第9章

WhenAnnewascrossingthelastfield，shesawapproachingheranoldwomanwithwrinkledcheeks，whosurveyedtheearthanditsinhabitantsthroughthemediumofbrass-rimmedspectacles。ShakingherheadatAnnetilltheglassesshoneliketwomoons，shesaid，’Ah，ah；Izeedye！IfIhadonlykeptonmyshortonesthatIuseforreadingtheCollectandGospelIshouldn’thavezeedye；butthinksI，Ibegoingouto’doors，andI’llputonmylongones，littlethinkingwhatthey’dshowme。Ay，Icantellfolkatanydistancewiththese——’tisabeautifulpairforouto’doors；thoughmyshortonesbebestforclosework，suchasdarning，andcatchingfleas，that’strue。’

’Whathaveyouseen，GrannySeamore？’saidAnne。

’Fie，fie，MissNancy！youknow，’saidGrannySeamore，shakingherheadstill。’Buthe’safineyoungfeller，andwillhaveallhisuncle’smoneywhen’a’sgone。’Annesaidnothingtothis，andlookingaheadwithasmilepassedGrannySeamoreby。

Festus，thesubjectoftheremark，wasatthistimeaboutthree-and-twenty，afinefellowastofeetandinches，andofaremarkablywarmtoneinskinandhair。Symptomsofbeardandwhiskershadappeareduponhimataveryearlyage，owingtohispersistentuseoftherazorbeforetherewasanynecessityforitsoperation。Thebraveboyhadscrapedunseenintheout-house，inthecellar，inthewood-shed，inthestable，intheunusedparlour，inthecow-stalls，inthebarn，andwhereverhecouldsetuphistriangularbitoflooking-glasswithoutobservation，orextemporizeamirrorbystickinguphishatontheoutsideofawindow-pane。

Theresultnowwasthat，didheneglecttousetheinstrumentheoncehadtrifledwith，afinerustbrokeoutuponhiscountenanceonthefirstday，agoldenlichenonthesecond，andafierystubbleonthethirdtoadegreewhichadmittedofnofurtherpostponement。

Hisdispositiondividednaturallyintotwo，theboastfulandthecantankerous。WhenFestusputonthebigpot，asitisclassicallycalled，hewasquiteblindedipsofactotothedivertingeffectofthatmoodandmanneruponothers；butwhendisposedtobeenviousorquarrelsomehewasrathershrewdthanotherwise，andcoulddosomeprettystrokesofsatire。Hewasbothlikedandabusedbythegirlswhoknewhim，andthoughtheywerepleasedbyhisattentions，theyneverfailedtoridiculehimbehindhisback。Inhiscups(heknewthosevessels，thoughonlytwenty-three)hefirstbecamenoisy，thenexcessivelyfriendly，andtheninvariablynagging。Duringchildhoodhehadmadehimselfrenownedforhispleasanthabitofpouncingdownuponboyssmallerandpoorerthanhimself，andknockingtheirbirds’

nestsoutoftheirhands，oroverturningtheirlittlecartsofapples，orpouringwaterdowntheirbacks；buthisconductbecamesingularlythereverseofaggressivethemomentthelittleboys’

mothersranouttohim，brandishingbrooms，frying-pans，skimmers，andwhateverelsetheycouldlayhandsonbywayofweapons。Hethenfledandhidbehindbushes，underfaggots，orinpitstilltheyhadgoneaway；andononesuchoccasionwasknowntocreepintoabadger’sholequiteoutofsight，maintainingthatpostwithgreatfirmnessandresolutionfortwoorthreehours。Hehadbroughtmorevulgarexclamationsuponthetonguesofrespectableparentsinhisnativeparishthananyotherboyofhistime。Whenotheryoungsterssnowballedhimheranintoaplaceofshelter，wherehekneadedsnowballsofhisown，withastoneinside，andusedtheseformidablemissilesinreturningtheirpleasantry。Sometimeshegotfearfullybeatenbyboyshisownage，whenhewouldroarmostlustily，butfightoninthemidstofhistears，blood，andcries。

Hewasearlyinlove，andhadatthetimeofthestorysufferedfromtheravagesofthatpassionthirteendistincttimes。Hecouldnotlovelightlyandgaily；hislovewasearnest，cross-tempered，andevensavage。Itwasapositiveagonytohimtoberidiculedbytheobjectofhisaffections，andsuchconductdrovehimintoafrenzyifpersistedin。Hewasatormenttothosewhobehavedhumblytowardshim，cynicalwiththosewhodeniedhissuperiority，andaverynicefellowtowardsthosewhohadthecouragetoill-usehim。

ThisstalwartgentlemanandAnneGarlanddidnotcrosseachother’spathsagainforaweek。Thenhermotherbeganasbeforeaboutthenewspaper，and，thoughAnnedidnotmuchliketheerrand，sheagreedtogoforitonMrs。Garlandpressingherwithunusualanxiety。Whyhermotherwassopersistentonsosmallamatterquitepuzzledthegirl；butsheputonherhatandstarted。

Asshehadexpected，Festusappearedatastileoverwhichshesometimeswentforshortness’sake，andshowedbyhismannerthatheawaitedher。Whenshesawthisshekeptstraighton，asifshewouldnotentertheparkatall。

’Surelythisisyourway？’saidFestus。

’Iwasthinkingofgoingroundbytheroad，’shesaid。

’Whyisthat？’

Shepaused，asifshewerenotinclinedtosay。’Igothatwaywhenthegrassiswet，’shereturnedatlast。

’Itisnotwetnow，’hepersisted；’thesunhasbeenshiningonittheseninehours。’Thefactwasthatthewaybythepathwaslessopenthanbytheroad，andFestuswishedtowalkwithheruninterrupted。’But，ofcourse，itisnothingtomewhatyoudo。’

Heflunghimselffromthestileandwalkedawaytowardsthehouse。

Anne，supposinghimreallyindifferent，tookthesameway，uponwhichheturnedhisheadandwaitedforherwithaproudsmile。

’Icannotgowithyou，’shesaiddecisively。

’Nonsense，youfoolishgirl！Imustwalkalongwithyoudowntothecorner。’

’No，please，Mr。Derriman；wemightbeseen。’

’Now，now——that’sshyness！’hesaidjocosely。

’No；youknowIcannotletyou。’

’ButImust。’

’ButIdonotallowit。’

’Allowitornot，Iwill。’

’Thenyouareunkind，andImustsubmit，’shesaid，hereyesbrimmingwithtears。

’Ho，ho；whatashameofme！Mywig，Iwon’tdoanysuchthingfortheworld，’saidtherepentantyeoman。’Haw，haw；why，Ithoughtyour“goaway“meant“comeon，“asitdoeswithsomanyofthewomenImeet，especiallyintheseclothes。Whowastoknowyouweresoconfoundedlyserious？’

AshedidnotgoAnnestoodstillandsaidnothing。

’Iseeyouhaveadealmorecautionandadeallessgood-naturethanIeverthoughtyouhad，’hecontinuedemphatically。

’No，sir；itisnotanyplannedmannerofmineatall，’shesaidearnestly。’Butyouwillsee，Iamsure，thatIcouldnotgodowntothehallwithyouwithoutputtingmyselfinawronglight。’

’Yes；that’sit，that’sit。Iamonlyafellowintheyeomanrycavalry——aplainsoldier，Imaysay；andweknowwhatwomenthinkofsuch:thattheyareabadlot——menyoumustn’tspeaktoforfearoflosingyourcharacter——chapsyouavoidintheroads——chapsthatcomeintoahouselikeoxen，daubthestairswi’theirboots，stainthefurniturewi’theirdrink，talkrubbishtotheservants，abuseallthat’sholyandrighteous，andareonlysavedfrombeingcarriedoffbyOldNickbecausetheyarewantedforBoney。’

’Indeed，Ididn’tknowyouwerethoughtsobadofasthat，’saidshesimply。

’What！don’tmyunclecomplaintoyouofme？Youareafavouriteofthathandsome，niceoldgaffer’s，Iknow。’

’Never。’

’Well，whatdowethinkofournicetrumpet-major，hey？’

Anneclosedhermouthuptight，builtitup，infact，toshowthatnoanswerwascomingtothatquestion。

’Onow，come，seriously，Lovedayisagoodfellow，andsoishisfather。’

’Idon’tknow。’

’Whatacloselittlerogueyouare！Thereisnogettinganythingoutofyou。Ibelieveyouwouldsay“Idon’tknow，“toeverymortalquestion，soverydiscreetasyouare。Uponmyheart，therearesomewomenwhowouldsay“Idon’tknow，“to“Willyemarryme？“’

ThebrightnessuponAnne’scheekandinhereyesduringthisremarkshowedthattherewasafairquantityoflifeandwarmthbeneaththediscretionhecomplainedof。Havingspokenthus，hedrewasidethatshemightpass，andbowedverylow。Anneformallyinclinedherselfandwenton。

Shehadbeenatvexationpointallthetimethathewaspresent，fromahauntingsensethathewouldnothavespokentohersofreelyhadshebeenayoungwomanwiththrivingmalerelativestokeepforwardadmirersincheck。Butshehadbeenstruck，nowasattheirpreviousmeeting，withthepowershepossessedofworkinghimupeithertoirritationortocomplacencyatwill；andthisconsciousnessofbeingabletoplayuponhimasuponaninstrumentdisposedhertoahumorousconsiderateness，andmadehertolerateevenwhilesherebuffedhim。

WhenAnnegottothehallthefarmer，asusual，insisteduponherreadingwhathehadbeenunabletogetthrough，andheldthepapertightlyinhisskinnyhandtillshehadagreed。Hesenthertoahardchairthatshecouldnotpossiblyinjuretotheextentofapennyworthbysittinginitatwelvemonth，andwatchedherfromtheouterangleofhisneareyewhileshebentoverthepaper。Hislookmighthavebeensuggestedbythesightthathehadwitnessedfromhiswindowonthelastoccasionofhervisit，foritpartookofthenatureofconcern。Theoldmanwasafraidofhisnephew，physicallyandmorally，andhebegantoregardAnneasafellow-suffererunderthesamedespot。Afterthisslyandcuriousgazeatherhewithdrewhiseyeagain，sothatwhenshecasuallyliftedherowntherewasnothingvisiblebuthiskeenbluishprofileasbefore。

Whenthereadingwasabouthalf-waythrough，thedoorbehindthemopened，andfootstepscrossedthethreshold。Thefarmerdiminishedperceptiblyinhischair，andlookedfearful，butpretendedtobeabsorbedinthereading，andquiteunconsciousofanintruder。AnnefeltthepresenceoftheswashingFestus，andstoppedherreading。

’Pleasegoon，MissAnne，’hesaid，’Iamnotgoingtospeakaword。’Hewithdrewtothemantelpieceandleanedagainstitathisease。

’Goon，doye，maidyAnne，’saidUncleBenjy，keepingdownhistremblingsbyagreatefforttohalftheirnaturalextent。

Anne’svoicebecamemuchlowernowthatthereweretwolisteners，andhermodestyshranksomewhatfromexposingtoFestustheappreciativemodulationswhichanintelligentinterestinthesubjectdrewfromherwhenunembarrassed。Butshestillwentonthathemightnotsupposehertobedisconcerted，thoughtheensuingtenminuteswasoneofdisquietude。Sheknewthatthebotheringyeoman’seyesweretravellingoverherfromhispositionbehind，creepingoverhershoulders，uptoherhead，andacrossherarmsandhands。OldBenjyonhispartknewthesamething，andaftersundryendeavourstopeepathisnephewfromthecornerofhiseye，hecouldbearthesituationnolonger。

’Doyewanttosayanythingtome，nephew？’hequaked。

’No，uncle，thankye，’saidFestusheartily。’Iliketostayhere，thinkingofyouandlookingatyourbackhair。’

Thenervousoldmanwrithedunderthisvivisection，andAnnereadon；till，tothereliefofboth，thegallantfellowgrewtiredofhisamusementandwentoutoftheroom。Annesoonfinishedherparagraphandrosetogo，determinednevertocomeagainaslongasFestushauntedtheprecincts。Herfacegrewwarmerasshethoughtthathewouldbesuretowaylayheronherjourneyhometo-day。

Onthisaccount，whensheleftthehouse，insteadofgoinginthecustomarydirection，sheboltedroundtothefurtherside，throughthebushes，alongunderthekitchen-gardenwall，andthroughadoorleadingintoaruttedcart-track，whichhadbeenapleasantgravelleddrivewhenthefineoldhallwasinitsprosperity。Onceoutofsightofthewindowssheranwithallhermighttillshehadquittedtheparkbyaroutedirectlyoppositetothattowardsherhome。Whyshewassoseriouslybentupondoingthisshecouldhardlytellbuttheinstincttorunwasirresistible。

Itwasnecessarynowtoclamberoverthedowntotheleftofthecamp，andmakeacompletecircuitroundthelatter——infantry，cavalry，sutlers，andall——descendingtoherhouseontheotherside。Thistremendouswalksheperformedatarapidrate，neveronceturningherhead，andavoidingeverybeatentracktokeepclearoftheknotsofsoldierstakingawalk。Whensheatlastgotdowntothelevelsagainshepausedtofetchbreath，andmurmured，’WhydidItakesomuchtrouble？Hewouldnot，afterall，havehurtme。’

Asshenearedthemillanerectfigurewithabluebodyandwhitethighsdescendedbeforeherfromthedowntowardsthevillage，andwentpastthemilltoastilebeyond，overwhichsheusuallyreturnedtoherhouse。Herehelingered。OncomingnearerAnnediscoveredthispersontobeTrumpet-majorLoveday；andnotwishingtomeetanybodyjustnowAnnepassedquicklyon，andenteredthehousebythegardendoor。

’MydearAnne，whatatimeyouhavebeengone！’saidhermother。

’Yes，Ihavebeenroundbyanotherroad。’

’Whydidyoudothat？’