第15章

’Indeedtheycouldnot，’saidMrs。Garlandagain，inatoneofpleasantagreementwithanyoneinGreatBritainorIreland。

Itwassaidthatthelinethatdaywasthreemileslong，reachingfromthehighgroundontherightofwherethepeoplestoodtotheturnpikeroadontheleft。Afterthereviewcameashamfight，duringwhichactionthecrowddispersedmorewidelyoverthedowns，enablingWidowGarlandtogetstillclearerglimpsesoftheKing，andhishandsomecharger，andtheheadoftheQueen，andtheelbowsandshouldersoftheprincessesinthecarriages，andfractionalpartsofGeneralGarthandtheDukeofCumberland；whichsightsgavehergreatgratification。Shetuggedatherdaughterateveryopportunity，exclaiming，’Nowyoucanseehisfeather！’’There’sherhat！’’There’sherMajesty’sIndiamuslinshawl！’inaminorformofecstasy，thatmadethemillerthinkhermoregirlishandanimatedthanherdaughterAnne。

Inthosemilitarymanoeuvresthemillerfollowedthefortunesofoneman；AnneGarlandoftwo。Thespectators，who，unlikeourparty，hadnopersonalinterestinthesoldiery，sawonlytroopsandbattalionsintheconcrete，straightlinesofred，straightlinesofblue，whitelinesformedofinnumerableknee-breeches，blacklinesformedofmanygaiters，comingandgoinginkaleidoscopicchange。

Whothoughtofeverypointinthelineasanisolatedman，eachdwellingalltohimselfinthehermitageofhisownmind？Onepersondid，ayoungmanfarremovedfromthebarrowwheretheGarlandsandMillerLovedaystood。Thenaturalexpressionofhisfacewassomewhatobscuredbythebronzingeffectsofroughweather，butthelinesofhismouthshowedthataffectionateimpulseswerestrongwithinhim——perhapsstrongerthanjudgmentwellcouldregulate。Heworeabluejacketwithlittlebrassbuttons，andwasplainlyaseafaringman。

Meanwhile，inthepartoftheplainwhererosethetumulusonwhichthemillerhadestablishedhimself，abroad-brimmedtradesmanwaselbowinghiswayalong。HesawMr。Lovedayfromthebaseofthebarrow，andbeckonedtoattracthisattention。Lovedaywenthalfwaydown，andtheothercameupasnearashecould。

’Miller，’saidtheman，’aletterhasbeenlyingatthepost-officeforyouforthelastthreedays。IfIhadknownthatIshouldseeyehereI’dhavebroughtitalongwithme。’

Themillerthankedhimforthenews，andtheyparted，Lovedayreturningtothesummit。’Whataverystrangething！’hesaidtoMrs。Garland，whohadlookedinquiringlyathisface，nowverygrave。’ThatwasBudmouthpostmaster，andhesaysthere’saletterforme。Ah，InowcalltomindthatthereWASaletterinthecandlethreedaysagothisverynight——alargeredone；butfoolish-likeIthoughtnothingo’t。WhoCANthatletterbefrom？’

Aletteratthistimewassuchaneventforhamleteers，evenofthemiller’srespectablestanding，thatLovedaythenceforwardwasthrownintoafitofabstractionwhichpreventedhisseeinganymoreoftheshamfight，orthepeople，ortheKing。Mrs。Garlandimbibedsomeofhisconcern，andsuggestedthatthelettermightcomefromhissonRobert。

’Ishouldnaturallyhavethoughtthat，’saidMillerLoveday；’buthewrotetomeonlytwomonthsago，andhisbrotherJohnheardfromhimwithinthelastfourweeks，whenhewasjustaboutstartingonanothervoyage。Ifyou’llpardonme，Mrs。Garland，ma’am，I’llseeifthere’sanyOvercombemanherewhoisgoingtoBudmouthto-day，sothatImaygettheletterbynight-time。Icannotpossiblygomyself。’

SoMr。Lovedayleftthemforawhile；andastheyweresonearhomeMrs。Garlanddidnotwaitonthebarrowforhimtocomeback，butwalkedaboutwithAnnealittletime，untiltheyshouldbedisposedtotrotdowntheslopetotheirowndoor。TheylistenedtoamanwhowasofferingoneguineatoreceivetenincaseBuonaparteshouldbekilledinthreemonths，andtootherentertainmentsofthatnature，whichatthistimewerenotrare。Onceduringtheirperegrinationtheeyesofthesailorbefore-mentionedfelluponAnne；butheglancedoverherandpassedherunheedinglyby。

Lovedaytheelderwasatthistimeontheothersideoftheline，lookingforamessengertothetown。Attwelveo’clockthereviewwasover，andtheKingandhisfamilyleftthehill。Thetroopsthenclearedoffthefield，thespectatorsfollowed，andbyoneo’clockthedownswereagainbare。

Theystillspreadtheirgrassysurfacetothesunasonthatbeautifulmorningnot，historicallyspeaking，soverylongago；buttheKingandhisfifteenthousandarmedmen，thehorses，thebandsofmusic，theprincesses，thecream-colouredteams——thegorgeouscentre-piece，inshort，towhichthedownswerebutthemeremountormargin——howentirelyhavetheyallpassedandgone！——lyingscatteredabouttheworldasmilitaryandotherdust，someatTalavera，Albuera，Salamanca，Vittoria，Toulouse，andWaterloo；someinhomechurchyards；andafewsmallhandfulsinroyalvaults。

IntheafternoonJohnLoveday，lightenedofhistrumpetandtrappings，appearedattheoldmill-housedoor，andbeheldAnnestandingathers。

’Isawyou，MissGarland，’saidthesoldiergaily。

’WherewasI？’saidshe，smiling。

’Onthetopofthebigmound——totherightoftheKing。’

’AndIsawyou；lotsoftimes，’sherejoined。

Lovedayseemedpleased。’Didyoureallytakethetroubletofindme？Thatwasverygoodofyou。’

’Hereyesfollowedyoueverywhere，’saidMrs。Garlandfromanupperwindow。

’OfcourseIlookedatthedragoonsmost，’saidAnne，disconcerted。

’AndwhenIlookedatthemmyeyesnaturallyfelluponthetrumpets。

Ilookedatthedragoonsgenerally，nomore。’

Shedidnotmeantoshowanyvexationtothetrumpet-major，buthefanciedotherwise，andstoodrepressed。Thesituationwasrelievedbythearrivalofthemiller，stilllookingserious。

’Iamverymuchconcerned，John；Ididnotgotothereviewfornothing。There’salettera-waitingformeatBudmouth，andImustgetitbeforebedtime，orIshan’tsleepawink。’

’I’llgo，ofcourse，’saidJohn；’andperhapsMissGarlandwouldliketoseewhat’sdoingthereto-day？Everybodyisgoneorgoing；

theroadislikeafair。’

Hespokepleadingly，butAnnewasnotwontoassent。

’Youcandriveinthegig；’twilldoBlossomgood，’saidthemiller。

’LetDaviddriveMissGarland，’saidthetrumpet-major，notwishingtocoerceher；’Iwouldjustassoonwalk。’

Annejoyfullywelcomedthisarrangement，andatimewasfixedforthestart。

Intheafternoontheydroveoff，JohnLovedaybeingnowherevisible。

Allalongtheroadtheypassedandwereovertakenbyvehiclesofalldescriptionsgoinginthesamedirection；amongthemtheextraordinarymachineswhichhadbeeninventedfortheconveyanceoftroopstoanypointofthecoastonwhichtheenemyshouldland；

theyconsistedoffourboardsplacedacrossasortoftrolly，thirtymenofthevolunteercompaniesridingoneach。

ThepopularGeorgianwatering-placewasinaparoxysmofgaiety。

Thetownwasquiteoverpoweredbythecountryround，muchtothetown’sdelightandprofit。Thefearofinvasionwassuchthatsixfrigateslayintheroadstoensurethesafetyoftheroyalfamily，andfromtheregimentsofhorseandfootquarteredatthebarracks，orencampedonthehillsroundabout，apicketofathousandmenmountedguardeverydayinfrontofGloucesterLodge，wheretheKingresided。WhenAnneandherattendantreachedthispoint，whichtheydidonfoot，stablingthehorseontheoutskirtsofthetown，itwasaboutsixo’clock。TheKingwasontheEsplanade，andthesoldierswerejustmarchingpasttomountguard。ThebandformedinfrontoftheKing，andalltheofficerssalutedastheywentby。

Annenowfeltherselfclosetoandlookingintothestreamofrecordedhistory，withinwhosebanksthelittlestthingsaregreat，andoutsidewhichsheandthegeneralbulkofthehumanracewerecontenttoliveonasanunreckoned，unheededsuperfluity。

Whensheturnedfromherinterestedgazeatthisscene，therestoodJohnLoveday。Shehadhadapresentimentthathewouldturnupinthismysteriousway。Itwasmarvellousthathecouldhavegottheresoquickly；buttherehewas——notlookingattheKing，oratthecrowd，butwaitingfortheturnofherhead。

’Trumpet-major，Ididn’tseeyou，’saidAnnedemurely。’Howisitthatyourregimentisnotmarchingpast？’

’Wetakeitbyturns，anditisnotourturn，’saidLoveday。

ShewantedtoknowtheniftheywereafraidthattheKingwouldbecarriedoffbytheFirstConsul。Yes，Lovedaytoldher；andhisMajestywasratherventuresome。Adayortwobeforehehadgonesofartoseathathewasnearlycaughtbysomeoftheenemy’scruisers。’HeisanxioustofightBoneysingle-handed，’hesaid。

’Whatagood，braveKing！’saidAnne。

Lovedayseemedanxioustocometomorepersonalmatters。’Willyouletmetakeyouroundtotheotherside，whereyoucanseebetter？’

heasked。’TheQueenandtheprincessesareatthewindow。’

Annepassivelyassented。’David，waithereforme，’shesaid；’I

shallbebackagaininafewminutes。’

Thetrumpet-majorthenledherofftriumphantly，andtheyskirtedthecrowdandcameroundonthesidetowardsthesands。Hetoldhereverythinghecouldthinkof，militaryandcivil，towhichAnnereturnedprettysyllablesandparentheticwordsaboutthecolouroftheseaandthecurlofthefoam——awayofspeakingthatmovedthesoldier’sheartevenmorethanlonganddirectspeecheswouldhavedone。

’AndthatotherthingIaskedyou？’heventuredtosayatlast。

’Wewon’tspeakofit。’

’Youdon’tdislikeme？’

’Ono！’shesaid，gazingatthebathing-machines，diggingchildren，andothercommonobjectsoftheseashore，asifherinterestlaythereratherthanwithhim。

’ButIamnotworthyofthedaughterofagenteelprofessionalman——

that’swhatyoumean？’

’There’ssomethingmorethanworthinessrequiredinsuchcases，youknow，’shesaid，stillwithoutcallinghermindawayfromsurroundingscenes。’Ah，therearetheQueenandprincessesatthewindow！’

’Somethingmore？’

’Well，sinceyouwillmakemespeak，Imeanthewomanoughttolovetheman。’

Thetrumpet-majorseemedtobelessconcernedaboutthisthanabouthersupposedsuperiority。’Ifitwereallrightonthatpoint，wouldyoumindtheother？’heasked，likeamanwhoknowsheistoopersistent，yetwhocannotbestill。

’HowcanIsay，whenIdon’tknow？Whataprettychiphattheelderprincesswears？’

Hercompanion’sgeneraldisappointmentextendedoverhimalmosttohislaceandhisplume。’Yourmothersaid，youknow，MissAnne——’

’Yes，that’stheworstofit，’shesaid。’LetusgobacktoDavid；

IhaveseenallIwanttosee，Mr。Loveday。’

ThemassofthepeoplehadbythistimenoticedtheQueenandprincessesatthewindow，andraisedacheer，towhichtheladieswavedtheirembroideredhandkerchiefs。Annewentbacktowardsthepavementwithhertrumpet-major，whomallthegirlsenviedher，sofine-lookingasoldierwashe；andnotonlyforthat，butbecauseitwaswellknownthathewasnotasoldierfromnecessity，butfrompatriotism，hisfatherhavingrepeatedlyofferedtosethimupinbusiness:hisartistictasteinpreferringahorseanduniformtoadirty，rumblingflour-millwasadmiredbyall。She，too，hadaveryniceappearanceinherbestclothesasshewalkedalong——thesarcenethat，muslinshawl，andtight-sleevedgownbeingofthenewestOvercombefashion，thatwasonlyaboutayearoldintheadjoiningtown，andinLondonthreeorfour。ShecouldnotbeharshtoLovedayanddismisshimcurtly，forhismusicalpursuitshadrefinedhim，educatedhim，andmadehimquitepoetical。To-dayhehadbeenparticularlywell-manneredandtender；so，insteadofanswering，’Neverspeaktomelikethisagain，’shemerelyputhimoffwitha’LetusgobacktoDavid。’

WhentheyreachedtheplacewheretheyhadlefthimDavidwasgone。

Annewasnowpositivelyvexed。’WhatSHALLIdo？’shesaid。

’He’sonlygonetodrinktheKing’shealth，’saidLoveday，whohadprivatelygivenDavidthemoneyforperformingthatoperation。

’Dependuponit，he’llbebacksoon。’

’Willyougoandfindhim？’saidshe，withintenseproprietyinherlooksandtone。