The Valley of Decision by Edith Wharton
page 71 of 509 (13%)
page 71 of 509 (13%)
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her to select her son's governor with particular care, choosing rather a
person of grave behaviour and assured morality than one of your glib ink-spatterers who may know the inside of all the folios in the King's library without being the better qualified for the direction of a young gentleman's conduct; and to this letter Don Gervaso appended the terse postcript: "Your excellency is especially warned against according this or any other position of trust to the merry-andrew who calls himself the abate Cantapresto." Donna Laura, with a shrug, handed the letter to her husband; Count Valdu, adjusting his glasses, observed it was notorious that people living in the depths of the country thought themselves qualified to instruct their city relatives on all points connected with the social usages; and the cicisbeo suggested that he could recommend an abate who was proficient in the construction of the Martellian verse, and who would made no extra charge for that accomplishment. "Charges!" the Countess cried. "There's a matter my father doesn't deign to consider. It's not enough, nowadays, to give the lads a governor, but they must maintain their servants too, an idle gluttonous crew that prey on their pockets and get a commission off every tradesman's bill." Count Valdu lifted a deprecating hand. "My dear, nothing could be more offensive to his Majesty than any attempt to reduce the way of living of the pupils of the Academy." "Of course," she shrugged-- "But who's to pay? The Duke's beggarly pittance hardly clothes him." |
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