‘Mrs Norris must be one of the most irritating women in literature. She is a snob with prejudices of class and an ingratiating manner to her perceived superiors taken to extremes. What’s more, she is a terrible cadger and someone who puts self-interest well above kindness to those around her.’

It can hardly be said that Ellen could ever be mistaken for a Mrs. Norris fan. Yet in Bethany there was a reluctance to join in this outright condemnation without considering background detail that might have contributed to some of Mrs. Norris’s less appealing manners. She ventured a defence:

‘Poor Mrs. Norris had two sisters. One managed to marry a rich and influential man whilst the other married a seaman who came down in the world. She was in the middle of these extremes and married a local clergyman who seems rather dull and uninterested in matters beyond his mealtimes. She was bored, and sought to enliven her days by visiting the rich man’s household. The sister there was poor company so she tried to involve herself in the lives of the four nieces and nephews who despised and avoided her. All she had left was to abase herself and seek to be useful to the master and mistress of the house. It is sad that her sacrifices were so undervalued by the family and possibly cost her the opportunity of making lasting friendships.’