第11章

’Company？FarmerDerrimanisnotathome，’saidAnne，andwentontothewindowwhencetheraysoflightleakedout，thetrumpet-majorstandingwherehewas。Hesawherfaceenterthebeamofcandlelight，staythereforamoment，andquicklywithdraw。Shecamebacktohimatonce。’Letusgoon，’shesaid。

LovedayimaginedfromhertonethatshemusthaveaninterestinDerriman，andsaidsadly，’Youblamemeforgoingacrosstothewindow，andleadingyoutofollowme。’

’Notabit，’saidAnne，seeinghismistakeastothestateofherheart，andbeingratherangrywithhimforit。’Ithinkitwasmostnatural，consideringthenoise。’

Silenceagain。’Derrimanissoberasajudge，’saidLoveday，astheyturnedtogo。’Itwasonlytheotherswhowerenoisy。’

’Whetherheissoberornotisnothingwhatevertome，’saidAnne。

’Ofcoursenot。Iknowit，’saidthetrumpet-major，inaccentsexpressingunhappinessathersomewhatcurttone，andsomedoubtofherassurance。

Beforetheyhademergedfromtheshadowofthehallsomepersonswereseenmovingalongtheroad。Lovedaywasforgoingonjustthesame；butAnne，fromashyfeelingthatitwasaswellnottobeseenwalkingalonewithamanwhowasnotherlover，said——

’Mr。Loveday，letuswaithereaminutetilltheyhavepassed。’

Onnearerviewthegroupwasseentocompriseamanonapiebaldhorse，andanothermanwalkingbesidehim。Whentheywereoppositethehousetheyhalted，andtheriderdismounted，whereuponadisputebetweenhimandtheothermanensued，apparentlyonaquestionofmoney。

’’TisoldMr。Derrimancomehome！’saidAnne。’Hehashiredthathorsefromthebathing-machinetobringhim。Onlyfancy！’

Beforetheyhadgonemanystepsfurtherthefarmerandhiscompanionhadendedtheirdispute，andthelattermountedthehorseandcanteredaway，UncleBenjycomingontothehouseatanimblepace。

AssoonasheobservedLovedayandAnne，hefellintoafeeblergait；whentheycameupherecognizedAnne。

’AndyouhavetornyourselfawayfromKingGeorge’sEsplanadesosoon，FarmerDerriman？’saidshe。

’Yes，faith！Icouldn’tbideatsucharuinationplace，’saidthefarmer。’Yourhandinyourpocketeveryminuteoftheday。’Tisashillingforthis，half-a-crownforthat；ifyouonlyeatoneegg，orevenapoorwindfallofanapple，you’vegottopay；andabuncho’radishesisahalfpenny，andaquarto’cideragoodtuppencethree-farthingsatlowestreckoning。Nothingwithoutpaying！I

couldn’tevengetaridehomewarduponthatscrewwithoutthemanwantingashillingforit，whenmyweightdidn’ttakeapennyoutofthebeast。I’vesavedapenn’orthorsoofshoeleathertobesure；

butthesaddlewassoroughwi’patchesthat’atooktwopenceoutoftheseatofmybestbreeches。KingGeorgehev’ruinedthetownforotherfolks。Morethanthat，mynephewpromisedtocomethereto-morrowtoseeme，andifIhadstayedImusthavetreateden。

Hey——what’sthat？’

Itwasashoutfromwithinthewallsofthebuilding，andLovedaysaid——

’Yournephewishere，andhascompany。’

’MynephewHERE？’gaspedtheoldman。’Goodfolks，willyoucomeuptothedoorwithme？Imean——hee——hee——justforcompany！Dearme，Ithoughtmyhousewasasquietasachurch？’

Theywentbacktothewindow，andthefarmerlookedin，hismouthfallingaparttoagreaterwidthatthecornersthaninthemiddle，andhisfingersassumingastateofradiation。

’’Tismybestsilvertankardsthey’vegot，thatI’veneverused！O！

’tismystrongbeer！’Tiseightcandlesgutteringaway，whenI’veusednothingbuttwentiesmyselfforthelasthalf-year！’

’Youdidn’tknowhewashere，then？’saidLoveday。

’Ono！’saidthefarmer，shakinghisheadhalf-way。’Nothing’sknowntopoorI！There’smybestrummersjinglingascarelessasif’twastincups；andmytablescratched，andmychairswrenchedoutofjoint。Seehowtheytilt’emonthetwobacklegs——andthat’sruintoachair！Ah！whenIbegonehewon’tfindanotheroldmantomakesuchworkwith，andprovidegoodsforhisbreaking，andhouse-roomanddrinkforhistear-brassset！’

’Comradesandfellow-soldiers，’saidFestustothehotfarmersandyeomenheentertainedwithin，’aswehavevowedtobravedangeranddeathtogether，sowe’llsharethecouchofpeace。Youshallsleephereto-night，foritisgettinglate。Myscramblue-vinniedgallicrowofanuncletakescarethatthereshan’tbemuchcomfortinthehouse，butyoucancurluponthefurnitureifbedsrunshort。Asformysleep，itwon’tbemuch。I’mmelancholy！Awomanhas，Imaysay，gotmyheartinherpocket，andIhavehersinmine。

She’snotmuch——tootherfolk，Imean——butsheistome。Thelittlethingcameinmyway，andconqueredme。Ifancythatsimplegirl！

Ioughttohavelookedhigher——Iknowit；whatofthat？’Tisafatethatmayhappentothegreatestmen。’

’Whashhername？’saidoneofthewarriors，whoseheadoccasionallydroopeduponhisepaulettes，andwhoseeyesfelltogetherinthecasualmannercharacteristicofthetiredsoldier。(ItwasreallyFarmerStubb，ofDuddleHole。)

’Hername？Well，’tisspelt，A，N——but，bygad，Iwon’tgiveyehernamehereincompany。Shedon’tliveahundredmilesoff，however，andshewearstheprettiestcap-ribbonsyoueversaw。Well，well，’tisweakness！Shehaslittle，andIhavemuch；butIdoadorethatgirl，inspiteofmyself！’

’Let’sgoon，’saidAnne。

’Pritheestandbyanoldmantillhe’sgotintohishouse！’imploredUncleBenjy。’Ionlyaskyetobidewithincall。Standbackunderthetrees，andI’lldomypoorbesttogivenotrouble。’

’I’llstandbyyouforhalf-an-hour，sir，’saidLoveday。’AfterthatImustbolttocamp。’

’Verywell；bidebackthereunderthetrees，’saidUncleBenjy。’I

don’twanttospite’em？’

’You’llwaitafewminutes，justtoseeifhegetsin？’saidthetrumpet-majortoAnneastheyretiredfromtheoldman。

’Iwanttogethome，’saidAnneanxiously。

Whentheyhadquiterecededbehindthetree-trunksandhestoodalone，UncleBenjy，totheirsurprise，setupaloudshout，altogetherbeyondtheimaginedpowerofhislungs。

’Mana-lost！mana-lost！’hecried，repeatingtheexclamationseveraltimes；andthenranandhidhimselfbehindacornerofthebuilding。Soonthedooropened，andFestusandhisguestscametumblingoutuponthegreen。

’’Tisourdutytohelpfolksindistress，’saidFestus。’Mana-lost，whereareyou？’

’’Twasacrossthere，’saidoneofhisfriends。

’No！’twashere，’saidanother。

MeanwhileUncleBenjy，comingfromhishiding-place，hadscamperedwiththequicknessofaboyuptothedoortheyhadquitted，andslippedin。Inamomentthedoorflewtogether，andAnneheardhimboltingandbarringitinside。Therevellers，however，didnotnoticethis，andcameontowardsthespotwherethetrumpet-majorandAnnewerestanding。

’Here’ssuccourathand，friends，’saidFestus。’Weareallking’smen；donotfearus。’

’Thankyou，’saidLoveday；’soarewe。’Heexplainedintwowordsthattheywerenotthedistressedtravellerwhohadcriedout，andturnedtogoon。

’’Tisshe！mylife，’tisshesaidFestus，nowfirstrecognizingAnne。’FairAnne，IwillnotpartfromyoutillIseeyousafeatyourowndeardoor。’

’She’sinmyhands，’saidLovedaycivilly，thoughnotwithoutfirmness，’soitisnotrequired，thankyou。’

’Man，hadIbutmysword——’

’Come，’saidLoveday，’Idon’twanttoquarrel。Let’sputittoher。Whicheverofusshelikesbest，heshalltakeherhome。MissAnne，which？’

Annewouldmuchratherhavegonehomealone，butseeingtheremainderoftheyeomanrypartystaggeringupshethoughtitbesttosecureaprotectorofsomekind。Howtochooseonewithoutoffendingtheotherandprovokingaquarrelwasthedifficulty。

’Youmustbothwalkhomewithme，’sheadroitlysaid，’oneononeside，andoneontheother。Andifyouarenotquiteciviltooneanotherallthetime，I’llneverspeaktoeitherofyouagain。’

Theyagreedtotheterms，andtheotheryeomenarrivingatthistimesaidtheywouldgoalsoasrearguard。

’Verywell，’saidAnne。’Nowgoandgetyourhats，anddon’tbelong。’

’Ah，yes；ourhats，’saidtheyeomanry，whoseheadsweresohotthattheyhadforgottentheirnakednesstillthen。

’You’llwaittillwe’vegot’em——wewon’tbeamoment，’saidFestuseagerly。

AnneandLovedaysaidyes，andFestusranbacktothehouse，followedbyallhisband。

’Nowlet’srunandleave’em，’saidAnne，whentheywereoutofhearing。

’Butwe’vepromisedtowait！’saidthetrumpet-majorinsurprise。

’Promisedtowait！’saidAnneindignantly。’Asifoneoughttokeepsuchapromisetodrunkenmenasthat。Youcandoasyoulike，I

shallgo。’

’Itishardlyfairtoleavethechaps，’saidLovedayreluctantly，andlookingbackatthem。Butsheheardnomore，andflittingoffunderthetrees，wassoonlosttohissight。

FestusandtheresthadbythistimereachedUncleBenjy’sdoor，whichtheywerediscomfitedandastonishedtofindclosed。Theybegantoknock，andthentokickatthevenerabletimber，tilltheoldman’shead，crownedwithatassellednightcap，appearedatanupperwindow，followedbyhisshoulders，withapparentlynothingonbuthisshirt，thoughitwasintruthasheetthrownoverhiscoat。

’Fie，fieuponyeallformakingsuchahullaballooataweakoldman’sdoor，’hesaid，yawning。’What’sinyetorousehonestfolksatthistimeo’night？’

’Hangme——why——it’sUncleBenjy！Haw——haw——haw？’saidFestus。

’Nunc，whyhowthedevil’sthis？’TisI——Festus——wantingtocomein。’

’Ono，no，mycleverman，whoeveryoube！’saidUncleBenjyinatoneofincredulousintegrity。’Mynephew，dearboy，ismilesawayatquarters，andsoundasleepbythistime，asbecomesagoodsoldier。Thatstorywon’tdoto-night，myman，notatall。’

’Uponmysoul’tisI，’saidFestus。

’Notto-night，myman；notto-night！Anthony，bringmyblunderbuss，’saidthefarmer，turningandaddressingnobodyinsidetheroom。

’Let’sbreakinthewindow-shutters，’saidoneoftheothers。

’Mywig，andwewill！’saidFestus。’Whatatrickoftheoldman！’

’Getsomebigstones，’saidtheyeomen，searchingunderthewall。

’No；forbear，forbear，’saidFestus，beginningtohefrightenedatthespirithehadraised。’Iforget；weshoulddrivehimintofits，forhe’ssubjectto’em，andthenperhaps’twouldbemanslaughter。

Comrades，wemustmarch！No，we’lllieinthebarn。I’llseeintothis，takemywordfor’t。Ourhonourisatstake。Nowlet’sbacktoseemybeautyhome。’

’Wecan’t，aswehav’n’tgotourhats，’saidoneofhisfellow-troopers——indomesticlifeJacobNoakes，ofMucklefordFarm。

’Nomorewecan，’saidFestus，inamelancholytone。’ButImustgotoherandtellherthereason。Shepullsmeinspiteofall。’

’She’sgone。Isawherfleeacrossparkwhilewewereknockingatthedoor，’saidanotheroftheyeomanry。

’Gone！’saidFestus，grindinghisteethandputtinghimselfintoarigidshape。’Then’tismyenemy——hehastemptedherawaywithhim！

ButIamarichman，andhe’spoor，andridestheKing’shorsewhileIridemyown。CouldIbutfindthatfellow，thatregular，thatcommonman，Iwould——’

’Yes？’saidthetrumpet-major，comingupbehindhim。

’I，’——saidFestus，startinground，——’Iwouldseizehimbythehandandsay，“Guardher；ifyouaremyfriend，guardherfromallharm！“’

’Agoodspeech。AndIwill，too，’saidLovedayheartily。

’Andnowforshelter，’saidFestustohiscompanions。

TheythenunceremoniouslyleftLoveday，withoutwishinghimgood-night，andproceededtowardsthebarn。Hecrossedtheparkandascendedthedowntothecamp，grievedthathehadgivenAnnecauseofcomplaint，andfancyingthatsheheldhimofslightaccountbesidehiswealthierrival。