Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded

I took with me, to Lincolnshire, said my master, upwards of six hundred

guineas, and thought to have laid most of them out there: (Thank God,

thought I, you did not! for he offered me five hundred of them, you

know:) but I have not laid out above two hundred and fifty of them; so

two hundred I left there in my escritoire; because I shall go again for

a fortnight or so, before winter; and two hundred I have brought with

me: and I have money, I know not what, in three places here, the account

of which is in my pocket-book, in my library. You have made some little presents, Pamela, to my servants there, on our

nuptials; and these two hundred that I have brought up, I will put into

your disposal, that, with some of them, you shall do here as you did

there. I am ashamed, good sir, said I, to be so costly, and so worthless! Pray,

my dear, replied he, say not a word of that. Said Mr. Longman, Why,

madam, with money in stocks, and one thing or another, his honour could

buy half the gentlemen around him. He wants not money, and lays up every

year. And it would have been pity but his honour should have wedded

just as he has. Very true, Longman, said my master; and, pulling out

his purse, said, Tell out, my dear, two hundred guineas, and give me the

rest.--I did so. Now, said he, take them yourself, for the purposes I

mentioned. But, Mr. Longman, do you, before sunset, bring my dear girl

fifty pounds, which is due to her this day, by my promise; and every

three months, from this day, pay her fifty pounds; which will be two

hundred pounds per annum; and this is for her to lay out at her own

discretion, and without account, in such a way as shall derive a

blessing upon us all: for she was my mother's almoner, and shall be

mine, and her own too.--I'll go for it this instant, said Mr. Longman.

When he was done, I looked upon my dear generous master, and on Mrs.

Jervis, and he gave me a nod of assent; and I took twenty guineas,

and said, Dear Mrs. Jervis, accept of this, which is no more than my

generous master ordered me to present to Mrs. Jewkes, for a pair of

gloves, on my happy nuptials; and so you, who are much better entitled

to them by the love I bear you, must not refuse them.

Said she, Mrs. Jewkes was on the spot, madam, at the happy time. Yes,

said my master; but Pamela would have rejoiced to have had you there

instead of her. That I should, sir, replied I, or instead of any body,

except my own mother. She gratefully accepted them, and thanked us both:

But I don't know what she should thank me for; for I was not worth a

fourth of them myself. I'd have you, my dear, said he, in some handsome manner, as you know

how, oblige Longman to accept of the like present.