But I restrained my feelings.
"I will leave Batchelor in your charge for the present," said Mr Ladislaw.

At the same time he added something in an undertone to Miss Henniker which I did not catch, but which I was positive had reference to the dear departed Mrs Hudson, whereat I fumed inwardly, and vowed that somehow or other I would pay Miss Henniker out.
When Mr Ladislaw was gone Miss Henniker continued her work in silence, leaving me standing before her.

She examined all my clothes, looked at the mark on every collar, every sock, and scrutinised the condition of every shirt-front and "dicky." At last she came to my Sunday suit, at the sight of which I remembered all of a sudden my nurse's injunction, and said, as meekly as possible, "Oh, if you please, Mrs Hudson says those are to be hung up, and not laid flat!" Miss Henniker stared at me as if I had asked her her age! "Silence!" she said, when she could sufficiently recover herself; "and--" "And," continued I, carried away with my subject, and really not hearing her remonstrance--"and, if you please, I'm to have three clean collars a week, and you're to darn--" "Frederick Batchelor!" exclaimed Miss Henniker, letting drop what she had in her hand, and stamping her foot with most unwonted animation; "did you hear me order you to hold your tongue?
Don't dare to speak again, sir, till you're spoken to, or you will be punished." This tirade greatly surprised me.

I had been quite pleased with myself for remembering all Mrs Hudson's directions, and so intent on relieving my mind of them, that I had not noticed the growing rage of the middle- aged Henniker.

In after years, when this story was told of me, I got the credit of being the only human being, who all by himself, had succeeded in "fetching" the Stonebridge housekeeper.