him for his ready return to me; and that I will entirely forget his
appeal to Lady Davers; and I hope he’ll find himself quite as easy and
happy as he wishes. My dear partner here, Mr. Longman, I dare promise
you, will do all she can to make you so.—Heaven bless you both
together! said he. ’Tis the pride of my heart to see this! I returned
with double delight, when I heard the blessed news; and I am sure, sir,
said he, (mark old Longman’s words,) God will bless you for this every
year more and more! You don’t know how many hearts you have made happy
by this generous deed!—I am glad of it, said my dear master; I am sure
I have made my own happy: and, Longman, though I must think you
SOMEBODY, yet, as you are not a young man, and so won’t make me
jealous, I can allow you to wish my dear wife joy in the tenderest
manner. Adad! sir, said he, I am sure you rejoice me with your favour:
’Tis what I longed for, but durst not presume. My dear, said my master,
receive the compliment of one of the honestest hearts in England, that
always revered your virtues!—and the good man saluted me with great
respect, and said, God in Heaven bless you both! and kneeled on one
knee. I must quit your presence! Indeed I must!—And away he went.
Your goodness, sir, said I, knows no bounds: O may my gratitude never
find any!—I saw, said my master, when the good man approached you, that
he did it with so much awe and love mingled together, that I fancied he
longed to salute my angel; and I could not but indulge his honest
heart. How blessed am I! said I, and kissed his hand.—And indeed I make
nothing now of kissing his dear hand, as if it was my own!
When honest old Mr. Jonathan come in to attend at dinner, so clean, so
sleek, and so neat, as he always is, with his silver hair, I said,
Well, Mr. Jonathan, how do you do? I am glad to see you.—You look as
well as ever, thank God! O, dear madam! said he, better than ever, to
have such a blessed sight! God bless you and my good master!—and I
hope, sir, said he, you’ll excuse all my past failings. Ay, that I
will, Jonathan, said he; because you never had any, but what your
regard for my dear wife here was the occasion of. And now I can tell
you, you can never err, because you cannot respect her too much. O sir,
said he, your honour is exceeding good! I’m sure I shall always pray
for you both.
After dinner, Mr. Longman coming in, and talking of some affairs under
his care, he said afterwards, All your honour’s servants are now happy;
for Robert, who left you, had a pretty little fortune fallen to him, or
he never would have quitted your service. He was here but yesterday, to
inquire when you and my lady returned hither; and hoped he might have
leave to pay his duty to you both. Ay, said my master, I shall be glad
to see honest Robert; for that’s another of your favourites, Pamela. It
was high time, I think, I should marry you, were it but to engage the
respects of all my family to myself.—There are, sir, said I, ten
thousand reasons why I should rejoice in your goodness.
But I was going to say, said Mr. Longman, That all your honour’s old
servants are now happy, but one. You mean John Arnold? said my master.
I do, indeed, said he, if you’ll excuse me, sir. O, said I, I have had
my prayer for poor John answered, as favourably as I could wish.—Why,
said Mr. Longman, to be sure poor John has acted no very good part,
take it altogether; but he so much honoured you, sir, and so much
respected you, madam, that he would have been glad to have been
obedient to both; and so was faithful to neither. But, indeed, the poor
fellow’s heart is almost broke, and he won’t look out for any other
place; and says, he must live in your honour’s service, or he must die
wretched very shortly. Mrs. Jervis was there when this was said:
Indeed, said she, the poor man has been here every day since he heard
the tidings, that have rejoiced us all; and he says, he hopes he shall
yet be forgiven. Is he in the house now? said my master. He is, sir;
and was here when your honour came in, and played at hide and seek to
have one look at you both when you alighted; and was ready to go out of
his wits for joy, when we saw your honour hand my lady in. Pamela, said
my dear master, you’re to do with John as you please. You have full
power. Then pray, sir, said I, let poor John come in.
The poor fellow came in, with so much confusion, that I have never seen
a countenance that expressed so lively a consciousness of his faults,
and mingled joy and shame. How do you do, John? said I; I hope you are
very well!—The poor fellow could hardly speak, and looked with awe upon
my master, and pleasure upon me. Said my master, Well, John, there is
no room to say any thing to a man that has so much concern already: I
am told you will serve me whether I will or not; but I turn you over
altogether to my spouse here: and she is to do by you as she pleases.
You see, John, said I, your good master’s indulgence. Well may I
forgive, that have so generous an example. I was always persuaded of
your honest intentions, if you had known how to distinguish between
your duty to your master, and your good-will to me: You will now have
no more puzzles on that account, from the goodness of your dear master.
I shall be but too happy I said the poor man. God bless your honour!
God bless you, madam!—I now have the joy of my soul, in serving you
both; and I will make the best of servants, to my power. Well, then,
John, said I, your wages will go on, as if you had not left your
master: May I not say so, sir? said I. Yes, surely, my dear, replied
he; and augment them too, if you find his duty to you deserves it. A
thousand millions of thanks, said the poor man: I am very well
satisfied, and desire no augmentation. And so he withdrew, overjoyed;
and Mrs. Jervis and Mr. Longman were highly pleased; for though they
were incensed against him for his fault to me, when matters looked
badly for me, yet they, and all his fellow-servants, always loved John.
When Mr. Longman and Mrs. Jervis had dined, they came in again, to know
if he had any commands; and my dear master, filling a glass of wine,
said, Longman, I am going to toast the happiest and honestest couple in
England, my dear Pamela’s father and mother.—Thank you, dear sir, said
I.
I think, continued he, that little Kentish purchase wants a manager;
and as it is a little out of your way, Longman, I have been purposing,
if I thought Mr. Andrews would accept it, that he should enter upon
Hodge’s farm that was, and so manage for me that whole little affair;
and we will well stock the farm for him, and make it comfortable; and I
think, if he will take that trouble upon him, it will be an ease to
you, and a favour to me.
Your honour, said he, cannot do a better thing; and I have had some
inkling given me, that you may, if you please, augment that estate, by
a purchase, of equal amount, contiguous to it; and as you have so much
money to spare, I can’t see your honour can do better. Well, said he,
let me have the particulars another time, and we will consider about
it. But, my dear, added he, you’ll mention this to your father, if you
please.
I have too much money, Longman, continued he, lies useless; though,
upon this occasion, I shall not grudge laying out as much in liveries
and other things, as if I had married a lady of a fortune equal, if
possible, to my Pamela’s merit; and I reckon you have a good deal in
hand. Yes, sir, said he, more than I wish I had. But I have a mortgage
in view, if you don’t buy that Kentish thing, that I believe will
answer very well; and when matters are riper, will mention it to your
honour.
I took with me, to Lincolnshire, said my master, upwards of six hundred
guineas, and thought to have laid most of them out there: (Thank God,
thought I, you did not! for he offered me five hundred of them, you
know:) but I have not laid out above two hundred and fifty of them; so
two hundred I left there in my escritoire; because I shall go again for
a fortnight or so, before winter; and two hundred I have brought with
me: and I have money, I know not what, in three places here, the
account of which is in my pocket-book, in my library.
You have made some little presents, Pamela, to my servants there, on
our nuptials; and these two hundred that I have brought up, I will put
into your disposal, that, with some of them, you shall do here as you
did there.
I am ashamed, good sir, said I, to be so costly, and so worthless!
Pray, my dear, replied he, say not a word of that. Said Mr. Longman,
Why, madam, with money in stocks, and one thing or another, his honour
could buy half the gentlemen around him. He wants not money, and lays
up every year. And it would have been pity but his honour should have
wedded just as he has. Very true, Longman, said my master; and, pulling
out his purse, said, Tell out, my dear, two hundred guineas, and give
me the rest.—I did so. Now, said he, take them yourself, for the
purposes I mentioned. But, Mr. Longman, do you, before sunset, bring my
dear girl fifty pounds, which is due to her this day, by my promise;
and every three months, from this day, pay her fifty pounds; which will
be two hundred pounds per annum; and this is for her to lay out at her
own discretion, and without account, in such a way as shall derive a
blessing upon us all: for she was my mother’s almoner, and shall be
mine, and her own too.—I’ll go for it this instant, said Mr. Longman.
When he was done, I looked upon my dear generous master, and on Mrs.
Jervis, and he gave me a nod of assent; and I took twenty guineas, and
said, Dear Mrs. Jervis, accept of this, which is no more than my
generous master ordered me to present to Mrs. Jewkes, for a pair of
gloves, on my happy nuptials; and so you, who are much better entitled
to them by the love I bear you, must not refuse them.
Said she, Mrs. Jewkes was on the spot, madam, at the happy time. Yes,
said my master; but Pamela would have rejoiced to have had you there
instead of her. That I should, sir, replied I, or instead of any body,
except my own mother. She gratefully accepted them, and thanked us
both: But I don’t know what she should thank me for; for I was not
worth a fourth of them myself.
I’d have you, my dear, said he, in some handsome manner, as you know
how, oblige Longman to accept of the like present.
Mr. Longman returned from his office, and brought me the fifty pounds,
saying, I have entered this new article with great pleasure: ‘To my
Lady fifty pounds: to be paid the same sum quarterly.’ O sir! said I,
what will become of me, to be so poor in myself, and so rich in your
bounty!—It is a shame to take all that your profuse goodness would heap
upon me thus: But indeed it shall not be without account.—Make no
words, my dear, said he: Are you not my wife? And have I not endowed
you with my goods; and, hitherto, this is a very small part.
Mr. Longman, said I, and Mrs. Jervis, you both see how I am even
oppressed with unreturnable obligations. God bless the donor, and the
receiver too! said Mr. Longman: I am sure they will bring back good
interest; for, madam, you had ever a bountiful heart; and I have seen
the pleasure you used to take to dispense my late lady’s alms and
donations.
I’ll warrant, Mr. Longman, said I, notwithstanding you are so willing
to have me take large sums for nothing at all, I should affront you, if
I asked you to accept from me a pair of gloves only, on account of my
happy nuptials. He seemed not readily to know how to answer; and my
master said, If Longman refuse you, my dear, he may be said to refuse
your first favour. On that I put twenty guineas in his hand; but he
insisted upon it, that he would take but five. I said, I must desire
you to oblige me, Mr. Longman, or I shall think I have affronted you.
Well, if I must, said he, I know what I know. What is that, Mr.
Longman? said I.—Why, madam, said he, I will not lay it out till my
young master’s birth-day, which I hope will be within this twelvemonth.
Not expecting anything like this from the old gentleman, I looked at my
master, and then blushed so, I could not hold up my head. Charmingly
said, Longman! said my master, and clasped me in his arms: O, my dear
life! God send it may be so!—You have quite delighted me, Longman!
Though I durst not have said such a thing for the world.—Madam, said
the old gentleman, I beg your pardon; I hope no offence: but I’d speak
it ten times in a breath to have it so, take it how you please, as long
as my good master takes it so well. Mrs. Jervis, said my master, this
is an over-nice dear creature; you don’t know what a life I have had
with her, even on this side matrimony.—Said Mrs. Jervis, I think Mr.
Longman says very well; I am sure I shall hope for it too.
Mr. Longman, who had struck me of a heap, withdrawing soon after, my
master said, Why, my dear, you can’t look up! The old man said nothing
shocking. I did not expect it, though, from him, said I. I was not
aware but of some innocent pleasantry. Why, so it was, said he, both
innocent and pleasant: and I won’t forgive you, if you don’t say as he
says. Come, speak before Mrs. Jervis. May every thing happen, sir, said
I, that will give you delight!—That’s my dearest love, said he, and
kissed me with great tenderness.
When the servants had dined, I desired to see the maidens; and all four
came up together. You are welcome home, madam, said Rachel; we rejoice
all to see you here, and more to see you our lady. O my good old
acquaintances, said I, I joy to see you! How do you do, Rachel? How do
you all do? And I took each of them by the hand, and could have kissed
them. For, said I to myself, I kissed you all, last time I saw you, in
sorrow; why should I not kiss you all with joy? But I forbore, in
honour of their master’s presence.
They seemed quite transported with me: and my good master was pleased
with the scene. See here, my lasses, said he, your mistress! I need not
bid you respect her; for you always loved her; and she’ll have it as
much in her power as inclination to be kind to the deserving. Indeed,
said I, I shall always be a kind friend to you; and your dear master
has ordered me to give each of you this, that you may rejoice with me
on my happiness. And so I gave them five guineas a-piece, and said, God
bless you every one! I am overjoyed to see you! And they withdrew with
the greatest gratitude and pleasure, praying for us both.
I turned to my dear master: ’Tis to you, dear sir, said I, next to God,
who put it into your generous heart, that all my happiness is owing!
That my mind thus overflows with joy and gratitude! And I would have
kissed his hand; but he clasped me in his arms, and said, You deserve
it, my dear: You deserve it all. Mrs. Jervis came in. Said she, I have
seen a very affecting sight; you have made your maidens quite happy,
madam, with your kindness and condescension! I saw them all four, as I
came by the hall-door, just got up from their knees, praising and
praying for you both! Dear good bodies! said I; and did Jane pray too?
May their prayers be returned upon themselves, I say!
My master sent for Jonathan, and I held up all the fingers of my two
hands; and my master giving a nod of approbation as he came in, I said,
Well, Mr. Jonathan, I could not be satisfied without seeing you in
form, as it were, and thanking you for all your past good-will to me.
You’ll accept of that, for a pair of gloves, on this happy occasion;
and I gave him ten guineas, and took his honest hand between both mine:
God bless you, said I, with your silver hairs, so like my dear
father!—I shall always value such a good old servant of the best of
masters!—He said, O such goodness! Such kind words! It is balm to my
heart! Blessed be God I have lived to this day!—And his eyes swam in
tears, and he withdrew.—My dear, said my master, you make every one
happy!—O, sir, said I, ’tis you, ’tis you! And let my grateful heart
always spring to my lips, to acknowledge the blessings you heap upon
me.
Then in came Harry, and Isaac, and Benjamin, and the two grooms of this
house, and Arthur the gardener; for my dear master had ordered them, by
Mrs. Jervis, thus to be marshalled out: and he said, Where’s John? Poor
John was ashamed, and did not come in till he heard himself called for.
I said to them, How do you do, my old friends and fellow-servants? I am
glad to see you all.
My master said, I have given you a mistress, my lads, that is the joy
of my heart: You see her goodness and condescension! Let your respects
to her be but answerable, and she’ll be proportionately as great a
blessing to you all, as she is to me. Harry said, In the names of all
your servants, sir, I bless your honour, and your good lady: and it
shall be all our studies to deserve her ladyship’s favours, as well as
your honour’s. And so I gave every one five guineas, to rejoice, as I
said, in my happiness.
When I came to John, I said, I saw you before, John; but I again tell
you, I am glad to see you. He said, he was quite ashamed and
confounded. O, said I, forget every thing that’s past, John!—Your dear
good master will, and so will I. For God has wonderfully brought about
all these things, by the very means I once thought most grievous. Let
us, therefore, look forward, and be only ashamed to commit faults for
the time to come: for they may not always be attended with like happy
consequences.
Arthur, said my master, I have brought you a mistress that is a great
gardener. She’ll shew you a new way to plant beans: And never any body
had such a hand at improving a sun-flower as she!—O sir, sir, said I,
(but yet a little dashed,) all my improvements in every kind of thing
are owing to you, I am sure!—And so I think I was even with the dear
man, and yet appeared grateful before his servants. They withdrew,
blessing us both, as the rest had done. And then came in the postilion,
and two helpers, (for my master has both here, and at Lincolnshire,
fine hunting horses; and it is the chief sport he takes delight in,) as
also the scullion-boy: And I said, How do all of you? And how dost do,
Tommy? I hope you’re very good. Here your dear master has ordered you
something a-piece, in honour of me. And my master holding three fingers
to me, I gave the postilion and helpers three guineas each, and the
little boy two; and bid him let his poor mother lay it out for him, for
he must not spend it idly. Mr. Colbrand, Abraham, and Thomas, I had
before presented at t’other house.
And when they were all gone but Mrs. Jervis, I said, And now, dearest
sir, permit me, on my knees, thus to bless you, and pray for you. And
oh, may God crown you with length of days, and increase of honour; and
may your happy, happy Pamela, by her grateful heart, appear always
worthy in your dear eyes, though she cannot be so in her own, nor in
those of any others!
Mrs. Jervis, said my master, you see the excellency of this sweet
creature! And when I tell you that the charms of her person, all lovely
as she is, bind me not so strongly to her, as the graces of her mind;
congratulate me, that my happiness is built on so stable a basis.
Indeed I do, most sincerely, sir, said she: This is a happy day to me!
I stept into the library, while he was thus pouring out his kindness
for me to Mrs. Jervis; and blessed God there on my knees, for the
difference I now found to what I had once known in it.—And when I have
done the same in the first scene of my fears, the once frightful
summer-house, I shall have gone through most of my distressful scenes
with gratitude; but shall never forbear thanking God in my mind, for
his goodness to me in every one. Mrs. Jervis, I find, had whispered him
what I had done above, and he saw me upon my knees, with my back
towards him, unknown to me; but softly put to the door again, as he had
opened it a little way. And I said, not knowing he had seen me, You
have some charming pictures here, sir.—Yes, said he, my dear life, so I
have; but none equal to that which your piety affords me; And may the
God you delight to serve, bless more and more my dear angel!—Sir, said
I, you are all goodness!—I hope, replied he, after your sweet example,
I shall be better and better.
Do you think, my dear father and mother, there ever was so happy a
creature as I? To be sure it would be very ungrateful to think with
uneasiness, or any thing but compassion, of poor Miss Sally Godfrey.
He ordered Jonathan to let the evening be passed merrily, but wisely,
as he said, with what every one liked, whether wine or October.
He was pleased afterwards to lead me up stairs, and gave me possession
of my lady’s dressing-room and cabinet, and her fine repeating-watch
and equipage; and, in short, of a complete set of diamonds, that were
his good mother’s; as also of the two pair of diamond ear-rings, the
two diamond rings, and diamond necklace, he mentioned in his naughty
articles, which her ladyship had intended for presents to Miss Tomlins,
a rich heiress, that was proposed for his wife, when he was just come
from his travels; but which went off, after all was agreed upon on both
the friends’ sides, because he approved not her conversation; and she
had, as he told his mother, too masculine an air; and he never could be
brought to see her but once, though the lady liked him very well. He
presented me also with her ladyship’s books, pictures, linen, laces,
etc. that were in her apartments; and bid me call those apartments
mine. O give me, my good God! humility and gratitude.
Sunday night.
This day, as matters could not be ready for our appearance at a better
place, we staid at home; and my dear master employed himself a good
deal in his library: And I have been taken up pretty much, I hope, as I
ought to be, in thankfulness, prayer and meditation, in my
newly-presented closet And I hope God will be pleased to give a
blessing to me; for I have the pleasure to think I am not puffed up
with this great alteration; and yet am I not wanting to look upon all
these favours and blessings in the light wherein I ought to receive
them, both at the hands of Heaven, and my dear benefactor.
We dined together with great pleasure; and I had, in every word and
action, all the instances of kindness and affection that the most
indulged heart could wish. He said he would return to his closet again;
and at five o’clock would come and take a walk with me in the garden:
And so retired as soon as he had dined, and I went up to mine.
About six, he was pleased to come up to me, and said, Now, my dear, I
will attend you for a little walk in the garden; and I gave him my hand
with great pleasure.
This garden is much better cultivated than the Lincolnshire one; but
that is larger, and has nobler walks in it; and yet there is a pretty
canal in this, and a fountain and cascade. We had a deal of sweet
conversation as we walked; and, after we had taken a turn round, I bent
towards the little garden; and when I came near the summer-house, took
the opportunity to slip from him, and just whipt up the steps of this
once frightful place, and kneeled down, and said, I bless thee, O God!
for my escapes, and for thy mercies! O let me always possess a
grateful, humble heart! and I whipt down again and joined him; and he
hardly missed me.
Several of the neighbouring gentry sent their compliments to him on his
return, but not a word about his marriage; particularly Mr. Arthur, Mr.
Towers, Mr. Brooks, and Mr. Martin of the Grove.
Monday.
I had a good deal of employment in choosing patterns for my new
clothes. He thought nothing too good; but I thought every thing I saw
was; and he was so kind to pick out six of the richest for me to choose
three suits out of, saying, We would furnish ourselves with more in
town, when we went thither. One was white, flowered with silver most
richly; and he was pleased to say, that, as I was a bride, I should
make my appearance in that the following Sunday. And so we shall have
in two or three days, from several places, nothing but mantua-makers
and tailors at work. Bless me! what a chargeable and what a worthless
hussy I am to the dear gentleman!—But his fortune and station require a
great deal of it; and his value for me will not let him do less, than
if he had married a fortune equal to his own: and then, as he says, it
would be a reflection upon him, if he did.—And so I doubt it will be,
as it is: For either way the world will have something to say. He made
me also choose some very fine laces, and linen; and has sent a message
on purpose, with his orders, to hasten all down, what can be done in
town, as the millinery matters, etc. to be completed there, and sent by
particular messengers, as done. All to be here, and finished by
Saturday afternoon, without fail.
I sent away John this morning, with some more of my papers to you, and
with the few he will give you separate. My desire is, that you will
send me all the papers you have done with, that I may keep my word with
Lady Davers; to beg the continuance of your prayers and blessings; to
hope you will give me your answer about my dear benefactor’s proposal
of the Kentish farm; to beg you to buy, two suits of clothes each; of
the finest cloth for you, my dear father; and of a creditable silk for
my dear mother; and good linen, and every thing answerable; and that
you will, as my best friend bid me say, let us see you here as soon as
possible; and he will have his chariot come for you, when you tell John
the day. Oh! how I long to see you both, my dear good parents, and to
share with you my felicities!