hand　behind　her；　held　mine　in　it；　until　we　came　near　to　where　he
  was　standing　in　the　garden；　where　she　let　mine　go；　and　drew　hers
  through　his　arm。
  It　was　Miss　Murdstone　who　was　arrived；　and　a　gloomy…looking
  lady　she　was；　dark；　like　her　brother；　whom　she　greatly　resembled
  in　face　and　voice；　and　with　very　heavy　eyebrows；　nearly　meeting
  over　her　large　nose；　as　if；　being　disabled　by　the　wrongs　of　her　sex
  from　wearing　whiskers；　she　had　carried　them　to　that　account。　She
  brought　with　her　two　uncompromising　hard　black　boxes；　with　her
  initials　on　the　lids　in　hard　brass　nails。　When　she　paid　the
  coachman　she　took　her　money　out　of　a　hard　steel　purse；　and　she
  kept　the　purse　in　a　very　jail　of　a　bag　which　hung　upon　her　arm　by
  a　heavy　chain；　and　shut　up　like　a　bite。　I　had　never；　at　that　time；
  seen　such　a　metallic　lady　altogether　as　Miss　Murdstone　was。
  She　was　brought　into　the　parlour　with　many　tokens　of　welcome；
  and　there　formally　recognized　my　mother　as　a　new　and　near
  relation。　Then　she　looked　at　me；　and　said：
  ‘Is　that　your　boy；　sister…in…law？’
  My　mother　acknowledged　me。
  ‘Generally　speaking；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　‘I　don’t　like　boys。
  How　d’ye　do；　boy？’
  Under　these　encouraging　circumstances；　I　replied　that　I　was
  very　well；　and　that　I　hoped　she　was　the　same；　with　such　an
  indifferent　grace；　that　Miss　Murdstone　disposed　of　me　in　two
  words：
  ‘Wants　manner！’
  Having　uttered　which；　with　great　distinctness；　she　begged　the
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  favour　of　being　shown　to　her　room；　which　became　to　me　from　that
  time　forth　a　place　of　awe　and　dread；　wherein　the　two　black　boxes
  were　never　seen　open　or　known　to　be　left　unlocked；　and　where　（for
  I　peeped　in　once　or　twice　when　she　was　out）　numerous　little　steel
  fetters　and　rivets；　with　which　Miss　Murdstone　embellished　herself
  when　she　was　dressed；　generally　hung　upon　the　looking…glass　in
  formidable　array。
  As　well　as　I　could　make　out；　she　had　come　for　good；　and　had　no
  intention　of　ever　going　again。　She　began　to　‘help’　my　mother　next
  morning；　and　was　in　and　out　of　the　store…closet　all　day；　putting
  things　to　rights；　and　making　havoc　in　the　old　arrangements。
  Almost　the　first　remarkable　thing　I　observed　in　Miss　Murdstone
  was；　her　being　constantly　haunted　by　a　suspicion　that　the　servants
  had　a　man　secreted　somewhere　on　the　premises。　Under　the
  influence　of　this　delusion；　she　dived　into　the　coal…cellar　at　the　most
  untimely　hours；　and　scarcely　ever　opened　the　door　of　a　dark
  cupboard　without　clapping　it　to　again；　in　the　belief　that　she　had
  got　him。
  Though　there　was　nothing　very　airy　about　Miss　Murdstone；　she
  was　a　perfect　Lark　in　point　of　getting　up。　She　was　up　（and；　as　I
  believe　to　this　hour；　looking　for　that　man）　before　anybody　in　the
  house　was　stirring。　Peggotty　gave　it　as　her　opinion　that　she　even
  slept　with　one　eye　open；　but　I　could　not　concur　in　this　idea；　for　I
  tried　it　myself　after　hearing　the　suggestion　thrown　out；　and　found
  it　couldn’t　be　done。
  On　the　very　first　morning　after　her　arrival　she　was　up　and
  ringing　her　bell　at　cock…crow。　When　my　mother　came　down　to
  breakfast　and　was　going　to　make　the　tea；　Miss　Murdstone　gave　her
  a　kind　of　peck　on　the　cheek；　which　was　her　nearest　approach　to　a
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  kiss；　and　said：
  ‘Now；　Clara；　my　dear；　I　am　come　here；　you　know；　to　relieve　you
  of　all　the　trouble　I　can。　You’re　much　too　pretty　and　thoughtless’—
  my　mother　blushed　but　laughed；　and　seemed　not　to　dislike　this
  character—‘to　have　any　duties　imposed　upon　you　that　can　be
  undertaken　by　me。　If　you’ll　be　so　good　as　give　me　your　keys；　my
  dear；　I’ll　attend　to　all　this　sort　of　thing　in　future。’
  From　that　time；　Miss　Murdstone　kept　the　keys　in　her　own　little
  jail　all　day；　and　under　her　pillow　all　night；　and　my　mother　had　no
  more　to　do　with　them　than　I　had。
  My　mother　did　not　suffer　her　authority　to　pass　from　her　without
  a　shadow　of　protest。　One　night　when　Miss　Murdstone　had　been
  developing　certain　household　plans　to　her　brother；　of　which　he
  signified　his　approbation；　my　mother　suddenly　began　to　cry；　and
  said　she　thought　she　might　have　been　consulted。
  ‘Clara！’　said　Mr。　Murdstone　sternly。　‘Clara！　I　wonder　at　you。’
  ‘Oh；　it’s　very　well　to　say　you　wonder；　Edward！’　cried　my　mother；
  ‘and　it’s　very　well　for　you　to　talk　about　firmness；　but　you　wouldn’t
  like　it　yourself。’
  Firmness；　I　may　observe；　was　the　grand　quality　on　which　both
  Mr。　and　Miss　Murdstone　took　their　stand。　However　I　might　have
  expressed　my　comprehension　of　it　at　that　time；　if　I　had　been　called
  upon；　I　nevertheless　did　clearly　comprehend　in　my　own　way；　that
  it　was　another　name　for　tyranny；　and　for　a　certain　gloomy；
  arrogant；　devil’s　humour；　that　was　in　them　both。　The　creed；　as　I
  should　state　it　now；　was　this。　Mr。　Murdstone　was　firm；　nobody　in
  his　world　was　to　be　so　firm　as　Mr。　Murdstone；　nobody　else　in　his
  world　was　to　be　firm　at　all；　for　everybody　was　to　be　bent　to　his
  firmness。　Miss　Murdstone　was　an　exception。　She　might　be　firm；
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  but　only　by　relationship；　and　in　an　inferior　and　tributary　degree。
  My　mother　was　another　exception。　She　might　be　firm；　and　must
  be；　but　only　in　bearing　their　firmness；　and　firmly　believing　there
  was　no　other　firmness　upon　earth。
  ‘It’s　very　hard；’　said　my　mother；　‘that　in　my　own　house—’
  ‘My　own　house？’　repeated　Mr。　Murdstone。　‘Clara！’
  ‘Our　own　house；　I　mean；’　faltered　my　mother；　evidently
  frightened—‘I　hope　you　must　know　what　I　mean；　Edward—it’s
  very　hard　that　in　your　own　house　I　may　not　have　a　word　to　say
  about　domestic　matters。　I　am　sure　I　managed　very　well　before　we
  were　married。　There’s　evidence；’　said　my　mother；　sobbing；　‘ask
  Peggotty　if　I　didn’t　do　very　well　when　I　wasn’t　interfered　with！’
  ‘Edward；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　‘let　there　be　an　end　of　this。　I　go
  tomorrow。’
  ‘Jane　Murdstone；’　said　her　brother；　‘be　silent！　How　dare　you　to
  insinuate　that　you　don’t　know　my　character　better　than　your
  words　imply？’
  ‘I　am　sure；’　my　poor　mother　went　on；　at　a　grievous
  disadvantage；　and　with　many　tears；　‘I　don’t　want　anybody　to　go。　I
  should　be　very　miserable　and　unhappy　if　anybody　was　to　go。　I
  don’t　ask　much。　I　am　not　unreasonable。　I　only　want　to　be
  consulted　sometimes。　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　anybody　who
  assists　me；　and　I　only　want　to　be　consulted　as　a　mere　form；
  sometimes。　I　thought　you　were　pleased；　once；　with　my　being　a
  little　inexperienced　and　girlish；　Edward—I　am　sure　you　said　so—
  but　you　seem　to　hate　me　for　it　now；　you　are　so　severe。’
  ‘Edward；’　said　Miss　Murdstone；　again；　‘let　there　be　an　end　of
  this。　I　go　tomorrow。’
  ‘Jane　Murdstone；’　thundered　Mr。　Murdstone。　‘Will　you　be
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  silent？　How　dare　you？’
  Miss　Murdstone　made　a　jail…delivery　of　her　pocket…
  handkerchief；　and　held　it　before　her　eyes。
  ‘Clara；’　he　continued；　looking　at　my　mother；　‘you　surprise　me！
  You　astound　me！　Yes；　I　had　a　satisfaction　in　the　thought　of
  marrying　an　inexperienced　and　artless　person；　and　forming　her
  character；　and　infusing　into　it　some　amount　of　that　firmness　and
  decision　of　which　it　stood　in　need。　But　when　Jane　Murdstone　is
  kind　enough　to　come　to　my　assistance　in　this　endeavour；　and　to
  assume；　for　my　sake；　a　condition　something　like　a　housekeeper’s；
  and　when　she　meets　with　a　base　return—’
  ‘Oh；　pray；　pray；　Edward；’　cried　my　mother；　‘don’t　accuse　me　of
  being　ungrateful。　I　am　sure　I　am　not　ungrateful。　No　one　ever　said　I
  was　before。　I　have　many　faults；　but　not　that。　Oh；　don’t；　my　dear！’
  ‘When　Jane　Murdstone　meets；　I　say；’　he　went　on；　after　waiting
  until　my　mother　was　silent；　‘with　a　base　return；　that　feeling　of
  mine　is　chilled　and　altered。’
  ‘Don’t；　my　love；　say　that！’　implored　my　mother　very　piteously。
  ‘Oh；　don’t；　Edward！　I　can’t　bear　to　hear　it。　Whatever　I　am；　I　am
  affectionate。　I　know　I　am　affectionate。　I　wouldn’t　say　it；　if　I　wasn’t
  sure　that　I　am。　Ask　Peggotty。　I　am　sure　she’ll　tell　you　I’m
  affectionate。’
  ‘There　is　no　extent　of　mere　weakness；　Clara；’　said　Mr。
  Murdstone　in　reply；　‘that　can　have　the　least　weight　with　me。　You
  lose　breath。’
  ‘Pray　let　us　be　friends；’　said　my　mother；　‘I　couldn’t　live　under
  coldness　or　unkindness。　I　am　so　sorry。　I　have　a　great　many　defects；
  I　know；　and　it’s　very　good　of　you；　Edward；　with　your　strength　of
  mind；　to　endeavour　to　correct　them　for　me。　Jane；　I　don’t　object　to
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  anything。　I　should　be　quite　broken…hearted　if　you　thought　of
  leaving—’　My　mother　was　too　much　overcome　to　go　on。
  ‘Jane　Murdstone；’　said　Mr。　Murdstone　to　his　sister；　‘any　harsh
  words　between　us　are；　I　hope；　uncommon。　It　is　not　my　fault　that　so
  unusual　an　occurrence　has　taken　place　tonight。　I　was　betrayed
  into　it　by　another。　Nor　is　it　your　fault。　You　were　betrayed　into　it　by
  another。　Let　us　both　try　to　forget　it。　And　as　this；’　he　added；　after