"Indeed, my dear Comtesse," rejoined Lady Tilney, "you will find that we shall, though—and I think effectually; although there are certain principles in our constitution which extend to the ruling even of private life—and these the wives of certain nobles cannot wholly overlook." Comtesse Leinsengen shrugged her shoulders.
"Ah, dear, it is as I thought, you are de woman I like best in dis country; but you are all over shackle, up to de ear in de qu'en dira t'on! De plebe ought to be made of de noble's opinion, not de noble constrained to dat of de vulgar."
"That may do very well with you," rejoined Lady Tilney, "but with us as an unqualified maxim it will never do. I grant, Comtesse, all that you say can be done in one's own house, where one makes one's own laws and rules in one's own way: so far it is only asserting one's own right to liberty, and as far as we can persuade people to be of the same way of thinking it is all right. But I have too much liberty in my heart to desire to tyrannize as you suggest; and, in fine, confess myself too much of an Englishwoman to wish to see your system prevailing amongst us."
Lady Tilney said this in a tone of English pride, which proved that she had not forgotten all that was best worth remembering, although it was in contradiction to the spirit of what had fallen from her a moment before.
Lady Tilney, however, dealt largely in contradiction at all times. The Countess Ellersby smiled; the Comtesse Leinsengen again shrugged her shoulders, drew her shawl around her, and was preparing to depart, saying, "Well! mes chères dames, I leave you to the enjoyment of your liberty, and have done."
"But I have not done," said Lady Tilney; "I am determined we shall have a society that shall be quite our own, and yet not subversive of principles we must uphold. (Another shrug of the shoulders.) Allow me to say, that if you, Comtesse, and you, my dear Lady Ellersby, will but second me, I am sure we shall not fail, and I know I may reckon on Prince Luttermanne co-operating with us;—so far so good."
"And Princesse Luttermanne?" inquired Lady Ellersby.
"Oh, for the prince's sake we must have her," replied the Comtesse Leinsengen, "D'ailleurs, dans ma position, it could not be oderwise—in all cases we must pass over des inconveniens—besides she is good-humoured, and has her own fry to fish, and will not trouble us much."
Lady Ellersby and Lady Tilney looked at each other, and laughed. "And then," observed Lady Tilney, "we have Princesse de la Grange, and Mrs. Kirchoffer; we must enrol them on our list (although they are sufficiently insipid), because they can be useful, and dare not act but in subserviency to us. But, Lady Boileau, what shall we do with her? She indeed has a will of her own, and she has a mother very much de trop, whom however she treats cavalierly enough (of which, by the way, I do not approve); but, notwithstanding, I think we must have her, though we can by no means be troubled with the mama."
"Certainment pas," cried the Comtesse, "for the Irish mama with her vulgar repartee would give a mauvaise tournure to de whole society."