Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded - Page 133/191

Will you venture, said she, to accompany me to him?--Dare

you follow a lion in his retreats?--I'll attend your ladyship, said I,

wherever you command. Well, wench, said she; Pamela, I mean; thou art

very good in the main!--I should have loved thee as well as my mother

did--if--but 'tis all over now! Indeed you should not have married my

brother! But come, I must love him! Let's find him out! And yet will

he use me worse than a dog!--I should not, added she, have so much

exasperated him: for, whenever I have, I have always had the worst of

it. He knows I love him!

In this manner her ladyship talked to me, leaning on my arm, and walking

into the garden. I saw he was still in a tumult, as it were; and he

took another walk to avoid us. She called after him, and said, Brother,

brother, let me speak to you!--One word with you! And as we made haste

towards him, and came near to him; I desire, said he, that you'll not

oppress me more with your follies, and your violence. I have borne too

much with you, and I will vow for a twelvemonth, from this day--Hush,

said she, don't vow, I beg you for too well will you keep it, I know by

experience, if you do. You see, said she, I stoop to ask Pamela to be my

advocate.

Sure that will pacify you! Indeed, said he, I desire to see neither of you, on such an occasion;

and let me only be left to myself, for I will not be intruded upon thus;

and was going away.--But, said she, One word first, I desire.--If you'll

forgive me, I'll forgive you.--What, said the dear man, haughtily, will

you forgive me?--Why, said she, for she saw him too angry to mention his

marriage, as a subject that required her pardon--I will forgive you all

your bad usage of me this day.

I will be serious with you, sister, said he: I wish you most sincerely

well; but let us, from this time, study so much one another's quiet,

as never to come near one another more. Never? said she.--And can you

desire this? barbarous brother! can you?--I can, I do, said he; and I

have nothing to do, but to hide from you, not a brother, but a murderer,

and a profligate, unworthy of your relation; and let me be consigned

to penitence for my past evils: A penitence, however, that shall not be

broken in upon by so violent an accuser. Pamela, said he, and made me tremble, How dare you approach me, without

leave, when you see me thus disturbed?--Never, for the future, come near

me, when I am in these tumults, unless I send for you.