Permit me, Madam, to close this letter here, and to resume the subject in my next:  till when I have the honour to be your ladyship’s most obliged and faithful servant,

P.B.

LETTER XVIII

MY DEAR LADY,

I now resume my last subject where I left off, that your ladyship may have the whole before you at one view.

I went after dinner, with my dear benefactor, to Lady Arthur’s; and met with fresh calls upon me for humility, having the two natural effects of the praises and professed admiration of that lady’s guests, as well as my dear Mr. B.’s, and those of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur, to guard myself against:  and your good brother was pleased to entertain me in the chariot, going and coming, with an account of the orders he had given in relation to the London house, which is actually taken, and the furniture he should direct for it; so that I had no opportunity to tell him what I had done in relation to Mrs. Jervis.

But after supper, retiring from company to my closet, when his friends were gone, he came up to me about our usual bedtime:  he enquired kindly after my employment, which was trying to read in the French Telemachus:  for, my lady, I’m learning French, I’ll assure you!  And who, do you think, is my master?—­Why, the best I could have in the world, your dearest brother, who is pleased to say, I am no dunce:  how inexcusable should I be, if I was, with such a master, who teaches me on his knee, and rewards me with a kiss whenever I do well, and says, I have already nearly mastered the accent and pronunciation, which he tells me is a great difficulty got over.

I requested him to render for me into English two or three places that were beyond my reach; and when he had done it, he asked me, in French, what I had done for Mrs. Jervis.

I said, “Permit me, Sir (for I am not proficient enough to answer you in my new tongue), in English, to say, I have made the good woman quite happy; and if I have your approbation, I shall be as much so myself in this instance, as I am in all others.”

“I dare answer for your prudence, my dear,” he was pleased to say:  “but this is your favourite:  let me know, when you have so bountiful a heart to strangers, what you do for your favourites?”

I then said, “Permit my bold eye, Sir, to watch yours, as I obey you; and you know you must not look full upon me then; for if you do, how shall I look at you again; how see, as I proceed, whether you are displeased? for you will not chide me in words, so partial have you the goodness to be to all I do.”

He put his arm round me, and looked down now and then, as I desired! for O!  Madam, he is all condescension and goodness to his unworthy, yet grateful Pamela!  I told him all I have written to you about the forty pounds.—­“And now, dear Sir,” said I, half hiding my face on his shoulder, “you have heard what I have done, chide or beat your Pamela, if you please:  it shall be all kind from you, and matter of future direction and caution.”