Before this speech was finished, the whole party had assembled in the drawing-room, where a newly-lighted fire, hastily set light to on the spur of the moment by Phoebe, was sputtering drearily. Mrs. Vincent had been placed in an arm-chair at one side, and Mrs. Tozer, spreading out her black silk apron and arranging her cap, set herself doggedly on the other, with a little toss of her head and careful averting of her eyes from the accused pastor. Tozer, without his apron, had drawn a chair to the table, and was drumming on it with the blunt round ends of his fingers; while Phoebe, in a slightly pathetic attitude, ready for general conciliation, hovered near the minister, who grew red all over, and clenched his hand with an emphasis most intelligible to his frightened mother. The dreadful pause was broken by Phoebe, who rushed to the rescue. "Oh, Ma, how can you!" cried that young lady--"you were all worrying and teasing Mr. Vincent, you know you were; and if he does know that beautiful lady," said Phoebe, with her head pathetically on one side, and another glance at him, still more appealing and tenderly reproachful--"and--and likes to go to see her--it's--it's the naturalest thing that ever was. Oh, I knew he never could think anything of anybody else in Carlingford after Lady Western! and I am sure, whatever other people may say, I--I--never can think Mr. Vincent was to blame." Phoebe's words were interrupted by her feelings--she sank back into a seat when she had concluded, and put a handkerchief to her eyes. As for Tozer, he still drummed on the table. A certain human sympathy was in the mind of the butterman, but he deferred to the readier utterance of his indignant wife. "I never said it was any concern of ours," said Mrs. Tozer. "It ain't our way to court nobody as doesn't seek our company; but a minister as we've all done a deal to make comfortable, and took an interest in equal to a son, and has been made such a fuss about as I never see in our connection--it's disappointing, I will say, to see him a-going off after worldly folks that don't care no more about religion than I do about playing the piano. Not as Phoebe doesn't play the piano better than most--but such things ain't in my thoughts. I do say it's disappointing, and gives folks a turn. If she's pretty-lookin'--as she may be, for what I can tell--it ain't none of the pastor's business. Them designing ladies is the ruin of a young man; and when he deserts his flock, as are making sacrifices, and goes off after strangers, I don't say if it's right or wrong, but I say it's disappointin', and what wasn't looked for at Mr. Vincent's hands."