begun with Lady Jones, and Sir Simon's family;
and, if it please God to spare us to one another, in the winter I will
give you, as I promised for two or three months, the diversions of
London. And I think, added he, if my dear pleases, we will set out next
week, about Tuesday, for t'other house. I can have no objection, sir,
said I, to any thing you propose; but how will you avoid Miss Darnford's
solicitation for an evening to dance? Why, said he, we can make Monday
evening do for that purpose, if they won't excuse us. But, if you
please, said he, I will invite Lady Jones, Mr. Peters and his family,
and Sir Simon and his family, to my little chapel, on Sunday morning,
and to stay dinner with me; and then I will declare my marriage to them,
because my dear life shall not leave this country with the least reason
for a possibility of any body's doubting that it is so. O! how good
was this! But, indeed, his conduct is all of a piece, noble, kind, and
considerate! What a happy creature am I!--And then, may be, said he,
they will excuse us till we return into this country again, as to the
ball. Is there any thing, added he, that my beloved Pamela has still to
wish? If you have, freely speak.

Hitherto, my dearest sir, replied I, you have not only prevented my
wishes, but my hopes, and even my thoughts. And yet I must own, since
your kind command of speaking my mind seems to shew, that you expect
from me I should say something; that I have only one or two things to
wish more, and then I shall be too happy. Say, said he, what they are.
Sir, proceeded I, I am, indeed, ashamed to ask any thing, lest it should
not be agreeable to you; and lest it should look as if I was taking
advantage of your kind condescensions to me, and knew not when to be
satisfied!

I will only tell you, Pamela, said he, that you are not to imagine,
that these things, which I have done, in hopes of obliging you, are the
sudden impulses of a new passion for you. But, if I can answer for my
own mind, they proceed from a regular and uniform desire of obliging
you: which, I hope, will last as long as your merit lasts; and that, I
make no doubt, will be as long as I live. And I can the rather answer
for this, because I really find so much delight in myself in my present
way of thinking and acting, as infinitely overpays me; and which, for
that reason, I am likely to continue, for both our sakes. My beloved
wife, therefore, said he, for methinks I am grown fond