“You are very good, Madam,” said she, “to concern yourself about my poor matters, so much as your thoughts are employed, and every moment of your time is taken up, from the hour you rise, to the time of your rest.  But I can with great pleasure attribute it to your bounty, and that of my honoured master, that I am easier and easier every day.”

“But tell me, my dear Mrs. Jervis,” said I, “how your matters particularly stand.  I love to mingle concerns with my friends, and as I hide nothing from you, I hope you’ll treat me with equal freedom; for I always loved you, and always will; and nothing but death shall divide our friendship.”

She had tears of gratitude in her eyes, and taking off her spectacles, “I cannot bear,” she said, “so much goodness!—­Oh! my lady!”

“Oh! my Pamela, say,” replied I.  “How often must I chide you for calling me any thing but your Pamela, when we are alone together?”

“My heart,” said she, “will burst with your goodness!  I cannot bear it!”

“But you must bear it, and bear still greater exercises to your grateful heart, I can tell you that.  A pretty thing, truly!  Here I, a poor helpless girl, raised from poverty and distress by the generosity of the best of men, only because I was young and sightly, shall put on lady-airs to a gentlewoman born, the wisdom of whose years, her faithful services, and good management, make her a much greater merit in this family, than I can pretend to have!  And shall I return, in the day of my power, insult and haughtiness for the kindness and benevolence I received from her in that of my indigence!—­Indeed, I won’t forgive you, my dear Mrs. Jervis, if I think you capable of looking upon me in any other light than as your daughter; for you have been a mother to me, when the absence of my own could not afford me the comfort and good counsel I received every day from you.”

Then moving my chair nearer, and taking her hand, and wiping, with my handkerchief in my other, her reverend cheek, “Come, my dear second mother,” said I, “call me your daughter, your Pamela:  I have passed many sweet hours with you under that name; and as I have but too seldom such an opportunity as this, open to me your worthy heart, and let me know, if I cannot make my second mother as easy and happy as our dear master has made my first.”

She hung her head, and I waited till the discharge of her tears gave time for utterance to her words; provoking only her speech, by saying, “You used to have three grand-children to provide for in clothes and schooling.  They are all living, I hope?”

“Yes, Madam, they are living:  and your last bounty (twenty guineas was a great sum, and all at once!) made me very easy and very happy!”

“How easy and how happy, Mrs. Jervis?”

“Why, my dear lady, I paid five to one old creditor of my unhappy sons; five to a second; and two and a half to two others, in proportion to their respective demands; and with the other five I paid off all arrears of the poor children’s schooling and maintenance; and all are satisfied and easy, and declare they will never do harsh things by me, if they are paid no more.”