He is a very prideful man, yet at the same time he invests his efforts and his own safety in the well being of his men and his family.
Answer:
The Colonel offers a solution: if Mrs. Peaceful comes to work for his wife as her lady’s maid, the family can remain in the cottage. As the Colonel leaves, Mrs. Peaceful cries, and the children gather round to comfort her, singing “Oranges and Lemons” loudly so that the Colonel can hear them.
It could be cheeky/satirical
In the phrase, Ladies, gentlewomen, and other inferior women, but not less worthy, the word <em>inferior </em>refers to women of lower social class.