Mrs. Medlock

She was very much absorbed in her own little boy and girl, and was rather glad to hand the child over to the woman Mr. Archibald Craven sent to meet her in London.

The woman was his housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor, and her name was Mrs. Medlock.

She was a stout woman with very red cheeks and sharp black eyes.

She wore a very purple dress, a black silk mantle with jet fringe on it, and a black bonnet with purple velvet flowers which stuck up and trembled when she moved her head.

Mary did not like her at all, but as she very seldom liked people, there was nothing remarkable in that.

Besides which, it was very evident Mrs. Medlock did not think much of her.

My word, she's a plain little piece of goods, she said, and we'd heard her mother was a beauty.

She hasn't handed down much of it, has she, ma'am? Perhaps she will improve as she grows older, the officer's wife said good-naturedly.