Read Books Online, for Free |
Cranford | Elizabeth Gaskell | |
"Your Ladyship" |
Page 1 of 10 |
EARLY the next morning - directly after twelve - Miss Pole made her appearance at Miss Matty's. Some very trifling piece of business was alleged as a reason for the call; but there was evidently something behind. At last out it came. "By the way, you'll think I'm strangely ignorant; but, do you really know, I am puzzled how we ought to address Lady Glenmire. Do you say, 'Your Ladyship,' where you would say 'you' to a common person? I have been puzzling all morning; and are we to say 'My Lady,' instead of 'Ma'am?' Now you knew Lady Arley - will you kindly tell me the most correct way of speaking to the peerage?" Poor Miss Matty! she took off her spectacles and she put them on again - but how Lady Arley was addressed, she could not remember. "It is so long ago," she said. "Dear! dear! how stupid I am! I don't think I ever saw her more than twice. I know we used to call Sir Peter, 'Sir Peter' - but he came much oftener to see us than Lady Arley did. Deborah would have known in a minute. 'My lady' - 'your ladyship.' It sounds very strange, and as if it was not natural. I never thought of it before; but, now you have named it, I am all in a puzzle." It was very certain Miss Pole would obtain no wise decision from Miss Matty, who got more bewildered every moment, and more perplexed as to etiquettes of address. |
Who's On Your Reading List? Read Classic Books Online for Free at Page by Page Books.TM |
Cranford Elizabeth Gaskell |
Home | More Books | About Us | Copyright 2004