Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded — 27

I was all abashed; and took Miss Darnford’s hand, and said, Save me, dear miss, by your sweet example, from my rising pride.

But could I deserve half these kind things, what a happy creature should I be!

said Miss Darnford, You deserve them all, indeed you do.

The greatest part of the company having sat down to loo, my master being pressed, said he would take one game at whist; but had rather be excused too, having been up all night: and I asked how his friend did?

We’ll talk of that, said he, another time; which, and his seriousness, made me fear the poor gentleman was dead, as it proved.

We cast in, and Miss Boroughs and my master were together, and Mr. Perry and I; and I had all four honours the first time, and we were up at one deal.

Said my master, An honourable hand, Pamela, should go with an honourable heart; but you’d not have been up, if a knave had not been one.

Whist, sir, said Mr. Perry, you know, was a court game originally; and the knave, I suppose, signified always the prime minister.

’Tis well, said my master, if now there is but one knave in a court, out of four persons, take the court through.

The king and queen, sir, said Mr. Perry, can do no wrong, you know.

So there are two that must be good out of four; and the ace seems too plain a card to mean much hurt.

We compliment the king, said my master, in that manner; and ’tis well to do so, because there is something sacred in the character.

But yet, if force of example be considered, it is going a great way; for certainly a good master makes a good servant, generally speaking.

One thing, added he, I will say, in regard to the ace: I have always looked upon that plain and honest looking card in the light you do: and have considered whist as an English game in its original; which has made me fonder of it than of any other.

For by the ace I have always thought the laws of the land denoted; and as the ace is above the king or queen, and wins them, I think the law should be thought so too;

though, may be, I shall be deemed a Whig for my opinion.

I shall never play whist, said Mr. Perry, without thinking of this, and shall love the game the better for the thought; though I am no party-man.

Nor I, said my master; for I think the distinctions of whig and tory odious; and love the one or the other only as they are honest and worthy men; and have never (nor never shall, hope) given a vote, but according to what I thought was for the public good, let either whig or tory propose it.

I wish, sir, replied Mr. Perry, all gentlemen in your station would act so.

If there was no undue influence, said my master, I am willing to think so well of all mankind, that I believe they generally would.

But you see, said he, by my Pamela’s hand, when all the court-cards get together, and are acted by one mind, the game is usually turned accordingly: Though now and then, too, it may be so circumstanced, that honours will do them no good, and they are forced to depend altogether upon tricks.

I thought this way of talking prettier than the game itself.

But I said, Though I have won the game, I hope I am no trickster.

No, said my master, God forbid but court-cards should sometimes win with honour!

But you see, for all that, your game is as much owing to the knave as the king; and you, my fair-one, lost no advantage, when it was put into your power.

Else, sir, said I, I should not have done justice to my partner.

You are certainly right, Pamela, replied he; though you thereby beat your husband.

Sir, said I, you may be my partner next, and I must do justice, you know.

Well, said he, always choose so worthy a friend, as chance has given you for a partner, and I shall never find fault with you, do what you will.

Mr. Perry said, You are very good to me, sir; and Miss Boroughs, I observed, seemed pleased with the compliment to her humble servant; by which I saw she esteemed him, as he appears to deserve.

Dear sir!

said I, how much better is this, than to be locked in by Lady Davers!

The supper was brought in sooner on my account, because I had had no dinner; and there passed very agreeable compliments on the occasion.

Lady Darnford would help me first, because I had so long fasted, as she said.

Sir Simon would have placed himself next me: And my master said, He thought it was best, where there was an equal number of ladies and gentlemen, that they should sit, intermingled, that the gentlemen might be employed in helping and serving the ladies.

Lady Darnford said, She hoped Sir Simon would not sit above any ladies at his own table especially.

Well, said he, I shall sit over-against her, however, and that’s as well.

My dearest sir could not keep his eyes off me, and seemed generously delighted with all I did, and all I said; and every one was pleased to see his kind and affectionate behaviour to me.

Lady Jones brought up the discourse about Lady Davers again; and my master said, I fear, Pamela, you have been hardly used, more than you’ll say.

I know my sister’s passionate temper too well, to believe she could be over-civil to you, especially as it happened so unluckily that I was out.

If, added he, she had no pique to you, my dear, yet what has passed between her and me, has so exasperated her, that I know she would have quarrelled with my horse, if she had thought I valued it, and nobody else was in her way.

Dear sir, said I, don’t say so of good Lady Davers.

Why, my dear, said he, I know she came on purpose to quarrel; and had she not found herself under a very violent uneasiness, after what had passed between us, and my treatment of her lord’s letter, she would not have offered to come near me.

What sort of language had she for me, Pamela?

O sir, very good, only her well-mannered brother, and such as that!

Only, said he, ’tis taking up the attention of the company disagreeably, or I could tell you almost every word she said.

Lady Jones wished to hear a further account of my lady’s conduct, and most of the company joined with her, particularly Mrs. Peters; who said, that as they knew the story, and Lady Davers’s temper, though she was very good in the main, they could wish to be so agreeably entertained, if he and I pleased; because they imagined I should have no difficulties after this.

Tell me, then, Pamela, said he, did she lift up her hand at you?

Did

she strike you?

But I hope not!

A little slap of the hand, said I, or so.

—Insolent woman!

She did not, I hope, offer to strike your face?

Why, said I, I was a little saucy once or twice; and she would have given me a cuff on the ear, if her woman and Mrs. Jewkes had not interposed.

Why did you not come out at the door?

Because, said I, her ladyship sat in the chair against it, one while, and another while locked it; else I offered several times to get away.

She knew I expected you here: You say, you shewed her my letter to you?

Yes, sir, said I; but I had better not; for she as then more exasperated, and made strange comments upon it.

I doubt it not, said he; but, did she not see, by the kind epithets in it, that there was no room to doubt of our being married?

O, sir, replied I, and made the company smile, she said, For that very reason she was sure I was not married.

That’s like my sister!

said he; exactly like her; and yet she lives very happily herself: for her poor lord never contradicts her.

Indeed he dares not.

You were a great many wenches, were you not, my dear?

for that’s a great word with her.

—Yes, sir, said I, wenches and creatures out of number; and worse than all that.

What?

tell me, my dear.

Sir, said I, I must not have you angry with Lady Davers; while you are so good to me, ’tis all nothing; only the trouble I have that I cannot be suffered to shew how much I honoured her ladyship, as your sister.

Well, said he, you need not be afraid to tell me: I must love her after all; though I shall not be pleased with her on this occasion.

I know it is her love for me, though thus oddly expressed, that makes her so uneasy: and, after all, she comes, I’m sure, to be reconciled to me;

though it must be through a good hearty quarrel first: for she can shew a good deal of sunshine; but it must be always after a storm; and I’ll love her dearly, if she has not been, and will not be, too hard upon my dearest.

Mr. Peters said, Sir, you are very good, and very kind; I love to see this complaisance to your sister, though she be in fault, so long as you can shew it with so much justice to the sweetest innocence and merit in the world.

By all that’s good, Mr. Peters, said he, I’d present my sister with a thousand pounds, if she would kindly take my dear Pamela by the hand, and wish her joy, and call her sister!

—And yet I should be unworthy of the dear creature that smiles upon me there, if it was not principally for her sake, and the pleasure it would give her, that I say this: for I will never be thoroughly reconciled to my sister till she does; for I most sincerely think, as to myself, that my dear wife, there she sits, does me more honour in her new relation, than she receives from me.

Sir, said I, I am overwhelmed with your goodness!

—And my eyes were filled with tears of joy and gratitude: and all the company with one voice blessed him.

And Lady Jones was pleased to say, The behaviour of you two happy ones, to each other, is the most edifying I ever knew.

I

am always improved when I see you.

How happy would every good lady be with such a gentleman, and every good gentleman with such a lady!

—In short, you seem made for one another.

O madam, said I, you are so kind, so good to me, that I know not how to thank you enough!

—Said she, You deserve more than I can express; for, to all that know your story, you are a matchless person.

You are an ornament to our sex and your virtue, though Mr. B—— is so generous as he is, has met with no more than its due reward.

God long bless you together!

You are, said my dearest sir, very good to me, madam, I am sure.

I have taken liberties in my former life, that deserved not so much excellence.

I have offended extremely, by trials glorious to my Pamela, but disgraceful to me, against a virtue that I now consider as almost sacred; and I shall not think I deserve her, till I can bring my manners, my sentiments, and my actions, to a conformity with her own.

In short, my Pamela, continued he, I want you to be nothing but what you are, and have been.

You cannot be better; and if you could, it would be but filling me with despair to attain the awful heights of virtue at which you have arrived.

Perhaps, added the dear gentleman, the scene I have beheld within these twelve hours, has made me more serious than otherwise I should have been: but I’ll assure you, before all this good company, I speak the sentiments of my heart, and those not of this day only.

What a happy daughter is yours, O my dear father and mother!

I owe it all to God’s grace, and to yours and my good lady’s instructions: And to these let me always look back with grateful acknowledgments, that I may not impute to myself, and be proud, my inexpressible happiness.

The company were so kindly pleased with our concern, and my dear master’s goodness, that he, observing their indulgence, and being himself curious to know the further particulars of what had passed between my lady and me, repeated his question, What she had called me besides wench and creature?

And I said, My lady, supposing I was wicked, lamented over me, very kindly, my depravity and fall, and said, What a thousand pities it was, so much virtue, as she was pleased to say, was so destroyed; and that I had yielded, after so noble a stand!

as she said.

Excuse me, gentlemen and ladies, said I!

you know my story, it seems;

and I am commanded, by one who has a title to all my obedience, to proceed.

They gave all of them bows of approbation, that they might not interrupt me; and I continued my story—the men-servants withdrawing, at a motion of Mr. B——, on my looking towards them: and then, at Lady Darnford’s coming in, I proceeded.

I told her ladyship, that I was still innocent, and would be so, and it was injurious to suppose me otherwise.

Why, tell me, wench, said she—But I think I must not tell you what she said.

Yes, do, said my master, to clear my sister; we shall think it very bad else.

I held my hand before my face—Why, she said, Tell me, wench, hast thou not been—hesitating—a very free creature with thy master?

That she said, or to that effect—And when I said, She asked strange questions, and in strange words, she ridiculed my delicacy, as she called it; and said, My niceness would not last long.

She said, I must know I was not really married, that my ring was only a sham, and all was my cunning to cloak my yielding, and get better terms.

She said, She knew the world as much at thirty-two, as I did at sixteen; and bid me remember that.

I took the liberty to say, (but I got a good way off,) that I scorned her ladyship’s words, and was as much married as her ladyship.

And then I had certainly been cuffed, if her woman had not interposed, and told her I was not worthy her anger; and that I was as much to be pitied for my credulity, as despised for my vanity.

My poor Pamela, said my master, this was too, too hard upon you!

O sir, said I, how much easier it was to me than if it had been so!

—That would have broken my heart quite!

—For then I should have deserved it all, and worse; and these reproaches, added to my own guilt, would have made me truly wretched!

Lady Darnford, at whose right-hand I sat, kissed me with a kind of rapture, and called me a sweet exemplar for all my sex.

Mr. Peters said very handsome things; so did Mr. Perry and Sir Simon, with tears in his eyes, said to my master, Why, neighbour, neighbour, this is excellent, by my troth.

I believe there is something in virtue, that we had not well considered.

On my soul, there has been but one angel come down for these thousand years, and you have got her.

Well, my dearest, said my master, pray proceed with your story until, we have done supper, since the ladies seem pleased with it.

Why, sir, said I, her ladyship went on in the same manner; but said, one time, (and held me by the hand,) she would give me an hundred guineas for one provoking word; or, if I would but say I believed myself married, that she might fell me at her foot: But, sir, you must not be angry with her ladyship.

She called me painted dirt, baby-face, waiting-maid, beggar’s brat, and beggar-born; but I said, As long as I knew my innocence, I was easy in every thing, but to have my dear parents abused.

They were never beggars, nor beholden to any body; nor to any thing but God’s grace and their own labour; that they once lived in credit; that misfortunes might befall any body; and that I could not bear they should be treated so undeservedly.

Then her ladyship said, Ay, she supposed my master’s folly would make us set up for a family, and that the heralds’ office would shortly be searched to make it out.

Exactly my sister again!

said he.

So you could not please her any way?

No, indeed, sir.

When she commanded me to fill her a glass of wine, and would not let her woman do it, she asked, If I was above it?

I then said, If to attend your ladyship at table, or even kneel at your feet, was required of me, I would most gladly do it, were I only the person you think me.

But if it be to triumph over one, who has received honours which she thinks require from her another part, that she may not be utterly unworthy of them, I must say, I cannot do it.

This quite astonished her ladyship; and a little before, her kinsman brought me the bottle and glass, and required me to fill it for my lady, at her command, and called himself my deputy: And I said, ’Tis in a good hand;

help my lady yourself.

So, sir, added I, you see I could be a little saucy upon occasion.

You please me well, my Pamela, said he.

This was quite right.

But proceed.

Her ladyship said, She was astonished!

adding, She supposed I would have her look upon me as her brother’s wife: And asked me, What, in the name of impudence, possessed me, to dare to look upon myself as her sister?

And I said, That was a question better became her most worthy brother to answer, than me.

And then I thought I should have had her ladyship upon me; but her woman interposed.

I afterwards told Mrs. Jewkes, at the window, that since I was hindered from going to you, I believed it was best to let Robert go with the chariot, and say, Lady Davers was come, and I could not leave her ladyship.

But this did not please; and I thought it would too; for she said, No, no, he’ll think I make the creature my companion, and know not how to part with her.

Exactly, said he, my sister again.

And she said, I knew nothing what belonged to people of condition; how should I?

—What shall I say, madam?

said I. Nothing at all, answered she; let him expect his dearest love, alluding to your kind epithet in your letter, and be disappointed; it is but adding a few more hours to this heavy absence, and every one will become a day in his amorous account.

So, to be short, I saw nothing was to be done; and I feared, sir, you would wonder at my stay, and be angry; and I watched my opportunity, till my lady, who was walking about the room, was at the further end;

and the parlour being a ground-floor, in a manner, I jumped out at the window, and ran for it.

Her ladyship called after me; so did her woman; and I heard her say, I flew like a bird; and she called two of her servants in sight to stop me; but I said, Touch me at your peril, fellows!

And Mr. Colbrand, having been planted at hand by Mrs. Jewkes, (who was very good in the whole affair, and incurred her ladyship’s displeasure, once or twice, by taking my part,) seeing how I was used, put on a fierce look, cocked his hat with one hand, and put t’other on his sword, and said, he would chine the man who offered to touch his lady.

And so he ran alongside of me, and could hardly keep pace with me:—And here, my dear sir, concluded I, I am, at yours and the good company’s service.

They seemed highly pleased with my relation; and my master said, he was glad Mrs. Jewkes behaved so well, as also Mr. Colbrand.

Yes, sir, said I: when Mrs. Jewkes interposed once, her ladyship said, It was hard, she, who was born in that house, could not have some privilege in it, without being talked to by the saucy servants.

And she called her another time fat-face, and womaned her most violently.

Well, said my master, I am glad, my dear, you have had such an escape.

My sister was always passionate, as Mrs. Peters knows: And my poor mother had enough to do with us both.

For we neither of us wanted spirit: and when I was a boy, I never came home from school or college for a few days, but though we longed to see one another before, yet ere the first day was over, we had a quarrel; for she, being seven years older than I, was always for domineering over me, and I could not bear it.

And I used, on her frequently quarrelling with the maids, and being always at a word and a blow, to call her Captain Bab; for her name is Barbara.

And when my Lord Davers courted her, my poor mother has made up quarrels between them three times in a day; and I used to tell her, she would certainly beat her husband, marry whom she would, if he did not beat her first, and break her spirit.

Yet has she, continued he, very good qualities.

She was a dutiful daughter, is a good wife; she is bountiful to her servants, firm in her friendships, charitable to the poor, and, I believe, never any sister better loved a brother, than she me: and yet she always loved to vex and tease me; and as I would bear a resentment longer than she, she’d be one moment the most provoking creature in the world, and the next would do any thing to be forgiven; and I have made her, when she was the aggressor, follow me all over the house and garden to be upon good terms with me.

But this case piques her more, because she had found out a match for me in the family of a person of quality, and had set her heart upon bringing it to effect, and had even proceeded far in it, without my knowledge, and brought me into the lady’s company, unknowing of her design.

But I was then averse to matrimony upon any terms; and was angry at her proceeding in it so far without my privity or encouragement: And she cannot, for this reason, bear the thoughts of my being now married, and to her mother’s waiting-maid too, as she reminds my dear Pamela, when I had declined her proposal with the daughter of a noble earl.

This is the whole case, said he; and, allowing for the pride and violence of her spirit, and that she knows not, as I do, the transcendent excellencies of my dear Pamela, and that all her view, in her own conception, is mine and the family honour, she is a little to be allowed for: Though, never fear, my Pamela, but that I, who never had a struggle with her, wherein I did not get the better, will do you justice, and myself too.

This account of Lady Davers pleased every body, and was far from being to her ladyship’s disadvantage in the main; and I would do any thing in the world to have the honour to be in her good graces: Yet I fear it will not be easily, if at all, effected.

But I will proceed.

After supper, nothing would serve Miss Darnford and Miss Boroughs, but we must have a dance; and Mr. Peters, who plays a good fiddle, urged it forward.

My dear master, though in a riding-dress, took out Miss Boroughs.

Sir Simon, for a man of his years, danced well, and took me out; but put on one of his free jokes, that I was fitter to dance with a younger man; and he would have it, (though I had not danced since my dear lady’s death to signify, except once or twice to please Mrs. Jervis, and, indeed, believed all my dancing days over,) that as my master and I were the best dancers, we should dance once together, before folks, as the odd gentleman said; and my dear sir was pleased to oblige him: And afterwards danced with Miss Darnford, who has much more skill and judgment than I; though they compliment me with an easier shape and air.

We left the company with great difficulty at about eleven, my dear master having been up all night before, and we being at the greatest distance from home; though they seemed inclinable not to break up so soon, as they were neighbours; and the ladies said, They longed to hear what would be the end of Lady Davers’s interview with her brother.

My master said, He feared we must not now think of going next day to Bedfordshire, as we had intended; and perhaps might see them again.

And so we took leave, and set out for home; where we arrived not till twelve o’clock; and found Lady Davers had gone to bed about eleven, wanting sadly that we should come home first; but so did not I. Mrs. Jewkes told us, That my lady was sadly fretted that I had got away so; and seemed a little apprehensive of what I would say of the usage I had received from her.

She asked Mrs. Jewkes, if she thought I was really married?

And Mrs. Jewkes telling her yes, she fell into a passion, and said, Begone, bold woman, I cannot bear thee!

See not my face till I send for thee!

Thou hast been very impudent to me once or twice to-day already, and art now worse than ever.

She said, She would not have told her ladyship, if she had not asked her; and was sorry she had offended.

She sent for her at supper time: Said she, I have another question to ask thee, woman, and tell me yes, if thou darest.

Was ever any thing so odd?

—Why then, said Mrs. Jewkes, I will say No, before your ladyship speaks.

—My master laughed: Poor woman!

said he.

—She called her insolent, and assurance; and said, Begone, bold woman as thou art!

—but come hither.

Dost thou know if that young harlot is to be with my brother to-night?

She said she knew not what to answer, because she had threatened her if she said yes.

But at last my lady said, I will know the bottom of this iniquity.

I suppose they won’t have so much impudence to be together while I’m in the house; but I dare say they have been bed-fellows.

Said she, I will lie to-night in the room I was born in; so get that bed ready.

That room being our bedchamber, Mrs. Jewkes, after some hesitation, replied, Madam, my master lies there, and has the key.

I

believe, woman, said she, thou tellest me a story.

Indeed, madam, said she, he does; and has some papers there he will let nobody see; for Mrs. Jewkes said, she feared she would beat her if she went up, and found by my clothes, and some of my master’s, how it was.

So she said, I will then lie in the best room, as it is called; and Jackey shall lie in the little green room adjoining to it.

Has thy master got the keys of those?

—No, madam, said Mrs. Jewkes: I will order them to be made ready for your ladyship.

And where dost thou lay the pursy sides?

said she.

Up two pair of stairs, madam, next the garden.

And where lies the young harlotry?

continued she.

Sometimes with me, madam, said she.

And sometimes with thy virtuous master, I suppose?

said my lady.

—Ha, woman!

what sayest thou?

I must not speak, said Mrs. Jewkes.

Well, thou mayest go, said she; but thou hast the air of a secret keeper of that sort I dare say thoul’t set the good work forward most cordially.

Poor Mrs. Jewkes, said my master, and laughed most heartily.

This talk we had whilst we were undressing.

So she and her woman lay together in the room my master lay in before I was happy.

I said, Dear sir, pray, in the morning let me lock myself up in the closet, as soon as you rise; and not be called down for ever so much;

for I am afraid to see her ladyship: And I will employ myself about my journal, while these things are in my head.

Don’t be afraid, my dear, said he: Am not I with you?

Mrs. Jewkes pitied me for what I had undergone in the day; and I said, We won’t make the worst of it to my dear master, because we won’t exasperate where we would reconcile: but, added I, I am much obliged to you, Mrs. Jewkes, and I thank you.

Said my master, I hope she did not beat your lady, Mrs. Jewkes?

Not much, sir, said she; but I believe I saved my lady once: Yet, added she, I was most vexed at the young lord.

Ay, Mrs. Jewkes, said my master, let me know his behaviour.

I can chastise him, though I cannot my sister, who is a woman; let me therefore know the part he acted.

Nothing, my dear sir, said I, but impertinence, if I may so say, and foolishness, that was very provoking; but I spared him not; and so there is no room, sir, for your anger.

No, sir, said Mrs. Jewkes, nothing else indeed.

How was her woman?

said my master.

Pretty impertinent, replied Mrs. Jewkes, as ladies’ women will be.

But, said I, you know she saved me once or twice.

Very true, madam, returned Mrs. Jewkes.

And she said to me at table, that you were a sweet creature; she never saw your equal;

but that you had a spirit; and she was sorry you answered her lady so, who never bore so much contradiction before.

I told her, added Mrs. Jewkes, that if I was in your ladyship’s place, I should have taken much more upon me, and that you were all sweetness.

And she said, I was got over, she saw.