第4章

’Ono——Iamnotsurethatweought。Ididnotpromise，andtherewillbenotroubleinkeepingaway。’

Anneapparentlydidnotfeelcertainofherownopinion，and，insteadofsupportingorcontradicting，lookedthoughtfullydown，andabstractedlybroughtherhandstogetheronherbosom，tillherfingersmettiptotip。

Asthedayadvancedtheyoungwomanandhermotherbecameawarethatgreatpreparationswereinprogressinthemiller’swingofthehouse。ThepartitioningbetweentheLovedaysandtheGarlandswasnotverythorough，consistinginmanycasesofasimplescrewingupofthedoorsinthedividingwalls；andthuswhenthemillbegananynewperformancestheyproclaimedthemselvesatonceinthemoreprivatedwelling。ThesmellofMillerLoveday’spipecamedownMrs。

Garland’schimneyofaneveningwiththegreatestregularity。Everytimethathepokedhisfiretheyknewfromthevehemenceordeliberatenessoftheblowstheprecisestateofhismind；andwhenhewoundhisclockonSundaynightsthewhirrofthatmonitorremindedthewidowtowindhers。ThistransitofnoiseswasmostperfectwhereLoveday’slobbyadjoinedMrs。Garland’spantry；andAnne，whowasoccupiedforsometimeinthelatterapartment，enjoyedtheprivilegeofhearingthevisitorsarriveandofcatchingstraysoundsandwordswithouttheconnectingphrasesthatmadethementertaining，tojudgefromthelaughtertheyevoked。Thearrivalspassedthroughthehouseandwentintothegarden，wheretheyhadteainalargesummer-house，anoccasionalblinkofbrightcolour，throughthefoliage，beingallthatwasvisibleoftheassemblyfromMrs。Garland’swindows。Whenitgrewdusktheyallcouldbeheardcomingindoorstofinishtheeveningintheparlour。

Thentherewasanintensifiedcontinuationoftheabove-mentionedsignsofenjoyment，talkingsandhaw-haws，runningsupstairsandrunningsdown，aslammingofdoorsandaclinkingofcupsandglasses；tilltheproudestadjoiningtenantwithoutfriendsonhisownsideofthepartitionmighthavebeentemptedtowishforentrancetothatmerrydwelling，ifonlytoknowthecauseofthesefluctuationsofhilarity，andtoseeiftheguestswerereallysonumerous，andtheobservationssoveryamusingastheyseemed。

ThestagnationoflifeontheGarlandsideoftheparty-wallbegantohaveaverygloomyeffectbythecontrast。When，abouthalf-pastnineo’clock，oneofthesetantalizingburstsofgaietyhadresoundedforalongertimethanusual，Annesaid，’Ibelieve，mother，thatyouarewishingyouhadgone。’

’Iowntofeelingthatitwouldhavebeenverycheerfulifwehadjoinedin，’saidMrs。Garland，inahankeringtone。’Iwasrathertooniceinlisteningtoyouandnotgoing。Theparsonnevercallsuponusexceptinhisspiritualcapacity。OldDerrimanishardlygenteel；andthere’snobodylefttospeakto。Lonelypeoplemustacceptwhatcompanytheycanget。’

’Ordowithoutitaltogether。’

’That’snotnatural，Anne；andIamsurprisedtohearayoungwomanlikeyousaysuchathing。Naturewillnotbestifledinthatway……’(Songandpowerfulchorusheardthroughpartition。)’I

declaretheroomontheothersideofthewallseemsquiteaparadisecomparedwiththis。’

’Mother，youarequiteagirl，’saidAnneinslightlysuperioraccents。’Goinandjointhembyallmeans。’

’Ono——notnow，’saidhermother，resignedlyshakingherhead。’Itistoolatenow。Weoughttohavetakenadvantageoftheinvitation。Theywouldlookhardatmeasapoormortalwhohadnorealbusinessthere，andthemillerwouldsay，withhisbroadsmile，“Ah，youbeobligedtocomeround。“’

WhilethesociableandunaspiringMrs。Garlandcontinuedthustopasstheeveningintwoplaces，herbodyinherownhouseandhermindinthemiller’s，somebodyknockedatthedoor，anddirectlyaftertheelderLovedayhimselfwasadmittedtotheroom。Hewasdressedinasuitbetweengrandandgay，whichheusedforsuchoccasionsasthepresent，andhisbluecoat，yellowandredwaistcoatwiththethreelowerbuttonsunfastened，steel-buckledshoesandspeckledstockings，becamehimverywellinMrs。MarthaGarland’seyes。

’Yourservant，ma’am，’saidthemiller，adoptingasamatterofproprietytheraisedstandardofpolitenessrequiredbyhishighercostume。’Now，beggingyourpardon，Ican’thaethis。’Tisunnaturalthatyoutwoladiesshouldbebidinghereandweunderthesameroofmakingmerrywithoutye。Yourhusband，poorman——lovelypictersthata’wouldmaketobesure——wouldhavebeeninwithuslongagoifhehadbeeninyourplace。Icantakenonayfromye，uponmyhonour。YouandmaidyAnnemustcomein，ifitbeonlyforhalf-an-hour。Johnandhisfriendshavegotpassestilltwelveo’clockto-night，and，savingafewofourownvillagefolk，thelowestvisitorpresentisaverygenteelGermancorporal。Ifyoushouldhaeanymisgivingsonthescoreofrespectability，ma’am，we’llpackofftheunderbredonesintothebackkitchen。’

WidowGarlandandAnnelookedyesateachotherafterthisappeal。

’We’llfollowyouinafewminutes，’saidtheelder，smiling；andsherosewithAnnetogoupstairs。

’No，I’llwaitforye，’saidthemillerdoggedly；’orperhapsyou’llalteryourmindagain。’

Whilethemotheranddaughterwereupstairsdressing，andsayinglaughinglytoeachother，’Well，wemustgonow，’asiftheyhadn’twishedtogoalltheevening，otherstepswereheardinthepassage；

andthemillercriedfrombelow，’Yourpardon，Mrs。Garland；butmysonJohnhascometohelpfetchye。ShallIaskhimintillyebeready？’

’Certainly；Ishallbedowninaminute，’screamedAnne’smotherinaslantingvoicetowardsthestaircase。

Whenshedescended，theoutlineofthetrumpet-majorappearedhalf-waydownthepassage。’ThisisJohn，’saidthemillersimply。

’John，youcanmindMrs。MarthaGarlandverywell？’

’Verywell，indeed，’saidthedragoon，cominginalittlefurther。

’Ishouldhavecalledtoseeherlasttime，butIwasonlyhomeaweek。Howisyourlittlegirl，ma’am？’

Mrs。GarlandsaidAnnewasquitewell。’Sheisgrown-upnow。Shewillbedowninamoment。’

Therewasaslightnoiseofmilitaryheelswithoutthedoor，atwhichthetrumpet-majorwentandputhisheadoutside，andsaid，’Allright——cominginaminute，’whenvoicesinthedarknessreplied，’Nohurry。’

’Morefriends？’saidMrs。Garland。

’O，itisonlyBuckandJonescometofetchme，’saidthesoldier。

’ShallIask’eminaminute，MrsGarland，ma’am？’

’Oyes，’saidthelady；andthetwointerestingformsofTrumpeterBuckandSaddler-sergeantJonesthencameforwardinthemostfriendlymanner；whereuponotherstepswereheardwithout，anditwasdiscoveredthatSergeant-master-tailorBrettandFarrier-

extraordinaryJohnsonwereoutside，havingcometofetchMessrs。

BuckandJones，asBuckandJoneshadcometofetchthetrumpet-major。

AsthereseemedapossibilityofMrs。Garland’ssmallpassagebeingchokedupwithhumanfigurespersonallyunknowntoher，shewasrelievedtohearAnnecomingdownstairs。

’Here’smylittlegirl，’saidMrs。Garland，andthetrumpet-majorlookedwithasortofaweuponthemuslinapparitionwhocameforward，andstoodquitedumbbeforeher。Annerecognizedhimasthetroopershehadseenfromherwindow，andwelcomedhimkindly。

Therewassomethinginhishonestfacewhichmadeherfeelinstantlyathomewithhim。

AtthisfranknessofmannerLoveday——whowasnotaladies’man——

blushed，andmadesomealterationinhisbodilyposture，beganasentencewhichhadnoend，andshowedquiteaboy’sembarrassment。

Recoveringhimself，hepolitelyofferedhisarm，whichAnnetookwithaveryprettygrace。Heconductedherthroughhiscomrades，whogluedthemselvesperpendicularlytothewalltoletherpass，andthentheywentoutofthedoor，hermotherfollowingwiththemiller，andsupportedbythebodyoftroopers，thelatterwalkingwiththeusualcavalrygait，asiftheirthighswererathertoolongforthem。Thustheycrossedthethresholdofthemill-houseandupthepassage，thepavingofwhichwaswornintoagutterbytheebbandflowoffeetthathadbeengoingonthereeversinceTudortimes。

IV。WHOWEREPRESENTATTHEMILLER’SLITTLEENTERTAINMENT

Whenthegroupenteredthepresenceofthecompanyalullintheconversationwascausedbythesightofnewvisitors，and(ofcourse)bythecharmofAnne’sappearance；untiltheoldmen，whohaddaughtersoftheirown，perceivingthatshewasonlyahalf-formedgirl，resumedtheirtalesandtoss-pottingwithunconcern。

MillerLovedayhadfraternizedwithhalfthesoldiersinthecampsincetheirarrival，andtheeffectofthisuponhispartywasstriking——bothchromaticallyandotherwise。Thoseamongtheguestswhofirstattractedtheeyewerethesergeantsandsergeant-majorsofLoveday’sregiment，fineheartymen，whosatfacingthecandles，entirelyresignedtophysicalcomfort。Thentherewereothernon-commissionedofficers，aGerman，twoHungarians，andaSwede，fromtheforeignhussars——youngmenwithalookofsadnessontheirfaces，asiftheydidnotmuchlikeservingsofarfromhome。AllofthemspokeEnglishfairlywell。OldagewasrepresentedbySimonBurdenthepensioner，andtheshadysideoffiftybyCorporalTullidge，hisfriendandneighbour，whowashardofhearing，andsatwithhishatonoveraredcottonhandkerchiefthatwaswoundseveraltimesroundhishead。Thesetwoveteranswereemployedaswatchersattheneighbouringbeacon，whichhadlatelybeenerectedbytheLord-Lieutenantforfiringwheneverthedescentonthecoastshouldbemade。Theylivedinalittlehutonthehill，closebytheheapoffaggots；butto-nighttheyhadfounddeputiestowatchintheirstead。

OnalowerplaneofexperienceandqualificationscameneighbourJamesComfort，oftheVolunteers，asoldierbycourtesy，butablacksmithbyrights；alsoWilliamTremlettandAnthonyCripplestraw，ofthelocalforces。Thetwolattermenofwarweredressedmerelyasvillagers，andlookedupontheregularsfromahumblepositioninthebackground。Theremainderofthepartywasmadeupofaneighbouringdairymanortwo，andtheirwives，invitedbythemiller，asAnnewasgladtosee，thatsheandhermothershouldnotbetheonlywomenthere。

TheelderLovedayapologizedinawhispertoMrs。Garlandforthepresenceoftheinferiorvillagers。’Butastheyarelearningtobebravedefendersoftheirhomeandcountry，ma’am，asfastastheycanmasterthedrill，andhaveworkedformeoffandonthesemanyyears，I’veasked’emin，andthoughtyou’dexcuseit。’

’Certainly，MillerLoveday，’saidthewidow。

’AndthesameofoldBurdenandTullidge。TheyhaveservedwellandlongintheFoot，andevennowhaveahardtimeofitupatthebeaconinwetweather。SoaftergivingthemamealinthekitchenI

justasked’emintohearthesinging。Theyfaithfullypromisethatassoonaseverthegunboatsappearinview，andtheyhavefiredthebeacon，torundownherefirst，incaseweshouldn’tseeit。’Tisworthwhiletobefriendlywith’em，yousee，thoughtheirtempersbequeer。’

’Quiteworthwhile，miller，’saidshe。

Annewasratherembarrassedbythepresenceoftheregularmilitaryinsuchforce，andatfirstconfinedherwordstothedairymen’swivesshewasacquaintedwith，andtothetwooldsoldiersoftheparish。

’Whydidn’tyespeaktomeafore，chiel？’saidoneofthese，CorporalTullidge，theelderlymanwiththehat，whileshewastalkingtooldSimonBurden。’Imetyeinthelaneyesterday，’headdedreproachfully，’butyedidn’tnoticemeatall。’

’Iamverysorryforit，’shesaid；but，beingafraidtoshoutinsuchacompany，theeffectofherremarkuponthecorporalwasasifshehadnotspokenatall。

’Youwascomingalongwithyerheadfullofsomehighnotionsorothernodoubt，’continuedtheuncompromisingcorporalinthesameloudvoice。’Ah，’tistheyoungbucksthatgetallthenoticenowadays，andoldfolksarequiteforgot！IcanmindwellenoughhowyoungBobLovedayusedtolieinwaitforye。’

Anneblusheddeeply，andstoppedhistooexcursivediscoursebyhastilysayingthatshealwaysrespectedoldfolkslikehim。Thecorporalthoughtsheinquiredwhyhealwayskepthishaton，andansweredthatitwasbecausehisheadwasinjuredatValenciennes，inJuly，Ninety-three。’Weweretryingtobombdownthetower，andapieceoftheshellstruckme。Iwasnomorenorlessthanadeadmanfortwodays。Ifithadn’tabeenforthatandmysmashedarmI

shouldhavecomehomenonetheworseformyfive-and-twentyyears’

service。’