204 THE RIGHT TO BE WELL BORN 



society, with its Eoyalty and the Peerage, 

 still existed, and, in fact, had increased. 



Here were two English social sets who 

 ate the same food, drank the same drinks, 

 enjoyed the same climate and whose so- 

 cial dissipations were not dissimilar. The 

 Peerage, then called "The Quality," did 

 not entertain or associate with the people 

 of the London social set, except in trans- 

 acting business. They were called "City 

 Folks." Both sets, however, were afflicted, 

 about equally, with the Black Plague. The 

 London set consisted almost entirely of suc- 

 cessful bankers, merchants and profession- 

 al men, who worked hard during the day 

 and, when night came, their wives and fam- 

 ilies compelled them to devote their time 

 to social obligations and entertainments, 

 which were then most engrossing. 



These were times of great business up- 

 heavals and financial crashes, and the peo- 

 ple of the London set no longer had the 

 time for outdoor exercise in the pure coun- 

 try air. As their business became more 

 complicated and exacting, they were con- 

 fined more than ever in the foul air of their 

 offices and kept in the City, with the acCu- 



