“Then you know about it?” said Northcote amazed.
“Oh, hush, hush!” cried Phoebe; “offer to pay it on Cotsdean’s part, and say nothing about Mr. May.”
The young man looked at her bewildered; but nodded his head in assent, and then her own young man pulled her back almost roughly, and demanded to know what she meant by talking to that fellow so. Thus poor Phoebe was between two fires. She went in with a fainting yet courageous heart.
“Pay the money!” said Tozer, who by dint of brooding over it all the day had come to a white heat, and was no longer to be controlled. “Mr. Northcote, sir, you’re a minister, and you don’t understand business no more nor women do. Money’s money—but there’s more than money here. There’s my name, sir, as has been made use of in a way!—me go signing of accommodation bills! I’d have cut off my hand sooner. There’s that girl there, she’s got it. She’s been and stolen it from me, Mr. Northcote. Tell her to give it up. You may have some influence, you as is a minister. Tell her to give it up, or, by George, she shall never have a penny from me! I’ll cut her off without even a shilling. I’ll put her out o’ my will—out o’ my house.”
“I say, Phoebe,” said Clarence, “look here, that’s serious, that is; not that I mind a little pot of money like what the poor old fellow’s got; but what’s the good of throwing anything away?”
“Make her give it up,” cried Tozer hoarsely, “or out of this house she goes this very night. I ain’t the sort of man to be made a fool of. I ain’t the sort of man—Who’s this a-coming? some more of your d⸺d intercessors to spoil justice,” cried the old man, “but I won’t have ’em. I’ll have nothing to say to them. What, who? Mr. Copperhead’s father? I ain’t ashamed to meet Mr. Copperhead’s father; but one thing at a time. Them as comes into my house must wait my time,” cried the butterman, seeing vaguely the group come in, whom we left at his doors. “I’m master here. Give up that bill, you brazen young hussy, and go out of my sight. How dare you set up your face among so many men? Give it up!” he cried, seizing her by the elbow in renewed fury. The strangers, though he saw them enter, received no salutation from him. There was one small lamp on the table, dimly lighted, which threw a faint glow upon the circle of countenances round, into which came wondering the burly big Copperhead, holding fast by the shoulder of Mr. May, whose ghastly face, contorted with wild anxiety, glanced at Tozer over the lamp. But the old man was so much absorbed at first that he scarcely saw who the newcomers were.
“What’s all this about?” said Mr. Copperhead. “Seems we’ve come into the midst of another commotion. So you’re here, Clar! it is you I want, my boy. Look here, Northcote, take hold, will you? there’s a screw loose, and we’ve got to get him home. Take hold, till I have had a word with Clarence. That’s a thing that won’t take long.”
Clarence cast a glance at Phoebe, who even in her own agitation turned and gave him a tremulous smile of encouragement. The crisis was so great on all sides of her that Phoebe became heroic.
“I am here,” she said, with all the steadiness of strong emotion, and when he had received this assurance of support, he feared his father no more.
“All right, sir,” he said almost with alacrity. He was afraid of nothing with Phoebe standing by.
“Make her give me up my bill,” said Tozer; “I’ll hear nothing else till this is settled. My bill! It’s forgery; that’s what it is. Don’t speak to me about money! I’ll have him punished. I’ll have him rot in prison for it. I’ll not cheat the law—You people as has influence with that girl, make her give it me. I
