me, you would not throw yourself in the Way of such
Intelligence! For, said he, when I went to Stamford, I knew from a private
Intimation given me, that there would be an Attempt made to see you, or give you
a Letter, by somebody, if not to get you away; but was not certain from what
Quarter, whether from my Sister Davers, Mrs. Jervis, Mr. Longman, or John
Arnold, or your Father; and as I was then but struggling with myself, whether to
give way to my honourable Inclinations, or to free you, and let you go to your
Father, that I might avoid the Danger I found myself in of the former (for I had
absolutely resolved never to wound again even your Ears with any Proposals of a
contrary Nature); that was the Reason I desir'd you to permit Mrs. Jewkes, to be
so much on her Guard till I came back, when I thought I should have decided this
disputed Point within myself, between my Pride and my Inclinations.
    This, good Sir, said I, accounts well to me, for your Conduct in that Case,
and for what you said to me and Mrs. Jewkes on that Occasion; and I see more and
more how much I may depend upon your Honour and Goodness to me. - But I will
tell you all the Truth. And then I recounted to him the whole Affair of the
Gypsey, and how the Letter was put among the loose Grass, etc. And he said, The
Man who thinks a thousand Dragons sufficient to watch a Woman, when her
Inclination takes a contrary Bent, will find all too little; and she will engage
the Stones in the Street, or the Grass in the Field, to act for her, and help on
her Correspondence. If the Mind, said he, be not engag'd, I see there is hardly
any Confinement sufficient for the Body; and you have told me a very pretty
Story; and, as you never gave me any Reason to question your Veracity, even in
your severest Trials, I make no doubt of the Truth of what you have now
mentioned. And I will in my Turn give you such a Proof of mine, that you shall
find it carry Conviction with it.
    You must know then, my Pamela, that I had actually form'd such a Project, so
well inform'd was this old rascally Somebody; and the Time was fix'd, for the
very Person describ'd in this Letter, to be here;