Mrs.Baxendale yielded and set out.
But it was not to Mrs.Birks that she paid her first visit.

Though it was clear that Beatrice firmly believed all she said, Mrs.Baxendale could not accept this as positive assurance; before taking upon herself to announce such a piece of news she felt the need of some further testimony.

She had a difficulty in reconciling precipitate action of this kind with Wilfrid's character as it had of late years developed itself; political, even social, ambition had become so pronounced in him that it was difficult to imagine him turning with such sudden vehemence from the path in which every consideration of interest would tend to hold him.

The best of women worship success, and though Mrs.Baxendale well knew that Wilfrid's aims had suffered a degradation, she could not, even apart from her feeling for Beatrice, welcome his return to the high allegiance of former days, when it would surely check or altogether terminate a brilliant career.

The situation had too fantastic a look.
Could it be that Beatrice was suffering from some delusion?
Had a chance discovery of Emily Hood's proximity, together perhaps with some ambiguous behaviour on Wilfrid's part, affected her mind?
It was an extreme supposition, but on the whole as easy of acceptance as the story Beatrice had poured forth.
In pursuit of evidence Mrs.Baxendale drove to the Athels'.