’Iwillgoandsee，’saidAnne。’WaittillIreturn。’
’No；Icandonomore。WhenyoucomebackIshallbegone。Iaskonethingofyou。Ifallgoeswellwithyouandhim，andhemarriesyou——don’tbealarmed；myplanslieelsewhere——whenyouarehiswifetellhimwhohelpedtocarryhimaway。Butdon’tmentionmynametotherestofyourfamily，eithernoworatanytime。’
Anneregardedthespeakerforamoment，andpromised；afterwhichshewadedoutfromthearchway。
MatildastoodlookingatBobforamoment，asifpreparingtogo，tillmovedbysomeimpulseshebentandlightlykissedhimonce。
’Howcanyou！’criedAnnereproachfully。Whenleavingthemouthofthearchshehadbentbackandseentheact。
Matildaflushed。’Youjealousbaby！’shesaidscornfully。
Annehesitatedforamoment，thenwentoutfromthewater，andhastenedtowardsthemill。
Sheenteredbythegarden，and，seeingnoone，advancedandpeepedinatthewindow。HermotherandMr。Lovedayweresittingwithinasusual。
’Aretheyallgone？’saidAnnesoftly。
’Yes。Theydidnottroubleusmuch，beyondgoingintoeveryroom，andsearchingaboutthegarden，wheretheysawsteps。Theyhavebeenluckyto-night；theyhavecaughtfifteenortwentymenatplacesfurtheron；sothelossofBobwasnohurttotheirfeelings。
Iwonderwhereintheworldthepoorfellowis！’
’Iwillshowyou，’saidAnne。Andexplaininginafewwordswhathadhappened，shewaspromptlyfollowedbyDavidandLovedayalongtheroad。SheliftedherdressandenteredthearchwithsomeanxietyonaccountofMatilda；buttheactresswasgone，andBoblayontheseatasshehadlefthim。
Bobwasbroughtout，andwaterthrownuponhisface；butthoughhemovedhedidnotrousehimselfuntilsometimeafterhehadbeenborneintothehouse。Hereheopenedhiseyes，andsawthemstandinground，andgatheredalittleconsciousness。
’Youareallright，myboy！’saidhisfather。’Whathevhappenedtoye？Wheredidyegetthatterribleblow？’
’Ah——Icanmindnow，’murmuredBob，withastupefiedgazearound。
’Ifellinslippingdownthetopsailhalyard——therope，thatis，wastooshort——andIfelluponmyhead。AndthenIwentaway。WhenI
camebackIthoughtIwouldn’tdisturbye:soIlaydownoutthere，tosleepoutthewatch；butthepaininmyheadwassogreatthatI
couldn’tgettosleep；soIpickedsomeofthepoppy-headsintheborder，whichIonceheardwasagoodthingforsendingfolkstosleepwhentheyareinpain。SoImunchedupallIcouldfind，anddroppedoffquitenicely。’
’Iwonderedwhohadpicked’em！’saidMolly。’Inoticedtheyweregone。’
’Why，youmightneverhavewokeagain！’saidMrs。Loveday，holdingupherhands。’Howisyourheadnow？’
’Ihardlyknow，’repliedtheyoungman，puttinghishandtohisforeheadandbeginningtodozeagain。’Wherebethosefellowsthatboardedus？Withthis——smoothwaterand——finebreezeweoughttogetawayfrom’em。Haulin——thelarboardbraces，and——bringhertothewind。’
’Youareathome，dearBob，’saidAnne，bendingoverhim，’andthemenaregone。’
’Comealongupstairs:th’beesthardlyawakenow，’saidhisfatherandBobwasassistedtobed。
Infour-and-twentyhoursBobhadrecovered。Butthoughphysicallyhimselfagain，hewasnotatallsureofhispositionasapatriot。
Hehadthatpracticalknowledgeofseamanshipofwhichthecountrystoodmuchinneed，anditwashumiliatingtofindthatimpressmentseemedtobenecessarytoteachhimtouseitforheradvantage。
Manyneighbouringyoungmen，lessfortunatethanhimself，hadbeenpressedandtaken；andtheirabsenceseemedareproachtohim。Hewentawaybyhimselfintothemill-roof，and，surroundedbythecorn-heaps，gaveventtoself-condemnation。
’Certainly，Iamnomantolieheresolongforthepleasureofsightingthatyounggirlfortytimesaday，andlettinghersightme——blesshereyes！——tillImustneedswantapress-gangtoteachmewhatI’veforgot。AndisitthenalloverwithmeasaBritishsailor？We’llsee。’
WhenhewasthrownundertheinfluenceofAnne’seyesagain，whichweremoretantalizinglybeautifulthaneverjustnow(soitseemedtohim)，hisintentionofofferinghisservicestotheGovernmentwouldwaxweaker，andhewouldputoffhisfinaldecisiontillthenextday。Annesawthesefluctuationsofhismindbetweenloveandpatriotism，andbeingterrifiedbywhatshehadheardofsea-fights，usedtheutmostartofwhichshewascapabletoseducehimfromhisformingpurpose。Shecametohiminthemill，wearingtheveryprettiestofhermorningjackets——theonethatonlyjustpassedthewaist，andwaslacedsotastefullyroundthecollarandbosom。Thenshewouldappearinhernewhat，withabouquetofprimrosesononeside；andonthefollowingSundayshewalkedbeforehiminlemon-colouredboots，sothatherfeetlookedlikeapairofyellow-hammersflittingunderherdress。
Butdresswastheleastofthemeanssheadoptedforchaininghimdown。Shetalkedmoretenderlythanever；askedhimtobeginsmallundertakingsinthegardenonheraccount；shesangaboutthehouse，thattheplacemightseemcheerfulwhenhecamein。Thissingingforapurposerequiredgreateffortonherpart，leavingherafterwardsverysad。WhenBobaskedherwhatwasthematter，shewouldsay，’Nothing；onlyIamthinkinghowyouwillgrieveyourfather，andcrosshispurposes，ifyoucarryoutyourunkindnotionofgoingtosea，andforsakingyourplaceinthemill。’
’Yes，’Bobwouldsayuneasily。’Itwilltroublehim，Iknow。’
Beingalsoquiteawarehowitwouldtroubleher，hewouldagainpostpone，andthusanotherweekpassedaway。
AllthistimeJohnhadnotcomeoncetothemill。ItappearedasifMissJohnsonabsorbedallhistimeandthoughts。Bobwasoftenseenchucklingoverthecircumstance。’Aslyrascal！’hesaid。
’Pretendingonthedayshecametobemarriedthatshewasnotgoodenoughforme，whenitwasonlythathewantedherforhimself。Howhecouldhavepersuadedhertogoawayisbeyondmetosay！’
Annecouldnotcontestthisbeliefofherlover’s，andremainedsilent；buttherehadmorethanonceoccurredtohermindadoubtofitsprobability。YetshehadonlyabandonedheropinionthatJohnhadschemedforMatilda，toembracetheoppositeerror；that，findinghehadwrongedtheyounglady，hehadpitiedandgrowntoloveher。
’AndyetJack，whenhewasaboy，wasthesimplestfellowalive，’
resumedBob。’ByGeorge，though，Ishouldhavebeenhotagainsthimforsuchatrick，ifinlosingherIhadn’tfoundabetter！Butshe’llnevercomedowntohimintheworld:shehashighnotionsnow。Iamafraidhe’sdoomedtosighinvain！’
ThoughBobregrettedthispossibility，thefeelingwasnotreciprocatedbyAnne。ItwastruethatsheknewnothingofMatilda’stemporarytreachery，andthatshedisbelievedthestoryofherlackofvirtue；butshedidnotlikethewoman。’Perhapsitwillnotmatterifheisdoomedtosighinvain，’shesaid。’ButI
owehimnoill-will。Ihaveprofitedbyhisdoings，incomprehensibleastheyare。’AndshebentherfaireyesonBobandsmiled。
Boblookeddubious。’Hethinkshehasaffrontedme，nowIhaveseenthroughhim，andthatIshallbeagainstmeetinghim。But，ofcourse，Iamnotsotouchy。Icanstandapracticaljoke，ascananymanwhohasbeenafloat。I’llcallandseehim，andtellhimso。’
Beforehestarted，BobbethoughthimofsomethingwhichwouldstillfurtherprovetothemisapprehendingJohnthathewasentirelyforgiven。Hewenttohisroom，andtookfromhischestapacketcontainingalockofMissJohnson’shair，whichshehadgivenhimduringtheirbriefacquaintance，andwhichtillnowhehadquiteforgotten。When，atstarting，hewishedAnnegoodbye，itwasaccompaniedbysuchabeamingface，thatsheknewhewasfullofanidea，andaskedwhatitmightbethatpleasedhimso。
’Why，this，’hesaid，smackinghisbreast-pocket。’AlockofhairthatMatildagaveme。’
Annesankbackwithpartedlips。
’IamgoingtogiveittoJack——he’lljumpforjoytogetit！AnditwillshowhimhowwillingIamtogiveheruptohim，finepieceassheis。’
’Willyouseeherto-day，Bob？’Anneaskedwithanuncertainsmile。
’Ono——unlessitisbyaccident。’
Onreachingtheoutskirtsofthetownhewentstraighttothebarracks，andwasluckyenoughtofindJohninhisroom，attheleft-handcornerofthequadrangle。Johnwasgladtoseehim；buttoBob’ssurpriseheshowednoimmediatecontrition，andthusaffordednoroomforthebrotherlyspeechofforgivenesswhichBobhadbeengoingtodeliver。Asthetrumpet-majordidnotopenthesubject，Bobfeltitdesirabletobeginhimself。
’Ihavebroughtyesomethingthatyouwillvalue，Jack，’hesaid，astheysatatthewindow，overlookingthelargesquarebarrack-yard。
’Ihavegotnofurtheruseforit，andyoushouldhavehaditbeforeifithadenteredmyhead。’
’Thankyou，Bob；whatisit？’saidJohn，lookingabsentlyatanawkwardsquadofyoungmenwhoweredrillingintheenclosure。
’’Tisayoungwoman’slockofhair。’
’Ah！’saidJohn，quiterecoveringfromhisabstraction，andslightlyflushing。CouldBobandAnnehavequarrelled？Bobdrewthepaperfromhispocket，andopenedit。
’Black！’saidJohn。
’Yes——blackenough。’
’Whose？’
’Why，Matilda’s。’
’O，Matilda’s！’
’Whosedidyouthinkthen？’
Insteadofreplying，thetrumpet-major’sfacebecameasredassunset，andheturnedtothewindowtohidehisconfusion。
Bobwassilent，andthenhe，too，lookedintothecourt。Atlengthhearose，walkedtohisbrother，andlaidhishanduponhisshoulder。’Jack，’hesaid，inanalteredvoice，’youareagoodfellow。NowIseeitall。’
’Ono——that’snothing，’saidJohnhastily。
’You’vebeenpretendingthatyoucareforthiswomanthatImightn’tblamemyselfforheavingyououtfromtheother——whichiswhatI’vedonewithoutknowingit。’
’Whatdoesitmatter？’
’Butitdoesmatter！I’vebeenmakingyouunhappyalltheseweeksandweeksthroughmythoughtlessness。Theyseemedtothinkathome，youknow，John，thatyouhadgrownnottocareforher；orI
wouldn’thavedoneitforalltheworld！’
’Yousticktoher，Bob，andnevermindme。Shebelongstoyou。Shelovesyou。Ihavenoclaimuponher，andshethinksnothingaboutme。’
’Shelikesyou，John，thoroughlywell；sodoeseverybody；andifI
hadn’tcomehome，puttingmyfootinit——Thatcominghomeofminehasbeenaregularblightuponthefamily！Ioughtnevertohavestayed。Theseaismyhome，andwhycouldn’tIbidethere？’
Thetrumpet-majordrewBob’sdiscourseoffthesubjectassoonashecould，andBob，aftersomeunconsideredrepliesandremarks，seemedwillingtoavoiditforthepresent。HedidnotaskJohntoaccompanyhimhome，ashehadintended；andonleavingthebarracksturnedsouthwardandenteredthetowntowanderabouttillhecoulddecidewhattodo。
Itwasthe3rdofSeptember，buttheKing’swatering-placestillretaineditssummeraspect。Theroyalbathing-machinehadbeendrawnoutjustasBobreachedGloucesterBuildings，andhewaitedaminute，inthelackofotherdistraction，tolookon。ImmediatelythattheKing’smachinehadenteredthewateragroupoffloridmenwithfiddles，violoncellos，atrombone，andadrum，cameforward，packedthemselvesintoanothermachinethatwasinwaiting，andweredrawnoutintothewavesintheKing’srear。Allthatwastobeheardforafewminutesweretheslowpulsationsofthesea；andthenadeafeningnoiseburstfromtheinteriorofthesecondmachinewithpowerenoughtosplittheboardsasunder；itwasthecondensedmassofmusiciansinside，strikingupthestrainsof’GodsavetheKing，’ashisMajesty’sheadrosefromthewater。Bobtookoffhishatandwaitedtilltheendoftheperformance，which，intendedasapleasantsurprisetoGeorgeIII。bytheloyalburghers，waspossiblyinthewaterycircumstancestoleratedratherthandesiredbythatdrippingmonarch。*
*VidePreface。
