’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。
