“You are virtue itself, my dearest life; and from this moment I will reverence you as my tutelary angel.  I shall behold you with awe, and implicitly give up myself to all your dictates:  for what you say, and what you do, must be ever right.  But I will not, my dearest life, too lavishly promise, lest you should think it the sudden effects of passions thus movingly touched, and which may subside again, when the soul, as you observed in your own case, sinks to its former level:  but this I promise (and I hope you believe me, and will pardon the pain I have given you, which made me fear more than once, that your head was affected, so uncommon, yet so like yourself, has been the manner of your acting,) that I will break off a correspondence that has given you so much uneasiness:  and my Pamela may believe, that if I can be as good as my word in this point, she will never more be in danger of any rival whatever.

“But say, my dear love,” added he, “say you forgive me; and resume but your former cheerfulness, and affectionate regards to me, else I shall suspect the sincerity of your forgiveness:  and you shall indeed go to Kent, but not without me, nor your boy neither; and if you insist upon it, the poor child you have wished so often and so generously to have, shall be given up absolutely to your disposal.”

Do you think.  Madam, I could speak any one distinct sentence?  No indeed I could not.  I was just choked with my joy; I never was so before.  And my eyes were in a manner fixed, as he told me afterwards; and that he was a little startled, seeing nothing but the whites; for the sight was out of its orbits, in a manner lifted up to heaven—­in ecstasy for a turn so sudden, and so unexpected!

We were forced to separate soon after; for there was no bearing each other, so excessive was my Joy, and his goodness.  He left me, and went down to his own closet.

Judge my employment you will, I am sure, my dear lady.  I had new ecstasy to be blest with, in a thankfulness so exalted, that it left me all light and pleasant, as if I had shook off body, and trod in air; so much heaviness had I lost, and so much joy had I received.  From two such extremes, how was it possible I could presently hit the medium?  For when I had given up my beloved husband, as lost to me, and had dreaded the consequences to his future state:  to find him not only untainted as to deed, but, in all probability, mine upon better and surer terms than ever—­O, Madam! must not this give a joy beyond all joy, and surpassing all expression!

About eight o’clock Mr. B. sent me up these lines from his closet, which will explain what I meant, as to the papers I must beg your ladyship to return me.

“My dear Pamela,

“I have so much real concern at the anguish I have given you, and am so much affected with the recollection of the uncommon scenes which passed between us, just now, that I write, because I know not how to look so excellent a creature in the face—­You must therefore sup without me, and take your Mrs. Jervis to bed with you; who, I doubt not, knows all this affair; and you may tell her the happy event.