The words, mother is of no mean family, gave me not to doubt the poor
lady was living. And I said, But how, sir, can the dear miss's poor
mother be content to deny herself the enjoyment of so sweet a child? Ah,
Pamela, replied he, now you come in; I see you want to know what's become
of the poor mother. 'Tis natural enough you should; but I was willing to
see how the little suspense would operate upon you.--Dear sir, said I.--
Nay, replied he, 'tis very natural, my dear! I think you have had a
great deal of patience, and are come at this question so fairly that you
deserve to be answered.
You must know then, there is some foundation for saying, that her mother,
at least, lives in Jamaica; for there she does live, and very happily
too. For I must observe, that she suffered so much in child-bed, that
nobody expected her life; and this, when she was up, made such an
impression upon her, that she dreaded nothing so much as the thoughts of
returning to her former fault; and, to say the truth, I had intended to
make her a visit as soon as her month was well up. And so, unknown to
me, she engaged herself to go to Jamaica, with two young ladies, who were
born there; and were returning to their friends, after they had been four
years in England for their education: and, recommending to me, by a very
moving letter, her little baby, and that I would not suffer it to be
called by her name, but Goodwin, that her shame might be the less known,
for hers and her family's sake; she got her friends to assign her five
hundred pounds, in full of all her demands upon her family, and went up
to London, and embarked, with her companions, at Gravesend, and so sailed
to Jamaica; where she is since well and happily married, passing to her
husband for a young widow, with one daughter, which her husband's friends
take care of, and provide for.
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