Pamela

At the Lincolnshire estate, Pamela meets the other household servants, and hopes to find someone who might assist her in attempting to escape before Mr. B arrives. Pamela decides that Mr. Williams, the clergyman, represents her best chance, since “his cloth would set him above assisting my ruin” (149). Mr. Williams seems disturbed by Pamela’s distress, so she plans to approach him at church the following day. Mrs. Jewkes announces that she will limit how much Pamela can write; Pamela hides the writing supplies that Mr. Longman gave her.

Mrs. Jewkes does not allow Pamela to go to church, which prevents her from speaking to Mr. Williams, although she continues to hope that he may be an ally. John the footman arrives, bringing letters for both Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes. In the letter to Pamela, Mr. B instructs her to write to Mrs. Jervis and reassure her, and, by extension, her parents. He also promises that he will not come to Lincolnshire without her consent. Pamela writes to Mrs. Jervis as directed. She also writes to Mr. B, lamenting her situation, and begging him to set her free.

Before John leaves to return to Bedfordshire, he slips Pamela a note confessing that he has been showing her letters to Mr. B all along. John laments that he may have helped ruin her. Pamela is horrified and disappointed, and wonders why men act the way they do. John has also brought Pamela the expensive clothes she left behind in Bedfordshire, but Mrs. Jewkes locks these away.

Mr. Williams visits. While he, Pamela, and Mrs. Jewkes are walking together, he and Pamela arrange a secret plan to exchange letters. Pamela will hide letters in the garden, where he can discreetly collect them. After Mr. Williams leaves, Pamela is worried that Mrs. Jewkes will figure out that she is up to something. Pamela arranges to have Mrs. Jewkes stumble onto some of her writings and purposefully produces idle scribbling, hoping Mrs. Jewkes will think that she simply writes about her feelings and experiences, rather than crafting strategic plans. Once Mrs. Jewkes loses interest in observing Pamela, Pamela writes to Mr. Williams, begging him to help her escape and hides the letter in the garden.

On a walk in the garden, Mrs. Jewkes notes that if she were a man, she would not be as patient as Mr. B, and would simply force herself upon Pamela. Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes argue, but eventually reconcile. Once Mrs. Jewkes goes inside, and Pamela retrieves a letter from Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams writes that he is dependent on Mr. B for his employment, but he will contact two neighbors who might be able to help her. Pamela writes back thanking Mr. Williams; she also suggests that he make a copy of his key (he has a key to the house since he occasionally stays there) and leave it for her. With a key, Pamela could potentially escape. Pamela also encloses the letter in which John confessed, explaining that John might be willing to share information about Mr. B’s actions and whereabouts, which would give her advance notice if he decides to come to Lincolnshire. Later that evening, while Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes are fishing in the pond in the garden, Pamela slips away and hides her letter to Mr. Williams in the appointed spot.

Mrs. Jewkes tricks Pamela and takes away her money, rendering her more helpless. Pamela receives a letter from Mr. B; he is becoming impatient to see her and wants her to invite him to Lincolnshire (so that he can abide by his promise not to come without her consent.) He promises that he has honorable intentions, but Pamela does not believe him. Pamela also gets another letter from Mr. Williams; unfortunately, his attempts to secure help from the wealthy gentry in the area have not been successful, as no one thinks what Mr. B is doing is a big deal: “our neighbor has his mind to his mother’s waiting-maid! And if he takes care she wants for nothing, I don’t see any great injury will be done her” (172). Mr. Williams reassures Pamela that there is no news of Mr. B planning to visit Lincolnshire yet. When they learn that Mr. B is coming, Mr. Williams will hide the key so that Pamela can use it to escape, and he will also arrange to have a horse ready for her. Pamela leaves a response thanking Mr. Williams for his efforts. She also writes to Mr. B and tells him that she does not want him to visit Lincolnshire.

Pamela is still not allowed to go to church, so she spends the day praying, reading the Bible, and reflecting on how her experience parallels the captivity and suffering of God’s chosen people.

Mr. Williams has taken some of Pamela’s writings with the intention of sending them to her parents. He has also brought her a new letter, and the key. Noticing how often Mr. Williams comes to call, Mrs. Jewkes suggests that the clergyman has fallen in love with Pamela, and proposes that she marry him. Pamela indignantly responds that “there is not a man living that I desire to marry. To keep myself honest, and to be a comfort and assistance to my poor parents, is the very top of my ambition” (181).

In a letter, Mr. Williams suggests that he and Pamela get married, since this will give him legal claim to her, and a better ability to protect her. He assures her, however, that he will help her regardless of whether she accepts his proposal. Pamela considers the offer, and wishes she could discuss it with her parents; she decides to decline, since she believes she is too young to get married. She writes back to Mr. Williams, thanking him profusely, but telling him that it would not be fair to him if she married him solely out of a desire for protection.

Mr. Williams writes back to say that he understands Pamela’s rejection of his offer, and will help her nonetheless.

Mrs. Jewkes and Mr. Williams have received letters from Mr. B. Mr. B offers Mr. Williams a lucrative job, and urges him to marry Pamela. Mr. B’s letter to Mrs. Jewkes tells the housekeeper that it is entirely up to her and Mr. Williams whether they marry. Mr. Williams is delighted with this news, and eager to marry Pamela. Pamela is confused and suspicious; she wonders if Mr. Williams could be conspiring against her. She also continues to insist that she is too young to marry, and won’t make any decisions until she goes home to see her parents.

Mrs. Jewkes and Pamela receive a letter from Mr. Williams in which he explains that, as he was making his way home the previous night, he was attacked, beaten, and robbed. Mrs. Jewkes goes to visit the injured clergyman, and while Pamela is alone, she contemplates trying to escape. She opens the gate, but panics when she sees a terrifying bull, and flees back inside. A short time later, Pamela resolves to try again, but runs into the gardener and loses her nerve. She makes a third attempt, but encounters what she thinks are two bulls; by the time she realizes that they are merely cows, she is too shaken to try again. Pamela reflects that, “as every thing is so frightful to me, and as things have not so black an appearance as they had at first, I will not think of escaping” (192).

Mrs. Jewkes returns and tells Pamela that Mr. Williams has confided in her about his previous interactions with Pamela. Pamela is very worried about what Mr. Williams might have said; she is comforted that Mrs. Jewkes doesn’t seem to know about the key, but wishes she had tried harder to escape in Mrs. Jewkes’s absence. Mrs. Jewkes announces that she is going to write to Mr. B, leaving Pamela with the suspicion that “something must be hatching” (195).

Mr. Williams comes to visit, but Mrs. Jewkes will not leave him and Pamela alone together. Since she cannot speak to him, Pamela writes him a letter, rebuking him for sharing information with Mrs. Jewkes. She asks him what exactly he told the housekeeper.

Mr. Williams writes that he did not give Mrs. Jewkes any information about the key, or their plan. He did tell her that he had already proposed marriage to Pamela prior to Mr. B’s suggestion. Mr. Williams has also been in contact with John the footman, learning from John that Mr. B is planning to travel to London, and continue from there on to Lincolnshire. Pamela writes back, sharing her suspicions even though she is “loth to think myself of so much importance, as to suppose every one in a plot against me” (197). She worries that John may be planning to betray them, and that Mr. B may be on his way. She implores Mr. Williams to bring the horse soon.

Mr. Williams writes back, annoyed by Pamela’s suspicions and impatience. He tells her that, “providence will not desert such piety and innocence” (199). Mr. Williams also forwards Pamela a letter from her father, who writes that he has not yet had time to read through all of Pamela’s writings. He is, however, extremely happy to hear that (as he perceives it) Mr. B has come to respect Pamela’s virtue, and arranged a respectable marriage for her. Mr. Andrews urges Pamela to marry Mr. Williams, although he will respect whatever choice she makes.

Mr. Williams continues to visit, but there seems to be tension between him and Mrs. Jewkes. Pamela does not know what is going on, but becomes more watchful and secretive.

Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes each receive letters from Mr. B. Pamela realizes that the letters have been misaddressed, so she is actually reading the letter intended for Mrs. Jewkes. In it, Mr. B calls Pamela deceitful. Mr. B is angry that Pamela and Mr. Williams have been scheming, and that Mr. Williams asked other aristocrats for help. He has now arranged to have Mr. Williams thrown in prison for debt. He also shares his plans to be in Lincolnshire in a few weeks’ time and alludes darkly to taking revenge. Finally, Mr. B explains that he is sending a Swiss man to help Mrs. Jewkes guard Pamela, and prevent any escapes or further scheming.

Mrs. Jewkes realizes that the letters were switched and gives Pamela the letter that was intended for her. In that letter, Mr. B rebukes Pamela for scheming against him, and implies that it was inappropriate and immodest for her to plan to run away with Mr. Williams. He also argues that, since Pamela no longer seems concerned with her chastity, he sees no reason to treat her respectfully. Pamela is pleads with Mrs. Jewkes to give Mr. Williams some warning of his imminent arrest, but Mrs. Jewkes refuses. Pamela then meets Monsieur Colbrand, the Swiss guard; he seems monstrous and cruel.

Pamela learns that Mr. Williams has been arrested and imprisoned. She decides to attempt to escape by slipping out the window after Mrs. Jewkes goes to sleep; she will leave some of her clothing in the pond, to imply that she drowned herself, and delay the search for her. Pamela is worried about her writings being found, so she plans to bury them in the garden. She also overhears Mrs. Jewkes admitting to Monsieur Colbrand that Mrs. Jewkes arranged for several men to assault and rob Mr. Williams, in hopes of obtaining any letters that Pamela wrote to him.

Pamela is still imprisoned at the estate, and things are worse than ever. After Mrs. Jewkes fell asleep, Pamela was able to squeeze out the window and lower herself to the ground, although she injured herself along the way. She buried her papers in the garden, and dropped some of her clothing into the pond. However, when Pamela tried to use her key to open the garden gate, she realized that Mrs. Jewkes had changed the locks. Unable to open the gate, Pamela tried to climb over the garden wall, but fell and injured herself further. In despair, Pamela contemplates death by suicide. Forced to move slowly due to her injuries, she mediated more thoughtfully on this impulse. Afraid of disobeying God’s will by killing herself, she decided instead to trust in His plan. Too badly hurt to make it back to the house, Pamela collapsed in a shed.

The next morning, the household searches the house and garden; Nan, another maid, notices Pamela’s clothing in the pond, and raises the alarm that Pamela may have drowned herself. Everyone is very concerned, and upset, until Nan finds Pamela lying injured. Mrs. Jewkes and Monsieur Colbrand carry Pamela into the house, and tend to her injuries. Pamela slowly recovers, and on Sunday, Mrs. Jewkes informs her that Mr. B (leveraging his influence and political power) has arranged a warrant for Pamela to be arrested if she ever flees again.