Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded

'Our humblest service and thanks to the worthy Mr. Williams. Again we

say, God bless him for ever! 'O what a deal we have to say to you! God give us a happy meeting!

We understand the 'squire is setting out for London. He is a fine

gentleman, and has wit at will. I wish he was as good. But I hope he

will now reform.' O what inexpressible comfort, my dear father, has your letter given

me!--You ask, What can you do for me?--What is it you cannot do for your

child!--You can give her the advice she has so much wanted, and still

wants, and will always want: You can confirm her in the paths of virtue,

into which you first initiated her; and you can pray for her, with

hearts so sincere and pure, that are not to be met with in palaces!--Oh!

how I long to throw myself at your feet, and receive from your own lips

the blessings of such good parents! But, alas! how are my prospects

again overclouded, to what they were when I closed my last parcel!--More

trials, more dangers, I fear, must your poor Pamela be engaged in: But

through the Divine goodness, and your prayers, I hope, at last, to get

well out of all my difficulties; and the rather, as they are not the

effect of my own vanity or presumption! But I will proceed with my hopeless story. I saw Mr. Williams was a

little nettled at my impatience; and so I wrote to assure him I would be

as easy as I could, and wholly directed by him; especially as my father,

whose respects I mentioned, had assured me my master was setting out for

London, which he must have somehow from his own family or he would not

have written me word of it. Saturday, Sunday. Mr. Williams has been here both these days, as usual; but is very

indifferently received still by Mrs. Jewkes; and, to avoid suspicion,

I left them together, and went up to my closet, most of the time he was

here. He and she, I found by her, had a quarrel: and she seems quite out

of humour with him: but I thought it best not to say any thing: and he

said, he would very little trouble the house till he had an answer to

his letter from Mr. B----. And she returned, The less, the better.

Poor man! he has got but little by his openness, making Mrs. Jewkes his

confidant, as she bragged, and would have had me to do likewise. I am more and more satisfied there is mischief brewing; and shall begin

to hide my papers, and be circumspect. She seems mighty impatient for an

answer to her letter to my master. Monday, Tuesday, the 25th and 26th days of my heavy restraint. Still more and more strange things to write! A messenger is returned,

and now all is out! O wretched, wretched Pamela! What, at last, will

become of me!--Such strange turns and trials sure never poor creature,

of my years, experienced. He brought two letters, one to Mrs. Jewkes,

and one to me: but, as the greatest wits may be sometimes mistaken, they

being folded and sealed alike, that for me was directed to Mrs.

Jewkes; and that for her was directed to me. But both are stark naught,

abominably bad! She brought me up that directed for me, and said,

Here's a letter for you: Long-looked-for is come at last. I will ask the

messenger a few questions, and then I will read mine. So she went down,

and I broke it open in my closet, and found it directed To MRS. PAMELA

ANDREWS. But when I opened it, it began, Mrs. Jewkes. I was quite

confounded; but, thought I, this may be a lucky mistake; I may discover

something: And so I read on these horrid contents: