'
'Too bad!' cried Jennie, looking with wide-open eyes at the girl before
her; 'why, bless you! I had a proposal from Lord Freddie two weeks before
I ever saw the butler. I see you don't believe a word I say. Well, you
ask Lord Freddie. I'll introduce you, and tell him you don't believe he
asked me to be Lady Freddie, if that's the title. He'll look sheepish,
but he won't deny it. You see, when I found I was going to stay in
England for a time, I wrote to the editor of the _Argus_ to get me a
bunch of letters of introduction and send them over, as I wanted
particularly to study the aristocracy. So he sent them, and, I assure
you, I found it much more difficult to get into your servants' hall than
I did into the halls of the nobility--besides, it costs less to mix with
the Upper Ten.'
Edith sat in silence, looking with amazed interest at the girl, who
talked so rapidly that there was sometimes difficulty in following
what she said.
'No, Lord Freddie is not half so condescending as the butler, neither is
his language so well chosen; but then, I suppose, the butler's had more
practice, for Freddie is very young. I am exceedingly disappointed with
the aristocracy. They are not nearly so haughty as I had imagined them
to be. But what astonishes me in this country is the way you women
spoil the men. You are much too good to them. You pet them and fawn on
them, and naturally they get conceited. It is such a pity, too; for
they are nice fellows, most of them.
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