Lovedaythenpassedontotheharbour，whereheremainedawhile，lookingatthebusysceneofloadingandunloadingcraftandswabbingthedecksofyachts；attheboatsandbargesrubbingagainstthequaywall，andatthehousesofthemerchants，someancientstructuresofsolidstone，othersgreen-shutteredwithheavywoodenbow-windowswhichappearedasifabouttodropintotheharbourbytheirownweight。Allthesethingshegazedupon，andthoughtofonething——thathehadcausedgreatmiserytohisbrotherJohn。
Thetownclockstruck，andBobretracedhisstepstillheagainapproachedtheEsplanadeandGloucesterLodge，wherethemorningsunblazedinuponthehousefronts，andnotaspotofshadeseemedtobeattainable。Ahuzzaingattractedhisattention，andheobservedthatanumberofpeoplehadgatheredbeforetheKing’sresidence，whereabrowncurriclehadstopped，outofwhichsteppedahalemanintheprimeoflife，wearingablueuniform，giltepaulettes，cockedhat，andsword，whocrossedthepavementandwentin。Bobwentupandjoinedthegroup。’What’sgoingon？’hesaid。
’CaptainHardy，’repliedabystander。
’Whatofhim？’
’Justgonein——waitingtoseetheKing。’
’ButthecaptainisintheWestIndies？’
’No。Thefleetiscomehome；theycan’tfindtheFrenchanywhere。’
’Willtheygoandlookforthemagain？’askedBob。
’Oyes。Nelsonisdeterminedtofind’em。Assoonashe’srefittedhe’llputtoseaagain。Ah，here’stheKingcomingin。’
BobwassointerestedinwhathehadjustheardthathescarcelynoticedthearrivaloftheKing，andabodyofattendantgentlemen。
Hewentonthinkingofhisnewknowledge；CaptainHardywascome。
Hewasdoubtlessstayingwithhisfamilyattheirsmallmanor-houseatPos’ham，afewmilesfromOvercombe，whereheusuallyspenttheintervalsbetweenhisdifferentcruises。
Lovedayreturnedtothemillwithoutfurtherdelay；andshortlyexplainingthatJohnwasverywell，andwouldcomesoon，wentontotalkofthearrivalofNelson’scaptain。
’Andishecomeatlast？’saidthemiller，throwinghisthoughtsyearsbackward。’WellcanImindwhenhefirstlefthometogoonboardtheHelenaasmidshipman！’
’That’snotmuchtoremember。Icanrememberittoo，’saidMrs。
Loveday。
’’Tismorethantwentyyearsagoanyhow。Andmorethanthat，Icanmindwhenhewasborn；Iwasalad，servingmy’prenticeshipatthetime。Hehasbeeninthishouseoftenandoftenwhen’awasyoung。
Whenhecamehomeafterhisfirstvoyagehestayedaboutherealongtime，andusedtolookinatthemillwheneverhewentpast。“Whatwillyoubenext，sir？“saidmothertohimonedayashestoodwithhisbacktothedoorpost。“Alieutenant，DameLoveday，“sayshe。
“Andwhatnext？“saysshe。“Acommander。““Andnext？““Next，post-captain。““Andthen？““Thenitwillbealmosttimetodie。“
I’dwarrantthathe’dmindittothisverydayifyouweretoaskhim。’
Bobheardallthiswithamannerofpreoccupation，andsoonretiredtothemill。Thencehewenttohisroombythebackpassage，andtakinghisoldseafaringgarmentsfromadarkclosetinthewallconveyedthemtotheloftatthetopofthemill，whereheoccupiedtheremainingsparemomentsofthedayinbrushingthemildewfromtheirfolds，andhangingeacharticlebythewindowtogetaired。
Intheeveninghereturnedtotheloft，anddressinghimselfintheoldsaltsuit，wentoutofthehouseunobservedbyanybody，andascendedtheroadtowardsCaptainHardy’snativevillageandpresenttemporaryhome。
Theshadelessdownswerenowbrownwiththedroughtsofthepassingsummer，andfewlivingthingsmethisview，thenaturalrotundityoftheelevationbeingonlyoccasionallydisturbedbythepresenceofabarrow，athorn-bush，orapieceofdrywallwhichremainedfromsomeattemptedenclosure。Bythetimethathereachedthevillageitwasdark，andthelargerstarshadbeguntoshinewhenhewalkeduptothedooroftheold-fashionedhousewhichwasthefamilyresidenceofthisbranchoftheSouth-WessexHardys。
’Willthecaptainallowmetowaitonhimto-night？’inquiredLoveday，explainingwhoandwhathewas。
Theservantwentawayforafewminutes，andthentoldBobthathemightseethecaptaininthemorning。
’Ifthat’sthecase，I’llcomeagain，’repliedBob，quitecheerfulthatfailurewasnotabsolute。
HehadleftthedoorbutafewstepswhenhewascalledbackandaskedifhehadwalkedallthewayfromOvercombeMillonpurpose。
Lovedayrepliedmodestlythathehaddoneso。
’Thenwillyoucomein？’Hefollowedthespeakerintoasmallstudyoroffice，andinaminuteortwoCaptainHardyentered。
Thecaptainatthistimewasabachelorofthirty-five，ratherstoutinbuild，withlighteyes，bushyeyebrows，asquarebroadface，plentyofchin，andamouthwhosecornersplayedbetweenhumourandgrimness。HesurveyedLovedayfromtoptotoe。
’RobertLoveday，sir，sonofthemilleratOvercombe，’saidBob，makingalowbow。
’Ah！Irememberyourfather，Loveday，’thegallantseamanreplied。
’Well，whatdoyouwanttosaytome？’SeeingthatBobfounditratherdifficulttobegin，heleantleisurelyagainstthemantelpiece，andwenton，’Isyourfatherwellandhearty？Ihavenotseenhimformany，manyyears。’
’Quitewell，thank’ee。’
’Youusedtohaveabrotherinthearmy，Ithink？Whatwashisname——John？Averyfinefellow，ifIrecollect。’
’Yes，cap’n；he’stherestill。’
’Andyouareinthemerchant-service？’
’LatefirstmateofthebrigPewit。’
’Howisityou’renotonboardaman-of-war？’
’Ay，sir，that’sthethingI’vecomeabout，’saidBob，recoveringconfidence。’Ishouldhavebeen，but’tiswomankindhashamperedme。I’vewaitedandwaitedonathomebecauseofayoungwoman——
lady，Imighthavesaid，forshe’ssprungfromahigherclassofsocietythanI。Herfatherwasalandscapepainter——maybeyou’veheardofhim，sir？ThenameisGarland。’
’Hepaintedthatviewofourvillagehere，’saidCaptainHardy，lookingtowardsadarklittlepictureinthecorneroftheroom。
Boblooked，andwenton，asiftothepicture，’Well，sir，Ihavefoundthat——However，thepress-gangcameaweekortwoago，anddidn’tgetholdofme。Ididn’tcaretogoaboardasapressedman。’
’Therehasbeenasevereimpressment。Itisofcourseadisagreeablenecessity，butitcan’tbehelped。’
’Sincethen，sir，somethinghashappenedthatmakesmewishtheyhadfoundme，andIhavecometo-nighttoaskifIcouldenteronboardyourshiptheVictory。’
Thecaptainshookhisheadseverely，andpresentlyobserved:’Iamgladtofindthatyouthinkofenteringtheservice，Loveday；smartmenarebadlywanted。Butitwillnotbeinyourpowertochooseyourship。’
’Well，well，sir；thenImusttakemychanceelsewhere，’saidBob，hisfaceindicatingthedisappointmenthewouldnotfullyexpress。
’’TwasonlythatIfeltIwouldmuchratherserveunderyouthananybodyelse，myfatherandallofusbeingknowntoye，CaptainHardy，andourfamiliesbelongingtothesameparts。’
CaptainHardytookBob’saltitudemorecarefully。’Areyouagoodpracticalseaman？’heaskedmusingly。
’Ay，sir；IbelieveIam。’
’Active？Fondofskylarking？’
’Well，Idon’tknowaboutthelast。IthinkIcansayIamactiveenough。Icouldwalktheyard-arm，ifrequired，crossfrommasttomastbythestays，anddowhatmostfellowsdowhocallthemselvesspry。’
Thecaptainthenputsomequestionsaboutthedetailsofnavigation，whichLoveday，havingluckilybeenusedtosquarerigs，answeredsatisfactorily。’Astoreefingtopsails，’headded，’ifIdon’tdoitlikeaflashoflightning，Icandoitsothattheywillstandblowingweather。ThePewitwasnotadullvessel，andwhenwewereconvoyedhomefromLisbon，shecouldkeepwellinsightofthefrigatescuddingatadistance，byputtingonfullsail。Wehadenoughhandsaboardtoreeftopsailsman-o’-warfashion，whichisararethinginthesedays，sir，nowthatableseamenaresoscarceontradingcraft。AndIhearthatmenfromsquare-riggedvesselsarelikedmuchthebestinthenavy，asbeingmorereadyforuse？SothatIshouldn’tbealtogethersoraw，’saidBobearnestly，’ifI
couldenteronyourship，sir。Still，ifIcan’t，Ican’t。’
’Imightaskforyou，Loveday，’saidthecaptainthoughtfully，’andsogetyoutherethatway。Inshort，IthinkImaysayIwillaskforyou。Soconsideritsettled。’
’Mythankstoyou，sir，’saidLoveday。
’YouareawarethattheVictoryisasmartship，andthatcleanlinessandorderare，ofnecessity，morestrictlyinsistedupontherethaninsomeothers？’
’Sir，Iquiteseeit。’
’Well，Ihopeyouwilldoyourdutyaswellonaline-of-battleshipasyoudidwhenmateofthebrig，foritisadutythatmaybeserious。’
Bobrepliedthatitshouldbehisoneendeavour；andreceivingafewinstructionsforgettingonboardtheguard-ship，andbeingconveyedtoPortsmouth，heturnedtogoaway。
’You’llhaveastiffwalkbeforeyoufetchOvercombeMillthisdarknight，Loveday，’concludedthecaptain，peeringoutofthewindow。
’I’llsendyouinaglassofgrogtohelp’eeonyourway。’
ThecaptainthenleftBobtohimself，andwhenhehaddrunkthegrogthatwasbroughtinhestartedhomeward，withaheartnotexactlylight，butlargewithapatrioticcheerfulness，whichhadnotdiminishedwhen，afterwalkingsofastinhisexcitementastobebeadedwithperspiration，heenteredhisfather’sdoor。
Theywereallsittingupforhim，andathisapproachanxiouslyraisedtheirsleepyeyes，foritwasnearlyeleveno’clock。
’There；Iknewhe’dnotbemuchlonger！’criedAnne，jumpingupandlaughing，inherrelief。’Theyhavebeenthinkingyouwereverystrangeandsilenttoday，Bob；youwerenot，wereyou？’
’What’sthematter，Bob？’saidthemiller；forBob’scountenancewassublimedbyhisrecentinterview，likethatofapriestjustcomefromthepenetraliaofthetemple。
’He’sinhismate’sclothes，justaswhenhecamehome！’observedMrs。Loveday。
Theyallsawnowthathehadsomethingtotell。’Iamgoingaway，’
hesaidwhenhehadsatdown。’Iamgoingtoenteronboardaman-of-war，andperhapsitwillbetheVictory。’
’Going？’saidAnnefaintly。
’Now，don’tyoumindit，there’sadear，’hewentonsolemnly，takingherhandinhisown。’Andyou，father，don’tyoubegintotakeittoheart’(themillerwaslookinggrave)。’Thepress-ganghasbeenhere，andthoughIshowedthemthatIwasafreeman，IamgoingtoshoweverybodythatIcandomyduty。’
Neitheroftheotherthreeanswered，Anneandthemillerhavingtheireyesbentupontheground，andtheformertryingtorepresshertears。
’Nowdon’tyougrieve，eitherofyou，’hecontinued；’norvexyourselvesthatthishashappened。Pleasenottobeangrywithme，father，fordesertingyouandthemill，whereyouwantme，forI
MUSTGO。Forthesethreeyearsweandtherestofthecountryhavebeeninfearoftheenemy；tradehasbeenhindered；poorfolkmadehungry；andmanyrichfolkmadepoor。Theremustbeadeliverance，anditmustbedonebysea。IhaveseenCaptainHardy，andIshallserveunderhimifsobeIcan。’
’CaptainHardy？’
’Yes。IhavebeentohishouseatPos’ham，wherehe’sstayingwithhissisters；walkedthereandback，andIwouldn’thavemisseditforfiftyguineas。Ihardlythoughthewouldseeme；buthedidseeme。Andhehasn’tforgotyou。’
Bobthenopenedhistaleinorder，relatinggraphicallytheconversationtowhichhehadbeenaparty，andtheylistenedwithbreathlessattention。
’Well，ifyoumustgo，youmust，’saidthemillerwithemotion；’butIthinkitsomewhathardthat，ofmytwosons，neitheroneof’emcanbegottostayandhelpmeinmybusinessasIgetold。’
’Don’ttroubleandvexaboutit，’saidMrs。Lovedaysoothingly。
’TheyarebothinstrumentsinthehandsofProvidence，chosentochastisethatCorsicanogre，anddowhattheycanforthecountryinthesetryingyears。’
’That’sjusttheshapeofit，Mrs。Loveday，’saidBob。
’Andhe’llcomebacksoon，’shecontinued，turningtoAnne。’Andthenhe’lltellusallhehasseen，andtheglorythathe’swon，andhowhehashelpedtosweepthatscourgeBuonapartyofftheearth。’
’Whenbeyougoing，Bob？’hisfatherinquired。
’To-morrow，ifIcan。IshallcallatthebarracksandtellJohnasIgoby。WhenIgettoPortsmouth——’
