A butler and two footmen he looked upon as perfectly indispensable
to receiving company. He chose to have two footmen to follow the butler,
who followed the gentleman to the spacious flight of steps leading from the
great hall to the portico, as he mounted his horse. The world is governed a
good deal by appearances. Mr. Jawleyford started life with two most
unimpeachable Johns. They were nearly six feet high, heads well up, and
legs that might have done for models for a sculptor. They powdered with the
greatest propriety, and by two o'clock each day were silk-stockinged and
pumped in full-dress Jawleyford livery; sky-blue coats with massive silver
_aiguillettes_, and broad silver seams down the front and round their
waistcoat-pocket flaps; silver garters at their crimson plush breeches'
knees: and thus attired, they were ready to turn out with the butler to
receive visitors, and conduct them back to their carriages. Gradually they
came down in style, but not in number, and, when Mr. Sponge visited Mr.
Jawleyford, he had a sort of out-of-door man-of-all-work who metamorphosed
himself into a second footman at short notice.
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