Country Families. But then, they who scatter their Money so freely, never think of whether they may not be doing mischief by raising the price of Things. And I have heard that’s very much the case with your West-Injines, and if they come among us to raise the price of our necessaries of Life, we shall not much thank them, Mr. Parker.’ ‘My dear Madam, they can only raise the price of consumeable Articles, by such an extraordinary Demand for them and such a diffusion of Money among us, as must do us more Good than harm. Our Butchers and Bakers and Traders in general cannot get rich without bringing Prosperity to us. If they do not gain, our rents must be insecure, and in proportion to their profit must be ours eventually in the increased value of our Houses.’ 'Oh! well. But I should not like to have Butcher’s meat raised, though, and I shall keep it down as long as I can. Aye, that young Lady smiles I see; I dare say she thinks me an odd sort of a Creature, but she will come to care about such matters herself in time. Yes, yes, my Dear, depend upon it, you will be thinking of the price of Butcher’s meat in time, though you may not happen to have quite such a Servants’ Hall full to feed, as I have. And I do believe those are best off that have fewest Servants. I am not a Woman of Parade, as all the World knows, and if it was not for what I owe to poor Mr. Hollis’s memory, I should never keep up Sanditon House as I do; it is not for my own pleasure, Well, Mr. Parker, and the other is a Boarding school, a French Boarding School, is it? No harm in that. They’ll stay their six weeks. And out of such a number, who knows but some may be consumptive and want Asses’ milk, and I have two Milch asses at this present time. But perhaps the little Misses may hurt the Furniture. I hope they will have a good sharp Governess to look after them.’ Poor Mr. Parker got no more credit from Lady Denham than he had from his Sisters, for the
