noblemen and commoners; from the manner in which the tutor spoke about

the significance of being noble, it seemed almost as if he did not

"It is good fortune to be of a family who have distinguished

themselves, and to possess as it were a spur in oneself to advance

to all that is good. It is a splendid thing to belong to a noble

family, whose name serves as a card of admission to the highest

circles. Nobility is a distinction; it is a gold coin that bears the

stamp of its own value. It is the fallacy of the time, and many