, sir," said the Groby Park footman in the
Groby Park livery. Under the present household arrangement of Groby
Park all the servants lived on board wages. Mrs. Mason did not like
this system, though it had about it certain circumstances of economy
which recommended it to her; it interfered greatly with the stringent
aptitudes of her character and the warmest passion of her heart; it
took away from her the delicious power of serving out the servants'
food, of locking up the scraps of meat, and of charging the maids
with voracity. But, to tell the truth, Mr. Mason had been driven by
sheer necessity to take this step, as it had been found impossible to
induce his wife to give out sufficient food to enable the servants to
live and work. She knew that in not doing so she injured herself; but
she could not do it. The knife in passing through the loaf would make
the portion to be parted with less by one third than the portion to
be retained. Half a pound of salt butter would reduce itself to a
quarter of a pound. Portions of meat would become infinitesimal.
When standing with viands before her, she had not free will over her
hands. She could not bring herself to part with victuals, though she
might ruin herself by retaining them. Therefore, by the order of the
master, were the servants placed on board wages.

Mr. Dockwrath soon found himself in the dining-room, where the three
young ladies with their mamma were already seated at the table. It
was a handsome room, and the furniture was handsome; but nevertheless
it was a heavy room, and the furniture was heavy. The table was large
enough for a party of twelve, and might have borne a noble banquet;
as it was the promise was not bad, for there were three large plated
covers concealing hot viands, and in some houses lunch means only
bread and cheese.

Mr. Mason went through the form of introduction between Mr. Dockwrath
and his daughters. "That is Miss Mason, that Miss Creusa Mason, and
this Miss Penelope. John, remove the covers." And the covers were
removed, John taking them from the table with a magnificent action of
his arm which I am inclined to think was not innocent of irony. On
the dish before the master of the house,--a large dish which must I
fancy have been selected by the cook with some similar attempt at
sarcasm,--there reposed three scraps, as to the nature of which Mr.
Dockwrath, though he looked hard at them, was unable to enlighten
himself. But Mr. Mason knew th