st as she passed the first of these that her shoe-string came
untied, and she sat down by the hedge to tie it; and here in tying it she
broke the lace, and, while mending it, looked up into Phoby Geen's face--
that had come round the corner like the sneak he was and pulled up as
foolish as a sheep.

In my experience a woman may be a fool, but 'tis within limits.
Amelia Sanders, looking Phoby Geen in the face, went on tying her shoe;
and, while she looked, she saw not only how terrible rash she had been,
but also--without a guess at the particulars--that this man had been at
the bottom of the whole mischief and meant to be at the bottom of more.
So, said she, very innocent-like--

"Aw, good-afternoon, Mr. Geen!"

"Good-afternoon!" responded Phoby. "Who'd ever ha' thought to meet you
here, Miss Sanders?"

"'Tis a tiring way from Porthleah to St. Ives, Mr. Geen."

"Or from Porthleven, for that matter, Miss Sanders."

"Especially when you walk it on tippy-toe, which must be extra-wearisome
to a body on feet shaped like yours, Mr. Geen."

Phoby saw that he was fairly caught. "Look here," said he roughly,
"you're bound on a randivoo with Dan'l Leggo, and you can't deny it."

"I don't intend to," she answered. "And you be bound on much the same
errand, though you'd deny it if your face could back up your tongue."

"Dan'l Leggo has a-been my partner in business for five years,
Miss Sanders. Isn't it nat'ral enough I should want to visit and consult
him?"

"Nothing more natural," answered the girl cheerfully. "I was just
wonderin' where they'd hidden him: but since you know, my trouble's at an
end. You can show me the way. Which is it, Mr. Geen--north, south, east,
or west?"

Phoby understood that she was laughing at him. "Don't you think, Miss
Sanders," he suggested, "that 'twas pretty rash of you to give folks a
clue as you've a-done to-day, and everybody knowing that you've been asked
in church with Dan'l?"

"I do," said she. "I've behaved foolish, Mr. Geen, and thank you for
reminding me. He won't thank a _second_ partner for putting him in a
trap," she went on, speaking at a venture; but her words caught Phoby Geen
like a whip across the face, and, seeing him blanch, she dropped a
curtsey. "I'll be going home, Mr. Geen," she announced. "I might ha'
walked farther without finding out so much as you've told me; and you may
walk twenty miles farther without finding out half so much."

He glowered at