"Oh，gracious，mama! Spare us the enumeration! Au reste，we all know them: danger of bad example to innocence of childhood; distractions and consequent neglect of duty on the part of the attached- mutual alliance and reliance; confidence thence resulting- insolence acpanying- mutiny and general blowup. Am I right，Baroness Ingram，of Ingram park?"

"My lily-flower，you are right now，as always."

"Then no more need be said: change the subject."

Amy Eshton，not hearing or not heeding this dictum，joined in with her soft，infantine tone: "Louisa and I used to quiz our governess too; but she was such a good creature，she would bear anything: nothing put her out. She was never cross with us; was she，Louisa?"

"No，never: we might do what we pleased; ransack her desk and her workbox，and turn her drawers inside out; and she was so good-natured，she would give us anything we asked for."

"I suppose，now," said Miss Ingram，curling her lip sarcastically，"we shall have an abstract of the memoirs of all the governesses extant: in order to avert such a visitation，I again move the introduction of a new topic. Mr. Rochester，do you second my motion?"

"Madam，I support you on this point，as on every other."

"Then on me be the onus of bringing it forward. Signior Eduardo，are you in voice to-night?"

"Donna Bianca，if you mand it，I will be."

"Then，signior，I lay on you my sovereign behest to furbish up your lungs and other vocal organs，as they will be wanted on my royal service."

"Who would not be the Rizzio of so divine a Mary?"