Domestic Scenes. A Novel.
Author Details
Surname:Blair
First Names:Mrs Alexander
Gender:Female
Anonymous:No
Publication Details
Publisher:Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row.
Place:London
Date:1820
Novel Details
Genre:Courtship; didactic/moralising; domestic; inheritance/identity; manners/society
Setting:Hampshire; country house; priory
Period:Contemporary
Plot
This novel centres around the virtuous Villiers family, particularly the daughters, Sofia and Emily. The former is recently widowed, and has come home to live with her parents. On discovering that her husband was responsible for the maintenance of his sister's illegitimate child, Sofia decides to take the child - Agatha - and bring her up. She is supported in this by her husband's best friend, Arundel, whom she later marries. There are other interlinked tales of illegitimacy, and several unfeasible coincidental meetings which reveal the origins of these offspring. The fashionable social scene is an important aspect of this novel, seen through the eyes of Emily when she visits her Aunt Valancort for an extended stay in London. The superficiality and extravagance of fashionable society circles is given harsh treatment from a moral standpoint (particularly gambling and debt), and the Aunt learns to amend her values towards the end of the novel. Many sub-stories and quite a lot of intrigue (women concealing marriages, for example).
Overview of the Dialect
Victoire has French accent (e.g. p. 36); French language (e.g. p 9); Winny, who is Welsh, has marked dialogue (e.g. p. 75, p. 96). There is also some interesting metalanguage: Scots is described as 'incomprehensible' (p. 343; 348); and a laird's wife refuses to adopt English.
Speaker #1:Madamoiselle Victoire - French Maid
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:A French waiting-woman
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - young
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Central
Dialect Features:Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction
Social Role
Social Role Description:French Maid
Social Role Category:Servant
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:French
Place of Origin Category:France
Speakers: All , Madamoiselle Victoire
Madamoiselle Victoire, a French waiting-woman, whom Mrs. Delmere had engaged in Portugal, on her own maid's objecting to continue among the "dirt and vermin, and bad living to which she was there exposed, which no mortal creature could away with ," she said, " as was'nt born and bred a heathen like all them outlandish papishes ." So Mrs, Harrison was sent home--and Mademoiselle Victoire, who had been left on the Pave by the death of a French countess whom she served, taken in her stead.
" Madame n'en reviendra jamais " she said. " Figurez vous, Monsieur, qu'elle n'a pas jette un pauvre coup-d'oeil sur le miroir, depuis que je suis a son service; et tous les jours ce maudit closs-cap! et cette vilaine robe delaine! et croiriez vous encore qu'elle s'en est fait faire une douzaine! et qu'elle dit qu'elle n'en portera jamais d'autre! par ma foi jen'y tiens plus; il y a de quoi en mourir "
(Vol. 1,p. 10)" Madame n'en reviendra jamais " she said. " Figurez vous, Monsieur, qu'elle n'a pas jette un pauvre coup-d'oeil sur le miroir, depuis que je suis a son service; et tous les jours ce maudit closs-cap! et cette vilaine robe delaine! et croiriez vous encore qu'elle s'en est fait faire une douzaine! et qu'elle dit qu'elle n'en portera jamais d'autre! par ma foi jen'y tiens plus; il y a de quoi en mourir "
Speaker #2:Winny - Maid
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Agatha's maid / nurse
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:1st person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Maid
Social Role Category:Servant
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Welsh
Place of Origin Category:Wales
The grand impediment to rapid improvement lay with Winny, " Cot pless hur soul, hur was not of marple , to hear her poor little tear missy cry so long and hart -- preak a plood fessel may pe and tie !--no inteet , Matam Telmere 's must not expect hur can to so!"
(Vol. 1,p. 96)Extract #2 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
"Well, ton't cry missy tear ," said Winny, "I will peg Matam Telmere 's not let you go."
"Now Winny, how can you be so foolish; I tell you she must go," cried Katty, "But I won't then!" exclaimed Agatha, passionately.
(Vol. 1,p. 132)"Now Winny, how can you be so foolish; I tell you she must go," cried Katty, "But I won't then!" exclaimed Agatha, passionately.
Every word addressed to her, instead of producing an answer, made her draw a little farther back till she got quite behind Winny, who on her part, by way of encouragement, went on saying, "Oh fie! missy tear ! how can you pehave so pat ? 'tis shame! look up and speak, if not your aunt will whip--I must call plack man take you away." At every fresh threat the poor child's terror increased, till she at length burst into a violent passion of tears, hiding her face in Winny's petticoat.
(Vol. 1,p. 74-5)Speaker #3:Will - Valet
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Arundel's valet
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:1st person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Valet
Social Role Category:Servant
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Probably Hampshire (setting of novel), but not specified
Place of Origin Category:Hampshire, South East England, England
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Will pleaded his claim to forgiveness on the score of its being the first offence of the kind he had ever committed, and he said, " as it was all along o' drinking Madam Delmere's health he had been a little overtaken , he hoped his honour would be pleased to overlook it."
"And why Mrs. Delmere's health in particular?" Sir Edward asked, rather struck with the look that accompanied these words.
"I don't know your honour-- maphap on account o' my being your servant like --I hope no offence--"
"What has your being my servant to do with drinking Mrs. Delmere's health?"
Delighted to have his tongue set loose (for the melancholy that had seized upon Sir Edward had precluded all unnecessary communication, even with his own valet, which was the reason of his total ignorance of the reports so authoritatively circulated in the neighbourhood of the Priory) Will now proceeded to inform his master of all he had been told; in confidence, indeed; but that the 'potations deep' which had deprived him of the use of his limbs, had also obliterated from his memory; and he ended with saying, "All the servants was a looking for the second year of Madam Delmere's mourning being up like , for the marriage ceremony; seeing they was sure as madam would never go for to lay by her affliction for the Colonel, till her two years was fairly out, because she were so much more worser in her grief, nor widow ladies be now a-days; and that was what made her so mortal mad with Mamosel when she axed her about it like ."
Sir Edward was confounded. --Will proceeded to petition "for being her ladyship's body coachman like ."
But his master, who had suffered him to run on, merely from being too much engrossed by his agitation to think of stopping him, now angrily interrupted his speech, with a peremptory command to let him hear no more of such nonsense, and dismissing Will, he betook himself to ruminate upon what he had heard.
(Vol. 1,p. 261-4)"And why Mrs. Delmere's health in particular?" Sir Edward asked, rather struck with the look that accompanied these words.
"I don't know your honour-- maphap on account o' my being your servant like --I hope no offence--"
"What has your being my servant to do with drinking Mrs. Delmere's health?"
Delighted to have his tongue set loose (for the melancholy that had seized upon Sir Edward had precluded all unnecessary communication, even with his own valet, which was the reason of his total ignorance of the reports so authoritatively circulated in the neighbourhood of the Priory) Will now proceeded to inform his master of all he had been told; in confidence, indeed; but that the 'potations deep' which had deprived him of the use of his limbs, had also obliterated from his memory; and he ended with saying, "All the servants was a looking for the second year of Madam Delmere's mourning being up like , for the marriage ceremony; seeing they was sure as madam would never go for to lay by her affliction for the Colonel, till her two years was fairly out, because she were so much more worser in her grief, nor widow ladies be now a-days; and that was what made her so mortal mad with Mamosel when she axed her about it like ."
Sir Edward was confounded. --Will proceeded to petition "for being her ladyship's body coachman like ."
But his master, who had suffered him to run on, merely from being too much engrossed by his agitation to think of stopping him, now angrily interrupted his speech, with a peremptory command to let him hear no more of such nonsense, and dismissing Will, he betook himself to ruminate upon what he had heard.
Speaker #4:Mrs Carstairs - Widow of Laird
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Old woman
Gender:Female
Age:Adult - elderly
Narrative Voice:1st person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Metalanguage, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Widow of Laird
Social Role Category:Aristocracy or gentry
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Scotland
Place of Origin Category:Scotland
Extract #1 dialect features: Metalanguage
Speakers: All , Mrs Carstairs
Katty now on the tiptoe of expectation, called all her sagacity to her aid, but to fittie purpose; the mild demeanour of Mrs. Fitzclare, and the incomprehensible dialect of Mrs. Carstairs, equally baffled her penetration, though she clearly perceived they were very deep, and she was sure the old one talked such unintelligible gibberish, for fear of what she might betray if she spoke plain English.
(Vol. 1,p. 348)Extract #2 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Metalanguage, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
"Do come, aunty!" cried Agatha, "she is such a nice old lady!- -and talks so funny, you can't think. "
The stranger led the way to her mother's apartment, where a venerable, fair-skinned, benevolent-looking woman, of near eighty, sat in an arm-chair, in a coif and pinners, with a close black dress buttoned up to her chin, and her foot wrapped in flannel, raised upon a stool.She bowed with her head, and pointed to her foot as an apology for not rising to receive her visitors.
"I have engaged this charming invalid to take some of our wine and hot water, mother, to save her to get cold from being so wet."
" Hoot Marget! ye maun gar the braw lassie tak a drap Usquebaugh --it ell due her mickle mair gude ," was the reply.
"You are surprised," said the daughter to Sophia, "to hear my mother's good broad Scotch--my bad accent did make you expect French--did it not?"
Sophia, though colouring with a sense of her own ill-breeding in having betrayed by a start, her surprise at the old woman's uncouth phraseology, playfully replied, "Certainly, mother and daughter do not appear to have studied language in the same school."
" Deed , madam, that's just Marget's misfortun , though ye'll may be think I might ha' learnt better wha ha' resided at Orleans ever since the forty-five ; but my peur Drumfichen wadna let me sully the purity o' my dialeck aws 'gen I were ashamed o't. He aye tell't me a right true-born Scot's laird's wife sud pride hersel i' the language o' her country aws weel's on aw thing else belonging tull't . " "I honour the maxim," said Sophia, "and have, indeed, felt half angry at the pains taken by many Scotch ladies to affect our pronunciation, which can never seem natural, in lieu of their own, which I have often admired as graceful and pretty."
"Ah madam! I've no mat wi' mony o' yer countrywomen sae rawtional i' their opeenions ; deed ! it's the rudeness o' laughing at my language that gars me no to be unka wulling to unclose my lips to strangers- - wull ye tak a puckle sneeshing , madam?" opening her snuffbox.Agatha, who had long been on the titter, now burst into a loud laugh, repeating " Puckle sneeshing ! Puckle sneeshing ! how funny! what does it mean?"
Sophia looked hurt; but the old lady good-humouredly interrupting the reproof she saw rising to her lips, said, "Weel a weel , madam! it's no the like o' this bonnie bairn that 'ell mortify me -- its no the laugh o' ignorance I'll shrink frae âits the laugh o' aurogance I canna awa wi ."
The word ignorance struck upon Agatha's ear, as implying some sort of reprimand, though she did not altogether understand it, and she looked abashed, which the good old lady perceiving, held out the snuff-box for her to look at, and set her at ease again.
[some narrative omitted]
Sophia expressed her surprise at the total absence of Scotch dialect in the daughter, who accounted for it by her having been born and educated in France, where she had married an Irish officer in the French service: his name was Fitzclare, she said; and she was now a widow as well as her mother.
[some narrative omitted]
" Deed madam! she just destroys hersel wi' her care o' me--I canna get her tak air or exerceese , and I fear me I'll just outlive my sole remaining comfort--for I'm fully stronger nor she I wot âthough it 'ell be hard gen siccane misfortune as that dinna gar my auld heart-strings crack!" And tears filled the poor old woman's eyes.
"Might we not succeed in prevailing upon her to take an airing with us, if we were to call in the barouche?" Emily asked.
" Deed my gude young lady, I canna just say ye wad succeedâbut the trial o't wad be an unco kindness tull my poor bairn ."
(Vol. 1,p. 339-46)The stranger led the way to her mother's apartment, where a venerable, fair-skinned, benevolent-looking woman, of near eighty, sat in an arm-chair, in a coif and pinners, with a close black dress buttoned up to her chin, and her foot wrapped in flannel, raised upon a stool.She bowed with her head, and pointed to her foot as an apology for not rising to receive her visitors.
"I have engaged this charming invalid to take some of our wine and hot water, mother, to save her to get cold from being so wet."
" Hoot Marget! ye maun gar the braw lassie tak a drap Usquebaugh --it ell due her mickle mair gude ," was the reply.
"You are surprised," said the daughter to Sophia, "to hear my mother's good broad Scotch--my bad accent did make you expect French--did it not?"
Sophia, though colouring with a sense of her own ill-breeding in having betrayed by a start, her surprise at the old woman's uncouth phraseology, playfully replied, "Certainly, mother and daughter do not appear to have studied language in the same school."
" Deed , madam, that's just Marget's misfortun , though ye'll may be think I might ha' learnt better wha ha' resided at Orleans ever since the forty-five ; but my peur Drumfichen wadna let me sully the purity o' my dialeck aws 'gen I were ashamed o't. He aye tell't me a right true-born Scot's laird's wife sud pride hersel i' the language o' her country aws weel's on aw thing else belonging tull't . " "I honour the maxim," said Sophia, "and have, indeed, felt half angry at the pains taken by many Scotch ladies to affect our pronunciation, which can never seem natural, in lieu of their own, which I have often admired as graceful and pretty."
"Ah madam! I've no mat wi' mony o' yer countrywomen sae rawtional i' their opeenions ; deed ! it's the rudeness o' laughing at my language that gars me no to be unka wulling to unclose my lips to strangers- - wull ye tak a puckle sneeshing , madam?" opening her snuffbox.Agatha, who had long been on the titter, now burst into a loud laugh, repeating " Puckle sneeshing ! Puckle sneeshing ! how funny! what does it mean?"
Sophia looked hurt; but the old lady good-humouredly interrupting the reproof she saw rising to her lips, said, "Weel a weel , madam! it's no the like o' this bonnie bairn that 'ell mortify me -- its no the laugh o' ignorance I'll shrink frae âits the laugh o' aurogance I canna awa wi ."
The word ignorance struck upon Agatha's ear, as implying some sort of reprimand, though she did not altogether understand it, and she looked abashed, which the good old lady perceiving, held out the snuff-box for her to look at, and set her at ease again.
[some narrative omitted]
Sophia expressed her surprise at the total absence of Scotch dialect in the daughter, who accounted for it by her having been born and educated in France, where she had married an Irish officer in the French service: his name was Fitzclare, she said; and she was now a widow as well as her mother.
[some narrative omitted]
" Deed madam! she just destroys hersel wi' her care o' me--I canna get her tak air or exerceese , and I fear me I'll just outlive my sole remaining comfort--for I'm fully stronger nor she I wot âthough it 'ell be hard gen siccane misfortune as that dinna gar my auld heart-strings crack!" And tears filled the poor old woman's eyes.
"Might we not succeed in prevailing upon her to take an airing with us, if we were to call in the barouche?" Emily asked.
" Deed my gude young lady, I canna just say ye wad succeedâbut the trial o't wad be an unco kindness tull my poor bairn ."
Speaker #5:Bonaire - An attached Swiss servant
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Swiss servant
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:1st person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:An attached Swiss servant
Social Role Category:Servant
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:
Place of Origin Category:Switzerland
"Not come in, and, I much fear, will not soon," said Bonaire, who was an attached Swiss servant Mr. Valacort had brought from abroad.
"What do you mean?"
"Did Madame give order for one trunk be sent to de villa at Richmond?"
"No; what should I order a trunk there for just now?"
"Ah, well! dat I was afear ; it will be her own trunk."
"What should she be gone there for?"
(Vol. 2,p. 187)"What do you mean?"
"Did Madame give order for one trunk be sent to de villa at Richmond?"
"No; what should I order a trunk there for just now?"
"Ah, well! dat I was afear ; it will be her own trunk."
"What should she be gone there for?"