"I am. It is pre-eminently a woman's question, and this is a great
opportunity. I shall talk to every one. Little Pettitt, the hair-
dresser, has some ground there, and he is the most intelligent of
the tradesmen. I gave him one of those excellent little hand-bills,
put forth by the Social Science Committee, on sanitary arrangements.
I thought of asking you to join us in ordering some down, and never
letting a woman leave our work-room without one."
"You couldn't do better, I am sure," said Lady Tyrrell; "only,
what's the use of preaching to the poor creatures to live in good
houses, when their landlords won't build them, and they must live
somewhere?"
"Make them coerce the landlords," said Mrs. Duncombe; "that's the
only way. Upheave the masses from beneath."
"But that's an earthquake," said Cecil.
"Earthquakes are sometimes wholesome."
"But the process is not so agreeable that we had not rather avert
it," said Lady Tyrrell.
"All ours at Dunstone are model cottages," said Cecil; "it is my
father's great hobby."
"Squires' hobbies are generally like the silver trough the lady gave
her sow," said Mrs.
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