?The incidental expenses are so heavy" she confides inquiring friends is the speaker? What is she referring to here?
Mrs. Packletide is the speaker. Her paid companion Louisa Mebbin knew that Packletide was unworthy of the honour received for having killed a tiger. She feared that Mebbin would reveal the truth of the tiger’s death. She had to please Mebbin who exploited the situation. The money spent on Mebbin is referred to as incidental expenses.