letters:
"The Elms, Underwood, Highcombe." Underwood was the name of the village.
Minnie and Chatty repeated it aloud; and one recoiled a few steps, while
the other turned upon Lizzie with wide-open, horrified eyes. "The Elms!
Lizzie, you are not going there!"

"That's what I say, miss," cried Mrs. Bagley with delight; "that's what
I tells her. Out o' respect to her other customers she couldn't go
there!"

"To the Elms!" repeated Minnie. She became pale with the horror of the
idea. "I can only say, Lizzie, in that case, that mamma would certainly
never employ you again. Charlotte and I might be sorry as having known
you all our lives, but we could do nothing against mamma. And Mrs.
Wilberforce too," she added. "You may be sure she would do the same. The
Elms--why, no respectable person--I should think not even the Vidlers
and the Drivers----"

"That is what I tells her, miss,--that's exactly what I tells
her--nobody--much less madam at the Warren, or the young ladies as
you're so fond of: that's what I tells her every day."

Lizzie, whose forehead had been puckered up all this time into a frown,
which entirely changed the character of her soft face, here declared
with some vehemence that she had never said she was going to the
Elms,--never! Though when folks asked her civilly, and keeping a
lady's-maid and all, and dressing beautiful, and nothing proved against
them, who was she that she should say she wouldn't go? "And I thought it
might be such a good thing for granny, who is always complaining of bad
times, if she could get their custom. It's a house where nothing isn't
spared," said Lizzie; "even in the servants' hall the best tea and
everything." She was fond of the young ladies, but at such an opportunity
not to give them a gentle blow in passing was beyond the power of woman;
for not even in the drawing-room did the gentlefolks at the Warren drink
the best tea.

"I wouldn't have their custom, not if it was offered to me," said Mrs.
Bagley with vehemence. "And everybody knows as every single thing they
have comes from Highcombe, if not London. I hope as they mayn't find an
empty nest some fine morning, and all the birds away. It would serve
that nasty Molasis right, as is always taking the bread out of country
folk's mouth."

"That's just what I was thinking, granny," said the girl. "If I'd gone
it would have been chiefly for your sake. But since the young ladies and
you are both so set against it, I can'