'Be that as it may, here we are; and being here, we are to consider whether it is possible by any justifiable means--' 'Why, you know as well as I,' said the strong-minded lady, 'that any means are justifiable in such a case, don't you ?' 'Very good, my dear madam, very good; whether it is possible by ANY means, we will say by ANY means, to open the eyes of our valued relative to his present infatuation.

Whether it is possible to make him acquainted by any means with the real character and purpose of that young female whose strange, whose very strange position, in reference to himself'-- here Mr Pecksniff sunk his voice to an impressive whisper--'really casts a shadow of disgrace and shame upon this family; and who, we know'-- here he raised his voice again--'else why is she his companion?
harbours the very basest designs upon his weakness and his property.' In their strong feeling on this point, they, who agreed in nothing else, all concurred as one mind.

Good Heaven, that she should harbour designs upon his property! The strong-minded lady was for poison, her three daughters were for Bridewell and bread-and-water, the cousin with the toothache advocated Botany Bay, the two Miss Pecksniffs suggested flogging.

Nobody but Mr Tigg, who, notwithstanding his extreme shabbiness, was still understood to be in some sort a lady's man, in right of his upper lip and his frogs, indicated a doubt of the justifiable nature of these measures; and he only ogled the three Miss Chuzzlewits with the least admixture of banter in his admiration, as though he would observe, 'You are positively down upon her to too great an extent, my sweet creatures, upon my soul you are!' 'Now,' said Mr Pecksniff, crossing his two forefingers in a manner which was at once conciliatory and argumentative; 'I will not, upon the one hand, go so far as to say that she deserves all the inflictions which have been so very forcibly and hilariously suggested;' one of his ornamental sentences; 'nor will I, upon the other, on any account compromise my common understanding as a man, by making the assertion that she does not.

What I would observe is, that I think some practical means might be devised of inducing our respected, shall I say our revered-- ?' 'No!' interposed the strong-minded woman in a loud voice.
'Then I will not,' said Mr Pecksniff.