He was more tyrannical than ever, both to his mother and Maggie.

It was a drawn battle between him and Nancy, and they kept aloof from each other as much as possible.

Maggie fell into her old humble way of submitting to his will, as long as it did not go against her conscience; but that, being daily enlightened by her habits of pious aspiring thought, would not allow her to be so utterly obedient as formerly.

In addition to his imperiousness, he had learned to affix the idea of cleverness to various artifices and subterfuges which utterly revolted her by their meanness.
"You are so set up, by being intimate with Erminia, that you won't do a thing I tell you; you are as selfish and self-willed as"-- he made a pause.
Maggie was ready to cry.
"I will do anything, Ned, that is right." "Well! and I tell you this is right." "How can it be ?" said she, sadly, almost wishing to be convinced.
"How--why it is, and that's enough for you.

You must always have a reason for everything now.