MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER, I have so much time upon my hands that I must write on, to employ

myself. The Sunday evening, where I left off, Mrs. Jewkes asked me, If

I chose to be by myself; I said, Yes, with all my heart, if she pleased.

Well, said she, after to-night you shall. I asked her for more paper;

and she gave me a bottle of ink, eight sheets of paper, which she said

was all her store, (for now she would get me to write for her to our

master, if she had occasion,) and six pens, with a piece of sealing wax.

This looks mighty well. She pressed me, when she came to bed, very much, to give encouragement

to Mr. Williams, and said many things in his behalf; and blamed my

shyness to him. I told her, I was resolved to give no encouragement,

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till I had talked to my father and mother. She said, he fancied I

thought of somebody else, or I could never be so insensible. I assured

her, as I could do very safely, that there was not a man on earth I

wished to have: and as to Mr. Williams, he might do better by far: and I

had proposed so much happiness in living with my poor father and mother,

that I could not think of any scheme of life with pleasure, till I had

tried that. I asked her for my money; and she said, it was above in her

strong box, but that I should have it to-morrow. All these things look

well, as I said. Mr. Williams would go home this night, though late, because he would

despatch a messenger to you with a letter he had proposed from himself,

and my packet. But pray don't encourage him, as I said; for he is much

too heady and precipitate as to this matter, in my way of thinking;

though, to be sure, he is a very good man, and I am much obliged to him. Monday morning. Alas-a-day! we have bad news from poor Mr. Williams. He has had a sad

mischance; fallen among rogues in his way home last night: but by good

chance has saved my papers. This is the account he gives of it to Mrs.

Jewkes: 'GOOD MRS. JEWKES, 'I have had a sore misfortune in going from you. When I had got as

near the town as the dam, and was going to cross the wooden bridge, two

fellows got hold of me, and swore bitterly they would kill me, if I did

not give them what I had. They rummaged my pockets, and took from me

my snuff-box, my seal-ring, and half a guinea, and some silver, and

halfpence; also my handkerchief, and two or three letters I had in

my pockets. By good fortune, the letter Mrs. Pamela gave me was in

my bosom, and so that escaped but they bruised my head and face, and

cursing me for having no more money, tipped me into the dam, crying, be

there, parson, till to-morrow! My shins and knees were bruised much

in the fall against one of the stumps; and I had like to have been

suffocated in water and mud. To be sure, I shan't be able to stir out

this day or two: for I am a frightful spectacle! My hat and wig I was

forced to leave behind me, and go home, a mile and a half, without; but

they were found next morning, and brought me, with my snuff-box, which

the rogues must have dropped. My cassock is sadly torn, as is my band.

To be sure, I was much frightened, for a robbery in these parts has not

been known many years. Diligent search is making after the rogues. My

humble respects to good Mrs. Pamela: if she pities my misfortunes, I

shall be the sooner well, and fit to wait on her and you. This did not

hinder me in writing a letter, though with great pain, as I do this, (To

be sure this good man can keep no secret!) and sending it away by a man

and horse, this morning. I am, good Mrs. Jewkes, 'Your most obliged humble servant.' 'God be praised it is no worse! And I find I have got no cold, though

miserably wet from top to toe. My fright, I believe, prevented me from

catching cold: for I was not rightly myself for some hours, and know

not how I got home. I will write a letter of thanks this night, if I am

able, to my kind patron, for his inestimable goodness to me. I wish I

was enabled to say all I hope, with regard to the better part of his

bounty to me, incomparable Mrs. Pamela.' The wicked brute fell a laughing, when she had read this letter, till

her fat sides shook. Said she, I can but think how the poor parson

looked, after parting with his pretty mistress in such high spirits,

when he found himself at the bottom of the dam! And what a figure he

must cut in his tattered band and cassock, and without a hat and wig,

when he got home. I warrant, added she, he was in a sweet pickle!--I

said, I thought it was very barbarous to laugh at such a misfortune; but

she replied, As he was safe, she laughed; otherwise she would have

been sorry: and she was glad to see me so concerned for him--It looked

promising, she said. I heeded not her reflections; but as I have been used to causes for

mistrusts, I cannot help saying, that I don't like this thing: And their

taking his letters most alarms me.--How happy it was they missed my

packet! I knew not what to think of it!--But why should I let every

accident break my peace? Yet it will do so, while I stay here. Mrs. Jewkes is mightily at me, to go with her in the chariot, to visit

Mr. Williams. She is so officious to bring on the affair between us,

that, being a cunning, artful woman, I know not what to make of it: I

have refused her absolutely; urging, that except I intended to encourage

his suit, I ought not to do it. And she is gone without me. I have strange temptations to get away in her absence, for all these

fine appearances. 'Tis sad to have nobody to advise with!--I know not

what to do. But, alas for me! I have no money, if I should, to buy any

body's civilities, or to pay for necessaries or lodgings. But I'll go

into the garden, and resolve afterwards---I have been in the garden, and to the back-door: and there I stood, my

heart up at my mouth. I could not see I was watched; so this looks

well. But if any thing should go bad afterwards, I should never forgive

myself, for not taking this opportunity. Well, I will go down again,

and see if all is clear, and how it looks out at the back-door in the

pasture. To be sure, there is witchcraft in this house; and I believe Lucifer is

bribed, as well as all about me, and is got into the shape of that nasty

grim bull to watch me!--For I have been again, and ventured to open the

door, and went out about a bow-shot into the pasture; but there stood

that horrid bull, staring me full in the face, with fiery saucer eyes,

as I thought. So I got in again, for fear he should come at me. Nobody

saw me, however.--Do you think there are such things as witches and

spirits? If there be, I believe, in my heart, Mrs. Jewkes has got

this bull of her side. But yet, what could I do without money, or a

friend'--O this wicked woman! to trick me so! Every thing, man, woman,

and beast, is in a plot against your poor Pamela, I think!--Then I

know not one step of the way, nor how far to any house or cottage;

and whether I could gain protection, if I got to a house: And now the

robbers are abroad too, I may run into as great danger as I want to

escape; nay, greater much, if these promising appearances hold: And sure

my master cannot be so black as that they should not!--What can I do?--I

have a good mind to try for it once more; but then I may be pursued and

taken: and it will be worse for me; and this wicked woman will beat me,

and take my shoes away, and lock me up. But, after all, if my master should mean well, he can't be angry at

my fears, if I should escape; and nobody can blame me; and I can more

easily be induced, with you, when all my apprehensions are over,

to consider his proposal of Mr. Williams, than I could here; and he

pretends, as you have read in his letter, he will leave me to my choice:

Why then should I be afraid? I will go down again, I think! But yet my

heart misgives me, because of the difficulties before me, in escaping;

and being so poor and so friendless!--O good God! the preserver of the

innocent! direct me what to do! Well, I have just now a sort of strange persuasion upon me, that I

ought to try to get way, and leave the issue to Providence. So, once

more--I'll see, at least, if this bull be still there. Alack-a-day! what a fate is this! I have not the courage to go, neither

can I think to stay. But I must resolve. The gardener was in sight last

time; so made me come up again. But I'll contrive to send him out of the

way, if I can:--For if I never should have such another opportunity,

I could not forgive myself. Once more I'll venture. God direct my

footsteps, and make smooth my path and my way to safety! Well, here I am, come back again! frightened, like a fool, out of all my

purposes! O how terrible every thing appears to me! I had got twice as

far again, as I was before, out of the back-door: and I looked and saw

the bull, as I thought, between me and the door; and another bull coming

towards me the other way: Well, thought I, here is double witchcraft, to

be sure! Here is the spirit of my master in one bull, and Mrs. Jewkes's

in the other. And now I am gone, to be sure! O help! cried I, like a

fool, and ran back to the door, as swift as if I flew. When I had got

the door in my hand, I ventured to look back, to see if these supposed

bulls were coming; and I saw they were only two poor cows, a grazing in

distant places, that my fears had made all this rout about. But as every

thing is so frightful to me, I find I am not fit to think of my escape:

for I shall be as much frightened at the first strange man that I meet

with: and I am persuaded that fear brings one into more dangers, than

the caution, that goes along with it, delivers one from. I then locked the door, and put the key in my pocket, and was in a sad

quandary; but I was soon determined; for the maid Nan came in sight,

and asked, if any thing was the matter, that I was so often up and down

stairs? God forgive me, (but I had a sad lie at my tongue's end,) said

I; Though Mrs. Jewkes is sometimes a little hard upon me, yet I know not

where I am without her: I go up, and I come down to walk about in the

garden; and, not having her, know scarcely what to do with myself. Ay,

said the ideot, she is main good company, madam, no wonder you miss her. So here I am again, and here likely to be; for I have no courage to help

myself any where else. O why are poor foolish maidens tried with such

dangers, when they have such weak minds to grapple with them!--I

will, since it is so, hope the best: but yet I cannot but observe how

grievously every thing makes against me: for here are the robbers;

though I fell not into their hands myself, yet they gave me as much

terror, and had as great an effect upon my fears, as if I had: And here

is the bull; it has as effectually frightened me, as if I had been hurt

by it instead of the cook-maid; and so these joined together, as I may

say, to make a very dastard of me. But my folly was the worst of all,

because that deprived me of my money: for had I had that, I believe I

should have ventured both the bull and the robbers. Monday afternoon. So, Mrs. Jewkes is returned from her visit: Well, said she, I would have

you set your heart at rest; for Mr. Williams will do very well again. He

is not half so bad as he fancied. O these scholars, said she, they have

not the hearts of mice! He has only a few scratches on his face; which,

said she, I suppose he got by grappling among the gravel at the bottom

of the dam, to try to find a hole in the ground, to hide himself from

the robbers. His shin and his knee are hardly to be seen to ail any

thing. He says in his letter, he was a frightful spectacle: He might be

so, indeed, when he first came in a doors; but he looks well enough now:

and, only for a few groans now and then, when he thinks of his danger,

I see nothing is the matter with him. So, Mrs. Pamela, said she, I would

have you be very easy about it. I am glad of it, said I, for all your

jokes, to Mrs. Jewkes. Well, said she, he talks of nothing but you: and when I told him I would

fain have persuaded you to come with me, the man was out of his wits

with his gratitude to me: and so has laid open all his heart to me, and

told me all that has passed, and was contriving between you two. This

alarmed me prodigiously; and the rather, as I saw, by two or three

instances, that his honest heart could keep nothing, believing every one

as undesigning as himself. I said, but yet with a heavy heart, Ah! Mrs.

Jewkes, Mrs. Jewkes, this might have done with me, had he had any thing

that he could have told you of. But you know well enough, that had we

been disposed, we had no opportunity for it, from your watchful care and

circumspection. No, said she, that's very true, Mrs. Pamela; not so

much as for that declaration that he owned before me, he had found

opportunity, for all my watchfulness, to make you. Come, come, said she,

no more of these shams with me! You have an excellent head-piece for

your years; but may be I am as cunning as you.--However, said she,

all is well now; because my watchments are now over, by my master's

direction. How have you employed yourself in my absence? I was so troubled at what might have passed between Mr. Williams and

her, that I could not hide it; and she said, Well, Mrs. Pamela, since

all matters are likely to be so soon and so happily ended, let me advise

you to be a little less concerned at his discoveries; and make me your

confidant, as he has done, and I shall think you have some favour for

me, and reliance upon me; and perhaps you might not repent it. She was so earnest, that I mistrusted she did this to pump me; and I

knew how, now, to account for her kindness to Mr. Williams in her visit

to him; which was only to get out of him what she could. Why, Mrs.

Jewkes, said I, is all this fishing about for something, where there

is nothing, if there be an end of your watchments, as you call them?

Nothing, said she, but womanish curiosity, I'll assure you; for one is

naturally led to find out matters, where there is such privacy intended.

Well, said I, pray let me know what he has said; and then I'll give you

an answer to your curiosity. I don't care, said she, whether you do or

not for I have as much as I wanted from him; and I despair of getting

out of you any thing you ha'n't a mind I should know, my little cunning

dear.--Well, said I, let him have said what he would, I care not: for I

am sure he can say no harm of me; and so let us change the talk. I was the easier, indeed, because, for all her pumps, she gave no hints

of the key and the door, etc. which, had he communicated to her, she

would not have forborne giving me a touch of.--And so we gave up one

another, as despairing to gain our ends of each other. But I am sure he

must have said more than he should.--And I am the more apprehensive all

is not right, because she has now been actually, these two hours, shut

up a writing; though she pretended she had given me up all her stores

of papers, etc. and that I should write for her. I begin to wish I had

ventured every thing and gone off, when I might. O when will this state

of doubt and uneasiness end! She has just been with me, and says she shall send a messenger to

Bedfordshire; and he shall carry a letter of thanks for me, if I will

write it for my master's favour to me. Indeed, said I, I have no thanks

to give, till I am with my father and mother: and besides, I sent a

letter, as you know; but have had no answer to it. She said, she thought

that his letter to Mr. Williams was sufficient; and the least I could

do was to thank him, if but in two lines. No need of it, said I; for I

don't intend to have Mr. Williams: What then is that letter to me? Well,

said she, I see thou art quite unfathomable! I don't like all this. O my foolish fears of bulls and robbers!--For now

all my uneasiness begins to double upon me. O what has this incautious

man said! That, no doubt, is the subject of her long letter. I will close this day's writing, with just saying, that she is mighty

silent and reserved, to what she was: and says nothing but No, or Yes,

to what I ask. Something must be hatching, I doubt!--I the rather think

so, because I find she does not keep her word with me, about lying

by myself, and my money; to both which points she returned suspicious

answers, saying, as to the one, Why, you are mighty earnest for your

money; I shan't run away with it. And to the other, Good-lack! you need

not be so willing, as I know of, to part with me for a bed-fellow, till

you are sure of one you like better. This cut me to the heart; and, at

the same time, stopped my mouth. Tuesday, Wednesday. Mr. Williams has been here; but we have had no opportunity to talk

together: He seemed confounded at Mrs. Jewkes's change of temper, and

reservedness, after her kind visit, and their freedom with one another,

and much more at what I am going to tell you. He asked, If I would take

a turn in the garden with Mrs. Jewkes and him. No, said she, I can't go.

Said he, May not Mrs. Pamela take a walk?--No, said she; I desire she

won't. Why, Mrs. Jewkes? said he: I am afraid I have somehow disobliged

you. Not at all, replied she; but I suppose you will soon be at liberty

to walk together as much as you please: and I have sent a messenger for

my last instructions, about this and more weighty matters; and when they

come I shall leave you to do as you both will; but, till then, it is no

matter how little you are together. This alarmed us both; and he seemed

quite struck of a heap, and put on, as I thought, a self-accusing

countenance. So I went behind her back, and held my two hands together,

flat, with a bit of paper, I had, between them, and looked at him:

and he seemed to take me as I intended; intimating the renewing of the

correspondence by the tiles. I left them both together, and retired to my closet to write a letter

for the tiles; but having no time for a copy, I will give you the

substance only. I expostulated with him on his too great openness and easiness to fall

into Mrs. Jewkes's snares: told him my apprehensions of foul play; and

gave briefly the reasons which moved me: begged to know what he had

said; and intimated, that I thought there was the highest reason to

resume our prospect of the escape by the back-door. I put this in the

usual place in the evening; and now wait with impatience for an answer. Thursday. I have the following answer:




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