She appeared to me to take great care of the Doctor, and to like him very much, though I never thought her vitally interested in the Dictionary: some cumbrous fragments of which work the Doctor always carried in his pockets, and in the lining of his hat, and generally seemed to be expounding to her as they walked about.
I saw a good deal of Mrs.Strong, both because she had taken a liking for me on the morning of my introduction to the Doctor, and was always afterwards kind to me, and interested in me; and because she was very fond of Agnes, and was often backwards and forwards at our house.

There was a curious constraint between her and Mr.Wickfield, I thought (of whom she seemed to be afraid), that never wore off.

When she came there of an evening, she always shrunk from accepting his escort home, and ran away with me instead.

And sometimes, as we were running gaily across the Cathedral yard together, expecting to meet nobody, we would meet Mr.
Jack Maldon, who was always surprised to see us.
Mrs.Strong's mama was a lady I took great delight in.

Her name was Mrs.
Markleham; but our boys used to call her the Old Soldier, on account of her generalship, and the skill with which she marshalled great forces of relations against the Doctor.