Letter XV
- In her next letter home, we learn why Pamela had to sign off so quickly: Mr. B was coming.
- Because she writing a letter about her boss's naughty behavior, she acted pretty guilty.
- Mr. B then lit into her for not welcoming him home. (With what, slippers and a sandwich?)
- He's also ticked off about two other things: telling Mrs. Jervis about the harassment, and writing a letter.
- Pamela tries to get out of answering his accusations, but she eventually cops to both charges.
- After some arguing back and forth, Pamela succeeds in making the master ashamed of his behavior, and he storms out of the room … only to come back a few minutes later and say that if Pamela is going to smear his name, he might as well deserve it.
- She tells her parents that he "offer'd to take [her] on his Knee, with some Force" (18.11).
- To make matters even worse, he made fun of her concern for her own honor; in his view, she is silly to worry about it at all, since she couldn't be held responsible for an act that she has no power to resist.
- He said, "Pretty Fool! . . . how will you forfeit your Innocence, if you are oblig'd to yield to a Force you cannot withstand? Be easy . . . for let the worst happen that can, you'll have the Merit, and I the Blame, and it will be a good Subject for Letters to your Father and Mother, and a Tale into the Bargain for Mrs. Jervis" (18.11).
- Um, if that's what Mr. B thinks, then he's obviously never heard of victim-blaming.
- After a struggle, she managed to get away from him into another room, locked the door, and promptly fainted. Of course.
- Mr. B saw this through the keyhole and then summoned Mrs. Jervis to attend to her.
- To explain the scene to Mrs. Jervis, the master blamed everything on Pamela's being a "fool" in response to his "kindness" (18.32). He seemed resolved to kick her out of the house, which Pamela reports would suit her just fine.
- He's arranged to have Mrs. Jervis bring Pamela to him the next day and invited Mrs. Jervis to stay and hear everything that goes on between them.