider of this. I shall,' said he, 'be gone out in one hour; and I would have you write to your father what I propose; and John shall carry it on purpose; and he shall take the purse with him for the good old man, if you ap prove of it.' Sir,' said I, I will then let you know, in one hour, my resolution. Do so,' said he; and gave me another kiss, and let me go.

O how I rejoiced I had got out of his clutches!-So I write you this, that you may see how matters stand; for I am resolved to come away, if possible. Base, wicked, treacherous gentleman, as he is!

Here was a trap laid for your poor Pamela! I tremble to think of it! O what a scene of wickedness was here laid down for all my wretched life!