’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。
