When they arrived at Booby-Hall they were presently
called into the parlour, where the pedlar repeated
the same story he had told before, and insisted on
the truth of every circumstance; so that all who heard
him were extremely well satisfied of the truth, except
Pamela, who imagined, as she had never heard either
of her parents mention such an accident, that it must
be certainly false; and except the Lady Booby, who
suspected the falsehood of the story from her ardent
desire that it should be true; and Joseph, who feared
its truth, from his earnest wishes that it might prove
false.
Mr Booby now desired them all to suspend their curiosity
and absolute belief or disbelief till the next morning,
when he expected old Mr Andrews and his wife to fetch
himself and Pamela home in his coach, and then they
might be certain of certainly knowing the truth or
falsehood of this relation; in which, he said, as
there were many strong circumstances to induce their
credit, so he could not perceive any interest the
pedlar could have in inventing it, or in endeavouring
to impose such a falsehood on them.
The Lady Booby, who was very little used to such company,
entertained them all—viz. her nephew,
his wife, her brother and sister, the beau, and the
parson, with great good humour at her own table.
As to the pedlar, she ordered him to be made as welcome
as possible by her servants. All the company
in the parlour, except the disappointed lovers, who
sat sullen and silent, were full of mirth; for Mr Booby
had prevailed on Joseph to ask Mr Didapper’s
pardon, with which he was perfectly satisfied.
Many jokes passed between the beau and the parson,
chiefly on each other’s dress; these afforded
much diversion to the company. Pamela chid her
brother Joseph for the concern which he exprest at
discovering a new sister. She said, if he loved
Fanny as he ought, with a pure affection, he had no
reason to lament being related to her.—Upon
which Adams began to discourse on Platonic love; whence
he made a quick transition to the joys in the next
world, and concluded with strongly asserting that
there was no such thing as pleasure in this.
At which Pamela and her husband smiled on one another.
This happy pair proposing to retire (for no other
person gave the least symptom of desiring rest), they
all repaired to several beds provided for them in
the same house; nor was Adams himself suffered to go
home, it being a stormy night. Fanny indeed often
begged she might go home with the parson; but her
stay was so strongly insisted on, that she at last,
by Joseph’s advice, consented.
CHAPTER XIV.
Containing several curious night-adventures, in
which Mr Adams fell into many hair-breadth ’scapes,
partly owing to his goodness, and partly to his inadvertency.
