" (Mrs. Jupp pronounced "wound" as though it rhymed to
"sound.") "It's a gentleman's place to soothe a woman, but he, he'd
like to tear her hair out by handfuls. Why, he told me to my face that
I was a-getting old; old, indeed! there's not a woman in London
knows my age except Mrs. Davis down in the Old Kent Road, and beyond a
haricot vein in one of my legs I'm as young as ever I was. Old,
indeed! There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle. I hate his
nasty insinuendos."
Even if I had wanted to stop her, I could not have done so. She said
a great deal more than I have given above. I have left out much
because I could not remember it, but still more because it was
really impossible for me to print it.
When we got to the police station I found Towneley and Ernest
already there. The charge was one of assault, but not aggravated by
serious violence. Even so, however, it was lamentable enough, and we
both saw that our young friend would have to pay dearly for his
inexperience. We tried to bail him out for the night, but the
Inspector would not accept bail, so we were forced to leave him.
Towneley then went back to Mrs. Jupp's to see if he could find
Miss Maitland and arrange matters with her.
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