“Well, then, my dearest,” said he, “we will forgive one another? but take this with you, that it is my love to you that makes me more delicate than otherwise I should be; and you have inured me so much to a faultless conduct, that I can hardly bear with natural infirmities from you.—­But,” giving me another tap, “get you gone; I leave you to your recollection; and let me know what fruits it produces:  for I must not be put off with a half-compliance; I must have your whole will with me, if possible.”

So I went up, and recollecting every thing, sacrificed to my sex, as Mr. B. calls it, when he talks of a wife’s reluctance to yield a favourite point:  for I shed many tears, because my heart was set upon it.

And so, my dear parents, twenty charming ideas and pleasures I had formed to myself, are vanished from me, and my measures are quite broken.  But after my heart was relieved by my eye, I was lighter and easier.  And the result is, we have heard of a good sort of woman, that is to be my poor baby’s mother, when it comes; so your kindly-offered enquiries are needless, I believe.

’Tis well for our sex in general, that there are not many husbands who distinguish thus nicely.  For, I doubt, there are but very few so well entitled to their ladies’ observances as Mr. B. is to mine, and who would act so generously and so tenderly by a wife as he does, in every material instance on which the happiness of life depends.

But we are quite reconciled; although as I said, upon his own terms:  and so I can still style myself, my dear honoured parents, your happy, as well as your dutiful daughter, P.B.

LETTER XLVIII

From Lady Davers to Mrs. B.

My Dear Pamela,

I have sent you a present, the completest I could procure, of every thing that may suit your approaching happy circumstance; as I hope it will be to you, and to us all:  but it is with a hope annexed, that although both sexes are thought of in it, you will not put us off with a girl:  no, child, we will not permit you, may we have our wills, to think of giving us a girl, till you have presented us with half a dozen fine boys.  For our line is gone so low, we expect that human security from you in your first seven years, or we shall be disappointed.

I will now give you their names, if my brother and you approve of them:  your first shall be BILLY; my Lord Davers, and the Earl of C——­, godfathers; and it must be doubly godmothered too, or I am afraid the countess and I shall fall out about it.  Your second DAVERS; be sure remember that.—­Your third, CHARLEY; your fourth, JEMMY; your fifth, HARRY; your sixth—­DUDLEY, if you will—­and your girl, if you had not rather call it PAMELA, shall be called BARBARA.—­The rest name as you please.—­And so, my dear, I wish all seven happily over with you.