I was careful of her, and gave her orders that, on no account, was she ever to go into the lodgers' rooms.

I waited on them, myself.
"How your son first saw her, and got to speak to her, I don't know; but I am not surprised that, when he did, he loved her, for there was no prettier or sweeter girl in Hampshire.

They took the rooms, first, only for a fortnight, then the other gentleman went away, and your son stayed on.
"One day--it came upon me like a thunderbolt--your son told me he wanted to marry my Agnes.

I was angry, at first.

Angry, because it had been done behind my back, and because I had been deceived.