I N T R O D U C T I O N

sshowninalltheirdealing,internationalandcommercialandtruththeyhavealwaysfoundalittleugly.IhaveafriendwholatelywroteastoryoftheLondonpoor,andhiscriticswereproperlydisgustedbecausehischaractersdroppedtheiraitchesandoftenusedbadlanguage,anddidnotbehaveaselegantlyasmightbeexpectedfromtheexampletheywerecontinuallyreceivingfromtheirbetterswhilesomeofhisreaderswereshockedtofindthatpeopleexistedinthisworldwhodidnotpossessthedelicacyandrefinementwhichtheyfeltpalpitatingintheirownbosoms.TheauthorforgotthatTruthisanakedlady,andthatnudityisalwaysshameful,unlessitpointsamoral.IfTruthhastakenupherabodeatthebottomofawell,itisclearlybecausesheisconsciousthatsheisnofitcompanionfordecentpeople. Iampainfullyawarethatthepersonsofthisdramawerenotactuatedbythemoralsentiments,whichtheymighthaveacquiredbyeducationatareallygoodEnglishpublicschool,butonemayfindexcuseforthemintherecollectionthattheirdeedstookplacefourhundredyearsago,andthattheywerenotwretchedpaupers,butpersonsoftheveryhighestrank.Iftheysinned,theysinnedelegantly,andmuchmaybeforgiventopeoplewhosepedigreeisabovesuspicion