You shall do nothing, returned he, unworthy of my wife, to please the
proud woman!--But I will, however, permit you to breakfast by yourself
this once, as I have not seen her since I have used her in so barbarous
a manner, as I understand she exclaims I have; and as she will not
eat any thing, unless I give her my company.--So he saluted me, and
withdrew; and I locked the door after him again for fear.
Mrs. Jewkes soon after rapped at the door. Who's there? said I. Only
I, madam. So I opened the door. 'Tis a sad thing, madam, said she,
you should be so much afraid in your own house. She brought me some
chocolate and toast; and I asked her about my lady's behaviour. She
said, she would not suffer any body to attend but her woman, because she
would not be heard what she had to say; but she believed, she said, her
master was very angry with the young lord, as she called her kinsman;
for, as she passed by the door, she heard him say, in a high tone, I
hope, sir, you did not forget what belongs to the character you assume;
or to that effect. About one o'clock my master came up again, and he said, Will you come
down to dinner, Pamela, when I send for you? Whatever you command, sir,
I must do. But my lady won't desire to see me. No matter whether she
will or no. But I will not suffer, that she shall prescribe her insolent
will to my wife, and in your own house too.--I will, by my tenderness to
you, mortify her pride; and it cannot be done so well as to her face.
Dearest sir, said I, pray indulge me, and let me dine here by myself. It
will make my lady but more inveterate.--Said he, I have told her we are
married. She is out of all patience about it, and yet pretends not to
believe it. Upon that I tell her, Then she shall have it her own way,
and that I am not. And what has she to do with it either way? She has
scolded and begged, commanded and prayed, blessed me, and cursed me,
by turns, twenty times in these few hours. And I have sometimes soothed
her, sometimes raged; and at last left her, and took a turn in the
garden for an hour to compose myself, because you should not see how the
foolish woman has ruffled me; and just now I came out, seeing her coming
in. Just as he had said so, I cried, Oh! my lady, my lady! for I heard
her voice in the chamber, saying, Brother, brother, one word with
you--stopping in sight of the closet where I was. He stepped out, and
she went up to the window that looks towards the garden, and said, Mean
fool that I am, to follow you up and down the house in this manner,
though I am shunned and avoided by you! You a brother!--You a barbarian!
Is it possible we could be born of one mother?