Whentheyreachedthebottomofthestepshestruckalightfromatinder-box，andunlockedthemiddleoneofthreedoorswhichappearedinthewhitewashedwallopposite。Theraysofthecandlefelluponthevaultandsidesofalonglowcellar，litteredwithdecayedwoodworkfromotherpartsofthehall，amongthereststair-
balusters，carvedfinials，tracerypanels，andwainscoting。Butwhatmostattractedhereyewasasmallflagstoneturnedupinthemiddleofthefloor，aheapofearthbesideit，andameasuring-tape。Derrimanwenttothecornerofthecellar，andpulledoutaclampedboxfromunderthestraw。’Youberatherheavy，mydear，eh？’hesaid，affectionatelyaddressingtheboxasheliftedit。’Butyouaregoingtobeputinasafeplace，youknow，orthatrascalwillgetholdofye，andcarryyeoffandruinme。’Hethenwithsomedifficultyloweredtheboxintothehole，rakedintheearthuponit，andloweredtheflagstone，whichhewasalongtimeinfixingtohissatisfaction。MissGarland，whowasromanticallyinterested，helpedhimtobrushawaythefragmentsoflooseearth；andwhenhehadscatteredovertheflooralittleofthestrawthatlayabout，theyagainascendedtoupperair。
’Isthisall，sir？’saidAnne。
’Justamomentlonger，honey。Willyoucomeintothegreatparlour？’
Shefollowedhimthither。
’Ifanythinghappenstomewhilethefightingisgoingon——itmaybeontheseveryfields——youwillknowwhattodo，’heresumed。’Butfirstpleasesitdownagain，there’sadear，whilstIwritewhat’sinmyhead。See，there’sthebestpaper，andanewquillthatI’veaffordedmyselffor’t。’
’Whatastrangebusiness！Idon’tthinkImuchlikeit，Mr。
Derriman，’shesaid，seatingherself。
Hehadbythistimebeguntowrite，andmurmuredashewrote——
’“Twenty-threeandahalffromN。W。Sixteenandthree-quartersfromN。E。“——There，that’sall。NowIsealitupandgiveittoyoutokeepsafetillIaskyeforit，oryouhearofmybeingtrampleddownbytheenemy。’
’Whatdoesitmean？’sheasked，asshereceivedthepaper。
’Clk！Ha！ha！Why，that’sthedistanceoftheboxfromthetwocornersofthecellar。Imeasureditbeforeyoucame。And，myhoney，tomakeallsure，iftheFrenchsoldieryareafterye，tellyourmotherthemeaningon’t，oranyotherfriend，incasetheyshouldputyetodeath，andthesecretbelost。ButthatIamsureIhopetheywon’tdo，thoughyourprettyfacewillbeasadbaittothesoldiers。Ioftenhavewishedyouwasmydaughter，honey；andyetinthesetimesthelesscaresamanhasthebetter，soIamgladyoubain’t。Shallmymandriveyouhome？’
’No，no，’shesaid，muchdepressedbythewordshehaduttered。’I
canfindmyway。Youneednottroubletocomedown。’
’Thentakecareofthepaper。Andifyououtliveme，you’llfindI
havenotforgotyou。’
FestusDerrimanhadremainedintheRoyalwatering-placeallthatday，hishorsebeingsickatstables；but，wishingtocoaxorbullyfromhisunclearemountforthecomingsummer，hesetoffonfootforOxwellearlyintheevening。Whenhedrewneartothevillage，orrathertothehall，whichwasamilefromthevillage，heovertookaslim，quick-eyedwoman，saunteringalongataleisurelypace。Shewasfashionablydressedinagreenspencer，with’Mameluke’sleeves，andworeavelvetSpanishhatandfeather。
’Goodafternoont’ye，ma’am，’saidFestus，throwingasword-and-pistolairintohisgreeting。’Youareoutforawalk？’
’IAMoutforawalk，captain，’saidthelady，whohadcriticizedhimfromthecreviceofhereye，withoutseemingtodomuchmorethancontinueherdemurelookforward，andgavethetitleasasoptohisapparentcharacter。
’Fromthetown？——I’dswearit，ma’am；’ponmyhonourIwould！’
’Yes，Iamfromthetown，sir，’saidshe。
’Ah，youareavisitor！Iknoweveryoneoftheregularinhabitants；wesoldiersareinandouttherecontinually。FestusDerriman，YeomanryCavalry，youknow。Thefactis，thewatering-placeisunderourcharge；thefolkswillbequitedependentuponusfortheirdeliveranceinthecomingstruggle。Weholdourlivesinourhands，andtheirs，Imaysay，inourpockets。
Whatmadeyoucomehere，ma’am，atsuchacriticaltime？’
’Idon’tseethatitissuchacriticaltime？’
’Butitis，though；andsoyou’dsayifyouwasasmuchmixedupwiththemilitaryaffairsofthenationassomeofus。’
Theladysmiled。’TheKingiscomingthisyear，anyhow，’saidshe。
’Never！’saidFestusfirmly。’Ah，youareoneoftheattendantsatcourtperhaps，comeonaheadtogettheKing’schambersready，incaseBoneyshouldnotland？’
’No，’shesaid；’Iamconnectedwiththetheatre，thoughnotjustatthepresentmoment。Ihavebeenoutofluckforthelastyearortwo；butIhavefetchedupagain。Ijointhecompanywhentheyarrivefortheseason。’
Festussurveyedherwithinterest。’Faith！andisitso？Well，ma’am，whatpartdoyouplay？’
’Iammostlytheleadinglady——theheroine，’shesaid，drawingherselfupwithdignity。
’I’llcomeandhavealookatyeifall’swell，andthelandingisputoff——hangmeifIdon’t！——Hullo，hullo，whatdoIsee？’
Hiseyeswerestretchedtowardsadistantfield，whichAnneGarlandwasatthatmomenthastilycrossing，onherwayfromthehalltoOvercombe。
’Imustbeoff。Good-daytoye，dearcreature！’heexclaimed，hurryingforward。
Theladysaid，’O，youdrollmonster！’asshesmiledandwatchedhimstrideahead。
Festusboundedonoverthehedge，acrosstheinterveningpatchofgreen，andintothefieldwhichAnnewasstillcrossing。Inamomentortwoshelookedback，andseeingthewell-knownHerculeanfigureoftheyeomanbehindherfeltratheralarmed，thoughshedeterminedtoshownodifferenceinheroutwardcarriage。Buttomaintainhernaturalgaitwasbeyondherpowers。Shespasmodicallyquickenedherpace；fruitlessly，however，forhegaineduponher，andwhenwithinafewstridesofherexclaimed，’Well，mydarling！’
Annestartedoffatarun。
Festuswasalreadyoutofbreath，andsoonfoundthathewasnotlikelytoovertakeher。Onshewent，withoutturningherhead，tillanunusualnoisebehindcompelledhertolookround。Hisfacewasintheactoffallingback；heswervedononeside，anddroppedlikealoguponaconvenienthedgerow-bankwhichborderedthepath。
Therehelayquitestill。
Annewassomewhatalarmed；andafterstandingatgazefortwoorthreeminutes，drewnearertohim，astepandahalfatatime，wonderinganddoubting，asameekewedrawsneartosomestrollingvagabondwhoflingshimselfonthegrassneartheflock。
’Heisinaswoon！’shemurmured。
Herheartbeatquickly，andshelookedaround。Nobodywasinsight；
sheadvancedastepnearerstillandobservedhimagain。Apparentlyhisfacewasturningtoalividhue，andhisbreathinghadbecomeobstructed。
’’Tisnotaswoon；’tisapoplexy！’shesaid，indeepdistress。’I
oughttountiehisneck。’Butshewasafraidtodothis，andonlydrewalittlecloserstill。
MissGarlandwasnowwithinthreefeetofhim，whereuponthesenselessman，whocouldholdhisbreathnolonger，sprangtohisfeetanddartedather，saying，’Ha！ha！aschemeforakiss！’
Shefelthisarmslippingroundherneck；but，twirlingaboutwithamazingdexterity，shewriggledfromhisembraceandranawayalongthefield。TheforcewithwhichshehadextricatedherselfwassufficienttothrowFestusuponthegrass，andbythetimethathegotuponhislegsagainshewasmanyyardsoff。Utteringawordwhichwasnotexactlyablessing，heimmediatelygavechase；andthustheyrantillAnneenteredameadowdivideddownthemiddlebyabrookaboutsixfeetwide。Anarrowplankwasthrownlooselyacrossatthepointwherethepathtraversedthisstream，andwhenAnnereacheditsheatoncescamperedover。Attheothersidesheturnedherheadtogathertheprobabilitiesofthesituation，whichwerethatFestusDerrimanwouldovertakeherevennow。Byasuddenforethoughtshestooped，seizedtheendoftheplank，andendeavouredtodragitawayfromtheoppositebank。Buttheweightwastoogreatforhertodomorethanslightlymoveit，andwithadesperatesighsheranonagain，havinglostmanyvaluableseconds。
Butherattempt，thoughineffectualindraggingitdown，hadbeenenoughtounsettlethelittlebridge；andwhenDerrimanreachedthemiddle，whichhedidhalfaminutelater，theplankturnedoveronitsedge，tiltinghimbodilyintotheriver。Thewaterwasnotremarkablydeep，butastheyeomanfellflatonhisstomachhewascompletelyimmersed；anditwassometimebeforehecoulddraghimselfout。Whenhearose，drippingonthebank，andlookedaround，Annehadvanishedfromthemead。ThenFestus’seyesglowedlikecarbuncles，andhegavevoicetofearfulimprecations，shakinghisfistinthesoftsummerairtowardsAnne，inawaythatwasterribleforanymaidentobehold。Wadingbackthroughthestream，hewalkedalongitsbankwithaheavytread，thewaterrunningfromhiscoat-tails，wrists，andthetipsofhisears，insilverydribbles，thatsparkledpleasantlyinthesun。Thushehastenedaway，andwentroundbyaby-pathtothehall。
Meanwhiletheauthorofhistroubleswasrapidlydrawingnearertothemill，andsoon，toherinexpressibledelight，shesawBobcomingtomeether。Shehadheardtheflounce，and，feelingmoresecurefromherpursuer，haddroppedherpacetoaquickwalk。NosoonerdidshereachBobthan，overcomebytheexcitementofthemoment，sheflungherselfintohisarms。Bobinstantlyenclosedherinanembracesoverythoroughthattherewasnopossibledangerofherfalling，whateverdegreeofexhaustionmighthavegivenrisetohersomewhatunexpectedaction；andinthisattitudetheysilentlyremained，tillitwasborneinuponAnnethatthepresentwasthefirsttimeinherlifethatshehadeverbeeninsuchaposition。
Herfacethenburntlikeasunset，andshedidnotknowhowtolookupathim。Feelingatlengthquitesafe，shesuddenlyresolvednottogivewaytoherfirstimpulsetotellhimthewholeofwhathadhappened，lestthereshouldbeadreadfulquarrelandfightbetweenBobandtheyeoman，andgreatdifficultiescausedintheLovedayfamilyonheraccount，themillerhavingimportantwheattransactionswiththeDerrimans。
’Youseemfrightened，dearestAnne，’saidBobtenderly。
’Yes，’shereplied。’IsawamanIdidnotlikethelookof，andhewasinclinedtofollowme。But，worsethanthat，IamtroubledabouttheFrench。OBob！Iamafraidyouwillbekilled，andmymother，andJohn，andyourfather，andallofushunteddown！’
’NowIhavetoldyou，dearlittleheart，thatitcannotbe。Weshalldrive’emintotheseaafterabattleortwo，eveniftheyland，whichIdon’tbelievetheywill。We’vegotninetysailoftheline，andthoughitisratherunfortunatethatweshouldhavedeclaredwaragainstSpainatthisticklishtime，there’senoughforall。’AndBobwentintoelaboratestatisticsofthenavy，army，militia，andvolunteers，toprolongthetimeofholdingher。Whenhehaddonespeakinghedrewratheraheavysigh。
’What’sthematter，Bob？’
’Ihaven’tbeenyettooffermyselfasasea-fencible，andIoughttohavedoneitlongago。’
’Youareonlyone。Surelytheycandowithoutyou？’
Bobshookhishead。Shearosefromherrestfulposition，hereyecatchinghiswithashamefacedexpressionofhavinggivenwayatlast。Lovedaydrewfromhispocketapaper，andsaid，astheyslowlywalkedon，’Here’ssomethingtomakeusbraveandpatriotic。
IboughtitinBudmouth。Isn’titastirringpicture？’
ItwasahieroglyphicprofileofNapoleon。ThehatrepresentedamaimedFrencheagle；thefacewasingeniouslymadeupofhumancarcases，knottedandwrithingtogetherinsuchdirectionsastoformaphysiognomy；aband，orstock，shapedtoresembletheEnglishChannel，encircledhisthroat，andseemedtochokehim；hisepaulettewasahandtearingacobwebthatrepresentedthetreatyofpeacewithEngland；andhisearwasawomancrouchingoveradyingchild。*
*VidePreface。
