Thegreathouse，thechurch，thevillage，andthelabourersandtheservantsintheirstationsanddegrees，seemedtome，Isay，tobeaclosedandcompletesocialsystem。Aboutuswereothervillagesandgreatestates，andfromhousetohouse，interlacing，correlated，theGentry，thefineOlympians，cameandwent。Thecountrytownsseemedmerecollectionsofships，marketingplacesforthetenantry，centresforsucheducationastheyneeded，asentirelydependentonthegentryasthevillageandscarcelylessdirectlyso。Ithoughtthiswastheorderofthewholeworld。I
thoughtLondonwasonlyagreatercountrytownwherethegentle-folkkepttown-housesanddidtheirgreatershoppingunderthemagnificentshadowofthegreatestofallfinegentlewomen，theQueen。Itseemedtobeinthedivineorder。Thatallthisfineappearancewasalreadysapped，thattherewereforcesatworkthatmightpresentlycarryallthiselaboratesocialsysteminwhichmymotherinstructedmesocarefullythatImightunderstandmy“place。”toLimbo，hadscarcelydawneduponmeevenbythetimethatTono-Bungaywasfairlylaunchedupontheworld。
TherearemanypeopleinEnglandto-dayuponwhomithasnotyetdawned。TherearetimeswhenIdoubtwhetheranybutaveryinconsiderableminorityofEnglishpeoplerealisehowextensivelythisostensibleorderhasevennowpassedaway。Thegreathousesstandintheparksstill，thecottagesclusterrespectfullyontheirborders，touchingtheireaveswiththeircreepers，theEnglishcountryside——youcanrangethroughKentfromBladesovernorthwardandseepersistsobstinatelyinlookingwhatitwas。
ItislikeanearlydayinafineOctober。Thehandofchangerestsonitall，unfelt，unseen；restingforawhile，asitwerehalfreluctantly，beforeitgripsandendsthethingforever。
Onefrostandthewholefaceofthingswillbebare，linkssnap，patienceend，ourfinefoliageofpretenceslieglowinginthemire。
Forthatwehavestilltowaitalittlewhile。Thenewordermayhavegonefartowardsshapingitself，butjustasinthatsortoflanternshowthatusedtobeknowninthevillageasthe“DissolvingViews。”thescenethatisgoingremainsuponthemind，traceableandevident，andthenewerpictureisyetenigmaticallongafterthelinesthataretoreplacethoseformeroneshavegrownbrightandstrong，sothatthenewEnglandofourchildren’schildrenisstillariddletome。Theideasofdemocracy，ofequality，andaboveallofpromiscuousfraternityhavecertainlyneverreallyenteredintotheEnglishmind。ButwhatIScomingintoit？Allthisbook，Ihope，willbearalittleonthat。Ourpeopleneverformulates；itkeepswordsforjestsandironies。Inthemeanwhiletheoldshapes，theoldattitudesremain，subtlychangedandchangingstill，shelteringstrangetenants。BladesoverHouseisnowletfurnishedtoSirReubenLichtenstein，andhasbeensinceoldLadyDrewdied；itwasmyoddexperiencetovisitthere，inthehouseofwhichmymotherhadbeenhousekeeper，whenmyunclewasattheclimaxofTono-Bungay。Itwascurioustonoticethenthelittledifferencesthathadcometothingswiththissubstitution。Toborrowanimagefrommymineralogicaldays，theseJewswerenotsomuchanewBritishgentryas“pseudomorphous“afterthegentry。Theyareaverycleverpeople，theJews，butnotcleverenoughtosuppresstheircleverness。IwishedIcouldhavegonedownstairstosavourthetoneofthepantry。ItwouldhavebeenverydifferentIknow。Hawksnest，overbeyond，Inoted，haditspseudomorphtoo；anewspaperproprietorofthetypethathustlesalongwithstolenideasfromoneloudsink-or-swimenterprisetoanother，hadboughttheplaceoutright；Redgravewasinthehandsofbrewers。
Butthepeopleinthevillages，sofarasIcoulddetect，sawnodifferenceintheirworld。TwolittlegirlsbobbedandanoldlabourertouchedhishatconvulsivelyasIwalkedthroughthevillage。Hestillthoughtheknewhisplace——andmine。Ididnotknowhim，butIwouldhavelikeddearlytohaveaskedhimifherememberedmymother，ifeithermyuncleoroldLichtensteinhadbeenmanenoughtostandbeinggivenawaylikethat。
InthatEnglishcountrysideofmyboyhoodeveryhumanbeinghada“place。”Itbelongedtoyoufromyourbirthlikethecolourofyoureyes，itwasinextricablyyourdestiny。Aboveyouwereyourbetters，belowyouwereyourinferiors，andtherewereevenanunstablequestionablefew，casessodisputablethatyoumightfortheroughpurposesofeverydayatleast，regardthemasyourequals。HeadandcentreofoursystemwasLadyDrew，her“leddyship。”shrivelled，garrulous，withawonderfulmemoryforgenealogiesandvery，veryold，andbesideherandnearlyasold，MissSomerville，hercousinandcompanion。Thesetwooldsoulslivedlikedried-upkernelsinthegreatshellofBladesoverHouse，theshellthathadoncebeengailyfulloffops，offineladiesinpowderandpatchesandcourtlygentlemenwithswords；
andwhentherewasnocompanytheyspentwholedaysinthecornerparlourjustoverthehousekeeper’sroom，betweenreadingandslumberandcaressingtheirtwopetdogs。WhenIwasaboyI
usedalwaystothinkofthesetwopooroldcreaturesassuperiorbeingsliving，likeGod，somewherethroughtheceiling。
Occasionallytheybumpedaboutabitandoneevenheardthemoverhead，whichgavethemagreatereffectofrealitywithoutmitigatingtheirverticalpredominance。SometimestooIsawthem。OfcourseifIcameuponthemintheparkorintheshrubbery(whereIwasatrespasser)Ihidorfledinpioushorror，butIwasupondueoccasiontakenintothePresencebyrequest。Irememberher“leddyship“thenasathingofblacksilksandagoldenchain，aquaveringinjunctiontometobeagoodboy，averyshrunkenloose-skinnedfaceandneck，andaropyhandthattrembledahalfcrownintomine。MissSomervillehoveredbehind，apalerthingofbrokenlavenderandwhiteandblack，withscrewedup，sandy-lashedeyes。Herhairwasyellowandhercolourbright，andwhenwesatinthehousekeeper’sroomofawinter’snightwarmingourtoesandsippingelderwine，hermaidwouldtellusthesimplesecretsofthatbelatedflush。
AftermyfightwithyoungGarvellIwasofcoursebanished，andI
neversawthosepooroldpaintedgoddessesagain。
Thentherecameandwentonthesefloorsoverourrespectfulheads，theCompany；peopleIrarelysaw，butwhosetricksandmannerswereimitatedanddiscussedbytheirmaidsandvaletsinthehousekeeper’sroomandthesteward’sroom——sothatIhadthemthroughamediumatsecondhand。IgatheredthatnoneofthecompanywerereallyLadyDrew’sequals，theyweregreaterandlesserafterthemannerofallthingsinourworld。OnceI
remembertherewasaPrince，withareallivegentlemaninattendance，andthatwasalittleaboveourcustomarylevelsandexcitedusall，andperhapsraisedourexpectationsunduly。
Afterwards，Rabbits，thebutler，cameintomymother’sroomdownstairs，redwithindignationandwithtearsinhiseyes。
“Lookatthat！”gaspedRabbits。Mymotherwasspeechlesswithhorror。Thatwasasovereign，ameresovereign，suchasyoumightgetfromanycommoner！
AfterCompany，Iremember，cameanxiousdays，forthepooroldwomenupstairswerelefttiredandcrossandvindictive，andinastateofphysicalandemotionalindigestionaftertheirsocialefforts。
OnthelowestfringeoftheserealOlympianshungthevicaragepeople，andnexttothemcamethoseambiguousbeingswhoareneitherqualitynorsubjects。ThevicaragepeoplecertainlyholdaplacebythemselvesinthetypicalEnglishscheme；nothingismoreremarkablethantheprogresstheChurchhasmade——socially——inthelasttwohundredyears。Intheearlyeighteenthcenturythevicarwasratherunderthanoverthehouse-steward，andwasdeemedafittingmatchforthehousekeeperoranynottoomorallydiscrediteddiscard。Theeighteenthcenturyliteratureisfullofhiscomplaintsthathemightnotremainattabletosharethepie。Heroseabovetheseindignitiesbecauseoftheabundanceofyoungersons。WhenI
meetthelargeassumptionsofthecontemporarycleric，Iamapttothinkofthesethings。Itiscurioustonotethatto-daythatdown-trodden，organ-playingcreature，theChurchofEnglandvillageSchoolmaster，holdsmuchthesamepositionastheseventeenthcenturyparson。ThedoctorinBladesoverrankedbelowthevicarbutabovethe“vet。”artistsandsummervisitorssqueezedinaboveorbelowthispointaccordingtotheirappearanceandexpenditure，andtheninacarefullyarrangedscalecamethetenantry，thebutlerandhousekeeper，thevillageshopkeeper，theheadkeeper，thecook，thepublican，thesecondkeeper，theblacksmith(whosestatuswascomplicatedbyhisdaughterkeepingthepost-office——andafinehashsheusedtomakeoftelegramstoo！)thevillageshopkeeper’seldestson，thefirstfootman，youngersonsofthevillageshopkeeper，hisfirstassistant，andsoforth。
AlltheseconceptionsandapplicationsofauniversalprecedenceandmuchelseIdrankinatBladesover，asIlistenedtothetalkofvalets，ladies’-maids，Rabbitsthebutlerandmymotherinthemuch-cupboarded，white-painted，chintz-brightenedhousekeeper’sroomwheretheupperservantsassembled，oroffootmenandRabbitsandestatemenofallsortsamongthegreenbaizeandWindsorchairsofthepantry——whereRabbits，beingabovethelaw，soldbeerwithoutalicenseoranycompunction——orofhousemaidsandstill-roommaidsinthebleak，matting-carpetedstill-roomorofthecookandherkitchenmaidsandcasualfriendsamongthebrightcopperandhotglowofthekitchens。
Ofcoursetheirownranksandplacescamebyimplicationtothesepeople，anditwaswiththeranksandplacesoftheOlympiansthatthetalkmainlyconcerneditself。TherewasanoldpeerageandaCrockfordtogetherwiththebooksofrecipes，theWhitaker’sAlmanack，theOldMoore’sAlmanack，andtheeighteenthcenturydictionary，onthelittledresserthatbrokethecupboardsononesideofmymother’sroom；therewasanotherpeerage，withthecoversoff，inthepantry；therewasanewpeerageinthebilliard-room，andIseemtorememberanotherintheanomalousapartmentthatheldtheupperservants’bagatelleboardandinwhich，aftertheHalldinner，theypartookoftheluxuryofsweets。AndifyouhadaskedanyofthoseupperservantshowsuchandsuchaPrinceofBattenbergwasrelatedto，letussay，Mr。CunninghameGrahamortheDukeofArgyle，youwouldhavebeentolduponthenail。Asaboy，Iheardagreatdealofthatsortofthing，andiftothisdayIamstillalittlevagueaboutcourtesytitlesandtheexactapplicationofhonorifics，itis，Icanassureyou，becauseIhardenedmyheart，andnotfromanylackofadequateopportunityofmasteringthesesucculentparticulars。
Dominatingallthesememoriesisthefigureofmymother——mymotherwhodidnotlovemebecauseIgrewlikermyfathereveryday——andwhoknewwithinflexibledecisionherplaceandtheplaceofeveryoneintheworld——excepttheplacethatconcealedmyfather——andinsomedetailsmine。Subtlepointswereputtoher。Icanseeandhearhersayingnow，“No，MissFison，peersofEnglandgoinbeforepeersoftheUnitedKingdom，andheismerelyapeeroftheUnitedKingdom。”Shehadmuchexerciseinplacingpeople’sservantsabouthertea-table，wheretheetiquettewasverystrict。Iwondersometimesiftheetiquetteofhousekeepers’roomsisasstrictto-day，andwhatmymotherwouldhavemadeofachauffeur。
OnthewholeIamgladthatIsawsomuchasIdidofBladesover——iffornootherreasonthanbecauseseeingitwhenI
did，quitenaively，believinginitthoroughly，andthencomingtoanalyseit，hasenabledmetounderstandmuchthatwouldbeabsolutelyincomprehensibleinthestructureofEnglishsociety。
