physical
entity, but when your grandmother is in an almshouse and your father met
his death in an inferior capacity at a Works, you have no call to give
yourself airs, and the less you say the better.

This brief sketch of the _status quo_ was given to Mrs. Riley by Mrs.
Tapping, in her woollen shawl for the first time, because of the sharp
edge in the wind, with a basket on her arm that Janus would have found
useful, owing to its two lids, one each side the handle. They were at
the entrance to Mrs. Riley's shop, and that good woman was bare-armed
and bonnetless in the cold north wind. She had not lost her Irish
accent.

"It is mesilf agrays with you intoirely," said she sympathetically.

"Not but what I do freely admit," said Mrs. Tapping, pursuing her topic
in a spirit of magnanimity, "that young Rundle himself never makes bold,
and is always civil spoke, which we might expect, seeing what is called
for, measuring soles. For I always do say that the temptation to forget
theirself is far more than human, especially flattenin' down the toe to
get the len'th, though of course the situation would be sacrificed, and
no character." This was an allusion to the delicacy of the position of
one who adjusts a sliding spanner to the foot of Beauty, to determine
its length to a nicety. The subject suggests curious questions.
Suppose--to look at its romantic side, as easier of discussion--that
you, young lady, were passionately adored by the young man at your
shoe-shop, and he were to kiss your foot as Vivien did Merlin's, could
you--would you--complain at the desk and lose him his situation? And how
about the Pope? Is his Holiness never measured--_sal a reverentia!_--for
his shoes? Or does the Oecumenical Council guess, and strike an
average? However, the current of the story need not be interrupted to
settle that.

"He intinds will," said Mrs. Riley. This was merely a vague compliment
to Alethea's suitor. "Ye see, me dyurr, it's taking the young spalpeen's
part she'll be, for shure! It is the nature of thim." That is to say,
lovers.

"But never to the point of calling tyrant, Mrs. Riley. Nor ojus
vulgarity. Nor epithets I will not repeat, relating to family
connections. Concerning which, _I_ say, God forgive Alethear! For the
accommodation at a nominal rent of persons in reduced circumstances is
not an almshouse, say what she may. And her Aunt Trebilcock is not a
charitable object, nor yet a deserving person, having mixed