utiny.

"Hallo!" she said, after a time to attract my attention, and when I looked
up she told me that she had written Mr. Murdstone in regard to me, under
which information I became heavy of heart, for I felt that some efforts
would be made to force me to return to the warehouse, while the more I saw
of my aunt, the more sure I felt that she was the one with whom I wished
to stay; that with all her eccentricities and humours, she was one to be
honoured and trusted in.

On the second day after my arrival, my Aunt gave a sudden alarm of
donkeys, and to my consternation I beheld Miss Murdstone ride over the
sacred piece of green, and stop in front of the house.

"Go along with you!" cried my aunt, shaking her head and her fist at the
window. "You have no business there. How dare you trespass? Oh! you
bold-faced thing!"

I hurriedly told her who the offender was, and that Mr. Murdstone was
behind her, but Aunt Betsey was frantic, and cried, "I don't care who it
is--I won't allow it! Go away! Janet, lead him off!" and from behind my
aunt, I saw the donkey pulled round by the bridle, while Mr. Murdstone
tried to lead him on, and Miss Murdstone struck at Janet with a parasol,
and several boys shouted vigorously. But my aunt suddenly discovering the
donkey's guardian to be one of the most inveterate offenders against her,
rushed out and pounced upon him, while the Murdstones waited until she
should be at leisure to receive them. She marched past them into the
house, a little ruffled by the combat, and took no notice of them until
they were announced by Janet.

"Shall I go away, aunt?" I asked trembling.

"No, sir," said she. "Certainly not!" With which she pushed me into a
corner, and fenced me in with a chair, as if it were a prison, and there I
stayed. There were several sharp passages at arms between my aunt and the
Murdstones, when my past, and my mother's life came up for discussion.
Finally Mr. Murdstone said:

"I am here to take David back, Miss Trotwood; to dispose of him as I think
proper, and to deal with him as I think right. I am not here to make any
promise to anybody. You may possibly have some idea, Miss Trotwood, of
abetting him in his running away, and in his complaints to you. Now, I
must caution you, that if you abet him once, you abet him for good and
all. I cannot trifle, or be trifled with. I am here, for the first and
last time, to take him away. Is he ready to go? If you tell me he is not,
it is