第16章

’Iwill，’saidLovedayreluctantly；andhewent。

Annestoodstill。Shecouldnowescapehergallantfriend，for，althoughthedistancewaslong，itwasnotimpossibletowalkhome。

Ontheotherhand，Lovedaywasagoodandsincerefellow，forwhomshehadalmostabrotherlyfeeling，andsheshrankfromsuchatrick。Whileshestoodandmused，scarcelyheedingthemusic，themarchingofthesoldiers，theKing，thedukes，thebrilliantstaff，theattendants，andthehappygroupsofpeople，hereyesfellupontheground。

Beforehershesawaflowerlying——acrimsonsweet-william——freshanduninjured。Aninstinctivewishtosaveitfromdestructionbythepassengers’feetledhertopickitup；andthen，movedbyasuddenself-consciousness，shelookedaround。Shewasstandingbeforeaninn，andfromanupperwindowFestusDerrimanwasleaningwithtwoorthreekindredspiritsofhiscutandkind。Henoddedeagerly，andsignifiedtoherthathehadthrowntheflower。

Whatshouldshedo？Tothrowitawaywouldseemstupid，andtokeepitwasawkward。Shehelditbetweenherfingerandthumb，twirleditroundonitsaxisandtwirleditbackagain，regardingandyetnotexaminingit。Justthenshesawthetrumpet-majorcomingback。

’Ican’tfindDavidanywhere，’hesaid；andhisheartwasnotsorryashesaidit。

Annewasstillholdingoutthesweet-williamasifabouttodropit，and，scarcelyknowingwhatshedidunderthedistressingsensethatshewaswatched，sheofferedtheflowertoLoveday。

Hisfacebrightenedwithpleasureashetookit。’Thankyou，indeed，’hesaid。

ThenAnnesawwhatamisleadingblundershehadcommittedtowardsLovedayinplayingtotheyeoman。Perhapsshehadsowntheseedsofaquarrel。

’Itwasnotmysweet-william，’shesaidhastily；’itwaslyingontheground。Idon’tmeananythingbygivingittoyou。’

’ButI’llkeepitallthesame，’saidtheinnocentsoldier，asifheknewagooddealaboutwomankind；andheputtheflowercarefullyinsidehisjacket，betweenhiswhitewaistcoatandhisheart。

Festus，seeingthis，enlargedhimselfwrathfully，gothotintheface，rosetohisfeet，andglareddownuponthemlikeaturnip-lantern。

’Letusgoaway，’saidAnnetimorously。

’I’llseeyousafetoyourowndoor，dependuponme，’saidLoveday。

’But——Ihadnearforgot——there’sfather’sletter，thathe’ssoanxiouslywaitingfor！Willyoucomewithmetothepost-office？

ThenI’lltakeyoustraighthome。’

Anne，expectingFestustopouncedowneveryminute，wasgladtobeoffanywhere；sosheacceptedthesuggestion，andtheywentalongtheparadetogether。

LovedaysetthisdownasaproofofAnne’srelenting。Thusinjoyfulspiritsheenteredtheoffice，paidthepostage，andreceivedtheletter。

’ItisfromBob，afterall！’hesaid。’Fathertoldmetoreaditatonce，incaseofbadnews。Askyourpardonforkeepingyouamoment。’Hebrokethesealandread，Annestandingsilentlyby。

’HeiscominghomeTOBEMARRIED，’saidthetrumpet-major，withoutlookingup。

Annedidnotanswer。Thebloodsweptimpetuouslyupherfaceathiswords，andassuddenlywentawayagain，leavingherratherpalerthanbefore。Shedisguisedheragitationandthenovercameit，Lovedayobservingnothingofthisemotionalperformance。

’AsfarasIcanunderstandhewillbehereSaturday，’hesaid。

’Indeed！’saidAnnequitecalmly。’Andwhoishegoingtomarry？’

’ThatIdon’tknow，’saidJohn，turningtheletterabout。’Thewomanisastranger。’

Atthismomentthemillerenteredtheofficehastily。

’Come，John，’hecried，’IhavebeenwaitingandwaitingforthattherelettertillIwasnighcrazy！’

Johnbrieflyexplainedthenews，andwhenhisfatherhadrecoveredfromhisastonishment，takenoffhishat，andwipedtheexactlinewherehisforeheadjoinedhishair，hewalkedwithAnneupthestreet，leavingJohntoreturnalone。ThemillerwassoabsorbedinhismentalperspectiveofBob’smarriage，thathesawnothingofthegaietiestheypassedthrough；andAnneseemedalsosomuchimpressedbythesameintelligence，thatshecrossedbeforetheinnoccupiedbyFestuswithoutshowingarecollectionofhispresencethere。

Whentheyreachedhomethesunwasgoingdown。IthadalreadybeennoisedabroadthatmillerLovedayhadreceivedaletter，and，hiscarthavingbeenheardcomingupthelane，thepopulationofOvercombedrewdowntowardsthemillassoonashehadgoneindoors——

asuddenflashofbrightnessfromthewindowshowingthathehadstrucksuchanearlylightasnothingbuttheimmediatedecipheringofliteraturecouldrequire。Lettersweremattersofpublicmoment，andeverybodyintheparishhadaninterestinthereadingofthoseraredocuments；sothatwhenthemillerhadplacedthecandle，slantedhimself，andcalledinMrs。Garlandtohaveheropiniononthemeaningofanyhieroglyphicsthathemightencounterinhiscourse，hefoundthathewastobeadditionallyassistedbytheopinionsoftheotherneighbours，whosepersonsappearedinthedoorway，partlycoveringeachotherlikeahandofcards，yeteachshowingalargeenoughpieceofhimselfforidentification。Topassthetimewhiletheywerearrangingthemselves，themilleradoptedhisusualwayoffillingupcasualintervals，thatofsnuffingthecandle。

’Weheardyouhadgotaletter，MaisterLoveday，’theysaid。

’Yes；“Southampton，thetwelfthofAugust，dearfather，“’saidLoveday；andtheywereassilentasrelationsatthereadingofawill。Anne，forwhomtheletterhadasingularfascination，cameinwithhermotherandsatdown。

Bobstatedinhisownwaythathaving，sincelanding，takenintoconsiderationhisfather’swishthatheshouldrenounceaseafaringlifeandbecomeapartnerinthemill，hehaddecidedtoagreetotheproposal；andwiththatobjectinviewhewouldreturntoOvercombeinthreedaysfromthetimeofwriting。

HethensaidincidentallythatsincehisvoyagehehadbeeninlodgingsatSouthampton，andduringthattimehadbecomeacquaintedwithalovelyandvirtuousyoungmaiden，inwhomhefoundtheexactqualitiesnecessarytohishappiness。Havingknownthisladyforthefullspaceofafortnighthehadhadampleopportunitiesofstudyinghercharacter，and，beingstruckwiththerecollectionthat，iftherewasonethingmorethananothernecessaryinamillwhichhadnomistress，itwassomebodywhocouldplaythatpartwithgraceanddignity，hehadaskedMissMatildaJohnsontobehiswife。

Inherkindnessshe，thoughsacrificingfarbetterprospects，hadagreed；andhecouldnotbutregarditasahappychancethatheshouldhavefoundatthenickoftimesuchawomantoadornhishome，whoseinnocencewasasstunningasherbeauty。Withoutmuchado，therefore，heandshehadarrangedtobemarriedatonce，andatOvercombe，thathisfathermightnotbedeprivedofthepleasuresoftheweddingfeast。Shehadkindlyconsentedtofollowhimbylandinthecourseofafewdays，andtoliveinthehouseastheirguestfortheweekorsoprevioustotheceremony。

’’Tisapropergoodletter，’saidMrs。Comfortfromthebackground。

’Ineverheerdtruelovebetterputoutofhandinmylife；andtheyseem’nationfondofoneanother。’

’Hehaven’tknowedhersuchaverylongtime，’saidJobMitchelldubiously。

’That’snothing，’saidEstherBeach。’Naterwillfindherway，veryrapidwhenthetime’scomefor’t。Well，’tisgoodnewsforye，miller。’

’Yes，sure，Ihope’tis，’saidLoveday，without，however，showinganygreathurrytoburstintothefranticformoffatherlyjoywhichtheeventshouldnaturallyhaveproduced，seemingmoredisposedtoletoffhisfeelingsbyexaminingthoroughlyintothefibresoftheletter-paper。

’Iwasfiveyearsa-courtingmywife，’hepresentlyremarked。’Butfolkswereslowerabouteverythinginthemdays。Well，sinceshe’scomingwemustmakeherwelcome。Didanyofyecatchbymyreadingwhichdayitishemeans？Whatwithmakingoutthepenmanship，mymindwasdrawnofffromthesensehereandthere。’

’Hesaysinthreedays，’saidMrs。Garland。’Thedateoftheletterwillfixit。’

Onexaminationitwasfoundthatthedayappointedwastheonenearlyexpired；atwhichthemillerjumpedupandsaid，’Thenhe’llbeherebeforebedtime。Ididn’tgathertillnowthathewascomingaforeSaturday。Why，hemaydropinthisveryminute！’

Hehadscarcelyspokenwhenfootstepswereheardcomingalongthefront，andtheypresentlyhaltedatthedoor。Lovedaypushedthroughtheneighboursandrushedout；and，seeinginthepassageaformwhichobscuredthedeclininglight，themillerseizedholdofhim，saying，’OmydearBob；thenyouarecome！’

’Scrounchitall，miller，don’tquitepullmypoorshoulderoutofjoint！Whateveristhematter？’saidthenew-comer，tryingtoreleasehimselffromLoveday’sgraspofaffection。ItwasUncleBenjy。

’Thought’twasmyson！’falteredthemiller，sinkingbackuponthetoesoftheneighbourswhohadcloselyfollowedhimintotheentry。

’Well，comein，Mr。Derriman，andmakeyerselfathome。Why，youhaven’tbeenhereforyears！Whateverhasmadeyoucomenow，sir，ofalltimesintheworld？’

’Isheintherewithye？’whisperedthefarmerwithmisgiving。

’Who？’

’Mynephew，afterthatmaidthathe’ssomightysmitwith？’

’Ono；henevercallshere。’

FarmerDerrimanbreathedabreathofrelief。’Well，I’vecalledtotellye，’hesaid，’thatthere’smorenewsoftheFrench。Weshallhave’emherethismonthassureasagun。Thegunboatsbeallready——neartwothousandof’em——andthewholearmyisatBoulogne。

And，miller，Iknowyetobeanhonestman。’

Lovedaydidnotsaynay。

’NeighbourLoveday，Iknowyetobeanhonestman，’repeatedtheoldsquireen。’CanIspeaktoyealone？’

Asthehousewasfull，Lovedaytookhimintothegarden，allthewhileupontenter-hooks，notlestBuonaparteshouldappearintheirmidst，butlestBobshouldcomewhilsthewasnottheretoreceivehim。WhentheyhadgotintoacornerUncleBenjysaid，’Miller，whatwiththeFrench，andwhatwithmynephewFestus，Iassureyemylifeisnothingbutwherritfrommorningtonight。MillerLoveday，youareanhonestman。’

Lovedaynodded。

’Well，I’vecometoaskafavour——toaskifyouwilltakechargeofmyfewpoortitle-deedsanddocumentsandsuchlike，whileIamawayfromhomenextweek，lestanythingshouldbefallme，andtheyshouldbestoleawaybyBoneyorFestus，andIshouldhavenothingleftinthewideworld？Icantrustneitherbanksnorlawyersintheseterribletimes；andIamcometoyou。’

LovedayaftersomehesitationagreedtotakecareofanythingthatDerrimanshouldbring，whereuponthefarmersaidhewouldcallwiththeparchmentsandpapersalludedtointhecourseofaweek。

Derrimanthenwentawaybythegardengate，mountedhispony，whichhadbeentetheredoutside，androdeontillhisformwaslostintheshades。

Themillerrejoinedhisfriends，andfoundthatinthemeantimeJohnhadarrived。JohninformedthecompanythatafterpartingfromhisfatherandAnnehehadrambledtotheharbour，anddiscoveredthePewitbythequay。Oninquiryhehadlearntthatshecameinateleveno’clock，andthatBobhadgoneashore。

’We’llgoandmeethim，’saidthemiller。’’Tisstilllightoutofdoors。’

So，asthedewrosefromthemeadsandformedfleecesinthehollows，Lovedayandhisfriendsandneighboursstrolledout，andloiteredbythestileswhichhamperedthefootpathfromOvercombetothehighroadatintervalsofahundredyards。JohnLoveday，beingobligedtoreturntocamp，wasunabletoaccompanythem，butWidowGarlandthoughtpropertofallinwiththeprocession。Whenshehadputonherbonnetshecalledtoherdaughter。Annesaidfromupstairsthatshewascominginaminute；andhermotherwalkedonwithouther。

WhatwasAnnedoing？Havinghastilyunlockedareceptacleforemotionalobjectsofsmallsize，shetookthencethelittlefoldedpaperwithwhichwehavealreadybecomeacquainted，and，strikingalightfromherprivatetinder-box，sheheldthepaper，andcurlofhairitcontained，inthecandletilltheywereburnt。Thensheputonherhatandfollowedhermotherandtherestofthemacrossthemoistgreyfields，cheerfullysinginginanundertoneasshewent，toassureherselfofherindifferencetocircumstances。