meless.

The next morning my aunt told me she had written to Mr. Murdstone. I was
alarmed to think that my step-father knew where I was, and exclaimed--

"Oh, I don't know what I shall do if I have to go back to Mr.
Murdstone!"

But my aunt said nothing of her intentions, and I was uncertain what was
to become of me. I hoped she might befriend me.

At last Mr. and Miss Murdstone arrived. To Miss Betsy's great
indignation, Miss Murdstone rode a donkey across the green in front of
the house, and stopped at the gate. Nothing made Miss Trotwood so angry
as to see donkeys on that green, and I had already seen several battles
between my aunt or Janet and the donkey boys.

After driving away the donkey and the boy who had dared to bring it
there, Miss Trotwood received her visitors. She kept me near her, fenced
in with a chair.

Mr. Murdstone told Miss Betsy that I was a very bad, stubborn,
violent-tempered boy, whom he had tried to improve, but could not
succeed; that he had put me in a respectable business from which I had
run away. If Miss Trotwood chose to protect and encourage me now, she
must do it always, for he had come to fetch me away from there and then,
and if I was ready to come, and Miss Trotwood did not wish to give me up
to be dealt with exactly as Mr. Murdstone liked, he would cast me off
for always, and have no more to do with me.

"Are you ready to go, David?" asked my aunt.

But I answered no, and begged and prayed her for my father's sake to
befriend and protect me, for neither Mr. nor Miss Murdstone had ever
liked me or been kind to me and had made my mamma, who always loved me
dearly, very unhappy about me, and I had been very miserable.

"Mr. Dick," said Miss Trotwood, "what shall I do with this child?"

Mr. Dick considered. "Have him measured for a suit of clothes directly."

"Mr. Dick," said Miss Trotwood, "your common sense is invaluable."

Then she pulled me towards her, and said to Mr. Murdstone, "You can go
when you like. I'll take my chance with the boy. If he's all you say he
is I can at least do as much for him as you have done. But I don't
believe a word of it."

Then she told Mr. Murdstone what she thought of the way he had treated
me and my mother, which did not make that gentleman feel very
comfortable, and finished by turning to Miss Murdstone and saying--

"Good-day to you, too, ma'am, and if I ever see you ride a donkey across
my green again, as sure as you have a head up