"Oh, just philandering round in the dark a little with Adeline
Northwick."

"Ralph, what _do_ you mean?"

He told her, and they were moved and amused together at the strange
phase their relation to the Northwicks had taken. "To think of her
coming to you, of all people in the world, for advice in her trouble!"

"Yes," said Putney. "But I was always a great friend of her father's,
you know, Ellen."

"Ralph!"

"Oh. I may have spent my whole natural life in denouncing him as
demoralization incarnate, and a curse to the community, but I always
_liked_ him, Ellen. Yes, I loved J. Milton, and I was merely waiting for
him to prove himself a first-class scoundrel, to find out just how
_much_ I loved him. I've no doubt but if we could have him among us
again, in the attractive garb of the State's-prison inmates, I should be
hand and glove with brother Northwick."

XXIV.

Adeline's reasons for going to Putney in their trouble had to avail with
Suzette against the prejudice they had always felt towards him. In the
tangible and immediate pressure that now came upon them they were glad
to be guided by his counsel; they both believed it was dictated by a
knowledge of law and a respect for justice, and by no regard for them.
They had a comfort in it for this reason, and they freely relied upon
it, as in some sort the advice of an honest and faithful enemy. They
remembered that the last evening he was with them, their father had
spoken leniently of Putney's infirmity, and admiringly of his wasted
ability. Now each step they took was at his suggestion. They left the
great house before the creditors were put in possession of the personal
property, and went to live in the porter's lodge at the gate of the
avenue, which they furnished with the few things they could claim for
their own out of their former belongings, and from the ready money
Suzette had remaining in her name at the bank. They abandoned everything
of value in the house they had left, even to their richer dresses and
their jewels: they preferred to do this, and Putney approved; he saw
that it saved them more than it cost them in their helpless pride.

The Newtons continued in their quarters unmolested; the furniture was
theirs and the building belonged to the Northwick girls, as the Newtons
called them. Mrs. Newton went every day to help them to get going in
their new place, and Elbridge and she lived there for a few weeks with
them, till they said they sho