I had read Goldsmith"s History of Rome，and had formed my opinion of Nero，Caligula，etc. Also I had drawn parallels in silence，which I never thought thus to have declared aloud.

"What! what!" he cried. "Did she say that to me? Did you hear her，Eliza and Georgiana? Won"t I tell mama? but first-" He ran headlong at me: I felt him grasp my hair and my shoulder: he had closed with a desperate thing. I really saw in him a tyrant，a murderer. I felt a drop or two of blood from my head trickle down my neck，and was sensible of somewhat pungent suffering: these sensations for the time predominated over fear，and I received him in frantic sort. I don"t very well know what I did with my hands，but he called me "Rat! Rat!" and bellowed out aloud. Aid was near him: Eliza and Georgiana had run for Mrs. Reed，who was gone upstairs: she now came upon the scene，followed by Bessie and her maid Abbot. We were parted: I heard the words-

"Dear! dear! What a fury to fly at Master John!"

"Did ever anybody see such a picture of passion!"

Then Mrs. Reed subjoined-

"Take her away to the red-room，and lock her in there." Four hands were immediately laid upon me，and I was borne upstairs.