She
was out at all kinds of hours, and when you knew that you knew all.
Ernest did not pay much heed to these aspersions of Mrs. Baxter's.
Mrs. Jupp had got round the greater number of his many blind sides,
and had warned him not to believe Mrs. Baxter, whose lip she said
was something awful.
Ernest had heard that women were always jealous of one another,
and certainly these young women were more attractive than Mrs.
Baxter was, so jealousy was probably at the bottom of it. If they were
maligned there could be no objection to his making their acquaintance;
if not maligned they had all the more need of his ministrations. He
would reclaim them at once.
He told Mrs. Jupp of his intention. Mrs. Jupp at first tried to
dissuade him, but seeing him resolute, suggested that she should
herself see Miss Snow first, so as to prepare her and prevent her from
being alarmed by his visit. She was not at home now, but in the course
of the next day, it should be arranged. In the meantime he had
better try Mr. Shaw, the tinker, in the front kitchen. Mrs. Baxter had
told Ernest that Mr. Shaw was from the North Country, and an avowed
freethinker; he would probably, she said, rather like a visit, but she
did not think Ernest would stand much chance of making a convert of
him.
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