’Butshehadnomoney。’
’Yes，shehad；Itookparticularcareofthat。’Johndidnotadd，ashemighthavedone，thathehadgivenher，inhispity，allthemoneyhepossessed，andatpresenthadonlyeighteen-penceintheworld。’Well，itisover，Bob；sosityedown，andtalkwithmeofoldtimes，’headded。
’Ah，Jack，itiswellenoughforyoutospeaklikethat，’saidthedisquietedsailor；’butIcan’thelpfeelingthatitisacruelthingyouhavedone。Afterall，shewouldhavebeensnugenoughforme。WouldIhadneverfoundoutthisabouther！John，whydidyouinterfere？Youhadnorighttooverhaulmyaffairslikethis。Whydidn’tyoutellmefairlyallyouknew，andletmedoasIchose？
Youhaveturnedheroutofthehouse，andit’sashame！Ifshehadonlycometome！Whydidn’tshe？’
’Becausesheknewitwasbesttodootherwise。’
’Well，Ishallgoafterher，’saidBobfirmly。
’Youcandoasyoulike，’saidJohn；’butIwouldadviseyoustronglytoleavematterswheretheyare。’
’Iwon’tleavematterswheretheyare，’saidBobimpetuously。’Youhavemadememiserable，andallfornothing。Itellyoushewasgoodenoughforme；andaslongasIknewnothingaboutwhatyousayofherhistory，whatdifferencewouldithavemadetome？Neverwasthereayoungwomanwhowasbettercompany；andshelovedamerrysongasIdomyself。Yes，I’llfollowher。’
’O，Bob，’saidJohn；’Ihardlyexpectedthis！’
’That’sbecauseyoudidn’tknowyourman。CanIaskyoutodomeonekindness？Idon’tsupposeIcan。CanIaskyounottosayawordagainsthertoanyofthemathome？’
’Certainly。TheveryreasonwhyIgothertogooffsilently，asshehasdone，wasbecausenothingshouldbesaidagainstherhere，andnoscandalshouldbeheardof。’
’Thatmaybe；butI’moffafterher。MarrythatgirlIwill。’
’You’llbesorry。’
’Thatweshallsee，’repliedRobertwithdetermination；andhewentawayrapidlytowardsthemill。Thetrumpet-majorhadnohearttofollow——nogoodcouldpossiblycomeoffurtheropposition；andthereonthedownheremainedlikeagravenimagetillBobhadvanishedfromhissightintothemill。
Bobenteredhisfather’sonlytoleavewordthathewasgoingonarenewedsearchforMatilda，andtopackupafewnecessariesforhisjourney。Tenminuteslaterhecameoutagainwithabundleinhishand，andJohnsawhimgodiagonallyacrossthelowerfieldstowardsthehigh-road。
’AndthisisallthegoodIhavedone！’saidJohn，musinglyreadjustinghisstockwhereitcuthisneck，anddescendingtowardsthemill。
MeanwhileAnneGarlandhadgonehome，and，beingwearywithherrambleinsearchofMatilda，satsilentinacorneroftheroom。
HermotherwaspassingthetimeingivingutterancetoeveryconceivablesurmiseonthecauseofMissJohnson’sdisappearancethatthehumanmindcouldframe，towhichAnnereturnedmonosyllabicanswers，theresult，notofindifference，butofintensepreoccupation。PresentlyLoveday，thefather，cametothedoor；hermothervanishedwithhim，andtheyremainedclosetedtogetheralongtime。Annewentintothegardenandseatedherselfbeneaththebranchingtreewhoseboughshadshelteredherduringsomanyhoursofherresidencehere。Herattentionwasfixedmoreuponthemiller’swingoftheirregularbuildingbeforeherthanuponthatoccupiedbyhermother，forshecouldnothelpexpectingeverymomenttoseesomeonerunoutwithawildfaceandannouncesomeawfulclearingupofthemystery。
Everysoundsetheronthealert，andhearingthetreadofahorseinthelaneshelookedroundeagerly。GazingatheroverthehedgewasFestusDerriman，mountedonsuchanincrediblytallanimalthathecouldseetoherveryfeetoverthethickandbroadthornfence。
Shenosoonerrecognizedhimthanshewithdrewherglance；butashiseyeswerefixedsteadilyuponherthiswasafutilemanoeuvre。
’Isawyoulookround！’heexclaimedcrossly。’WhathaveIdonetomakeyoubehavelikethat？Come，MissGarland，befair。’Tisnousetoturnyourbackuponme。’Asshedidnotturnhewenton——
’Well，now，thisisenoughtoprovokeasaint。NowItellyouwhat，MissGarland；hereI’llstaytillyoudoturnround，if’tisalltheafternoon。Youknowmytemper——whatIsayImean。’Heseatedhimselffirmlyinthesaddle，pluckedsomeleavesfromthehedge，andbeganhummingasong，toshowhowabsolutelyindifferenthewastotheflightoftime。
’Whathaveyoucomefor，thatyouaresoanxioustoseeme？’
inquiredAnne，whenatlasthehadweariedherpatience，risingandfacinghimwiththeaddedindependencewhichcamefromasenseofthehedgebetweenthem。
’There，Iknewyouwouldturnround！’hesaid，hishotangryfaceinvadedbyasmileinwhichhisteethshowedlikewhitehemmedinbyredatchess。
’Whatdoyouwant，Mr。Derriman？’saidshe。
’“Whatdoyouwant，Mr。Derriman？“——nowlistentothat！Isthatmyencouragement？’
Annebowedsuperciliously，andmovedaway。
’Ihavejustheardnewsthatexplainsallthat，’saidthegiant，eyeinghermovementswithsomnolentirascibility。’Myunclehasbeenlettingthingsout。Hewasherelatelastnight，andhesawyou。’
’Indeedhedidn’t，’saidAnne。
’O，now！HesawTrumpet-majorLovedaycourtingsomebodylikeyouinthatgardenwalk；andwhenhecameyouranindoors。’
’Itisnottrue，andIwishtohearnomore。’
’Uponmylife，hesaidso！Howcanyoudoit，MissGarland，whenI，whohaveenoughmoneytobuyupalltheLovedays，wouldgladlycometotermswithye？Whatasimpletonyoumustbe，topassmeoverforhim！There，nowyouareangrybecauseIsaidsimpleton！——Ididn’tmeansimpleton，Imeantmisguided——misguidedrosebud！That’sit——
runoff，’hecontinuedinaraisedvoice，asAnnemadetowardsthegardendoor。’ButI’llhaveyouyet。Muchreasonyouhavetobetooproudtostaywithme。Butitwon’tlastlong；Ishallmarryyou，madam，ifIchoose，asyou’llsee。’
Whenhewasquitegone，andAnnehadcalmeddownfromthenotaltogetherunrelishedfearandexcitementthathealwayscausedher，shereturnedtoherseatunderthetree，andbegantowonderwhatFestusDerriman’sstorymeant，which，fromtheearnestnessofhistone，didnotseemlikeapureinvention。Itsuddenlyflasheduponhermindthatsheherselfhadheardvoicesinthegarden，andthatthepersonsseenbyFarmerDerriman，ofwhosevisitandreclamationofhisboxthemillerhadtoldher，mighthavebeenMatildaandJohnLoveday。ShefurtherrecalledthestrangeagitationofMissJohnsonontheprecedingevening，andthatitoccurredjustattheentryofthedragoon，tillbydegreessuspicionamountedtoconvictionthatheknewmorethananyoneelsesupposedofthatlady’sdisappearance。
Itwasjustatthistimethatthetrumpet-majordescendedtothemillafterhistalkwithhisbrotheronthedown。Asfatewouldhaveit，insteadofenteringthehouseheturnedasidetothegardenandwalkeddownthatpleasantenclosure，tolearnifhewerelikelytofindintheotherhalfofitthewomanhelovedsowell。
Yes，thereshewas，sittingontheseatoflogsthathehadrepairedforher，undertheapple-tree；butshewasnotfacinginhisdirection。Hewalkedwithanoisiertread，hecoughed，heshookabough，hedideverything，inshort，buttheonethingthatFestusdidinthesamecircumstances——callouttoher。Hewouldnothaveventuredonthatfortheworld。Anyofhissignswouldhavebeensufficienttoattractheradayortwoearlier；nowshewouldnotturn。Atlast，inhisfondanxiety，hedidwhathehadneverdonebeforewithoutaninvitation，andcrossedoverintoMrs。Garland’shalfofthegarden，tillhestoodbeforeher。
Whenshecouldnotescapehimshearose，and，saying’Goodafternoon，trumpet-major，’inaglacialmannerunusualwithher，walkedawaytoanotherpartofthegarden。
Loveday，quiteataloss，hadnotthestrengthofmindtoperseverefurther。Hehadavagueapprehensionthatsomeimperfectknowledgeofthepreviousnight’sunhappybusinesshadreachedher；and，unabletoremedytheevilwithouttellingmorethanhedared，hewentintothemill，wherehisfatherstillwas，lookingdolefulenough，whatwithhisconcernateventsandtheextraquantityofflouruponhisfacethroughstickingsocloselytobusinessthatday。
’Well，John；Bobhastoldyouall，ofcourse？Aqueer，strange，perplexingthing，isn’tit？Ican’tmakeitoutatall。Theremustbesomethingwronginthewoman，oritcouldn’thavehappened。I
haven’tbeensoupsetforyears。’
’NorhaveI。Iwouldn’titshouldhavehappenedforallIownintheworld，’saidthedragoon。’HaveyouspoketoAnneGarlandto-day——orhasanybodybeentalkingtoher？’
’FestusDerrimanrodebyhalf-an-hourago，andtalkedtoheroverthehedge。’
Johnguessedtherest，and，afterstandingonthethresholdinsilenceawhile，walkedawaytowardsthecamp。
AllthistimehisbrotherRoberthadbeenhasteningalonginpursuitofthewomanwhohadwithdrawnfromthescenetoavoidtheexposureandcompleteoverthrowwhichwouldhaveresultedhadsheremained。
Asthedistancelengthenedbetweenhimselfandthemill，Bobwasconsciousofsomecoolingdownoftheexcitementthathadpromptedhimtosetout；buthedidnotpauseinhiswalktillhehadreachedtheheadoftheriverwhichfedthemill-stream。Here，forsomeindefinitereason，heallowedhiseyestobeattractedbythebubblingspringwhosewatersneverfailedorlessened，andhestoppedasiftolooklongeratthescene；itwasreallybecausehismindwassoabsorbedbyJohn’sstory。
Thesunwaswarm，thespotwasapleasantone，andhedepositedhisbundleandsatdown。Bydegrees，ashereflected，firstonJohn’sviewandthenonhisown，hisconvictionsbecameunsettled；tillatlengthhewassobalancedbetweentheimpulsetogoonandtheimpulsetogoback，thatapuffofwindeitherwaywouldhavebeenwell-nighsufficienttodecideforhim。WhenheallowedJohn’sstorytorepeatitselfinhisears，thereasonablenessandgoodsenseofhisadviceseemedbeyondquestion。When，ontheotherhand，hethoughtofhispoorMatilda’seyes，andher，tohim，pleasantways，theircharmingarrangementstomarry，andherprobablewillingnessstill，hecouldhardlybringhimselftodootherwisethanfollowontheroadatthetopofhisspeed。
Thisstrifeofthoughtwassowellmaintainedthatsittingandstanding，heremainedonthebordersofthespringtilltheshadowshadstretchedouteastwards，andthechanceofovertakingMatildahadgrownconsiderablyless。Stillhedidnotpositivelygotowardshome。Atlasthetookaguineafromhispocket，andresolvedtoputthequestiontothehazard。’HeadsIgo；tailsIdon’t。’Thepieceofgoldspunintheairandcamedownheads。
’No，Iwon’tgo，afterall，’hesaid。’Iwon’tbesteeredbyaccidentsanymore。’
Hepickeduphisbundleandswitch，andretracedhisstepstowardsOvercombeMill，knockingdownthebramblesandnettlesashewentwithgloomyandindifferentblows。WhenhegotwithinsightofthehousehebeheldDavidintheroad。
’Allright——allrightagain，captain！’，shoutedthatretainer。’A
weddingafterall！Hurrah！’
’Ah——she’sbackagain？’criedBob，seizingDavid，ecstatically，anddancingroundwithhim。
’No——butit’sallthesame！itisofnoconsequenceatall，andnoharmwillbedone！MaisterandMrs。Garlandhavemadeupamatch，andmeantomarryatonce，thattheweddingvictualsmaynotbewasted！Theyfelt’twouldbeathousandpitiestoletsuchgoodthingsgetblue-vinniedforwantofaceremonytouse’emupon，andatlasttheyhavethoughtofthis。’
’Victuals——Idon’tcareforthevictuals！’bitterlycriedBob，inatoneoffarhigherthought。’Howyoudisappointme！’andhewentslowlytowardsthehouse。
Hisfatherappearedintheopeningofthemill-door，lookingmorecheerfulthanwhentheyhadparted。’What，Robert，you’vebeenafterher？’hesaid。’Faith，then，Iwouldn’thavefollowedherifIhadbeenassureasyouwerethatshewentawayinscornofus。
