You must know, then, I have the honour to stand very high in the graces of Lord Davers, who on every occasion is pleased to call me his good Sister, his dear Sister, and sometimes his charming Sister, and he says, he will not be out of my company for an hour together, while he stays here, if he can help it.

My lady seems to relish this very well in the main, though she cannot quite so readily, yet, frame her mouth to the sound of the word Sister, as my lord does; of which this that follows is one instance.

His lordship had called me by that tender name twice before, and saying, “I will drink another dish, I think, my good Sister.”  My lady said, “Your lordship has got a word by the end, that you seem mighty fond of:  I have taken notice, that you have called Pamela Sister, Sister, Sister, no less than three times in a quarter of an hour.”

My lord looked a little serious:  “I shall one day,” said he, “be allowed to choose my own words and phrases, I hope—­Your sister, Mr. B.,” added he, “often questions whether I am at age or not, though the House of Peers made no scruple of admitting me among them some years ago.”

Mr. B. said severely, but with a smiling air, “’Tis well she has such a gentleman as your lordship for a husband, whose affectionate indulgence to her makes you overlook all her saucy sallies!  I am sure, when you took her out of our family into your own, we all thought ourselves, I in particular, bound to pray for you.”

I thought this a great trial of my lady’s patience:  but it was from Mr. B. And she said, with a half-pleasant, half-serious air, “How now, Confidence!—­None but my brother could have said this, whose violent spirit was always much more intolerable than mine:  but I can tell you, Mr. B., I was always thought very good-humoured and obliging to every body, till your impudence came from college, and from your travels; and then, I own, your provoking ways made me now-and-then a little out of the way.”

“Well, well, sister, we’ll have no more of this subject; only let us see that my Lord Davers wants not his proper authority with you, although you used to keep me in awe formerly.”

“Keep you in awe!—­That nobody could ever do yet, boy or man.  But, my lord, I beg your pardon; for this brother will make mischief betwixt us if he can—­I only took notice of the word Sister so often used, which looked more like affectation than affection.”

“Perhaps, Lady Davers,” said my lord, gravely, “I have two reasons for using the word so frequently.”

“I’d be glad to hear them,” said the dear taunting lady; “for I don’t doubt they’re mighty good ones.  What are they, my lord?”

“One is, because I love, and am fond of my new relation:  the other, that you are so sparing of the word, that I call her so for us both.”

“Your lordship says well,” replied Mr. B., smiling:  “and Lady Davers can give two reasons why she does not.”