on has
been a public place. Families come after families, but, as far as I can
learn, it is not one in a hundred of them that have any real property,
landed or funded. An income, perhaps, but no property. Clergymen, may
be, or lawyers from town, or half-pay officers, or widows with only a
jointure; and what good can such people do to anybody? Except just as
they take our empty houses, and (between ourselves) I think they are
great fools for not staying at home. Now, if we could get a young
heiress to be sent here for her health, and, as soon as she got well,
have her fall in love with Sir Edward! And Miss Esther must marry
somebody of fortune, too. She must get a rich husband. Ah! young ladies
that have no money are very much to be pitied.' After a short pause: 'If
Miss Esther thinks to talk me into inviting them to come and stay at
Sanditon House, she will find herself mistaken. Matters are altered with
me since last summer, you know: I have Miss Clara with me now, which
makes a great difference. I should not choose to have my two housemaid's
time taken up all the morning in dusting out bedrooms. They have Miss
Clara's room to put to rights, as well as mine, every day. If they had
hard work, they would want higher wages.'

Charlotte's feelings were divided between amusement and indignation. She
kept her countenance, and kept a civil silence; but without attempting to
listen any longer, and only conscious that Lady Denham was still talking
in the same way, allowed her own thoughts to form themselves into such
meditation as this:--'She is thoroughly mean; I had no expectation of
anything so bad. Mr. Parker spoke too mildly of her. He is too kind-
hearted to see clearly, and their very connection misleads him. He has
persuaded her to engage in the same speculation, and because they have so
far the same object in view, he fancies that she feels like him in other
things; but she is very, very mean. I can see no good in her. Poor Miss
Brereton! And it makes everybody mean about her. This poor Sir Edward
and his sister! how far nature meant them to be respectable I cannot
tell; but they are obliged to be mean in their servility to her; and I am
mean, too, in giving her my attention with the appearance of coinciding
with her. Thus it is when rich people are sordid.'

Mr. Parker has two unmarried sisters of singular character. They live
together; Diana, the younger, always takes the lead, and the elder
f