The Man in Possession — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

14 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. many, to manage the housekeeping on almost noth- ing a year; to manage Biddy, the Irish servant, who had only two special virtues—attachment to the family, and cleanliness ; to manage irate tradespeople, who were always wanting money and threatening to stop supplies; to manage her own toilettes, and make, turn and alter dresses and bonnets, and other necessary articles as best she could. She had not to manage her father’s wardrobe, how- ever, as he contrived to do that himself with con- siderable skill, and some considerable change of tailors. He always impressed upon her that it was an absolute necessity he should be well dressed, with strict observance of the prevailing ‘‘ mode” as repre- sented by Piccadilly and the Park. But then he was a member of a fashionable club, and that institution has naturally its little exactions. And this had been Kate's life. As for her education, that had been picked up anyhow, and anywhere. She had learnt French when they stayed for six months in Brussels. German in similar fashion, dur- ing an enforced residence in a small, cheap little town on the Rhine. As for music, that seemed to come naturally to her, andshe had needed very little instruction indeed, The dreary technicalities once mastered, the rest was easy. And now she was twenty years old ! It seemed a very long time to her—very, very long. In all that time she had never been to a ball, never possessed a confidential friend—and never had a lover. Saying this is tantamount to saying she lacked COMicloe (Sri C(O)