"No; but I've had the hope; and others have had the suspicion that I've had it. I've felt that; and I'm glad that it's coming to an end. I'm not ashamed of your choice, Matt; I'm proud of it. The thing gave me a shock at first, because I had to face the part I must take. But she's all kinds of a splendid girl. The Board knows what she wished to do, and why she hasn't done it. No one can help honoring her. And I don't believe people will think the less of any of us for your wanting to marry her. But if they do, they may do it, and be damned."
Hilary shook himself together with greater comfort than he had yet felt, upon this conclusion: but he lapsed again after the long hand-pressure that he exchanged with his son.
"We must make it our business, now, to see that no man loses anything by that—We must get at him somehow. Of course, they have no more notion where he is than we have."
"No; not the least," said Matt. "I think it's the uncertainty that's preying upon Miss Northwick."
"The man's behaving like a confounded lunatic," said Hilary.
The word reminded Matt of Putney, and he said, "That's their lawyer's theory of him—"
"Oh, you've seen him, have you? Odd chap."
"Yes; I saw him when I was up there, after—after—at the request of Suzette. I wished to talk with him about the scheme that Maxwell's heard of from a brother reporter," and Matt now unfolded Pinney's plan to his father, and showed his letter.
Hilary looked from it at his son. "You don't mean that this is the blackguard who wrote that account of the defalcation in the Events?"
"Yes; the same fellow. But as to blackguard—"