'I hope, sir, by your favour, I could send a little packet, now and
then, some how, to my poor father and mother. I have a little stock of
money, about five or six guineas: Shall I put half in your hands, to
defray the charge of a man and horse, or any other incidents?' I had but just time to transcribe this, before I was called to dinner;
and I put that for Mr. Williams, with a wafer in it, in my bosom, to get
an opportunity to lay it in the dear place. O good sirs, of all the flowers in the garden, the sunflower, sure,
is the loveliest!--It is a propitious one to me! How nobly my plot
succeeds! But I begin to be afraid my writings may be discovered; for
they grow large: I stitch them hitherto in my under-coat, next my linen.
But if this brute should search me--I must try to please her, and then
she won't. Well, I am but just come off from a walk in the garden, and have
deposited my letter by a simple wile. I got some horse-beans; and we
took a turn in the garden, to angle, as Mrs. Jewkes had promised me. She
baited the hook, and I held it, and soon hooked a lovely carp. Play it,
play it, said she: I did, and brought it to the bank. A sad thought just
then came into my head; and I took it, and threw it in again; and O the
pleasure it seemed to have, to flounce in, when at liberty!--Why this?
says she. O Mrs. Jewkes! said I, I was thinking this poor carp was the
unhappy Pamela. I was likening you and myself to my naughty master. As
we hooked and deceived the poor carp, so was I betrayed by false baits;
and when you said, Play it, play it, it went to my heart, to think I
should sport with the destruction of the poor fish I had betrayed; and I
could not but fling it in again: and did you not see the joy with which
the happy carp flounced from us? O! said I, may some good merciful body
procure me my liberty in the same manner; for to be sure, I think my
danger equal! Lord bless thee! said she, what a thought is there!--Well, I can angle
no more, added I. I'll try my fortune, said she, and took the rod. Do,
answered I; and I will plant life, if I can, while you are destroying
it. I have some horse-beans here, and will go and stick them in one of
the borders, to see how long they will be coming up; and I will call
them my garden. So you see, dear father and mother, (I hope now you will soon see; for,
may be, if I can't get away so soon myself, I may send my papers some
how; I say you will see,) that this furnishes me with a good excuse to
look after my garden another time; and if the mould should look a little
freshish, it won't be so much suspected. She mistrusted nothing of this;
and I went and stuck in here and there my beans, for about the length
of five ells, of each side of the sunflower; and easily deposited my
letter. And not a little proud am I of this contrivance. Sure something
will do at last! Friday, Saturday. I have just now told you a trick of mine; now I'll tell you a trick
of this wicked woman's. She comes up to me: Says she, I have a bill
I cannot change till to-morrow; and a tradesman wants his money most
sadly: and I don't love to turn poor trades-folks away without their
money: Have you any about you? I have a little, replied I: How much will
do? Oh! said she, I want eight pounds. Alack! said I, I have but between
five and six. Lend me that, said she, till to-morrow. I did so; and she
went down stairs: and when she came up, she laughed, and said, Well,
I have paid the tradesman. Said I, I hope you'll give it me again
to-morrow. At that, the assurance, laughing loud, said, Why, what
occasion have you for money? To tell you the truth, lambkin, I didn't
want it. I only feared you might make a bad use of it; and now I can
trust Nan with you a little oftener, especially as I have got the key
of your portmanteau; so that you can neither corrupt her with money,
nor fine things. Never did any body look more silly than I.--O how I
fretted, to be so foolishly outwitted!--And the more, as I had hinted to
Mr. Williams, that I would put some in his hands to defray the charges
of my sending to you. I cried for vexation.--And now I have not five
shillings left to support me, if I can get away.--Was ever such a fool
as I! I must be priding myself in my contrivances, indeed! said I. Was
this your instructions, wolfkin? (for she called me lambkin). Jezebel,
you mean, child! said she.--Well, I now forgive you heartily; let's buss
and be friends.--Out upon you said I; I cannot bear you!--But I durst
not call her names again; for I dread her huge paw most sadly. The more
I think of this thing, the more do I regret it, and blame myself. This night the man from the post-house brought a letter for Mrs. Jewkes,
in which was one enclosed for me: She brought it me up. Said she, Well,
my good master don't forget us. He has sent you a letter: and see what
he writes to me. So she read, That he hoped her fair charge was well,
happy, and contented. Ay, to be sure, said I, I can't choose--That he
did not doubt her care and kindness to me: that I was very dear to him,
and she could not use me too well; and the like. There's a master for
you! said she: sure you will love and pray for him. I desired her to
read the rest. No, no, said she, but I won't. Said I, Are there any
orders for taking my shoes away, and for beating me? No, said she, nor
about Jezebel neither. Well, returned I, I cry truce; for I have no mind
to be beat again. I thought, said she, we had forgiven one another. My letter is as follows: