Who wouldn't understand the meaning of these words?
Isn't it obvious that it's asking his own wife to teach the wife of the heir the household management, so that once the wife of the heir learns it, his own wife would have to step down and yield?
His own wife, at least, is the Duchess, with no children under her care. The dignity she enjoys today is not only due to the respect from Lord Duke but also because she holds the household management authority.
If the wife of the heir were the biological daughter-in-law, it might be acceptable. But instead, the heir wasn't even born of his own wife's womb, let alone the daughter-in-law?
It's just a matter of face!
Now, it seems like his own wife gets along well with the wife of the heir because she holds significant power. If the authority is given away, and his wife has no children, what will happen in the future? What about these servants?
