Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded

Sit still, Pamela, said he, mind your work, for all me.--You don't tell

me I am welcome home, after my journey to Lincolnshire. It would be

hard, sir, said I, if you was not always welcome to your honour's own

house. I would have gone; but he said, Don't run away, I tell you. I have a

word or two to say to you. Good sirs, how my heart went pit-a-pat!

When I was a little kind to you, said he, in the summer-house, and you

carried yourself so foolishly upon it, as if I had intended to do you

great harm, did I not tell you you should take no notice of what passed

to any creature? and yet you have made a common talk of the matter, not

considering either my reputation, or your own.--I made a common talk of

it, sir! said I: I have nobody to talk to, hardly.

He interrupted me, and said, Hardly! you little equivocator! what do you

mean by hardly? Let me ask you, have not you told Mrs. Jervis for one?

Pray your honour, said I, all in agitation, let me go down; for it is

not for me to hold an argument with your honour. Equivocator, again!

said he, and took my hand, what do you talk of an argument? Is it

holding an argument with me to answer a plain question? Answer me what I

asked. O, good sir, said I, let me beg you will not urge me farther, for

fear I forget myself again, and be saucy.

Answer me then, I bid you, says he, Have you not told Mrs. Jervis? It

will be saucy in you if you don't answer me directly to what I ask. Sir,

said I, and fain would have pulled my hand away, perhaps I should be for

answering you by another question, and that would not become me. What is

it you would say? replies he; speak out.

Then, sir, said I, why should your honour be so angry I should tell Mrs.

Jervis, or any body else, what passed, if you intended no harm?

Well said, pretty innocent and artless! as Mrs. Jervis calls you, said

he; and is it thus you taunt and retort upon me, insolent as you are!

But still I will be answered directly to my question. Why then, sir,

said I, I will not tell a lie for the world: I did tell Mrs. Jervis; for

my heart was almost broken; but I opened not my mouth to any other. Very

well, boldface, said he, and equivocator again! You did not open your

mouth to any other; but did not you write to some other? Why, now, and

please your honour, said I, (for I was quite courageous just then,) you

could not have asked me this question, if you had not taken from me

my letter to my father and mother, in which I own I had broken my mind

freely to them, and asked their advice, and poured forth my griefs!