Baxter Dawes Summary

Not long after Paul and Clara attend the theater, Paul encounters a drunken Baxter Dawes in a pub and the two engage in a verbal battle, ending with Paul throwing a drink in Baxter's face. Paul tells Clara about the incident and she advises Paul to carry a gun or a knife for self-protection from the vindictive Dawes but Paul declines. A few days later, Paul encounters Dawes again, this time on the stairs at the Jordan Company where both men are employed. This altercation becomes physical and results in Mr. Jordan firing Dawes.

Paul shares the details of these encounters with Mrs. Morel who wonders about Clara's opinion of the events. Paul informs his mother that Clara is deeply in love with him but that he does not fully love either Clara or Miriam. Clara and Paul still spend time...