’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。
