# The Old Wives’ Tale — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Old Wives’ Tale by Arnold Bennett.

- [The Old Wives’ Tale](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/the-old-wives-tale.md): The chapter introduces the Baines family and their life in the provincial town of Bursley, focusing on the two sisters Constance and Sophia, their contrasting personalities, and the early signs of their divergent paths.
- [Book I: Mrs. Baines](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/book-i-mrs-baines.md): The chapter introduces the Baines household and the two sisters, Constance and Sophia, living above their mother's drapery shop in Bursley. Mrs. Baines, the widowed matriarch, manages the shop and family with authority. 
- [The Square](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/i-the-square.md): Constance and Sophia Baines observe their servant Maggie Hollins on her Thursday afternoon outing, mocking her new clothes and romantic rendezvous. Later, in the showroom, Sophia playfully tries on their mother's new gow
- [II: The Tooth](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/ii-the-tooth.md): Sophia and Constance serve tea to Mr. Povey and Mr. Critchlow. Mr. Povey, still recovering from laudanum, accidentally swallows a loose tooth while eating mussels, unaware that Sophia had secretly extracted it earlier. S
- [A Battle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iii-a-battle.md): Mrs. Baines and Sophia clash over Sophia's future, with Sophia defiantly insisting on becoming a schoolteacher against her mother's wishes. After a tense struggle, Mrs. Baines reluctantly capitulates and arranges for Sop
- [Elephant](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iv-elephant.md): During the Bursley Wakes, Constance eagerly invites Sophia to see a dead elephant that has caused a sensation in town. Sophia initially refuses, but after Mrs. Baines and Constance go with Samuel Povey, she regrets her d
- [VI: Escapade](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/vi-escapade.md): Sophia Baines, having met Gerald Scales in Wedgwood Street, lives on the memory of that encounter, which ignites a secret passion. Mrs. Baines grows suspicious of Sophia's changed moods but cannot uncover the truth. Mean
- [VII: A Defeat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/vii-a-defeat.md): Mrs. Baines and Aunt Harriet, both widows, dominate the household with their oppressive respectability. Sophia, feeling trapped, is sent to stay with Aunt Harriet in Axe. During her absence, Mr. Povey confronts Mrs. Bain
- [Book II: Constance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/book-ii-constance.md): This chapter focuses on Constance Baines and her life in the Baines household, highlighting her domestic routines, her relationship with her mother Mrs. Baines, and her interactions with the shop and family. It explores 
- [Revolution](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/i-revolution.md): Constance and Samuel Povey return from their honeymoon to take over the Baines household after Mrs. Baines's departure. Constance faces the shock of Maggie's resignation, and later receives a visit from her mother, who c
- [Christmas and the Future](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/ii-christmas-and-the-future.md): This chapter reflects on the quiet, contented domestic life of Constance and Samuel Povey years after their marriage, highlighting their mutual understanding and the subtle melancholy of aging. It contrasts their stabili
- [III: Cyril](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iii-cyril.md): At a children's party, Cyril Povey throws a tantrum over a cake, hitting a guest and causing a scene. After being punished, he goes missing, causing panic until Samuel finds him hiding in the cellar with a candle. The ch
- [Crime](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iv-crime.md): Cyril Povey begins his formal education at the Endowed School, receiving a silver watch from his father Samuel. He excels immediately, entering the third form and winning a prize at term's end. The chapter explores the f
- [Another Crime](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/v-another-crime.md): Samuel Povey becomes obsessed with saving his cousin Daniel Povey from execution after Daniel is condemned for murder. Despite his worsening health, Samuel tirelessly organizes a petition for reprieve, neglecting his bus
- [VI: The Widow](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/vi-the-widow.md): Constance, now a widow after Samuel Povey's death, adjusts to her new life. She reflects on their marriage, her grief, and her future with Cyril. She faces decisions about the shop and struggles with Cyril's disobedience
- [VII: Bricks and Mortar](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/vii-bricks-and-mortar.md): The chapter details the auction of properties belonging to the late William Clews Mericarp, including the Baines-Povey shop and Mr. Critchlow's shop. Constance is unsettled by the sale and the changes it portends. Mr. Cr
- [VIII: The Proudest Mother](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/viii-the-proudest-mother.md): In 1893, Constance's son Cyril has grown into a fashionable young man, a new type in Bursley created by the local tailor. Constance dotes on him, but he is indifferent to her efforts. The chapter details Cyril's departur
- [Book III: Sophia](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/book-iii-sophia.md): This chapter focuses on Sophia Baines, her elopement with Gerald Scales, and the subsequent unraveling of their life together as Gerald's fortune is wasted and Sophia is forced to take charge, eventually becoming a pensi
- [I: The Elopement](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/i-the-elopement.md): Sophia and Gerald reconcile after a quarrel, with Gerald agreeing to marry her in London rather than taking her to Paris unmarried. They find a boardinghouse and begin marriage preparations. Sophia reflects on her predic
- [II: Supper](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/ii-supper.md): Sophia and Gerald have spent the day at Versailles and dine at Sylvain's, a famous Parisian supper-room. Gerald, proud and slightly drunk, insists on a carriage ride through the Bois. Sophia wears her first French costum
- [III: An Ambition Satisfied](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iii-an-ambition-satisfied.md): Sophia wakes after a miserable night, reflecting on the horror of the dinner at the Hôtel de Vezelay, where she witnessed debauchery and learned of an execution. She resolves to be a better wife to Gerald, suppressing he
- [A Crisis for Gerald](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iv-a-crisis-for-gerald.md): Sophia, ill and abandoned by Gerald in Paris, receives a visit from Chirac who reveals that Gerald borrowed money from him under false pretenses. Despite her suffering, Sophia pays Chirac back from her secret reserve. La
- [Fever](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/v-fever.md): Sophia, recovering from a severe illness in Madame Foucault's flat, observes the emotional and financial turmoil of her landlady after a quarrel with a young lover. She reflects on Madame Foucault's lack of common sense 
- [VI: The Siege](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/vi-the-siege.md): Sophia, recovering from a relapse, is drawn into a partnership with Madame Foucault to let furnished rooms to respectable tenants. She rejects a lucrative but immoral offer, instead securing a grocer as a tenant. Madame 
- [VII: Success](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/vii-success.md): Sophia, now established in the Rue Bréda, finds the neighborhood unsuitable for her character and seeks a change. She purchases the Pension Frensham in the Rue Lord Byron, transforming it into a successful and respectabl
- [Book IV: What Life Is](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/book-iv-what-life-is.md): This chapter explores the profound and often disillusioning nature of life as experienced by the characters, focusing on the passage of time, the weight of choices, and the quiet endurance of domestic and personal strugg
- [I: Frensham’s](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/i-frensham-s.md): Sophia, alone in Paris, reflects on her solitary life after a quarter-century of running the Pension Frensham. The chance encounter with Matthew Peel-Swynnerton stirs anxiety about her past being discovered and a possibl
- [The Meeting](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/ii-the-meeting.md): Constance prepares meticulously for Sophia's arrival, airing out their old bedroom and setting the drawing room with care. She decides to meet Sophia at the Knype station, choosing the train over the tram to avoid gossip
- [Towards Hotel Life](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iii-towards-hotel-life.md): Sophia, now living with Constance in Bursley, wears list slippers and becomes deeply involved in Constance's life. After Constance suffers a sciatica attack, Sophia cares for her and later persuades her to leave Bursley 
- [IV: End of Sophia](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/iv-end-of-sophia.md): The chapter depicts the final days of Sophia Baines (Mrs. Scales) and the aftermath of her death. Constance reflects on Sophia's life, her elopement with Gerald Scales, and the inevitable suffering that followed. Sophia 
- [End of Constance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_old_wives_tale_se/chapters/v-end-of-constance.md): Constance Povey, now in her early sixties and suffering from sciatica and rheumatism, lives a quiet life in Bursley. Her close friend Lily Holl visits frequently. Constance reflects on the death of her sister Sophia, the

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