"Mrs. Gatty continues very ill," said I, "and has twice been seen by a Physician, who thinks she will take some Time to recover. You may as well report this to Lady Betty, for the Doctor had not paid his second Visit when Mr. Arbuthnot called."
"Mr. Arbuthnot! Why should he call?" says Mr. James. "Lady Betty would be mad enough to think he took the Trouble of knowing whether Mrs. Gatty were alive or dead."
"He called in order to report her Condition to Lady Betty" said I. "Rely on it," said Mr. James, "he called on his own Account, for Humanity sake, if nothing more. He hasn't been near my Lady to-day, and I had it from his Man that he has gone down to dine in the Country with the old Earl; that's Lady Grace's Father. Sure, he must have named Lady Grace, not Lady Betty."
There was no more to be said, and I never encourage mere Tattle; but I thought that good and pretty as Gertrude was, it could be no Advantage to have a Gentleman like Mr. Arbuthnot concerning himself about her.
We are all mighty fond of high Matches; not considering that what is a high Match on one Side must be a low one on the other; and that there is little real Happiness to be looked for where Estates are widely unequal.
I asked Mr. James whether my Lady were not much put out by the Loss of her Woman's Services.
He replied, "Oh no, she keeps one for Shew and one for Use. Mrs. Gatty, for as hard a Life as she leads, does Nothing in Comparison of Madam Pompon, who is the real Waiting-Maid of the two. But my Lady requires a second, who shall have white Hands, and do Quantities of fine Work, and be at her Beck and bear with her Humours. Why should she not require two Women to sew in her Ante-Chamber, as well as two Men to hang behind her Chariot?"
Two Women and two Men to wait upon one! Well! there must needs be different Levels; and maybe the Time will come when Habits of Living shall be simpler. I have read, in one of Mr. Fenwick's Books, of an English King in old Times, that had his Barge rowed by eight other Kings. And of another, that had a Menial whose sole Office was to lie under the Table, and chafe and cherish his Majesty's Feet in cold Weather. King Adoni-bezek had threescore and ten Kings, having their Thumbs and great Toes cut off, that gathered their Meat under his Table. The making one's own Glory lie in the abject or lowly State to which we reduce others, always seems to me to relish of Barbarism, however high Degree may carry it off.
