Helen with a High Hand is a short, comedic novel by Arnold Bennett, published in 1910.
The story concerns the chance meeting between an elderly, witty, but miserly man and his estranged young niece.
The niece moves into the miser's house, and what follows is a battle of wills enjoyed by both parties.
Indeed, on occasion, both characters scheme to achieve the same outcome (such as ensuring that the niece will miss a boat to Canada that would remove her from her uncle's life).
The book also chronicles their two romances, and, by the end, both are married to suitable partners.