een Phoebe and
the elder Grimbal had reached a point far in advance of that which
Clement and Chris were concerned with. For more than three months, and
under a steadily increasing weight of opposition, Miller Lyddon's
daughter fought without shadow of yielding. Then came a time when the
calm but determined iteration of her father's desires and the
sledge-hammer love-making of John Grimbal began to leave an impression.
Even then her love for Will was bright and strong, but her sense of
helplessness fretted her nerves and temper, and her sweetheart's laconic
messages, through the medium of another man, were sorry comfort in this
hour of tribulation. With some reason she felt slighted. Neither
considering Will's peculiarities, nor suspecting that his silence was
only, the result of a whim or project, she began to resent it. Then John
Grimbal caught her in a dangerous mood. Once she wavered, and he had the
wisdom to leave her at the moment of victory. But on the next occasion
of their meeting, he took good care to keep the advantage he had gained.
Conscious of his own honest and generous intentions, Grimbal went on his
way. The subtler manifestations of Phoebe's real attitude towards him
escaped his observation; her reluctance he set down as resulting from
the dying shadow of affection for Will Blanchard. That she would be very
happy and proud and prosperous in the position of his wife, the lover
was absolutely assured. He pursued her with the greater determination,
in that he believed he was saving her from herself. What were some few
months of vague uncertainty and girlish tears compared with a lifetime
of prosperity and solid happiness? John Grimbal made Phoebe handsome
presents of pretty and costly things after the first great victory. He
pushed his advantage with tremendous vigour. His great face seemed
reflected in Phoebe's eyes when she slept as when she woke; his voice
was never out of her ears. Weary, hopeless, worn out, she prayed
sometimes for strength of purpose. But it was a trait denied to her
character and not to be bestowed at a breath. Her stability of defence,
even as it stood, was remarkable and beyond expectation. Then the sure
climax rolled in upon poor Phoebe. Twice she sought Clement Hicks with
purpose to send an urgent message; on each occasion accident prevented a
meeting; her father was always smiling and droning his desires into her
ear; John Grimbal haunted her. His good-nature and kindness were h