But, most unfortunately, her love for her brother's memory led her to resolve on what she called "firmness." Mrs.Cole had told her that Jeremy was "getting too much" for his nurse; she approached Jeremy with exactly the tremors and quaking boldness that she would have summoned to her aid before a bull loose in a field.

She really did look frightening with her large spectacles on the end of her large nose, her mouth firmly set, and a ruler in her hand.

"I insist on absolute obedience," was her motto.
Jeremy looked at her but said no word.

It was made clear to them all that the new regime was to be far other than the earlier nursery one.
There were to be regular lesson hours--nine to twelve and four to five.
A neat piece of white paper was fastened to the wall with "Monday: Geography 9-10, Arithmetic 10-11," and so on.

A careful graduation of punishments was instituted, copies to be written so many times, standing on a chair, three strokes on the hand with a ruler, and, worst of all, standing in the corner wearing a paper Dunce's cap.