Pamela

Pamela’s parents are very happy she is coming home—they will “receive [her] with more pleasure than we had at your birth, or than we ever had in our lives” (69). Her father wants to give back the money that she sent them and urges her to travel accompanied by John the footman when returns home.

Mrs. Jervis is convinced that Mr. B is unlikely to pursue Pamela, and that the young woman would be safe to stay in the household. She is also hurt that Pamela is so eager to leave. Pamela will miss Mrs. Jervis, but staying would be foolish: “Does it not behove me to beware of the third time, for fear he should lay his snares surer?” (71). Mrs. Jervis accepts Pamela’s decision to leave, but Mr. B is cold and rude whenever he runs into her.

Pamela updates her parents that she is not sure when she will be leaving Mr. B’s household, as she has been doing some needlework (including embroidering a waistcoat), and he does not want her to go until she has finished. Mrs. Jervis also insists that Pamela stay; Pamela knows that Mrs. Jervis has been having conversations with Mr. B, and Pamela does not know what the two of them discuss. While Pamela continues to trust Mrs. Jervis, she still wants to leave. The two women debate whether Mr. B would continue to make sexual overtures to Pamela if she stayed. Pamela decides that she will stay just long enough to finish the waistcoat, which she is working hard to complete as soon as possible.

Pamela writes to her parents, explaining that she is preparing a new wardrobe. She believes it would be inappropriate to wear fine clothes once she returns to the modesty of her parents’ village, so she must make and buy more fitting garments. She also tells her parents not to send back the money: “I am so vain as to think I have deserved all the money in the fourteen months since my lady’s death” (77).

Mrs. Jervis tells Pamela that she and Mr. B continue to talk about Pamela; he does not understand why Pamela insists on refusing him, and even states that if he could find a noblewoman who was just like Pamela, he would marry her immediately. Pamela counters that, “if I were the lady of birth, and he would offer to be rude first […] I don’t know whether I would have him” (78). The two women agree to disagree on this subject, and Pamela concludes this letter with her hopes that she will soon finish the waistcoat, and be able to leave.

Mr. B confronts Pamela, and demands to know when she will finish the waistcoat. He accuses her of being lazy. Mr. B is also annoyed that the other household servants have realized that Pamela is leaving and are sad about it. Mr. B lashes out, accusing Pamela of being manipulative: “this little villain of a girl has the power of witchcraft; for she bewitches all that come near her” (80). Pamela consoles herself with the affection and respect of the other servants.

Mr. B hosts a dinner for some of his aristocratic friends and neighbors; via gossip from other servants, Pamela learns that the guests are discussing her beauty. Mr. B dismisses her looks, stating that, “she is young, and every thing is pretty that is young” (82); he also argues that Pamela is more notable for being modest and kind. Nonetheless, four noble ladies are determined to see Pamela to evaluate her appearance. The women admire Pamela and praise her appearance, although she is annoyed to be displayed before them. She concludes her letter with hopes that she will be leaving the house the following week.

Pamela dresses up in her modest, country clothes, and goes to playfully show off her new appearance to Mrs. Jervis, who initially fails to recognize Pamela in her different clothing. Mr. B summons Mrs. Jervis to ask about the pretty young woman in rustic attire. Mrs. Jervis thinks that Mr. B also does not recognize Pamela and decides to play a trick: She sends Pamela in to see him, urging her, “pray don’t reveal yourself till he finds you out” (89). However, when Pamela enters her, it is clear that Mr. B knows who she is, but takes advantage of the trick. He fondles and kisses her, commenting on how closely this new young woman resembles Pamela.

When Pamela runs off, he calls her back, accusing her of deliberately trying to trick and tease him. Pamela argues that she was being honest, rather than deceitful, because the clothes are appropriate to her true social station. Mr. B tells her that he will permit her to stay at the estate for two more weeks; he is going to see if Pamela can work at Lady Davers’s home. Pamela instead wants to go home to her parents as soon as possible, which makes Mr. B very angry.

After Pamela appeared to Mr. B in her country clothes, she goes upstairs to the room where she and Mrs. Jervis sleep. Mr. B was hiding in the room, but Pamela didn’t search the room the way she usually does. Pamela undresses and is getting ready for bed when she hears strange sounds and goes to investigate. Mr. B bursts out of the closet and seizes Pamela. He tells Mrs. Jervis to leave the room, but she refuses, saying, “You shan’t hurt this innocent; for I will lose my life in her defence” (96). Mr. B is furious, and threatens to throw Mrs. Jervis out of the window; he continues to fondle and grope Pamela in the bed, until Pamela faints. Mr. B then desists, but Pamela stays unconscious for several hours.

The next morning, Mr. B comes upstairs to see Pamela and Mrs. Jervis. Mrs. Jervis is unrepentant and says that both she and Pamela should leave the household. Mr. B insists that he didn’t mean any harm, and makes sarcastic comments about Pamela having “a lucky knack of falling into fits when she pleases” (98). He says that he will replace Mrs. Jervis, and that Pamela can leave in a few days’ time, hinting that he may be getting married soon.

Pamela writes that she has been delayed yet again: Mrs. Jervis wants the two of them to leave the house together, and needs more time to prepare for her departure. One day, Mr. B comes home with an elegant new suit of clothes, and proudly shows them off to Pamela. He and Pamela bicker over her response to his overtures; he continues to insist that she is over-sensitive and exaggerates his actions. Pamela meditates on the state of a world in which men boldly and aggressively force themselves on women.

Longman, a steward in Mr. B’s household, objects to the idea of Mrs. Jervis leaving, worried that she cannot easily be replaced. After listening to Longman, Mr. B tells Mrs. Jervis that she may continue her employment. However, Mr. B insists that Pamela must leave. Mr. B, Longman, and Pamela argue about Pamela’s behavior; Longman suggests that if Pamela were to plead to be allowed to stay, all of the other servants would advocate for her. Pamela makes a great show of humility, and says that she does not deserve to stay at the estate.

Pamela wonders how she will contribute to her family financially once she returns home. During her time at the estate, she has focused on more refined tasks, and has acquired little ability to do manual work: “I shall make a fine figure with my singing and dancing, when I come home to you! To be sure, I had better, as things stand, have learned to wash and scour, and brew and bake” (109).

Pamela is only a few days away from her planned departure, and is feeling unsure about what clothes she can and should take with her. She asks Mrs. Jervis to help her decide, and Mrs. Jervis tells Pamela to bring the clothes and meet her in a small room. Unbeknownst to Pamela, Mrs. Jervis has allowed Mr. B to hide in the room and watch what unfolds. Pamela has divided her clothing into three groups: the first are those that the late Lady B gave her during her lifetime, the second are those that Mr. B has gifted her, and the third are the coarser and less elegant ones that Pamela has made herself. Pamela doesn’t think she deserves to keep the first group (they were intended to be worn while she was working for Lady B), and she doesn’t want to keep the second, since they were given to her with nefarious intentions. She also wants Mrs. Jervis’s perspective on whether or not her parents should give the money back. Mrs. Jervis urges Pamela to keep all of the clothes and the money.

Pamela catches sight of Mr. B, and is angry at being tricked, even though Mrs. Jervis argues that it was good for Mr. B to observe her being so honest and conscientious. Pamela is more eager than ever to leave the household.

Mr. B summons Pamela, and tells her that he loves her. He offers to help her family improve their financial position if Pamela will stay in the household for another two weeks. Overwhelmed, Pamela begins to pray; Mr. B assumes that she’s agreed to stay and leaves her alone. Pamela is confused about what she owes to Mr. B in terms of her faith: “I have withstood his anger; but may I not relent at his kindness?” (117). Still, Pamela decides to leave immediately, as John the footman is about to go towards her parents’ home. She ends the letter telling them that she will hopefully be with her parents the following day.

As Pamela ends her previous letter, she tells Mr. B that she will not stay for two more weeks. Mr. B again offers her money, and then suggests that he will arrange for Pamela to marry Mr. Williams, a clergyman. Pamela is suspicious, but Mr. B says that since she is so beautiful, she needs a husband to keep her safe from predatory men. Pamela writes Mr. B a note saying that if she needs to discuss marrying Mr. Williams with her parents. After receiving the note, Mr. B says Pamela is free to go, and he wants nothing more to do with her. Pamela notes that since he sends money via Mrs. Jervis she feels justified in accepting it. This means she will be able to significantly improve her family’s financial position.

The editor—a framing device that explains why the novel’s epistolary format breaks off to give readers information that Pamela would not have access to—now breaks in to explains that Mr. B arranged for a coachman named Robin to drive Pamela to Mr. B’s Lincolnshire estate rather than to her parents’ home. John the footman has been showing Pamela’s letters to Mr. B before delivering them, and Mr. B ensured that the most recent letters were not sent to Pamela’s parents. Instead, Mr. B sends a letter to Pamela’s father, Mr. Andrews, saying that he has seen the letters that Pamela has been sending, and that they misrepresent his behavior. Mr. B also says that Pamela has been having an illicit relationship with a young clergyman, so to save her from potentially ruining her virtue, he has sent her away. Thus, Mr. Andrews should not expect his daughter to arrive home.

When he gets the letter, Mr. Andrews is worried and confused. He travels to Mr. B’s estate, begging to be reunited with his child. Mr. B leads Mr. Andrews to believe that Pamela is working for a prosperous family in London. After Mr. Andrews leaves, Mrs. Jervis receives a letter from Pamela, explaining that Mr. B and Robin deceived her. Pamela does not know where she is, but she is safe and not being mistreated. Mrs. Jervis forwards the letter to Pamela’s parents, who are not convinced that she is in London, but cannot do anything except wait.