First, then, I am highly pleased with what you write of the advantages you received from the favour of my dear mother; and as you know many things of her by your attendance upon her the last three or four years of her life, I must desire you will give me, as opportunity shall offer, all you can recollect in relation to the honoured lady, and of her behaviour and kindness to you, and with a retrospect to your own early beginnings, the dawnings of this your bright day of excellence:  and this not only I, but the countess, and Lady Betty, with whom I am going over your papers again, and her sister, Lady Jenny, request of you.

2.  I am much pleased with your Kentish account; though we wished you had been more particular in some parts of it; for we are greatly taken with your descriptions:  and your conversation pieces:  yet I own, your honest father’s letters, and yours, a good deal supply that defect.

3.  I am highly delighted with your account of my brother’s breaking to you the affair of Sally Godfrey, and your conduct upon it.  ’Tis a sweet story as he brought it in, and as you relate it.  The wretch has been very just in his account of it.  We are in love with your charitable reflections in favour of the poor lady; and the more, as she certainly deserved them, and a better mother too than she had, and a faithfuller lover than she met with.

4.  You have exactly hit his temper in your declared love of Miss Goodwill.  I see, child, you know your man; and never fear but you’ll hold him, if you can go on thus to act, and outdo your sex.  But I should think you might as well not insist upon having her with you; you’d better see her now and then at the dairy-house, or at school, than have her with you.  But this I leave to your own discretion.

5.  You have satisfactorily answered our objections to your behaviour to Mrs. Jewkes.  We had not considered your circumstances quite so thoroughly as we ought to have done.  You are a charming girl, and all your motives are so just, that we shall be a little more cautious for the future how we censure you.

In short, I say with the countess, “This good girl is not without her pride; but it is the pride that becomes, and can only attend the innocent heart; and I’ll warrant,” said her ladyship, “nobody will become her station so well, as one who is capable of so worthy a pride as this.”

But what a curtain-lecture hadst thou, Pamela!  A noble one, dost thou call it?—­Why, what a wretch hast thou got, to expect thou shouldst never expostulate against his lordly will, even when in the wrong, till thou hast obeyed it, and of consequence, joined in the evil he imposes!

Much good may such a husband do you, says Lady Betty!—­Every body will admire you, but no one will have reason to envy you upon those principles.

6.  I am pleased with your promise of sending what you think I shall like to see, out of those papers you choose not to shew me collectively:  this is very obliging.  You’re a good girl; and I love you dearly.