'Our humblest service and thanks to the worthy Mr. Williams. Again we
say, God bless him for ever! 'O what a deal we have to say to you! God give us a happy meeting!
We understand the 'squire is setting out for London. He is a fine
gentleman, and has wit at will. I wish he was as good. But I hope he
will now reform.' O what inexpressible comfort, my dear father, has your letter given
me!--You ask, What can you do for me?--What is it you cannot do for your
child!--You can give her the advice she has so much wanted, and still
wants, and will always want: You can confirm her in the paths of virtue,
into which you first initiated her; and you can pray for her, with
hearts so sincere and pure, that are not to be met with in palaces!--Oh!
how I long to throw myself at your feet, and receive from your own lips
the blessings of such good parents! But, alas! how are my prospects
again overclouded, to what they were when I closed my last parcel!--More
trials, more dangers, I fear, must your poor Pamela be engaged in: But
through the Divine goodness, and your prayers, I hope, at last, to get
well out of all my difficulties; and the rather, as they are not the
effect of my own vanity or presumption! But I will proceed with my hopeless story. I saw Mr. Williams was a
little nettled at my impatience; and so I wrote to assure him I would be
as easy as I could, and wholly directed by him; especially as my father,
whose respects I mentioned, had assured me my master was setting out for
London, which he must have somehow from his own family or he would not
have written me word of it. Saturday, Sunday. Mr. Williams has been here both these days, as usual; but is very
indifferently received still by Mrs. Jewkes; and, to avoid suspicion,
I left them together, and went up to my closet, most of the time he was
here. He and she, I found by her, had a quarrel: and she seems quite out
of humour with him: but I thought it best not to say any thing: and he
said, he would very little trouble the house till he had an answer to
his letter from Mr. B----. And she returned, The less, the better.
Poor man! he has got but little by his openness, making Mrs. Jewkes his
confidant, as she bragged, and would have had me to do likewise. I am more and more satisfied there is mischief brewing; and shall begin
to hide my papers, and be circumspect. She seems mighty impatient for an
answer to her letter to my master. Monday, Tuesday, the 25th and 26th days of my heavy restraint. Still more and more strange things to write! A messenger is returned,
and now all is out! O wretched, wretched Pamela! What, at last, will
become of me!--Such strange turns and trials sure never poor creature,
of my years, experienced. He brought two letters, one to Mrs. Jewkes,
and one to me: but, as the greatest wits may be sometimes mistaken, they
being folded and sealed alike, that for me was directed to Mrs.
Jewkes; and that for her was directed to me. But both are stark naught,
abominably bad! She brought me up that directed for me, and said,
Here's a letter for you: Long-looked-for is come at last. I will ask the
messenger a few questions, and then I will read mine. So she went down,
and I broke it open in my closet, and found it directed To MRS. PAMELA
ANDREWS. But when I opened it, it began, Mrs. Jewkes. I was quite
confounded; but, thought I, this may be a lucky mistake; I may discover
something: And so I read on these horrid contents: