2 " HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS." 



world, I would not go out without a string to you; but 

 as you are a good fellow in your way, I'll just give 

 you a wrinkle or two. You would get them in time 

 without this ; but if I give you a few beforehand, 

 they will teach you to know the glass that sets you 

 off to the best advantage, and to keep the blinds 

 down, as the ladies do, if they think their wrinkles 

 shew a little too strong in the light." 



" Well, you do know a thing or two, that's certain, 

 Master Pettatt," says Dawson. 



" Why, yes," replied Pettatt ; " we London valets 

 flatter ourselves that we don't walk about the 

 hamlet with our eyes shut ; and wines, women, and 

 wisdom, is our common toast. But now I will just 

 tell you something of what is going on in our 



inannage." 



" Mannage," cried Dawson, interrupting him ; 

 " what do you mean by that ?" 



" Oh ! ah, I forgot ; but we speak so much French 

 among ourselves, that such words slip out without 

 our knowing it. Well, then, inannage is French, for 

 how things are carried on at home. Now don't 

 interrupt one again ; its never done in polite society. 

 Now, then, our governor is doing much the same as 

 tradesmen do, now-a-days. When they are bankrupts, 

 before they tell the town of it, they fit up their shops 

 ten times as expensively as they did at first, plate 

 glass windows, and so forth; making this a rule, the 

 larger their debts, the larger the panes of plate 

 glass : this brings a greater number of customers ; 

 they then say they can afford to sell cheap, on 

 account of their large capital, sell at any price that is 

 offered, pocket the cash, and leave the plate glass for 

 their creditors." 



