These Lamb women thought her and her cane ridiculous, did they?
she said to herself.

That was their parvenu blood: to think because a girl's father worked for their grandfather she had no right to be rather striking in style, especially when the striking WAS her style.

Probably all the other girls and women would agree with them and would laugh at her when they got together, and, what might be fatal, would try to make all the men think her a silly pretender.

Men were just like sheep, and nothing was easier than for women to set up as shepherds and pen them in a fold.

"To keep out outsiders," Alice thought.