Festus，withanimprecation，hastenedtothedoor，butthoughthenightwasnotdarkFarmerDerrimanandhisburdenwerenowheretobeseen。OnthebridgeFestusjoinedashadowyfemaleform，andtheywentalongtheroadtogether，followedforsomedistancebyBob，lesttheyshouldmeetwithandharmtheoldman。Buttheprecautionwasunnecessary:nowhereontheroadwasthereanysignofFarmerDerriman，oroftheboxthatbelongedtohim。WhenBobre-enteredthehouseAnneandMrs。Lovedayhadjoinedthemillerdownstairs，andthenforthefirsttimehelearntwhohadbeentheheroineofFestus’slamentablestory，withmanyotherparticularsofthatyeoman’shistorywhichhehadneverbeforeknown。Bobsworethathewouldnotspeaktothetraitoragain，andthefamilyretired。
TheescapeofoldMr。Derrimanfromtheannoyancesofhisnephewnotonlyheldgoodforthatnight，butfornextday，andforever。Justafterdawnonthefollowingmorningalabouringman，whowasgoingtohiswork，sawtheoldfarmerandlandownerleaningoverarailinameadnearhishouse，apparentlyengagedincontemplatingthewaterofabrookbeforehim。Drawingnear，themanspoke，butUncleBenjydidnotreply。Hisheadwashangingstrangely，hisbodybeingsupportedinitserectpositionentirelybytherailthatpassedundereacharm。Onafter-examinationitwasfoundthatUncleBenjy’spoorwitheredhearthadcrackedandstoppeditsbeatingfromdamagesinflictedonitbytheexcitementsofhislife，andofthepreviousnightinparticular。Theunconsciouscarcasswaslittlemorethanalightemptyhusk，dryandfleshlessasthatofadeadheronfoundonamoorinJanuary。
Butthetinboxwasnotdiscoveredwithornearhim。Itwassearchedforalltheweek，andallthemonth。Themill-pondwasdragged，quarrieswereexamined，woodswerethreaded，rewardswereoffered；butinvain。
Atlengthonedayinthespring，whenthemill-housewasabouttobecleanedthroughout，thechimney-boardofAnne’sbedroom，concealingayawningfire-place，hadtobetakendown。Inthechasmbehinditstoodthemissingdeed-boxofFarmerDerriman。
Manyweretheconjecturesastohowithadgotthere。ThenAnnerememberedthatongoingtobedonthenightofthecollisionbetweenFestusandhisuncleintheroombelow，shehadseenmudonthecarpetofherroom，andthemillerrememberedthathehadseenfootprintsonthebackstaircase。ThesolutionofthemysteryseemedtobethatthelateUncleBenjy，insteadofrunningofffromthehousewithhisbox，haddoubledongettingoutofthefrontdoor，enteredattheback，depositedhisboxinAnne’schamberwhereitwasfound，andthenleisurelypursuedhiswayhomeattheheelsofFestus，intendingtotellAnneofhistrickthenextday——anintentionthatwasforeverfrustratedbythestrokeofdeath。
Mr。Derriman’ssolicitorwasaCasterbridgeman，andAnneplacedtheboxinhishands。UncleBenjy’swillwasdiscoveredwithin；andbythistestamentAnne’squeeroldfriendappointedhersoleexecutrixofhissaidwill，and，morethanthat，gaveandbequeathedtothesameyoungladyallhisrealandpersonalestate，withthesolitaryexceptionoffivesmallfreeholdhousesinabackstreetinBudmouth，whichweredevisedtohisnephewFestus，asasufficientpropertytomaintainhimdecently，withoutaffordinganymarginforextravagances。OxwellHall，withitsmuddyquadrangle，archways，mullionedwindows，crackedbattlements，andweed-growngarden，passedwiththerestintothehandsofAnne。
DuringthisexcitingtimeJohnLovedayseldomorneverappearedatthemill。WiththerecallofBob，inwhichhehadbeensoleagent，hismissionseemedtobecomplete。
Onemid-day，beforeAnnehadmadeanychangeinhermanneroflivingonaccountofherunexpectedacquisition，LieutenantBobcameinrathersuddenly。HehadbeentoBudmouth，andannouncedtothearrestedsensesofthefamilythatthe——thDragoonswereorderedtojoinSirArthurWellesleyinthePeninsula。
Thesetidingsproducedagreatimpressiononthehousehold。Johnhadbeensolongintheneighbourhood，eitheratcamporinbarracks，thattheyhadalmostforgottenthepossibilityofhisbeingsentaway；andtheynowbegantoreflectuponthesingularinfrequencyofhiscallssincehisbrother’sreturn。Therewasnotmuchtime，however，forreflection，iftheywishedtomakethemostofJohn’sfarewellvisit，whichwastobepaidthesameevening，thedepartureoftheregimentbeingfixedfornextday。Ahurriedvaledictorysupperwaspreparedduringtheafternoon，andshortlyafterwardsJohnarrived。
Heseemedtobemorethoughtfulandatriflepalerthanofold，butbeyondthesetraces，whichmighthavebeenduetothenaturalwearandtearoftime，heshowednosignsofgloom。Onhiswaythroughthetownthatmorningacuriouslittleincidenthadoccurredtohim。
Hewaswalkingpastoneofthechurcheswhenawedding-partycameforth，thebrideandbridegroombeingMatildaandFestusDerriman。
Atsightofthetrumpet-majortheyeomanhadglaredtriumphantly；
Matilda，onherpart，hadwinkedathimslily，asmuchastosay。
Butwhatshemeantheavenknows:thetrumpet-majordidnottroublehimselftothink，andpassedonwithoutreturningthemarkofconfidencewithwhichshehadfavouredhim。
SoonafterJohn’sarrivalatthemillseveralofhisfriendsdroppedinforthesamepurposeofbiddingadieu。Theyweremostlythemenwhohadbeenentertainedthereontheoccasionoftheregiment’sadventonthedown，whenAnneandhermotherwerecoaxedintogracethepartybytheirsuperiorpresence；andtheirwell-trained，gallantmannersweresuchastomaketheminterestingvisitorsnowasatalltimes。Foritwasaperiodwhenromancehadnotsogreatlyfadedoutofmilitarylifeasithasdoneinthesedaysofshortservice，heterogeneousmixing，andtransientcampaigns；whentheespritdecorpswasstrong，andlongexperiencestampednoteworthyprofessionalcharacteristicsevenonrankandfile；whilethemiller’svisitorshadtheadditionaladvantageofbeingpickedmen。
Theycouldnotstaysolongto-nightasonthatearlierandmorecheerfuloccasion，andthefinaladieuswerespokenatanearlyhour。Itwasnomereplayingatdeparture，aswhentheyhadgonetoExonburybarracks，andtherewasawarmandprolongedshakingofhandsallround。
’You’llwishthepoorfellowsgood-bye？’saidBobtoAnne，whohadnotcomeforwardforthatpurposeliketherest。’Theyaregoingaway，andwouldliketohaveyourgoodword。’
Shethenshylyadvanced，andeverymanfeltthathemustmakesomeprettyspeechasheshookherbythehand。
’Good-bye！Mayyourememberusaslongasitmakesyehappy，andforgetusassoonasitmakesyesad，’saidSergeantBrett。
’Good-night！Health，wealth，andlonglifetoye！’saidSergeant-majorWills，takingherhandfromBrett。
’Itrusttomeetyeagainasthewifeofaworthyman，’saidTrumpeterBuck。
’We’lldrinkyourhealththroughoutthecampaign，andsogood-byet’ye，’saidSaddler-sergeantJones，raisingherhandtohislips。
Threeothersfollowedwithsimilarremarks，toeachofwhichAnneblushinglyrepliedaswellasshecould，wishingthemaprosperousvoyage，easyconquest，andaspeedyreturn。
But，alas，forthat！Battlesandskirmishes，advancesandretreats，feversandfatigues，toldhardonAnne’sgallantfriendsinthecomingtime。Ofthesevenuponwhomthesewisheswerebestowed，five，includingthetrumpet-major，weredeadmenwithinthefewfollowingyears，andtheirboneslefttomoulderinthelandoftheircampaigns。
Johnlingeredbehind。Whentheotherswereoutside，expressingafinalfarewelltohisfather，Bob，andMrs。Loveday，hecametoAnne，whoremainedwithin。
’ButIthoughtyouweregoingtolookinagainbeforeleaving？’shesaidgently。
’No；IfindIcannot。Good-bye！’
’John，’saidAnne，holdinghisrighthandinbothhers，’Imusttellyousomething。Youwerewiseinnottakingmeatmywordthatday。
Iwasgreatlymistakenaboutmyself。Gratitudeisnotlove，thoughIwantedtomakeitsoforthetime。Youdon’tcallmethoughtlessforwhatIdid？’
’MydearAnne，’criedJohn，withmoregaietythantruthfulness，’don’tletyourselfbetroubled！Whathappensisforthebest。
Soldierslovehereto-dayandthereto-morrow。Whoknowsthatyouwon’thearofmyattentionstosomeSpanishmaidbeforeamonthisgoneby？’Tisthewayofus，youknow；asoldier’sheartisnotworthaweek’spurchase——ha，ha！Goodbye，good-bye！’
Annefelttheexpediencyofhismanner，receivedtheaffectationasreal，andsmiledherreply，notknowingthattheadieuwasforevermore。Thenwithatearinhiseyehewentoutofthedoor，wherehebadefarewelltothemiller，Mrs。Loveday，andBob，whosaidatparting，’It’sallright，Jack，mydearfellow。AfteracoaxingthatwouldhavebeenenoughtowinthreeordinaryEnglishwomen，fiveFrench，andtenMulotters，shehasto-dayagreedtobestowherhanduponmeattheendofsixmonths。Good-bye，Jack，good-bye！’
ThecandleheldbyhisfathersheditswavinglightuponJohn’sfaceanduniformaswithafarewellsmileheturnedonthedoorstone，backedbytheblacknight；andinanothermomenthehadplungedintothedarkness，theringofhissmartstepdyingawayuponthebridgeashejoinedhiscompanions-in-arms，andwentofftoblowhistrumpettillsilencedforeverupononeofthebloodybattle-fieldsofSpain。
End
