His mother must have been common! Don't deny it--the thing's obvious! I don't speak on my own account, though a person of my years has a right to respectful treatment, but YOU--how do YOU manage to put up with his bad manners?
For though I don't want to flatter myself, I've always taught you how to behave, and among our own people you always enjoyed the best possible advice.

We were all very well bred in our family, weren't we now ?" Nana used never to protest but would listen with bowed head.
"Then, too," continued the aunt, "you've only known perfect gentlemen hitherto.

We were talking of that very topic with Zoe at my place yesterday evening.

She can't understand it any more than I can.

'How is it,' she said, 'that Madame, who used to have that perfect gentleman, Monsieur le Comte, at her beck and call'-- for between you and me, it seems you drove him silly--'how is it that Madame lets herself be made into mincemeat by that clown of a fellow ?' I remarked at the time that you might put up with the beatings but that I would never have allowed him to be lacking in proper respect.