that young man, who had been hanging in the background,
dark and miserable. He came close up to her, and caught first her sleeve
and then her elbow; the contact seemed to give him strength. "Look here,
sir," he said, ingratiatingly, "we don't want to offend you--_I_ don't
want to fly in your face; but I can't go on having coaches for ever, and
here's the only one in the world that can do the business instead of
coaches. Phoebe knows I'm fond of her, but that's neither here nor there.
Here is the one that can make something of me. I ain't clever, you know
it as well as I do--but she is. I don't mind going into parliament,
making speeches and that sort of thing, if I've got her to back me up.
But without her I'll never do anything, without her you may put me in a
cupboard, as you've often said. Let me have her, and I'll make a figure,
and do you credit. I can't say any fairer," said Clarence, taking the
rest of her arm into his grasp, and holding her hand. He was stupid--but
he was a man, and Phoebe felt proud of him, for the moment at least.

"You idiot!" cried his father, "and I was an idiot too to put any faith
in you; come away from that artful girl. Can't you see that it's all a
made-up plan from beginning to end? What was she sent down here for but
to catch you, you oaf, you fool, you! Drop her, or you drop me. That's
all I've got to say."

"Yes, drop me, Clarence," said Phoebe, with a smile; "for in the mean
time you hurt me. See, you have bruised my arm. While you settle this
question with your father, I will go to grandmamma. Pardon me, I take
more interest in her than in this discussion between him and you."

"You shan't go," cried her lover, "not a step. Look here, sir. If that's
what it comes to, her before you. What you've made of me ain't much, is
it? but I don't mind what I go in for, as long as she's to the fore. Her
before you."

"Is that your last word?" said Mr. Copperhead.

"Yes." His son faced him with a face as set and cloudy as his own. The
mouth, shut close and sullen, was the same in both; 