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all this his great wrath; and he faid Stay here! tay here, when I bid you!' and fnatched my hand. I trembled, and faid I will! I will! for he hurt my fingers, he grafped me fo hard.

He feemed to have a mind to fay fomething to me; but broke off abruptly, and faid Be gone! And away I tripped as fast as I could; and he and Mrs. Jervis had a deal of talk, as the told me; and among the reft, he expressed himself vexed to have spoken in Mr. Jonathan's hearing.

Now you must know, that Mr. Jonathan, our butler, is a very grave good fort of old man, with his hair as white as filver! and an honest worthy man he is. I was hurrying out with a flea in my ear, as the faying is, and going down ftairs into the parlour, met him. He took hold of my hand (in a gentler manner, though, than my master) with both his: and hefaid-'Ah! fweet, fweet Mrs. Pamela! what is it I heard but just now! -I am forry at my heart; but I am fure I will fooner believe any-body in fault than you. Thank you, Mr. Jonathan, faid I; but as you value your place, don't be feen fpeaking to fuch a one as me.' I cried too; and flipt away as fast as I could from him, for his own fake, left he should be seen to pity

me.

And now I will give you an inftance how much I am in Mr. Longman's esteem alfo.

I had loft my pen fome-how; and my paper being written out, I stepped to Mr. Longman's our fteward's office, to beg him to give me a pen or two, and a sheet or two of paper. He faid Ay, that I will, my fweet maiden!' and gave me three pens, fome wafers, a ftick of wax, and twelve sheets of paper; and coming from his defk, where he was writing,

faid—' Let me have a word or two with you, my fweet little miftrefs,' (for fo thefe two good old gentlemen often call me; for I believe they love me dearly:)

I hear bad news; that we are going to lefe you: I hope it is not true?Yes, it is, Sir,' faid I; but I was in hopes it would not be known till I went away.'

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he was quite out of the way with you. What could you have done to him, tro'? Only Mrs. Jervis is a very good woman, or I should have feared he had been your enemy.

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No,' faid I, nothing like it. Mrs. Jervis is a juft good woman, and next to my father and mother, the best friend I have in the world. Well, then," faid he, it must be worse. Shall I guess? You are too pretty, my fweet mistress, and may-be, too virtuous. Ah! have I not hit it? No, good Mr. Longman,' faid I, don't think any-thing amifs of my mafter; he is cross and angry with me indeed, that's true; but I may have given occafion for it, poffibly; and because I am defirous to go to my father and mother, rather than ftay here, perhaps he may think me ungrateful. But, you know, Sir,' faid. I, 'that a father and mother's comfortfis the dearest thing to a good child that can 'be.'-'Sweet excellence!' faid he,' this becomes you; but I know the world and mankind too well; though I must -hear and fee, and fay nothing! And fo a bleffing attend my little fweeting, faid he, wherever you go!' And away went I with curt'ly and thanks."

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Now this pleafes one, my dear father and mother, to be fo beloved.-How much better, by good fame and integrity, is it to get every one's good word but one, than, by pleafing that one, to make every one elje one's enemy, and be an execrable creature befides! I am, &c.

LETTER XXIII.

MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,

WE had a great many neighbour

ing gentlemen, and their ladies, this day at dinner; and my mafter made a fine entertainment for them: and Ifaac, and Mr. Jonathan, and Benjamin, waited at table: and Ifaac tells Mr. Jervis, that the ladies will by-and-by come to see the house, and have the curiofity to fee me; for it feems, they said to my mafter, when the jokes flew about- Well, • Mr. B. we understand, you have a serWhat a d-1,' faid he, ails our ma- ⚫vant-maid, who is the greatest beauty fter of late! I never law fuch an altera- in the county; and we promise ourtion in any man in my life! He is felves to fee her before we go.' pleafed with nobody as I fee; and by The wench is well enough,' faid he, what Mr. Jonathan tells me juft now, ⚫ but no fuch beauty as you talk of, I'll

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affure ye. She was my mother's wait-Ah, fays Lady Arthur, I have not feen your Pamela thefe two years, and they tell me fhe is grown wondrous pretty in that time.'

• ing-maid, who, on her death-bed, engaged me to be kind to her. She is young, and every thing is pretty that is young.

Ay, ay,' faid one of the ladies, that's true; but if your mother had not ⚫ recommended her fo ftrongly, there is fo much merit in beauty, that I make ⚫ no doubt fuch a fine gentleman would ⚫ have wanted no inducement to be kind ⚫ to it.'

They all laughed at my mafter: and he, it feems, laughed for company; but faid- I don't know how it is, but I fee ⚫ with different eyes from other people; ⚫ for I have heard much more talk of her < prettiness, than I think it deferves: the is well enough, as I faid; but her greatest excellence is, that the is humble ⚫ and courteous, and faithful, and makes all her fellow-fervants love her: my 'houfe-keeper, in particular, doats upon ' her; and you know, ladies, fhe is a woman of difcernment: and, as for 'Mr. Longman, and Jonathan, here, if they thought themfelves young enough, I am told they would fight for her.-Is it not true, Jonathan?- Troth, Sir,' faid he, an't please your honour, I ⚫ never knew her peer, and all your ho'nour's family are of the fame mind.''Do you hear now?' faid my mafter.'Well,' faid the ladies, we will make 'a vifit to Mrs. Jervis by-and-by, and hope to fee this paragon."

I believe they are coming; and will tell you the reft by-and-by. I wifh they had come, and were gone. Why can't they make their game without me?

Well, thefe fine ladies have been here, and are gone back again. I would have been abfent, if I could, and did step into the clofet; fo they faw me when they came in.

There were four of them, Lady Arthur at the great white houfe on the hill, Lady Brooks, Lady Towers, and the other, it seems, a countefs, of fome hard name, I forget what.

So, Mrs. Jervis,' fays one of the ladies, how do you do? We are all come to inquire after your health.

I am much obliged to your ladyfhips,' faid Mrs. Jervis will your ladyships please to fit down?-But,' faid the countefs, we are not only come to afk ' after Mrs. Jervis's health neither; but ⚫ we are come to fee a rarity belides.'

Then I wished I had not been in the clofet; for when I came out, they muft needs know I heard them; but I have often found, that bafhful bodies owe themselves a fpite, and frequently confound themfelves more, by endeavouring to avoid confufion.

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Why, yes,' fays Mrs. Jervis, Pamela is very pretty indeed, the's but in the clofet there:-Pamela, pray step hither. I came out all covered with blufhes, and they fmiled at one another. The countefs took me by the hand. Why, indeed,' fhe was pleased to fay, report has not been too lavifh, I'll affure you.-Don't be afhamed, child, (and stared full in my face;) 'I with I had just such a face to be afhamed of." O how like a fool I looked!

Lady Arthur faid- Ay, my good Pamela, I fay as her ladyfhip fays: 'don't be fo confufed; though indeed it becomes you too. I think your good lady departed made a fweet choice of fuch a pretty attendant. She would have been mighty proud of you, as the always was praifing you, had the lived till now.'

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Ah, Madam!' faid Lady Brooks, do you think that fo dutiful a fon as our neighbour, who always admired what his mother loved, does not pride himself, for all what he faid at table, in fuch a pretty maiden?'

She looked with fuch a malicious fneering countenance, I can't abide her.

Lady Towers faid with a freer air (for it feems fhe is called a wit)- Well, Mrs. Pamela, I can't say I like you 'fo well as thefe ladies do; for I fhould

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never care, if you were my fervant, to • have you and your master in the fame 'houfe together.' Then they all set up a great laugh.

I know what I could have faid, if I durft. But they are ladies—and ladies may fay any-thing.

Says Lady Towers Can the pretty image fpeak, Mrs. Jervis? I vow the has fpeaking eyes!-O you little rogue,' faid fhe, and tapped me on the cheek, you feem born to undo, or to be un• done!'

God forbid, an please your ladyship, faid I, it fhould be either.-I beg,

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faid

faid I, to withdraw; for the fenfe I have of my unworthinefs renders me unfit for fuch a prefence.'

I then went away, with one of my best curt'fies; and Lady Towers faid, as I went out- Prettily faid, I vow! And Lady Brooks faid-'See that shape! I ⚫ never saw such a face and shape in my life; why the must be better defcended ⚫ than you have told me!'

And fo they ran on for half an hour more, in my praifes, as I was told; and glad was I, when I got out of the hearing of them,

But, it feems, they went down with fuch a story to my mafter, and fo full of me, that he had much ado to stand it; but as it was very little to my reputation, I am fure I could take no pride in it; and I feared it would make no better for me. This gives me another caufe for wishing myfelf out of this house,

This is Thursday morning, and next Thursday I hope to fet out; for I have finished my talk, and my master is horrid crofs! And I am vexed his croffness affects me fo. If ever he had any kindnefs towards me, I believe he now hates me heartily.

my pride, as your integrity shall be my imitation.

As foon as I have dined, I will put on my new cloaths. I long to have them on. I know I fhall furprize Mrs. Jervis with them; for the shan't fee me till I am full-dreffed.-John is come back, and I'll foon fend you some of what I have written.-I find he is going early in the morning; and fo I'll clofe here that I am your most dutiful daughter.

Don't lofe your time in meeting me; becaufe I am fo uncertain. It is hard if, fome-how or other, I can't get a paffage to you. But may-be my mafter won't refufe to let John bring me. I can ride behind him, I believe, well enough; for he is very careful, and very honest; and you know John as well as I; for he loves you both. Befides, may-be, Mrs. Jervis can put me in in fome way.

Is it not strange, that love borders fo I

much upon hate? but this wicked love is not like the true virtuous love, to be fure: that and hatred must be as far off as light and darkness. And how muft this hate have been increated, if he had met with a bafe compliance, after his wicked will had been gratified?

Well, one may fee by a little, what a great deal means. For if innocence cannot attract common civility, what must guilt expect, when novelty has ceased to have it's charms, and changeableness had taken place of it? Thus we read in holy writ, that wicked Amnon, when he had ruined poor Tamar, hated her more than ever he loved her, and would have turned her out of door.

How happy am I, to be turned out of door with that sweet companion my innocence! O may that be always my companion! And while I prefume not upon my own ftrength, and am willing to avoid the tempter, I hope the Divine Grace will affift me,

Forgive me, that I repeat in my letter part of my hourly prayer. I owe everything, next to God's goodness, to your piety and good examples, my dear parents, my dear poor parents! I fay that word with pleature; for your poverty is

LETTER XXIV.

DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,

fhall write on, as long as I stay, though

I fhould have nothing but filliness to write; for I know you divert yourselves on nights with what I write, because it is mine. John tells me how much you long for my coming; but he says, he told you he hoped fomething would hapto hinder it.

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I am glad you did not tell him the occafion of my coming away; for if my fellow-fervants fhould guefs, it were better fo, than to have it from you or me: befides, I really am concerned, that my matter fhould caft away a thought upon fuch a poor creature as me; for, befides the difgrace, it has quite turned his temper; and I begin to believe what Mrs. Jervis told me, that he likes me, and can't help it; and yet ftrives to conquer it, and fo finds no way but to be crofs to

me.

Don't think me prefumptuous and conceited; for it is more my concern than my pride, to fee fuch a gentleman fo demean himself, and leffen the regard he used to have in the eyes of all his fervants, on my account.-But I am to tell you of my new drefs to-day.

And fo, when I had dined, up stairs I went, and locked myself into my little room. There I tricked myself up as well as I could in my new garb, and put

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