"Lives on Mill Road and takes in washing."
"Don't you think it is wiser to keep servants in their proper place as they do in Europe? One is not in danger there of mistaking maid for mistress."
"Ah, that is a problem for wiser heads than ours to solve. Each system has its grievances; if human nature had not suffered so severely from the original transgression I should favor the American plan."
"But it has fallen, and requires generations of training to fit one for such assumption of dignity."
"Even so, we come on debatable ground. Where do you find longer lines of trained generations than in those Royal families that cost you so much to support, and what do many of them amount to? How many of them would it take to make one Lincoln? He was a peasant's son, as they reckon rank."
"But there are not many Lincolns; and I fear we can find a good many Esmereldas."
"She is a very good chambermaid. What fault do you find with her?"
I smiled, though utterly discomfited.
"A fault one cannot easily forgive. She impresses me with her own superiority, especially in the matter of dress."
"Yes, our shop and servant girls are usually good artists in the matter of personal attire; but I usually find the really clever ones are the poorest dressers."