I found this on wikipedia: A useful man or houseman is a male servant ranking below a footman but above a hall boy.
Unlike the footman, the useful man never enters the dining room or waits personally on the master of the house.
The term houseman should be distinguished from houseboy, a usually adult male servant of higher rank.
It looks like the houseman isn't authorized to answer the phone. But he sure was a source of comfort to the weekend manager, and calmed him greatly. All questions were answered when the houseman spoke. He's all-seeing. An oracle, even. All praise the houseman!
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ninetydegrees
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A useful man or houseman is a male servant ranking below a footman but above a hall boy.
Unlike the footman, the useful man never enters the dining room or waits personally on the master of the house.
The term houseman should be distinguished from houseboy, a usually adult male servant of higher rank.
It looks like the houseman isn't authorized to answer the phone. But he sure was a source of comfort to the weekend manager, and calmed him greatly. All questions were answered when the houseman spoke. He's all-seeing. An oracle, even. All praise the houseman!