CHAPTER XII.
_Where the good-natured reader will see something which will give him nogreat pleasure._
The pedlar had been very inquisitive from the time he had first heardthat the great house in this parish belonged to the Lady Booby, and hadlearnt that she was the widow of Sir Thomas, and that Sir Thomas hadbought Fanny, at about the age of three or four years, of a travellingwoman; and, now their homely but hearty meal was ended, he told Fannyhe believed he could acquaint her with her parents. The whole company,especially she herself, started at this offer of the pedlar's. He thenproceeded thus, while they all lent their strictest attention:--"ThoughI am now contented with this humble way of getting my livelihood, I wasformerly a gentleman; for so all those of my profession are called. Ina word, I was a drummer in an Irish regiment of foot. Whilst I was inthis honourable station I attended an officer of our regiment intoEngland a-recruiting. In our march from Bristol to Froome (for sincethe decay of the woollen trade the clothing towns have furnished thearmy with a great number of recruits) we overtook on the road a woman,who seemed to be about thirty years old or thereabouts, not veryhandsome, but well enough for a soldier. As we came up to her, shemended her pace, and falling into discourse with our ladies (for everyman of the party, namely, a serjeant, two private men, and a drum, wereprovided with their woman except myself), she continued to travel onwith us. I, perceiving she must fall to my lot, advanced presently toher, made love to her in our military way, and quickly succeeded to mywishes. We struck a bargain within a mile, and lived together as manand wife to her dying day." "I suppose," says Adams, interrupting him,"you were married with a licence; for I don't see how you couldcontrive to have the banns published while you were marching from placeto place." "No, sir," said the pedlar, "we took a licence to go to bedtogether without any banns." "Ay! ay!" said the parson; "_exnecessitate_, a licence may be allowable enough; but surely, surely,the other is the more regular and eligible way." The pedlar proceededthus: "She returned with me to our regiment, and removed with us fromquarters to quarters, till at last, whilst we lay at Galloway, she fellill of a fever and died. When she was on her death-bed she called me toher, and, crying bitterly, declared she could not depart this worldwithout discovering a secret to me, which, she said, was the only sinwhich sat heavy on her heart. She said she had formerly travelled in acompany of gypsies, who had made a practice of stealing away children;that for her own part, she had been only once guilty of the crime;which, she said, she lamented more than all the rest of her sins, sinceprobably it might have occasioned the death of the parents; for, addedshe, it is almost impossible to describe the beauty of the youngcreature, which was about a year and a half old when I kidnapped it. Wekept her (for she was a girl) above two years in our company, when Isold her myself, for three guineas, to Sir Thomas Booby, inSomersetshire. Now, you know whether there are any more of that name inthis county." "Yes," says Adams, "there are several Boobys who aresquires, but I believe no baronet now alive; besides, it answers soexactly in every point, there is no room for doubt; but you have forgotto tell us the parents from whom the child was stolen." "Their name,"answered the pedlar, "was Andrews. They lived about thirty miles fromthe squire; and she told me that I might be sure to find them out byone circumstance; for that they had a daughter of a very strange name,Pamela, or Pam_e_la; some pronounced it one way, and some the other."Fanny, who had changed colour at the first mention of the name, nowfainted away; Joseph turned pale, and poor Dicky began to roar; theparson fell on his knees, and ejaculated many thanksgivings that thisdiscovery had been made before the dreadful sin of incest wascommitted; and the pedlar was struck with amazement, not being able toaccount for all this confusion; the cause of which was presently openedby the parson's daughter, who was the only unconcerned person (for themother was chafing Fanny's temples, and taking the utmost care of her):and, indeed, Fanny was the only creature whom the daughter would nothave pitied in her situation; wherein, though we compassionate herourselves, we shall leave her for a little while, and pay a short visitto Lady Booby.