She had met and writhed under the eye of scornful criticism too often, and she distrusted her own taste.

She was determined that Dinah should never be subjected to the same humiliation.
She humiliated her often enough herself.

It was the only means she knew of asserting her authority; for she had no intention of ever being the object of her daughter's contempt.

She was harsh to the point of brutality, so that the girl's heart was wont to quicken apprehensively whenever she heard her step.

She scolded, she punished, she coerced.