Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded

He told me that they rallied him on the stateliness of his temper; and

said, They saw he would make an exceeding good husband where he was;

but it must be owing to my meekness, more than to his complaisance; for,

said Miss Darnford, I could see well enough, when your ladyship detained

her, though he had but hinted his desire of finding her at our house,

he was so out of humour at her supposed noncompliance, that mine and my

sister's pity for her was much more engaged, than our envy.

Ay, said my lady, he is too lordly a creature, by much; and can't bear

disappointment, nor ever could.

Said he, Well, Lady Davers, you should not, of all persons, find fault

with me; for I bore a great deal from you, before I was at all angry.

Yes, replied she: but when I had gone a little too far, as I own I did,

you made me pay for it severely enough! You know you did, sauce-box. And

the poor thing too, added she, that I took with me for my advocate, so

low had he brought me! he treated her in such a manner as made my heart

ache for her: But part was art, I know, to make me think the better of

her. Indeed, sister, said he, there was very little of that; for, at that

time, I cared not what you thought, nor had complaisance enough to have

given a shilling for your good or bad opinion of her or me. And, I

own, I was displeased to be broken in upon, after your provocations,

by either of you and she must learn that lesson, never to come near me,

when I am in those humours; which shall be as little as possible: For,

after a while, if let alone, I always come to myself, and am sorry for

the violence of a temper, so like my dear sister's here: And, for

this reason think it is no matter how few witnesses I have of its

intemperance, while it lasts; especially since every witness, whether

they merit it or not, as you see in my Pamela's case, must be a sufferer

by it, if, unsent for, they come in my way.

He repeated the same lesson to me again, and enforced it and owned, that

he was angry with me in earnest, just then; though more with himself,

afterwards, for being so: But when, Pamela, said he, you wanted to

transfer all my displeasure upon yourself, it was so much braving me

with your merit, as if I must soon end my anger, if placed there; or

it was making it so light to you, that I was truly displeased: for,

continued he, I cannot bear that you should wish, on any occasion

whatever, to have me angry with you, or not to value my displeasure as

the heaviest misfortune that could befall you.