was it?), and who said, "Law bless
the old Duchess, she do make as much of a pound of veal cutlet as some
would of a score of bullocks, but you see she's a lady born and a lady
bred: she'd die before she'd owe a farden, and she's seen better days,
you know." She went to see the grocer's wife on an interesting occasion,
and won the heart of the family by tasting their candle. Her fishmonger
(it was fine to hear her talk of "my fishmonger") would sell her a
whiting as respectfully as if she had called for a dozen turbots and
lobsters. It was believed by those good folks that her father had been a
Bishop at the very least; and the better days which she had known were
supposed to signify some almost unearthly prosperity. "I have always
found, Hannah," the simple soul would say, "that people know their place,
or can be very very easily made to find it if they lose it; and if a
gentlewoman does not forget herself, her inferiors will not forget that
she is a gentlewoman." "No indeed, mum, and I'm sure they would do no
such thing, mum," says Hannah, who carries away the teapot for her own
breakfast (to be transmitted to Sally for her subsequent refection),
whilst her mistress washes her cup and saucer, as her mother had washed
her own china many scores of years ago.
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