“Well,” said my lady, “now we are in for’t, let us hear your two reasons likewise; I doubt not they’re wise ones too.”

“If they are yours, Lady Davers, they must be so.  One is, That every condescension (to speak in a proud lady’s dialect) comes with as much difficulty from her, as a favour from the House of Austria to the petty princes of Germany.  The second, Because those of your sex—­(Excuse me, Madam,” to the countess) “who have once made scruples, think it inconsistent with themselves to be over hasty to alter their own conduct, choosing rather to persist in an error, than own it to be one.”

This proceeded from his impatience to see me in the least slighted by my lady; and I said to Lord Davers, to soften matters, “Never, my lord, were brother and sister so loving in earnest, and yet so satirical upon each other in jest, as my good lady and Mr. B. But your lordship knows their way.”

My lady frowned at her brother, but turned it off with an air:  “I love the mistress of this house,” said she, “very well; and am quite reconciled to her:  but methinks there is such a hissing sound in the word Sister, that I cannot abide it.  ’Tis a true English word, but a word I have not been used to, having never had a sis-s-s-ter before, as you know,”—­Speaking the first syllable of the word with an emphatical hiss.

Mr. B. said, “Observe you not, Lady Davers, that you used a word (to avoid that) which had twice the hissing in it that sister has?  And that was mis-s-s-tress, with two other hissing words to accompany it, of this-s-s hous-s-e:  but to what childish follies does not pride make one stoop!—­Excuse, Madam” (to the countess), “such poor low conversation as we are dwindled into.”

“O Sir,” said her ladyship, “the conversation is very agreeable;—­and I think, Lady Davers, you’re fairly caught.”

“Well,” said my lady, “then help me, good sister—­there’s for you!—­to a little sugar.  Will that please you, Sir?”

“I am always pleased,” replied her brother, smiling, “when Lady Davers acts up to her own character, and the good sense she is mistress of.”

“Ay, ay, my good brother, like other wise men, takes it for granted that it is a mark of good sense to approve of whatever he does.—­And so, for this one time, I am a very sensible body with him—­And I’ll leave off, while I have his good word.  Only one thing I must say to you, my dear,” turning to me, “that though I call you Pamela, as I please, be assured, I love you as well as if I called you sister, as Lord Davers does, at every word.”

“Your ladyship gives me great pleasure,” said I, “in this kind assurance; and I don’t doubt but I shall have the honour of being called by that tender name, if I can be so happy as to deserve it; and I’ll lose no opportunity that shall be afforded me, to show how sincerely I will endeavour to do so.”

She was pleased to rise from her seat:  “Give me a kiss, my dear girl; you deserve every thing:  and permit me to say Pamela sometimes, as the word occurs:  for I am not used to speak in print; and I will call you sister when I think of it, and love you as well as ever sister loved another.”