Baxendale always tells things in confidence to people, and occasionally
they happen to meet and compare notes; in this way they sometimes get to
know what Baxendale thinks about them, and this does not add to his
popularity. Baxendale retired from business after his marriage, and
invested his capital as remuneratively as security permitted. He came to
the conclusion that as his wife's income, added to his own, provided all
the money they needed, there was no object in boring himself by going to
the City. After he gave up business, every week when in town Baxendale
had certain obligations which filled up his time agreeably for him. For
instance, he looked over the share list every morning to see that his and
Mrs. Baxendale's investments were all right. He liked a pleasant object
for a walk, so at least once a week he made a point of fetching his
passbook from the bank. One day Freddy Catchpole met him just as he was
coming out, and he said he was awfully upset about his quarter's balance,
which had never been so low before. Freddy told him he had never had a
balance at the end of a quarter in his life, and Baxendale replied that,
at all events, that saved him anxiety about investing it.

There used to be lots of other ways in which Baxendale passed his time.
There was always something or other to order at his tailor's or his
shirtmaker's. He was never extravagant in these matters, but when he
decided to get something he took time and trouble over it, and would go
several times to try things on. He used to say that in this way he got
quite a lot of exercise. On Saturdays and Sundays he and his wife
sometimes motored down to play golf at one or the other of their clubs.
Baxendale said since his marriage he was off his game, and it was really
no fun playing with a woman. Mrs. Baxendale asked Peter Knott's advice
about it. She said it was such a pity Gilbert lost his temper and never
would finish the round when she was one up, as the exercise really was
good for him. During the racing season Baxendale generally managed to