You must prevent it, Agnes, while there's time.' Still looking at me, Agnes shook her head while I was speaking, with a faint smile at my warmth: and then replied: 'You remember our last conversation about papa?
It was not long after that--not more than two or three days--when he gave me the first intimation of what I tell you.

It was sad to see him struggling between his desire to represent it to me as a matter of choice on his part, and his inability to conceal that it was forced upon him.

I felt very sorry.' 'Forced upon him, Agnes! Who forces it upon him ?' 'Uriah,' she replied, after a moment's hesitation, 'has made himself indispensable to papa.

He is subtle and watchful.

He has mastered papa's weaknesses, fostered them, and taken advantage of them, until--to say all that I mean in a word, Trotwood,--until papa is afraid of him.' There was more that she might have said; more that she knew, or that she suspected; I clearly saw.