justified; neither
was she troubled by any idea of going beyond her sphere by interfering
thus energetically in her friend's affairs. Phoebe did not easily take
any such idea into her head. It seemed natural to her to do whatever
might be wanted, and to act upon her own responsibility. Her
self-confidence reached the heroic point. She knew that she was right,
and she knew moreover that in this whole matter she alone was right.
Therefore the necessity of keeping up, of keeping alert and vigilant, of
holding in her hand the threads of all these varied complications was
not disagreeable to her, though she fully felt its importance--nay,
almost exaggerated it in her own mind if that could be. She felt the
dangerous character of the circumstances around her, and her heart was
sore with pity for the culprit, or as she called him to herself the
chief sufferer; and yet all the same Phoebe felt a certain sense of
satisfaction in the great role she herself was playing. She felt equal
to it, though she scarcely knew what was the nest step she ought to
take. She was walking slowly, full of thought, to Tozer's door,
pondering upon this, when the sound of rapid wheels behind roused her
attention, and looking up, surprised, she suddenly saw leaping out of a
dog-cart the imposing figure of Clarence Copperhead, of whom she had not
been thinking at all. He came down with a heavy leap, leaving the light
carriage swinging and quivering behind him with the shock of his
withdrawal.

"Miss Phoebe!" he said, breathless; "here's luck! I came over to see you,
and you are the first person I set eyes on--"

He was rather heavy to make such a jump, and it took away his breath.

"To see me?" she said, laughing, though her heart began to stir. "That
is very odd. I thought you must have come to see poor Mr. May, who is so
ill. You know--"

"May be hanged!" said the young man; "I mean--never mind--I don't mean
him any harm, though, by Jove, if you make such a pet of him, I don't
know what I shall think. Miss Phoebe, I've come over post-haste, as you
may see; chiefly to see you; and to try a horse as well," he added,
"which the governor has just bought. He's a very good 'un to go; and
pleased the governor would be if he knew the use I had put him to," he
concluded, with a half-laugh.

Phoebe knew as well as he did what that use was. He had brought his
father's horse out for the first time, to carry him here to propose to
her, in spite of his fath