InthisconscientiouswayweretheshacklesofthatunhallowedrelationshipslowlyrivetedontheunfortunateProssy。Inhisintercoursewithhiscomradesduringthenexttwoorthreedaystheirattitudewasshowninfrequentandostentatiouspraiseofhismother，andsuggestiveadvice，suchas:“Iwouldn’tstopatthesaloon，Prossy；youroldmotheriswantin’ye；“or，“Chuckthat’eretarpolinoveryourshoulders，Pross，anddon’ttakeyourwetdudsintothehousethatyeroldmother’sbinmakin’tidy。“Oddlyenough，muchofthisadvicewasquitesincere，andrepresented——foratleasttwentyminutes——thehonestsentimentsofthespeaker。
Prosperwastouchedatwhatseemedarevivalofthesentimentunderwhichhehadacted，forgothisuneasiness，andbecamequitehimselfagain——afactalsonoticedbyhiscritics。“Ye’veonlytokeephimuptohisworkandhe’llbethewidder’sjoyagin，“saidCyrusBrewster。CertainlyhewassofarencouragedthathehadalongconversationwithMrs。Pottingerthatnight，withtheresultthatthenextmorningJoeWynbrook，CyrusBrewster，HankMann，andKentuckyIkewereinvitedtospendtheeveningatthenewhouse。
Asthemen，cleanshirtedanddecentlyjacketed，filedintotheneatsittingroomwithitsbrightcarpet，itscheerfulfire，itssidetablewithasnowyclothonwhichshiningteaandcoffeepotswerestanding，theirheartsthrilledwithsatisfaction。Inalargestuffedrockingchair，Prossy’soldmother，wrappedupinashawlandsomemysteriousillhealthwhichseemedtoforbidanyexertion，receivedthemwithgenteellanguorandanextendedblackmitten。
“Icannot，“saidMrs。Pottinger，withsadpensiveness，“offeryouthehospitalityofmyownhome，gentlemen——youremember，Prosper，dear，thelargesalonandourstaffofservantsatLexingtonAvenue！——butsincemysonhaspersuadedmetotakechargeofhishumblecot，Ihopeyouwillmakeallallowancesforitsdeficiencies——even，“sheadded，castingalookofmildreproachontheastonishedProsper——“evenifHEcannot。“
“I’msureheoughtertobethankfultoye，ma’am，“saidJoeWynbrookquickly，“formakin’abreaktocomeheretolive，jestezwe’rethankful——speakin’fortherestofthiscamp——foryerlightin’usupezyou’redoin’！IreckonI’mspeakin’forthecrowd，“headded，lookingroundhim。