"Mrs. Blickwick is quite correct," Ophelia said approvingly. There were a myriad of benefits to having live-in servants, she thought. Having them close at hand was only the most material consideration. It also inspired something of a sense of loyalty and camaraderie amongst the servants, Ophelia believed, to have them all just down the hall from each other. A maid who lived with her employers would be less likely to steal, for one thing, since she'd have to squirrel her contraband away in her room instead of spiriting it away to the outside world every evening. Other issues of morality were similarly affected — a maid who lived in the servants' quarters would run into a good deal of difficulty in getting herself unexpectedly pregnant, for instance. It had never been relevant in Ophelia's personal life, but she had heard plenty of stories of servants being dismissed for those or similar reasons.

"Your qualifications seem quite correct," Ophelia said, setting aside the letter from the Blickwick school. "The next matter is one of personality — whether you'll fit in with the existing staff. I know you don't have employment references, but do you have any character references? Friends or family would do," she said. She did not anticipate that this would be problematic. Anyone could find someone who thought highly of them — but it might be telling to see who she selected for the task, and what adjectives they used in describing her.