I thought this was a reference to one whose name I did not mean his lips to sully, and I determined to forestall him.
"I do," I said quietly. "I teach for Mr. Marvel."
"I know—the psalm-singing parson who has made all that trouble in this town—he and his Jew partner. We are going to break them up."
"Both are men whose shoes you are not fit to clean; and as to making trouble, the trouble was made by those a good deal nearer you than John Marvel—your precious firm and your side-partners—Coll McSheen and David Wringman."
"Well, you'd better confine your labors to your dirty Jews and not try to interfere in the affairs of gentlemen."
"As to the latter, I never interfere in the affairs of gentlemen, and as to the dirty Jews, I assure you they are not as dirty as you are; for their dirt is all outside while yours is within."
I had supposed he would resent this, but he had his reasons for not doing so, though they were none too creditable to him. Mr. Canter was too bold with women and not bold enough with men. And a little later it transpired that with one woman, at least, he was as tame as he was with the other sex. The woman the young men referred to kept him in fear of his life for years, and he had neither the physical nor moral courage to break away from her.