efuse him if I was dead, and she was free,
and he chose to make love to him. Come!'

Everybody bridled up at this remark, as much as to say, 'I know you
mean me. Let him try--that's all.' and yet for some hidden reason they
were all angry with the widow, and each lady whispered in her
neighbour's ear that it was very plain that said widow thought herself
the person referred to, and what a puss she was!

'Mother knows,' said Mrs Quilp, 'that what I say is quite correct, for
she often said so before we were married. Didn't you say so, mother?'

This inquiry involved the respected lady in rather a delicate position,
for she certainly had been an active party in making her daughter Mrs
Quilp, and, besides, it was not supporting the family credit to
encourage the idea that she had married a man whom nobody else would
have. On the other hand, to exaggerate the captivating qualities of her
son-in-law would be to weaken the cause of revolt, in which all her
energies were deeply engaged. Beset by these opposing considerations,
Mrs Jiniwin admitted the powers of insinuation, but denied the right to
govern, and with a timely compliment to the stout lady brought back the
discussion to the point from which it had strayed.

'Oh! It's a sensible and proper thing indeed, what Mrs George has
said!' exclaimed the old lady. 'If women are only true to
themselves!--But Betsy isn't, and more's the shame and pity.'

'Before I'd let a man order me about as Quilp orders her,' said Mrs
George, 'before I'd consent to stand in awe of a man as she does of
him, I'd--I'd kill myself, and write a letter first to say he did it!'

This remark being loudly commended and approved of, another lady (from
the Minories) put in her word:

'Mr Quilp may be a very nice man,' said this lady, 'and I supposed
there's no doubt he is, because Mrs Quilp says he is, and Mrs Jiniwin
says he is, and they ought to know, or nobody does. But still he is not
quite a--what one calls a handsome man, nor quite a young man neither,
which might be a little excuse for him if anything could be; whereas
his wife is young, and is good-looking, and is a woman--which is the
greatest thing after all.'

This last clause being delivered with extraordinary pathos, elicited a
corresponding murmer from the hearers, stimulated by which the lady
went on to remark that if such a husband was cross and unreasonable
with such a wife, then--

'If he is!' interposed the mother, putting dow