CHANGE PARTNERS AND POUSSETTE. 443 



gentleman who went to be engaged : he was told that 

 when port or sherry was left after dinner in the de- 

 canters, it was allowed to be used by the superior 

 servants. " Of course, Sir ! " said he ; " and I sup- 

 pose if a friend comes in, you do not object to the 

 butler drawing something better." " Why, you im- 

 pudent scoundrel ! " said the gentleman ; " my son 

 here, who is a captain in the army, could not ask for 

 more." "I dare say not, Sir," said the fellow; " we 

 pity many of those gentlemen, and often wonder how 

 they get on at all ! " I think most persons will agree 

 with me, that if the gentleman had taken such a fel- 

 low into his service (and there are those who would 

 have done so), he would have been rightly served if 

 he had his house robbed. That a vast number are 

 robbed by the connivance of such servants is well 

 known. Idleness and high wages lead such minds to 

 vice ; that leads to extra expense ; and that to the 

 result I have mentioned. The master in such cases 

 is more to blame than the man. From whom do such 

 women as regularly frequent the lobbies get a great 

 portion of their support ? Not merely from shopmen 

 and apprentices, but from gentlemen's upper servants ; 

 and if men of fashion were to stoop so low in their 

 amours, they would much oftener than they suppose 

 follow their gentlemen. 



How different are the servants of a well-regulated 

 nobleman or gentleman's establishment, of which there 

 are many ! These get high wages of course, and well 

 many deserve them. There is an air of respectability 

 in their conduct and manner which shows they know 

 their duty, and that they do it : they command your 

 respect by tli<> respect they show where respect is due ; 

 and whether in the house, the stables, the kennel, or 



