“You must keep thinking about the time，my dear，and not allow yourself to forget it in conversation.”
As everybody had this rule in their minds，whether they received or paid a call，of course no absorbing subject wasever spoken about.We kept ourselves to short sentences of small talk，and were punctual to our time.
I imagine that a few of the gentlefolks of Cranford were poor，and had some difficulty in making both ends meet；but they were like the Spartans，and concealed their smart under a smiling face.We none of us spoke of money，because that subject savoured of commerce and trade；and though some might be poor，we were all aristocratic.The Cranfordians had that kindly esprit de corps which made them overlook all deficiencies in success when some among them tried to conceal their poverty.When Mrs.Forrester，for instance，gave a party in her babyhouse of a dwelling，and the little maiden disturbed the ladies on the sofa by a request that she might get the teatray out from underneath，every one took this novel proceeding as the most natural thing in the world，and talked on about household forms and ceremonies as if we all believed that our hostess had a regular servants’hall，second table，with housekeeper and steward，instead of the one little charityschool maiden，whose short ruddy arms could never have been strong enough to carry the tray upstairs，if she had not been assisted in private by her mistress，who now sat in state，pretending not to know what cakes were sent up，though she knew，and we knew，and she knew that we knew，and we knew that she knew that we knew，she had been busy all morning making teabread and spongecakes.
There were one or two consequences arising fromthis general but unacknowledged poverty，and this very much acknowledged gentility，which were not amiss，andwhich might be introduced into many circles of society to their great improvement.For instance，the inhabitants of Cranford kept early hours，and clattered home in their pattens，under the guidance of a lanternbearer，about nine o‘clock at night；and the whole town was abed and asleep by halfpast ten.Moreover，it was considered “vulgar “（a tremendous word in Cranford）to give anything expensive，in the way of eatable or drinkable，at the evening entertainments.Wafer breadandbutter and spongebiscuits were all that the Honourable Mrs.Jamieson gave；and she was sisterinlaw to the late Earl of Glenmire，although she did practise such “elegant economy.”
“Elegant economy！”How naturally one falls back into the phraseology of Cranford！There，economy was always “elegant，”and moneyspending always “vulgar and ostentatious；”a sort of sourgrapeism which made us very peaceful and satisfied.I never shall forget the dismay felt when a certain Captain Brown came to live at Cranford，and openly spoke about his being poornot in a whisper to an intimate friend，the doors and windows being previously closed，but in the public street，in a loud military voice，alleging his poverty as a reason for not taking a particular house.The ladies of Cranford were already rather moaning over the invasion of their territories by a man and a gentleman.He was a halfpay captain，and had obtained some situation on a neighbouring railway，which had been vehemently petitioned against by the little town；and if，in addition to his masculine gender，and his connection with theobnoxious railway，he was so brazen as to talk of being poorwhy，then，indeed，he must be sent to Coventry.Death was as true and as common as poverty；yet people never spoke about that loud out in the streets.It was a word not to be mentioned to ears polite.We had tacitly agreed to ignore that any with whom we associated on terms of visiting equality could ever be prevented by poverty from doing anything that they wished.If we walked to or from a party，it was because the night was so fine，or the air so refreshing，not because sedanchairs were expensive.If we wore prints instead of summer silks，it was because we preferred a washing material；and so on，till we blinded ourselves to the vulgar fact that we were，all of us，people of very moderate means.Of course，then，we did not know what to make of a man who could speak of poverty as if it was not a disgrace.Yet，somehow，Captain Brown made himself respected in Cranford，and was called upon，in spite of all resolutions to the contrary.
Mrs.Gaskell
