`` You 'll all have a fling at Lige Baxter , now that he 's down . You could n't say enough in his praise , once . I 'll not stand by and hear it hinted that Lige Baxter is a swindler . You all know perfectly well that Lige is as honest as the day , if he IS so unfortunate as to have an unprincipled brother . You , Mrs. Pye , know it better than any one , yet you come here and run him down the minute he 's in trouble . If there 's another word said here against Lige Baxter I 'll leave the room and the house till you 're gone , every one of you . '' She flashed a glance around the quilt that cowed the gossips . Even Mrs. George Pye 's eyes flickered and waned and quailed . Nothing more was said until Sara had picked up her glasses and marched from the room . Even then they dared not speak above a whisper . Mrs. Pye , alone , smarting from snub , ventured to ejaculate , `` Pity save us ! '' as Sara slammed the door . For the next fortnight gossip and rumor held high carnival in Avonlea and Newbridge , and Mrs. Eben grew to dread the sight of a visitor . `` They 're bound to talk about the Baxter failure and criticize Lige , '' she deplored to Mrs. Jonas . `` And it riles Sara up so terrible . She used to declare that she hated Lige , and now she wo n't listen to a word against him . Not that I say any , myself . I 'm sorry for him , and I believe he 's done his best . But I ca n't stop other people from talking . '' One evening Harmon Andrews came in with a fresh budget of news .
`` The XXXXX business is pretty near wound up at last , '' he said , as he lighted his pipe .
Andrews Baxter Eben Lige Newbridge Pye Sara gossips quilt swindler