The old woman was sitting on a low stool by the fire, her knees up to her chin, her grizzled hair unkempt; she looked so remarkably like a witch, and, on Thyrza's appearance, turned with a gaze of such extreme malignity, that the girl drew back in fear.
'I suppose she takes it ill that the old state of things has been disturbed,' Gilbert said.

'Mr.Egremont tells me he has found that she is to have a small weekly allowance from the chapel people, so I don't suppose she'll fall into want, and we know he wouldn't send her off to starve; that isn't his way.' The removal of such things as were to be brought from Walnut Tree Walk, and the housing of the new furniture, would take only a couple of days.
This was to be done immediately before the wedding; then Lydia and Mrs.
Grail would live in the house whilst the husband and wife were away.
Egremont found that the large school-room would be ready sooner than he had anticipated.

When it was cleaned out, there was nothing to do save to fix shelves, a small counter, and two long tables.

For some time he had been making extensive purchases of books, for the most part from a secondhand dealer, who warehoused his volumes for him till the library should be prepared to receive them.

He had drawn up, too, a skeleton catalogue, but this could not be proceeded with before the books were in some sort of order upon the shelves.