Ida's influence over him had by this time become very great; the old man was ready to do much for the sake of pleasing her.
On the following Tuesday he went down into Litany Lane in company with a builder, and proceeded to investigate each of the houses.

In many instances the repairs, to be of any use, would have to be considerable; there would be a difficulty in executing them whilst the tenants remained in possession.

One possibility occurred to him in the course of examination, and he determined to make use of it; he would create room by getting rid of the worst tenants, all those, in fact, whose presence was pollution to the neighbourhood, and whom it was hopeless to think of reforming.

In this way he would be able to shift about the remaining lodgers without too great a loss to himself, and avoid the necessity of turning helpless people into the street.
Mr.Woodstock had considerably more knowledge of the state of his property, and of the tenants inhabiting it, than is usual with landlords of his kind; for all that, the present examination brought to light not a few things which were startling even to him.

Since Waymark had ceased to act as his collector, the office had been filled by an agent of the ordinary kind, and Mr.Woodstock had, till just now, taken less interest in the property than formerly.