MONDAY.

I am to thank you, my dear Miss Damford, for your kind letter,

approving of my scribble. When you come to my Saturday's and Sunday's

accounts, I shall try your patience. But no more of that; for as you

can read them, or let them alone, I am the less concerned, especially

as they will be more indulgently received somewhere else, than they

may merit; so that my labour will not be wholly lost.

I congratulate you with all my heart on your dismissing Mr. Murray; I

could not help shewing your letter to Mr. B. And what do you think the

free gentleman said upon it? I am half afraid to tell you: but do,

now you are so happily disengaged, get leave to come, and let us two

contrive to be even with him for it. You are the only lady in the

world that I would join with against him.

He said, that your characters of Mr. Murray and Miss Nancy, which he

called severe (but I won't call them so, without your leave), looked

a little like petty spite, and as if you were sorry the gentleman took

you at your word. That was what he said--Pray let us punish him for

it. Yet, he called you charming lady, and said much in your praise,

and joined with me, that Mr. Murray, who was so easy to part with you,

could not possibly deserve you.

"But, Pamela," said he, "I know the sex well enough. Miss Polly

may not love Mr. Murray; yet, to see her sister addressed and

complimented, and preferred to herself, by one whom she so lately

thought she could choose or refuse, is a mortifying thing.--And young

ladies cannot bear to sit by neglected, while two lovers are playing

pug's tricks with each other.

"Then," said he, "all the preparations to matrimony, the clothes to

be bought, the visits to be paid and received, the compliments of

friends, the busy novelty of the thing, the day to be fixed, and

all the little foolish humours and nonsense attending a concluded

courtship, when _one sister_ is to engross all the attention and

regard, the new equipages, and so forth; these are all subjects of

mortification to the _other_, though she has no great value for the

man perhaps."

"Well, but, Sir," said I, "a lady of Miss Darnford's good sense,

and good taste, is not to be affected by these parades, and has well

considered the matter, no doubt; and I dare say, rejoices, rather than

repines, at missing the gentleman."

I hope you will leave the happy pair (for they are so, if they think

themselves so) together, and Sir Simon to rejoice in his accomplished

son-in-law elect, and give us your company to London. For who would

stay to be vexed by that ill-natured Miss Nancy, as you own you were,

at your last writing?--But I will proceed, and the rather, as I have

something to tell you of a conversation, the result of which has done

me great honour, and given inexpressible delight; of which in its

place.

We pursued Mr. B.'s proposal, returning several visits in one day;

for we have so polite and agreeable a neighbourhood, that all seem

desirous to accommodate each other.

We came not home till ten in the evening, and then found a letter from

Sir Jacob Swynford, uncle by the half blood to Mr. B., acquainting

him, that hearing his niece, Lady Davers, was with him, he would be

here in a day or two (being then upon his journey) to pay a visit to

both at the same time. This gentleman is very particularly odd and

humoursome: and his eldest son being next heir to the maternal estate,

if Mr. B. should have no children, was exceedingly dissatisfied

with his debasing himself in marrying me; and would have been better

pleased had he not married at all, perhaps.

There never was any cordial love between Mr. B.'s father and him,

nor between the uncle, and nephew and niece: for his positiveness,

roughness, and self-interestedness too, has made him, though very

rich, but little agreeable to the generous tempers of his nephew and

niece; yet when they meet, which is not above once in four or five

years, they are very civil and obliging to him. Lady Davers wondered

what could bring him hither now: for he lives in Herefordshire, and

seldom stirs ten miles from home. Mr. B. said, he was sure it was not

to compliment him and me on our nuptials. "No, rather," said my

lady, "to satisfy himself if you are in a way to cut out his own

cubs."--"Thank God, we are," said he. "Whenever I was strongest set

against matrimony, the only reason I had to weigh against my dislike

to it was, that I was unwilling to leave so large a part of my estate

to that family. My dear," said he to me, "don't be uneasy; but you'll

see a relation of mine much more disagreeable than you can imagine;

but no doubt you have heard his character."

"Ah, Pamela," said Lady Davers, "we are a family that value ourselves

upon our ancestry; but, upon my word, Sir Jacob, and all his line,

have nothing else to boast of. And I have been often ashamed of my

relation to them."--"No family, I believe, my lady, has every body

excellent in it," replied I: "but I doubt I shall stand but poorly

with Sir Jacob."

"He won't dare to affront you, my dear," said Mr. B., "although he'll

say to you, and to me, and to my sister too, blunt and rough things.

But he'll not stay above a day or two, and we shall not see him again

for some years to come; so we'll bear with him."