y charming dear! will you
love me?--Will you let me be your aunt? Yes, madam, answered she, with
all my heart! and I will love you dearly: But I mustn't love my uncle.
Why so? said he. Because, replied she, you would not speak to me at
first! And because you would not let me call you uncle (for it seems she
was bid not, that I might not guess at her presently): and yet, said the
pretty dear, I had not seen you a great while, so I hadn't.

Well, Pamela, said he, now can you allow me to love this little
innocent? Allow you, sir, replied I; you would be very barbarous, if you
did not; and I should be more so, if I did not further it all I could,
and love the little lamb myself, for your sake and for her own sake; and
in compassion to her poor mother, though unknown to me: And tears stood
in my eyes.

Said he, Why, my love, are your words so kind, and your countenance so
sad?--I drew to the window from the child; and said, Sad it is not, sir;
but I have a strange grief and pleasure mingled at once in my breast, on
this occasion. It is indeed a twofold grief, and a twofold pleasure.--As
how, my dear? said he. Why, sir, replied I, I cannot help being grieved
for the poor mother of this sweet babe, to think, if she be living, that
she must call her chiefest delight her shame: If she be no more, that
she must have had such remorse on her poor mind, when she came to leave
the world, and her little babe: And, in the second place, I grieve, that
it must be thought a kindness to the dear little soul, not to let
her know how near the dearest relation she has in the world is to
her.--Forgive me, dear sir, I say not this to reproach you, in the
least. Indeed I don't. And I have a twofold cause of joy; first, That
I have had the grace to escape the like unhappiness with this poor
gentlewoman: and next, That this discovery has given me an opportunity
to shew the sincerity of my grateful affection for you, sir, in the love
I will always express to this dear child.

And then I stept to her again, and kissed her; and said, Join with me,
my pretty love, to beg your dear uncle to let you come and live with
your new aunt: Indeed, my little precious, I'll love you dearly.

Will you, sir? said the little charmer; will you let me go and live with
my aunt?

You are very good, my Pamela, said he. And I have not once been deceived
in the hopes my fond heart has entertained of your prudence.--But will
you, sir? said I; will you grant me this fa