Four months had intervened, and during that period Charley had seen none of the Woodwards.

He had over and over again tried to convince himself that this was his own fault, and that he had no right to accuse Mrs.Woodward of ingratitude.

But he was hardly successful.

He did feel, in spite of himself, that he had been dropped because of the disgrace attaching to his arrest; that Mrs.Woodward had put him aside as being too bad to associate with her and her daughters; and that it was intended that henceforth they should be strangers.
He still had Katie's purse, and he made a sort of resolve that as long as he kept that in his possession, as long as he had that near his heart, he would not go near Norah Geraghty.

This resolution he had kept; but though he did not go to the 'Cat and Whistle,' he frequented other places which were as discreditable, or more so.