"So you do the things you do because that's what you've been taught how to do?"

"We do the things that are needed and that are work for elves!"

"What makes something work for elves in particular?"

"Is not wizard's work, ma'am, is nice and simple so elves can do it, is not making any trouble for the family..."

"Well, what makes something wizards' work?"

"Writing books would be wizard's work, ma'am, or doing spells."

"Those are good examples, but how would you tell if some brand new thing was wizards' work or not?"

"Niblet is not knowing, ma'am. If wizards were needing elves to do it then it would be elves' work."

"Why is it that you always work directly for wizard families?"

"Some elves are working at Hogwarts, ma'am."

"Of course, my mistake. But there are no house elves who run a little shop and sell things to wizards, or anything like that."

"That would not be elves' work, ma'am, no."

"People find it useful to have things available in shops. It's the wrong kind of useful?"

"Elves should not be having money, ma'am, it is no good at all."

"Can you keep accounts for your family and fetch them their coins and so on?"

"That is not having money. That an elf could be doing."

"So elves could manage a shop as long as they didn't own it?"

"Elves are not doing that. Maybe it is not elves' work for more reasons than Niblet is thinking of. But that at least would not be having the problem with money, if elves were doing that."

Nod. "Why shouldn't elves have money? Quendi used to not have money, but later we decided it was a good idea."

"It is not the place of elves, ma'am."

"The place?"

"Wizards are having money, and wands, and being free. Elves are not."

"Are those three things related, or a coincidence?"

"Niblet thinks they go together. An elf who thought it was their place to be having money might think they could be having a wand, or -" lowered voice - "being free."

"What about Muggles, or other magical creatures? They don't have wands, but they can have money and be free."