know how you came by your knowledge, first, as to Eliza's faculties, and
secondly, as to the scope for them in our house."

"It is unkind of you to laugh at me when I am only a humble enquirer
after truth."

"Having expressed yourself thus modestly--"

"Nay, but I only said what I would have said about any girl in any such
family."

"And you only said it with that simplicity of certainty which every man
would have felt on the same subject."

"I cry a truce; I plead for mercy. Let us have out the traits of Eliza's
character separately, and examine the scope in detail."

"To begin with, she has wonderful foresight; her power to plan the work
of the house so as to get it done as easily as possible often surprises
me. Now, of what use is this faculty in the kingdom of my step-mother,
who always acts on the last impulse, and upsets every one's plans
without even observing them? She has great executive ability, too; but
what use is it when, as soon as she gets interested in the
accomplishment of something, my mother cries, 'Come, Eliza, all work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy; go and romp with the children!' Then,
too, she has plenty of resource; but of what use is that, when the thing
she sees to be best in an emergency is seldom the thing that is done?
The hotel-keeper is more observing than you; he has noticed that Eliza
is no ordinary manager, and offered her high wages."