Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded

What a sad case, thought I, should I be in, if I were as naughty as she

thinks me! It was bad enough as it was. Jackey, said my lady, come, let us go to dinner.

She said to her

woman, Do you, Beck, help Pamela to 'tend us; we will have no

men-fellows.--Come, my young lady, shall I help you off with your white

gloves? I have not, madam, said I, deserved this at your ladyship's

hands. Mrs. Jewkes, coming in with the first dish, she said, Do you expect any

body else, Mrs. Jewkes, that you lay the cloth for three? said she, I

hoped your ladyship and madam would have been so well reconciled, that

she would have sat down too.--What means the clownish woman? said my

lady, in great disdain: Could you think the creature should sit down

with me? She does, madam, and please your ladyship, with my master.--I

doubt it not, good woman, said she, and lies with him too, does she not?

Answer me, fat-face!--How these ladies are privileged.

If she does, madam, said she, there may be a reason for it, perhaps!

and went out.--So! said she, has the wench got thee over too? Come,

my little dear, pull off thy gloves, I say; and off she pulled my left

glove herself, and spied my ring. O my dear God! said she, if the wench

has not got a ring!--Well, this is a pretty piece of foolery, indeed!

Dost know, my friend, that thou art miserably tricked? And so, poor

innocent, thou hast made a fine exchange, hast thou not? Thy honesty for

this bauble? And, I'll warrant, my little dear has topped her part, and

paraded it like any real wife; and so mimics still the condition!--Why,

said she, and turned me round, thou art as mincing as any bride! No

wonder thou art thus tricked out, and talkest of thy pre-engagements!

Pr'ythee, child, walk before me to that glass; survey thyself, and cone

back to me, that I may see how finely thou can'st act the theatrical

part given thee! I was then resolved to try to be silent, although most sadly vexed.--So

I went and sat me down in the window, and she took her place at the

upper end of the table; and her saucy Jackey, fleering at me most

provokingly, sat down by her. Said he, Shall not the bride sit down by

us, madam? Ay, well thought of! said my lady: Pray, Mrs. Bride, your

pardon for sitting down in your place!--I said nothing.

Said she, with a poor pun, Thou hast some modesty, however, child! for

thou can'st not stand it, so must sit down, though in my presence!--I

still kept my seat, and said nothing.--Thought I, this is a sad thing,

that I am hindered too from shewing my duty where it is most due, and

shall have anger there too, may be, if my dear master should be there

before me!--So she ate some soup, as did her kinsman; and then, as she

was cutting up a fowl, said, If thou longest, my little dear, I will

help thee to a pinion, or breast, or any thing. But may be, child, said

he, thou likest the rump; shall I bring it thee? And then laughed like

an idiot, for all he is a lord's son, and may be a lord himself.--For he

is the son of Lord ----; and his mother, who was Lord Davers's sister,

being dead, he has received what education he has, from Lord Davers's

direction. Poor wretch! for all his greatness! he'll ne'er die for a

plot--at least of his own hatching. If I could then have gone up, I

would have given you his picture. But, for one of 25 or 26 years of age,

much about the age of my dear master, he is a most odd mortal.