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was that the tomb you alluded to as having sat on with him she breathed slowly yes she said the of his random shot startled knight though considering that all the other in the churchyard were upright upon which nobody could possibly sit it was not so wonderful did not even now go on with the explanation her lover wished to have and her began to him as before he was inclined to read her a lecture why don t you tell me all he said somewhat indignantly there i not a single subject upon which i feel more strongly than upon this that everything ought to be cleared up between two persons before they become husband and wife see how desirable and wise a course is in order to avoid disagreeable in the form of discoveries afterwards for a secret of no importance at all may be made the basis of some fatal misunderstanding only because it is discovered and not confessed they say there never was a couple of whom one had not some secret the other never knew or was intended to know this may or may not be true some have been happy in spite rather than in consequence oi v li were to see another man looking i ma a pair of blue eyes were blushing crimson and appearing startled do you think he would be so well satisfied with for instance her truthful explanation that once to her great annoyance she accidentally fainted into his arms as if she had said it long ago before the circumstance occurred which forced it from her suppose that admirer you spoke of in connection with the tomb yonder should turn up and bother me it would our lives if i were then half in the dark as i am now knight spoke the latter sentences with growing force it cannot be she said why not he asked sharply was distressed to find him in so stern a mood and she trembled in a confusion of ideas probably not intending a wilful she answered hurriedly if he s dead how can you meet him is he dead o that s different altogether said knight immensely relieved but let me see what did you say about that tomb and him that s his tomb she continued faintly what was he who lies buried there the man who was your lover knight asked in a distinct voice yes j and i didn t love him or encourage him but you let him kiss you you said so you know she made no reply why said knight circumstances by degrees you surely said you were in some degree engaged to him and of course you were if he kissed you and now you say you never encouraged him and i have been you said i am almost sure you did that you were sitting with him on that tomb good god he cried suddenly starting up in anger are you telling me why should you play with me like this i ll have the right of it we shall never be happy there s a upon us or me or you and it must be cleared off before we marry knight moved away as if to leave her she jumped up and clutched his arm don t go don t tell we then said k x s a fair of blue eyes ber this no more or upon my soul i shall hate you heavens that i should come to this to be made a fool of by a girl s don t don t treat me so cruelly o harry harry have pity and withdraw those dreadful words i i am truthful by nature i am and i don t know how i came to make you but was frightened she quivered so in her that she shook him with her did you say you were sitting on that tomb he asked yes and it was true then how in the name of heaven can a man sit upon his own tomb that was another man forgive me harry won t you what a lover in the tomb and a lover on it yes then there were two before me i suppose so now don t be a silly woman with your supposing hate all that said knight contemptuously almost well we learn strange things i don t know what i might have done no man can say into what shape circumstances may him but i hardly think i should have had the conscience to accept the of a new lover while sitting over the poor remains of the old one upon my soul i don t knight in moody meditation continued looking towards the tomb which stood staring them in the face like an ghost but you wrong me o so i she cried did not any such thing believe me harry i did not it only happened so quite of itself well i suppose you didn t intend z thing he said nobody ever does he sadly continued and him in the grave i never once loved i suppose the second lover and you as you sat there vowed to be faithful to each other forever only replied by quick heavy showing she was on the brink of a sob you don t choose to be ck but reserved then e said a pair of blue eyes of course we did she responded of course you seem to treat the subject very it is past and is nothing to us now it is a nothing which though it may make a man laugh cannot but make a genuine one grieve t is a very pain tell me straight through all f it never o harry how can you expect it when so of it makes you so harsh with me	45
knight s disappointment at finding himself second at s momentary and at her reluctance to be candid brought him to the verge of chapter o daughter of wasted with misery a habit of knight s when not immediately occupied with to walk by himself for half an hour or so between dinner and had become familiar to his friends at herself among them when he had helped her over the she said gently if you wish to take your usual turn on the hill harry i can run down to the alone thank you then i think i will her form diminished to blackness in the moonlight and knight after remaining upon the churchyard a few minutes longer turned back again towards the building his usual course was now to light a cigar or pipe and indulge in a quiet meditation but to night his mind was too tense to itself of such a solace he merely walked round to the site of the fallen tower and sat himself down upon some of the large stones which had composed it until this day that the of circumstance originated by smith when in the employ of mr the london man of art had brought about its overthrow pondering on the possible of s past life and on how he had supposed her to have had no past the name he sat and regarded the white tomb of young now close in front of him the sea though comparatively placid could as usual be heard from this point along the whole distance between to the right and left and itself among the of lock which dotted the water s e the miserable oi t oc feat a pair of blue eyes not even yet to the wear and tear of the as a change from thoughts not of a very cheerful kind attempted exertion he stood up and prepared o ascend to the summit of the heap of stones rom which a more extended outlook was than rom the ground he stretched out his arm to seize the of a larger block than ordinary and so himself up when his hand lighted plump upon a in the greatest possible degree from what le had expected to seize hard stone it was entangled and upon the stone the deep from the aisle wall prevented his seeing anything distinctly and he began as a necessity it a species of moss or he said to himself but it lay loosely over the stone it is a of grass he said but it lacked the and of the finest it is a s brush such he remembered were more and much used in a structure would not be in pulling one down he said it must be a silk fringe he felt farther in it was somewhat warm knight felt somewhat cold to find the coldness of matter where you expect warmth is startling enough but a colder temperature han that of the body being rather the rule than the in common it hardly such a shock o the system as finding warmth where utter is god only knows what it is he said he felt farther and thought more and he put his land upon a human head the head was warm but the mass was the hair of the head and straggling it was the head of a woman knight he stood still for a moment and collected his thou ts s account of the fall of ihe to v aa i j he workmen had been xv a i ass a pair of blue eyes had left in the evening intending to give the finishing stroke the next morning half an hour after they had gone the angle came down the woman who was half buried as it seemed must have been beneath it at the moment of the fall knight leaped up and began to remove the rubbish with his hands the heap the body was for the most part fine and dusty but in immense quantity it would be a saving of time to run for assistance he crossed to the churchyard wall and hastened down the hill a little way down an road passed over a small ridge which now showed up darkly against the moon and this road here formed a kind of in the sky line at the moment that knight arrived at the crossing he beheld a man on this eminence coming towards him knight turned aside and met the stranger there has been an accident at the church said knight without preface the tower has fallen on somebody who has been lying there ever since will you come and help that i will said the man it is a woman said knight as they hurried back and i think we two are enough to her do you know of a the grave digging are about somewhere they used to stay in the tower and there must be some belonging to the workmen they searched about and in an angle of the porch found three carefully away going round to the west end knight signified the spot of the tragedy we ought to have brought a lantern he exclaimed but we may be able to do without and he set to work removing the mass the other man who had looked on somewhat helplessly at first now followed the example of knight s activity and removed the larger stones which were mingled with the rubbish but with all their efforts it was quite ten minutes before the body of the unfortunate creature could be they lifted her as carefully as they could her to s tomb which was only a few steps westward and laid x ci x ow a of blue eyes is she dead indeed said the stranger she appears to be said knight which is the house the i suppose yes but since we shall have to call a	45
surgeon from i think it would be better to carry her in that instead of away from the town but is it not much farther to the first house we come to that way than to the or to the not much the stranger replied suppose we take her there then and i think the est way to do it would be thus if you don t mi d joining lands with me not in the least i am glad to assist making a kind of cradle by clasping their bands under the woman they lifted her and on side by side down a path indicated by the stranger who appeared to know the locality i had been sitting in the church for nearly an hour knight resumed when they were out of the churchyard afterwards i walked round to the site of the fallen tower md so found her it is painful to think that i wasted so much time in the very presence of a lying soul the tower fell at dusk did it not quite two hours i think yes she must have been there alone what could lave been her object in visiting the churchyard then it is difficult to say the stranger looked into the face of the motionless form they bore would you turn her round for a moment so that the shines on her face he said they turned her face to the moon and the man into her features why i know her i who is she mrs jet h way and the cottage we are taking her to s her own she is a widow and i was speaking to her this afternoon i was at office and she there to post a letter poor soul i let us hurry m hold my wrist a little was cl s ve laid the tomb of her a pair of blue eyes yes it was yes i see it now she was there to visit the tomb since the death of that son she has been a desolate woman always him she was a farmer s wife very well educated a originally i believe knight s heart was m to sympathy his own fortunes seemed in some strange way to be with those of this family through the influence of over himself and the unfortunate son of that house he made no reply and they still walked on she begins to feel heavy said the stranger breaking the silence yes she does said knight and after another pause added i think i have met you before though where i cannot recollect may i ask who you are o yes i am lord who are you i am a man visiting at the mr knight i have heard of you mr knight and i of you lord i am glad to meet you i may say the same i am familiar with your name in print and i with yours is this the house yes the door was locked knight reflecting a moment searched the pocket of the lifeless woman and found therein a large key which on being applied to the door opened it easily the fire was out but the moonlight the window and made patterns upon the floor j the rays enabled them to see that the room into which they had entered was pretty well furnished it being the same room had visited alone two or three evenings earlier they deposited their still burden on an old fashioned couch which stood against the wall and knight searched about for a lamp or candle he found a candle on a shelf lighted it and placed it on the table both knight and lord examined the pale countenance attentively and both were nearly convinced that there was no hope no marks of violence were visible ia the casual examination they made think that as i w t x i s a pair of blue eyes said lord i had better run for him while you stay here knight agreed to this lord then went off and his hurrying footsteps died away knight continued bending over the body and a few minutes longer of careful scrutiny perfectly satisfied him that the woman was far beyond the reach of the and the her were already beginning to get stiff and cold knight covered her face and sat down the minutes went by the remained musing on all the of the night his eyes were directed upon the table and he had seen for some time that were spread upon it he now noticed these more particularly there were an ink stand pen book and note paper several sheets of paper were thrust aside from the rest upon which letters had been begun and as if their form had not been satisfactory to the writer a stick of black wax and seal were there too as if the ordinary had not been considered sufficiently secure the abandoned sheets of paper lying as they did open upon the table it was possible as he sat to read the following words written on each one ran thus sir as a woman who was once with a dear son of her own i you to accept a warning another sir if you will design to receive warning from a stranger before it is too late to alter your course listen to the third sir with this letter i to you another which by any explanation from me tells a startling tale i wish however to add a few words to make your delusion yet more clear to you it was plain that after these a fourth letter had been despatched which had been deemed a proper one upon the table were two drops of wax the stick from which they were i vl w n w i overhanging the edge of the ta ae a pair of ue e	45
been because i loved you so and i feared feared to lose you since you are not given to confidence i want to ask some plain questions have i your permission yes she said and there came over her face a weary resignation say the words you can i will bear them there is a scandal in the air concerning you and i cannot even combat it without knowing definitely what it is it may not refer to you entirely or even at all knight in the very bitterness of his feeling in the time of the french revolution a master was by mistake for a captain of the king s guard i wish there was another e in the neighborhood look at this he handed her the letter she had written and left on the table at mrs s she looked over it not so much as it seems she pleaded it seems to i v v a ve natural origin than ov hi aa a pair of blue eyes not to our love o harry that was all my idea it was not much harm yes yes but of the poor miserable creature s remarks it seems to imply something wrong what remarks those she wrote me now torn to pieces you run away with a man you loved that was the statement has such an accusation life in it really truly yes she whispered knight s countenance sank to be married to him came from his lips yes o forgive me i i had never seen you harry to london yes but i answer my questions say nothing else did you ever deliberately try to many him in secret no not deliberately but did you do it a feeble red passed over her face yes she said and after that did you write to him as your husband and did he address you as his wife listen listen it was do answer me only answer me then yes we did her lips shook but it was with some little dignity that she continued i would gladly have told you for i knew and know i had done wrong but i dared not i loved you too well o so well you have been everything in the world to me and you are now will you not forgive me it is a melancholy thought that men who at first will not allow the verdict of perfection they pronounce upon their or wives to be disturbed by god s own testimony to the contrary will once suspecting their purity morally hang them upon evidence they would be ashamed to admit in judging a dog the reluctance to tell which arose from s simplicity in thinking herself so much more than she really was had been doing fatal m c the man of many ideas now fe x x v a pair of blue eyes possible things was over too far in the contrary direction and her every movement of feature every tremor every confused word were taken as so much proof of her we must bid good bye to compliment said knight we must do without politeness now look in my face and as you believe in god above tell me truly one thing more were you away alone with him yes did you return home the same day on which you left it no the word fell like a fatal bolt and the very land and sky seemed to suffer knight turned aside meantime s countenance wore a look indicating utter despair of being able to explain matters so that they would seem no more than they really were a despair which not only the hope of direct explanation but wearily gives up all chances of the scene was engraved for years on the of knight s eye the dead and brown the weeds among if the distant belt of shutting out the view of the house the leaves of which were now red and sick to death you must forget me he said we shall not marry how much anguish passed into her soul at those words from him was told by the look of supreme torture she wore what meaning have you harry you only say so do you she looked up at him and tried to laugh as if the of his words must be you are not in earnest i know i hope you are not surely i belong to you and you are going to keep me for yours i have been speaking too roughly to you have said what i ought only to have thought i like you and let me give you a word of advice marry your man as soon as you can however weary of each other you may fee you belong to each ot m wn a a path of blue eyes between you do you think i would do you think could for a moment if you cannot marry him now and another makes you his wife do not reveal this secret to him after marriage if you do not before honesty would be then bewildered by his expressions she exclaimed no no i will not be a wife unless i am yours and i must be yours i if we had married but you don t mean that that you will go away and leave me and not be anything more to me o you don t sobs took all nerve out of her utterance she checked them and continued to look in his face for the ray of hope that was not to be found there i am going in doors said knight you will not follow me i wish you not to o no indeed i will not and then i am going to good bye he spoke the farewell as if	45
it were but for the day lightly as he had spoken such temporary many times before and she seemed to understand it as such knight had not the power to tell her plainly that he was going forever he hardly knew for certain that he was whether he should rush back again upon the current of an irresistible emotion or whether he could sufficiently conquer himself and her in him to establish that parting as a supreme farewell and present himself to the world again as no woman s ten minutes later he had left the house leaving directions that if he did not return in the evening his luggage was to be sent to his chambers in london whence he intended to write to mr as to the reasons of his sudden departure he descended the valley and could not forbear turning his head he saw the field and a slight girlish figure in the midst of it up against the sky as ever had hardly moved a step for he had said remain he looked and saw her again he saw her for weeks and months he withdrew his eyes from the scene swept his hand across them as if to b js the si ht breathed a low groan and chapter and wilt thou leave me thus say say nay the scene to knight s chambers in s inn it was late in the evening of the day following his departure from a rain descended upon the metropolis forming a and dreary over every well lighted street the rain had not yet been long enough to give to rapid that clear and distinct rattle which follows the thorough washing of the stones by a rain but was just sufficient to make and slippery and to both feet and wheels knight was standing by the fire looking into its embers previous to emerging from his door for a dreary journey home to his hat was on and the gas turned off the blind of the window overlooking the alley was not drawn down and with the light from beneath which shone over the ceiling of the room came in place of the usual only the reduced clatter and quick speech which were the result of necessity rather than choice while he thus stood waiting for the of the few minutes that were wanting to the time for his catching the train a light tapping upon the door mingled with the other sounds that reached his ears it was so faint at first that the outer noises were almost sufficient to drown it finding it repeated knight crossed the crowded with books and rubbish and opened the door a woman closely muffled up but visibly of fragile build was standing on the landing under the she sprang forward flung aims ite neck of knight uttered a low cry a pair of blue eyes o harry harry you are killing me i could not help coming don t send me away don t forgive your for coming i love you so knight s agitation and astonishment mastered him for a few moments he cried what does this mean what have you done do not hurt me and punish me o do not i i couldn t help coming it was killing me last night when you did not come back i could not bear it i could not only let me be with you and see your face harry i don t ask for more her eyelids were hot heavy and thick with excessive weeping and the delicate rose red of her cheeks was and by the constant of the handkerchief in wiping her many tears who is with you have you come alone he hurriedly inquired yes when you did not come last night i sat up hoping you would come and the night was all agony and i waited on and on and you did not come i then when it was morning and your letter said you were gone i could not endure it and i ran away from them to st and came by the train and i have been all day travelling to you and you won t make me go away again will you harry because i shall always love you till i die yet it is wrong for you to stay o what have you committed yourself to it is ruin to your good name to run to me like this has not your first experience been sufficient to keep you from these things my name harry i shall soon die and what good will name be to me then o could but be the man and you the woman i would not leave you for such a little fault as mine do not think it was so vile a thing in me to run away with him ah how i wish you could have run away with twenty women before you knew me that i might show you i would think it no fault but be glad to get you after them all so that i had you if you only knew me through and through how true i am harry cannot i be yours say you love e l a s xv let me he separated from you m o x pair of eyes bear it all the long hours and days and nights going on and you not there but away because you hate me not hate you he said gently and supported her with his arm but you cannot stay here now just at present i mean i suppose i must not i wish i might i am afraid that if you lose sight of me something dark will happen and we shall not meet again harry if i am not good enough to be your wife i wish i could	45
be your servant and live with you and not be sent away never to see you again i don t mind what it is except that no i cannot send you away i cannot god knows what dark future may arise out of this evening s work but i cannot send you away you must sit down and i will endeavor to collect my thoughts and see what had better be done at that moment a loud knocking at the house door was heard by both accompanied by a hurried ringing of the bell that echoed from to the door was quickly opened and after a few hasty words of converse in the hall heavy footsteps ascended the stairs the face of mr flushed grieved and stern appeared round the landing of the staircase he came higher up and stood beside them glancing over and past knight with silent indignation he turned to the trembling girl o and have i found you at last i are these your tricks madam when will you get rid of your and conduct yourself like a decent woman is my family name and house to be disgraced by acts that would be a scandal to a s daughter come along madam come she is so weary said knight in a voice of anguish mr don t be harsh with her let me beg of you to be tender with her and love her to you sir said mr turning to him as if by the sheer pressure of circumstances i have little to say i can only remark that the sooner i can retire from your presence the better i shall pleased why you could not conduct your courtship of my daughter like an honest man i do not know why she a i v l a pair of blue eyes should have been tempted to this piece of folly i do not know even if she had not known better than to leave her home you might have i should think it is not his fault he did not tempt me papa i came if you wished the marriage broken off why didn t you say so plainly if you never intended to marry why could you not leave her alone upon my soul it me to the heart to be obliged to think so ill of a man i thought my friend knight soul sick and weary of his life did not arouse himself to utter a word in reply how should he defend himself when his defence was the accusation of on that account he felt a miserable satisfaction in letting her father go on thinking and speaking it was a faint ray of pleasure into the great of his brain to think that the might never know but that he as her lover tempted her away which seemed to be the form mr s had taken now are you coming said mr to her again he took her hand drew it within his arm and led her down the stairs knight s eyes followed her the last moment in him a frantic hope that she would turn her head she passed on and never back he heard the door open close again the w heels of a cab the a murmured direction followed the door was together the wheels moved and they rolled away from that hour of her a dreadful conflict raged within the breast of henry knight his instinct emotion or whatever it may be called urged him to stand forward seize upon and be her and protector through life then came the thought that s child like and act in flying to him only proved that the must be a dead letter with her that the which was really without meant indifference fo decorum and what so likely as that such a woman had been deceived in the past he said to himself in a mood of the bitterest c s discreet woman who d n pa r of blue eyes of all her fellow creatures is far too shrewd to be by man trusting beings like are the women who fall hours and days went by and knight remained time which made fainter the power of her presence strengthened the mental ability to reason her down loved him he knew and he could not leave off loving her but marry t her he would not if she could but be again his own the woman she had seemed to be but that woman was dead and buried and he knew her no more and how could he marry this one who if he had originally seen her as she was would have been barely an interesting pitiable acquaintance in his eyes no more it his heart to think he was confronted by the instance of a worse state of things than any he had assumed in the pleasant social philosophy and satire of his essays the moral purity of this man s life was worthy of all praise but in spite of some intellectual knight had in him a of that wrong which is mostly found in honest people with him truth seemed too clean and pure an abstraction to be so hopelessly in with error as practical persons find it having now seen himself mistaken in supposing to be nothing on earth could make him believe she was not so very bad after all he lingered in town a fortnight doing little else than between passion and opinions one idea remained that it was better and himself should not meet when he surveyed the volumes on his shelves few of which had been opened since first took possession of his heart their untouched and orderly arrangement reproached him as an from the old faith of his youth and early manhood he had deserted those friends so they seemed to say for an	45
delight in a woman which had ended all in bitterness the spirit of self denial on which had c animated m old times announced itself as having departed ai a pair of blue eyes vith it had gone the self respect which had or the lack of self gratification poor little of having as formerly a place in his religion to assume the hue of a temptation perhaps it was and correctly natural that knight never once whether he did not owe her a little sacrifice for devotion in saving his life with a consciousness of having thus like away and provinces he next considered low he had revealed his higher secrets and intentions to an he would never have allowed himself vith any man living how was it that he had not been to refrain from telling her of heretofore in the of his mind knight s was a robust intellect which could escape the atmosphere of heart and perceive that his own as well as other people s could be reduced by change f scene and circumstances at the same time the perception was a sorrow o last regret regret can die tt but being convinced that the death of this regret was the est thing for him he did not long shrink from attempting it he closed his chambers suspended his connection with and left london for the continent here we will him to wander without purpose beyond the me of encouraging of chapter the s the jewel that a t cant think what s coming to these st shop x people at all with their how d ye do s do you mane ay with their how d ye do s and shaking of hands asking me in and tender inquiries for you john these words formed part of a conversation between john smith and his wife maria on a saturday evening in the spring which followed knight s departure from england had long since returned to india and the wrinkled couple themselves had from lord s park at to a comfortable roadside dwelling about a mile out of st where john had opened a small stone and slate yard in his own name when we came here six months ago continued mrs smith though i had paid upright gold so many years in the town they d only speak over the counter meet em in the street half an hour after and they d treat me with staring ignorance of my face look through ye as through a glass ay the brazen ones would the quiet cool would glare over the top of me head past me side over me shoulder but never meet me eye the gentle modest would turn their faces south if i were coming east down a passage if i was about to the pavement with them there s that s wife knew me a girl married a poor little needles and pins sort of man with nothing between and starvation but his counter and yard measure they and they in that of a shop entreated for my custom and so they got on till he s y oi a w st as for she she s a pair of blue eyes lord knows what you may as well say well that woman after talking to me by the in her shop and getting her shop maids to push all sorts of rubbish into my hands which i have bought only to oblige them many a time has met me an hour after when herself among her dress acquaintance on the pavement looked as if she d been shot at catching sight of me with my honest bundles and baskets a coming along and edged all in a consternation round the corner to escape meeting and speaking to me you see they can t afford very well to do the stranger to your face for fear of losing your custom so they off there was the young would play the same tricks the butcher s daughters the s young men hand in glove when out of sight with you but ready to spend money rather than speak when cutting their dash outside the door true enough well to day tis all different i d no sooner got to market than that same miserable mother rushed up to me in the eyes of the town and said my dear mrs smith now you must be tired with your walk come in and have some lunch insist upon it knowing you so many years as i have don t you remember when we used to go looking for even ashes together in lane there s no knowing what you may need so answered the woman civil i hadn t got to the corner before that young sweet who s quite the ran after me out of breath mrs smith he says excuse my but there s a on the tail of your dress which you ve dragged in from the country allow me to pull it off for you if you ll believe me this was in the very front of the town hall what s the meaning on t can t say unless tis repentance repentance was there ever such a fool as you john did anybody ever repent wi money in s pocket now i ve been thinking too said john passing over the as hardly that i ve had more loving kindness from those large gentry to da than i ever have before since we moved walked out to m d e l s a pair of blue eyes where i were to shake hands with me so a did having on my working clothes i thought twas odd ay and there were who s he why the music man in north street who d sell drums trumpets and and grate he was talking to that very small bachelor man with money in the funds i	45
was going by i m sure without thinking or expecting a nod from men of that class when i was in my working clothes you always will go into town in your working clothes beg ye to change how i will tis no use well however i were in my working clothes seed me ah mr smith a fine morning excellent weather for building says he out as loud and friendly as if met em in some deep hollow where nobody could have seen him speak at all twas odd for is one of the very of the class at that moment a tap came at the door mrs smith immediately rose and opened it you ll excuse us i m sure mrs smith but this spring weather was too much for us yes and we could stay in no longer and i took mrs upon my arm directly my assistant came back from tea and out we came and seeing your beautiful in such a bloom we ve took the liberty to enter we ll step round the garden if you don t mind not at all said mrs smith and they walked round the garden she lifted her hands in amazement directly their backs were turned gk send us grace who be they said her husband actually mr the gentleman and his lady till to day they d have fallen over us afore they d have spoke even out here in the country leave alone on the pavement john smith staggered in mind went out of doors and looked over the garden gate to collect his astounded ideas he had not been there two minutes when wheels were beard and a carriage and pa t low d the road a distinguished looking ml v a a fair of blue eyes between that of a and an honorable within when opposite smith s gate she turned her head and instantly commanded the coachman to stop ah mr smith i am glad to see you looking so well i could not help stopping a moment to congratulate you and mrs smith upon the happiness you must enjoy ah eh good evening joseph you may drive on and the carriage rolled away towards st out rushed mrs smith from behind a laurel bush where she had listening just going to touch my hat to her said john just for all the world as i would have to poor lady years ago lord who is she the public house woman what s her name mrs mrs at the public house the ignorance of the smith family i never you might say the proprietor of the hotel s lady and cost no more the st people are ridiculous enough but give them their due the possibility is that mrs smith was getting in spite of herself by these remarkably friendly phenomena among the people of st by this time mr and mrs were returning from the garden i ll ask em flat whispered john to his wife i ll say we be in a fog you ll excuse my asking a question mr and mrs how is it all you gentlemen be so friendly to day hey sound right and sensible wouldn t it not a word good mercy when will the man have manners it must be a proud moment for you i am sure mr and mrs smith to have a son so celebrated said the gentleman advancing ah tis i knew it cried mrs smith triumphantly we don t know particulars said john eagerly not know no why tis all over town out n k c o j a pair of ue e yes r to it in a speech at the dinner last night of the every own hero club which lately presented him with a beautiful silver smoking service and set of for his able support of the soul above shops association which i am happy to say we have started in opposition to the old honor your society kept up by the country and what about screamed mrs smith cutting a why your son has been by and princes and nobody knows who in india is hand in glove with and is to design a large palace cathedral halls by the general consent of the ruling powers christian pagan and devilish all alike twas sure to come to the boy said mrs smith yesterday s chronicle and our worthy mayor in the chair introduced the subject into his speech last night in a manner yes said he st has her glories gentlemen and i blush with pleasure when i find recorded in to day s paper the intellectual and artistic of our friend mr smith son of mr john smith so well known to us all has her shakespeare has her has her london has her heaven knows who and st has her smith yes fellow he went on in the chair we may well be proud to find that mr john smith to whom humble in life as he is am related on the mother s side was a native of this town not at all said john i bom in s hut lane half a mile out of st take my oath i half a mile s nothing where glory s concerned don t be so foolish particular john quarrel wi your own bread and cheese that s you twas very good of the worthy mayor in the chair i m sure well mr and mrs smith the evening in and we must be going and remember this that every saturday when you come into market ow je fe house as ur own there will be s a xv y a pair of blue eyes you as you know there has been for years though you may have forgotten it i am a plain speaking woman and what i say i mean when	45
the visitors were gone and the sun was set and the moon s rays were just beginning to assert themselves upon the walls of the dwelling john smith and his wife sat down to the newspaper they had hastily procured from the town and when the reading was done they considered how best to meet the new social settling upon them which mrs smith considered could be done by new furniture and house alone and john mind one thing she said in conclusion in writing to the boy never by any means mention the name of again left the place and know no more about her except by he seemed to be getting free of her and glad am i for it it was a cloudy hour for him when he first set eyes upon the girl that family s been no good to him first or last so let them keep their blood to themselves if they want to he thinks of her i know but not so hopeless like so don t try to know anything about her and we can t answer his questions she may die out of him then that be it said john chapter after many days knight south under color of studying continental he paced the of by abbey climbed into the strange towers of and then he went to and examined its and quaint carving then he about he rowed beneath the base of st and caught the varied sky line of the crumbling it st s knew him for days j so did and many a monument besides the inspection of early french art with the same haste as he had undertaken it he went farther and lingered about and with he tried rome next he observed moonlight and effects by the bay of he turned to became and depressed on and plains and was refreshed again by breezes on the of the then he found himself in greece he visited the plain of and strove to imagine the defeat to hill to picture st paul addressing the ancient to and to run through the facts and traditions of the second invasion the result of his being all more or less a failure knight grew as weary of these places as of all others then he felt the shock of an earthquake in the islands and went to here he shot in up and down the winding of the grand canal and on and at night when the were undisturbed by a np xv w was to be heard but the stroke of the x c a pair of ue e yes he remained for weeks in the galleries and of and paris and thence came home time thus rolls us on to a february afternoon divided by fifteen months from the parting of and her lover in the brown field towards the sea two men with weather stained faces met by accident on one of the gravel walks leading across park the younger more given to looking about him than his fellow saw and noticed the approach of his senior some time before the latter had raised his eyes from the ground upon which they were bent in an abstracted gaze that seemed habitual with him mr knight indeed it is exclaimed the younger man ah smith said knight operations might now have been observed to be going on in both they collected their thoughts the result being that an expression less frank and impulsive than the first took possession of their features it was manifested that the first words uttered were a superficial covering to on both sides have you been in england long said knight only two days said smith india ever since nearly ev er since they were making a fuss about you at st last year i fancy i saw something of the sort in the papers yes i believe something was said about me people will you know i must congratulate you on your achievements thanks but they are nothing very extraordinary a natural professional progress where there was no opposition there fc owed that want of words which will always assert friends who find they have ceased to be real ones and have not yet sunk to the level of casual acquaintance each looked up and down the park knight may possibly have borne in mind during the intervening months s manner towards him the last time they had met and may have encouraged his former interest in s welfare to die out of bim certainly was full of the m ie o v a pair of ue e yes belief that knight had taken away the woman he loved so well smith then asked a question a certain of manner and tone to hide if possible the fact that the subject was a much greater one to him than his friend had ever supposed are you married i am not knight spoke in an indescribable tone of bitterness that was almost and i never shall be he added are you no said sadly and quietly like a man in a sick room totally ignorant whether or not knight knew of his own previous claims upon he yet resolved to hazard a few more words upon the topic which had an aching fascination for him even now then your engagement to miss came to nothing he said you remember i met you with her once s voice gave way a little here in defiance of his will to the contrary indian affairs had not yet even lowered those emotions down to the point of control it was broken off came quickly from knight engagements to marry often end like that for better or for worse yes so they do and what have you been doing lately doing nothing where have you been i can hardly tell you in the main going about and it may perhaps interest you to know	45
that i have been attempting the serious study of continental art of the middle ages my notes on each example i are at your service they are of no use to me i shall be pleased with them o travelling far and near not far knight with moody carelessness you know i dare say that sheep occasionally become giddy in the head tis called in which their brains become eaten up and xvi v a pa ik of blue eyes peculiarity of walking round and round in a circle i have travelled just in the same way round ind round like a giddy ram the reckless bitter and rambling style in which knight as if rather to vent his images than to convey any struck the young man painfully his friend s days had become in some way was a changed man he himself had changed but not as knight had changed yesterday i came home continued knight with ut having to the best of my belief half a dozen worth retaining you out hamlet hamlet in of mood aid with frankness knight made no reply do you know continued i could almost lave sworn that you would be married before this time what i saw knight s face grew harder could you he said was powerless to the yes and i simply wonder at it whom did you expect me to marry her i saw you with thank you for that wonder did she you smith now one word to you knight returned don t you ever question me on that subject i have reason for making this request mind and if you do question me you will not get an answer o i don t for a moment wish to ask what is to you not i i had a momentary feeling that i should like to explain something on my side and hear a explanation on yours but let it go let it go by ill means what would you explain i lost the woman i was going to marry you have not married as you intended we might have compared i have never asked you a word a o i know that y i of blue eyes and the is obvious quite so the truth is i have resolved never to allude to the matter for which i have a very good reason doubtless as good a reason as you had for not marrying her you talk i had a good one a miserably good one smith s anxiety urged him to venture one more question did she not love you enough he drew his breath in a slow and stream as he waited in hope for the answer you pass all the bounds of ordinary courtesy in pressing questions of that kind after what i have said i cannot understand you at all i must go on now why good god exclaimed passionately you talk as if you hadn t at all taken her away from anybody who had better claims to her than you what do you mean by that said knight with a puzzled air what have you heard nothing i must go on good day if you will go said knight reluctantly now you must suppose i am sure i cannot understand why you behave so nor i why you do i have always been grateful to you and as far as am concerned we need never have become so as we have and have ever been anything but well disposed towards you surely yon know that i have not the system of reserve began with you you know that no no you altogether mistake our position you were always from the first reserved to me though i was confidential to you that was i suppose the natural issue of our positions in life and when i the pupil became reserved like you the master you did not like it however i was going to ask you to come round and see me where are you staying at the co a pair of blue eyes so am l that s convenient not to say odd well i am detained in london for a day or two then i am going down to see my father and mother who live at st now will you see me this evening i may but i will not promise i was wishing to be alone for an hour or two but i shall know where to find you at any rate good bye i chapter jealousy is cruel as the grave pondered not a little on this meeting with his old friend and once beloved he was grieved for amid all the of his latter years a still small voice of fidelity to knight had lingered on in him perhaps this was because knight ever treated him as a mere even to him sometimes and had at last though inflicted upon him the greatest of all that of taking away his sweetheart the side of his constitution was built rather after a feminine than a male model and that tremendous wound from knight s hand may have tended to keep alive a warmth which would have extinguished altogether knight on his part was vexed after they had parted that he had not taken in hand a little after the old manner those words which smith had let fall concerning somebody having a prior claim to would if uttered when the man were younger have provoked such a as come tell me all about it my lad from knight and would straightway have delivered himself of all he knew on the subject the boy though now by the man returned to knight s memory vividly that afternoon he was at present but a in london and after attending to the two or three matters of business which remained to be done that day he	45
walked into the gloomy of the british museum for the half hour previous to their closing that meeting with smith had the present with the past up the chasm of his from england as i it xi the a pair of blue eyes final circumstances of his previous time of residence in london formed but a yesterday to the circumstances now the conflict that then had raged in him concerning revived strengthened by its sleep indeed in those many months of absence though the intention to make her his wife he had never forgotten that she was the type of woman adapted to his nature and instead of trying to thoughts of her altogether he had grown to regard them as an infirmity it was necessary to knight returned to his hotel much earlier in the evening than he would have in the ordinary course of things he did not care to think whether this arose from a friendly wish to close the gap that had slowly been between himself and his earliest acquaintance or from a desire to hear the meaning of the dark had hastily pronounced that he knew something more of than knight had supposed he made a hasty dinner inquired for smith and soon was ushered into the young man s presence whom he found sitting in front of a comfortable fire beside a table spread with a few scientific and art i have come to you after all said knight my manner was odd this morning and it seemed desirable to call but that you had too much sense to notice i know put it down to my wanderings in france and italy don t say another word but sit down i am only too glad to see you again would hardly have cared to tell knight just then that the minute before knight was announced he had been reading over some old letters of s they were not many and until to night had been sealed up and away in a corner of his leather trunk with a few other and relics which had accompanied him in his travels the familiar sights and sounds of x the meeting with his friend had with him also revived that sense of abiding with regard to and love which his absence at the other side of tha world had to some extent suspended n s he at first intended only to o ex v x p blue eyes on the outside then he read one then another until the whole were thus as a to sad memories he folded them away again placed them in his pocket and instead of going on with an examination into the of the artistic world had remained musing on the circumstance that he had returned to find knight not th husband of after all the possibility of any given gratification a cent sense of its necessity gave the rein to imagination and felt more intensely than he had for man months that without his life would never be an great pleasure to himself or honor to his maker they sat by the fire on external and subjects neither caring to be the first to approach th matter each most longed to discuss on the table the pe lay two or three pocket books one of then being open knight seeing from the exposed page tha the contents were sketches only began turning the leave over carelessly with his finger when some time later was out of the room knight proceeded to pass th interval by looking at the sketches more carefully the first crude ideas to dwellings of al kinds were roughly on the different pages an had been copied fragments of indian columns colossal statues and ornament in general the temples of and were carelessly in upon by outlines of modern doors windows roofs cooking and household furniture everything h short which comes within the range of a modern s experience who travels with his eyes open these occasionally appeared rough of subjects for carving or illumination heads of saints and was not a free hand but he drew the human figure with and skill in its numerous on the sides and edges of th leaves knight began to notice a peculiarity all the saints had one type of feature there were and small about their drooping heads but th was always the same how well knew that a pair of blue eyes had there been but one specimen of the familiar countenance he might have passed over the resemblance as accidental but a repetition meant more knight thought anew of smith s hasty words earlier in the day and looked at the sketches again and again on the young man s entry knight said with palpable agitation who are those intended for looked over the book with utter saints and angels done in my leisure moments they were intended as designs for the stained glass of an english church but whom do you by that type of woman you always adopt for the virgin nobody and then a thought along s mind and he looked up at his friend the truth is s introduction of s had been so unconscious that he had not at first understood his companion s drift the hand like the tongue easily the trick of repetition by without calling in the mind to assist at all and this had been the case here young men who cannot write verses about their loves generally take to them and in the early days of his attachment smith had never been weary of the lay figure now an of many things knight had recognized her the opportunity of comparing notes had come to whom i was engaged he said quietly i know what you mean by speaking like that was it you the man yes and you are thinking why did i conceal the fact from you that time at are you not yes and	45
more i did it for the best blame me if you will i did it for the best and now say how could i be with you afterwards as i had been before i i don t know at all i can t sa p r of blue eyes knight remained fixed in thought and once he i had a suspicion this afternoon that there might be some such meaning in your words about my taking her away but i dismissed it how came you to know her he presently asked in almost a tone i went down about the church years ago now when you were with of course of course well i can t understand it his tones rose i don t know what to say your me like this for so long i don t see that i have you at all yes yes knight arose from his seat and began pacing up and down the room his face was pale and bis voice as he said you did not act as i should have towards you under those circumstances i feel it deeply j and i tell you plainly i shall never forget it what your behavior at that meeting in the family vault when i told you we were going to be deception everywhere all the world s of ij e e iv did not much like this im his motives even though it was but the hasty of a friend disturbed by emotion i could do no otherwise than i did with due regard to her he said stiffly indeed said knight in the bitterest tone of reproach nor could you with due regard have married her i suppose i have longed that he who turns out to be you would ultimately have done that i am much obliged to you for that hope but you talk very mysteriously i think i had about the best reason anybody could have for not doing that o what reason was it that i could not you ought to have made an opportunity you ought to do so now in bare justice to her cried knight carried beyond b i you know very ve and it hurts and wounds j i ra a pair of blue eyes find you never have tried to make any to a woman of that kind so so apt to be run away with by her feelings poor little fool so much the worse for her why you talk like a madman you took her away from me did you not picking up what another throws down can scarcely be called taking away however we shall not agree too well upon that subject so we had better part but i am quite certain you something most said shaken to the bottom of his heart what have i done tell me i have lost but is that such a sin was it her doing or yours was what that you parted i will tell you honestly it was hers entirely entirely what was her reason i can hardly say but i ll tell the story without reserve until to day had held that she tired of him and turned to knight but he did not like to advance the statement now or even to think the thought to fancy otherwise accorded better with the hope to which knight s had given birth that love for his friend was not the direct cause but a result of her of love for himself such a matter must not be allowed to breed discord between us knight returned into a manner which concealed all his true feeling as if confidence now was intolerable i do see that your towards me in the vault may have been dictated by considerations he concluded it was a strange thing altogether but not of much importance i suppose at this distance of time and it does not concern me now though i don t mind hearing your story these words from knight uttered with such an air of and apparent indifference prompted smith to speak on perhaps with a little complacency of his old secret engagement to he told the details of its origin and the words and a ns their jove a pair of blue eyes knight in the tone and manner of a disinterested it had become more than ever imperative to screen his emotions from s eye the young man would be less frank and their meeting would be again what was the use of had now arrived at the point in his narrative where he left the because of her father s manner knight s interest increased their love seemed so innocent and thus far it is a nice point in he observed to decide whether you were or not in not telling that your friends were poor of his it was only human nature to hold your tongue under the circumstances well what was the result of your dismissal by him that we agreed to be secretly faithful and to this we thought we would marry knight s suspense and agitation rose higher when entered upon this phase of the subject do you mind telling on he said his manner as by a feat o not at all then gave in full the particulars of the meeting with at the railway station the necessity they were under of going to london unless the ceremony were to be postponed the long journey of the afternoon and evening her timidity and of feeling its on reaching london the crossing over to the down platform and their immediate departure again solely in obedience to her wish the journey all night their anxious watching for the dawn their arrival at st at last were detailed and he told how a village woman named was the only person who recognized them either going or coming and how dreadfully this terrified he told	45
how he y in the fields while his then sweetheart went for her pony and how the last kiss he ever gave her was given a mile out of town on the way to these things related with a will he believed th t in doing so he ci d the of his claim to a pair of blue eyes curse her curse that woman that miserable letter that parted us o god knight began pacing the room again and uttered this at the farther end what did you say said turning round say did i say anything o i was merely thinking about your story and the of my having a fancy for the same woman afterwards and that now i i have forgotten her almost and neither of us cares about her except just as a friend you know eh knight still continued at the farther end of the room somewhat in shadow exactly said inwardly for he was really deceived by knight s off hand manner yet he was deceived less by the completeness of knight s disguise than by the power which lay in the fact that knight had never before deceived him in anything so this supposition that his companion had ceased to love was an enormous of the weight which had turned the scale against him admitting that could love another man after you said the elder under the same of careless criticism she was none the worse for that experience the worse of course she was none the worse did you ever think it a wild and thoughtless thing for her to do indeed i never did said i persuaded her she saw no harm in it until she decided to return nor did i nor was there except to the extent of directly she thought it was wrong she would go no farther that was it i had just begun to think it wrong too such a childish might have been by any evil disposed person might it not it might but i never heard that it was nobody who really knew all the circumstances would have done otherwise than smile if all the world had known it would still have remained the only one who thought her action a sin poor child she l ft ss ing so and was frightened more t v a pair of blue eyes do you love her now well i like her i always shall you know he said and with all the love suggested but i have not seen her for so long that i can hardly be expected to love her do you love her still how shall i answer without being ashamed what beings we men are men may love strongest for a while but women love longest i used to love her in my way you know yes i understand ah and i used to love her in my way in fact i loved her a good deal at one time but travel has a tendency to early fancies it has it has truly perhaps the most extraordinary feature in this conversation was the circumstance that though each had at first his suspicions of the other s abiding passion awakened by several little acts neither would allow himself to see that his friend might now be speaking as well as he resumed knight now that matters are smooth between us i think i must leave you you won t mind my hurrying off to my quarters you ll stay to supper surely why didn t you come to dinner you must really excuse me this once then you ll drop in to breakfast to morrow i shall be rather pressed for time an early breakfast which shall interfere with nothing i ll come said knight with as much readiness as it was possible to upon a huge stock of reluctance yes eight o clock say as we are under the same roof any time you like eight it shall be and knight left him to wear a mask to his feelings as he had in their late miserable conversation was such torture that he could support it no longer it was the first time in knight s life that he had ever been so entirely the player of a part and the man he had thus deceived was who had looked up to him from youth as a superior oi it s it g s i i a fair of blue eyes he went to bed and allowed the fever of his excitement to rage it was only he who was the rival only there was an anti climax of absurdity which knight wretched and conscience stricken as he was could not help was but a boy to him where the great grief was in perceiving that the very innocence of in reading her little fault as one so grave was what had him had with any degree of coolness asserted that she had done no harm the poisonous breath of the dead mrs would have been why did he not make his little girl tell more if on that subject he had only exercised the customary with him on others all might have been revealed it smote his heart like a when he remembered how gently she had borne his speeches never answering him with a single reproach only assuring him of her unbounded love knight blessed for her sweetness and forgot her fault he pictured with a vivid fancy those fair summer scenes with her he again saw her as at their first meeting timid at speaking yet in her eagerness to be borne forward almost against her will how she would wait for him in green places without showing any of the ordinary womanly of indifference how proud she was to be seen walking with him bearing in her eyes the thought that he was the greatest genius in the world	45
he formed a resolution and after that he could make pretence of slumber no longer rising and dressing himself he sat down and waited for day that night was restless too not because of the of a return to english scenery not because he was about to meet his parents and settle down for a while to english cottage life he was indulging in dreams and for the the of and the plains and of were but a shadow s shadow his dream was based on this one o f fact and knight had become separated and their engagement was as if it had never been their t s ss v v v occurred soon after s ol i pair of blue eyes union and went on to think what so probable as that a return of her affection to himself was the cause we must remember that s opinions in this matter were those of a lover and not the balanced judgment of an spectator his naturally sanguine spirit built hope upon hope till scarcely a doubt remained in his mind that her lingering tenderness for him had in some way been perceived by knight and had provoked their parting to go and see was the suggestion of impulses it was impossible to withstand at any rate to run down by rail from st to a distance of less than twenty miles and glide like a ghost about their old haunts making stealthy inquiries about her would be a fascinating way of passing the first spare hours after reaching home on the day after the morrow he was now a richer man than heretofore standing on his own bottom and the definite position in which he had rooted himself all of from peasant ancestors he had become illustrious even sanguine judging from the tone of the worthy mayor of st chapter each to the loved one s side the friends and rivals together the next morning not a word was said on either side upon the matter discussed the previous evening so and so was absorbed the greater part of the time in wishing he were not forced to stay in town yet another day i don t intend to leave for st till to morrow as you know he said to knight at the end of the meal what are you going to do with yourself to day i have an engagement just before ten said knight deliberately and after that time i must call upon two or three people i ll look for you this evening said yes do you may as well come and dine with me that is if we can meet i may not sleep in london tonight in fact i am absolutely unsettled as to my movements yet however the first thing i am going to do is to get my baggage shifted from this place to s inn good bye for the present i ll write you know if i can t meet you it now wanted a quarter to nine o clock when knight was gone felt yet more impatient of the circumstance that another day would have to drag itself away wearily before he could set out for the spot of earth whereon a soft thought of him might perhaps be nourished still on a sudden he admitted to his mind the possibility that the engagement he was waiting in town to keep might be postponed without any particular harm it was no sooner perceived than attempted looking at his watch he found it wanted forty minutes to the de ax of the ten o clock train from tv x s ss w a pair of blue eyes quarter of an hour before it would be necessary to start for the station a hasty note or two one putting off the meeting another to knight for not being able to see him in the evening paying his and leaving his heavier luggage to follow him by goods train he jumped into a cab and rattled off to the great western station shortly afterwards he took his seat in the railway carriage the guard paused on his whistle to let into the next to smith s a man of whom had caught but a hasty glimpse as he ran across the platform at the last moment smith sank back into the carriage by perplexity the man was like knight like him was it possible it could be he to have got there he must have driven like the wind to inn and hardly have alighted before starting again no it could not be he that was not his way of doing things during the early part of the journey smith s thoughts busied themselves till his brain seemed swollen one subject was concerning his own approaching actions he was a day earlier than his letter to his parents had stated and his arrangement with them had been that they should meet him at a plan which pleased the worthy couple beyond expression once before the same engagement had been made which he had then by his arrival this time he would go right on to in that well known neighborhood during the evening and next morning making inquiries and return to to meet them as arranged a contrivance which would leave their cherished project undisturbed his own impatience also at there was a little waiting and son and of carriages looked out at the same moment man s head emerged from the adjoining window each looked in the other s face knight and confronted one another yon here said the er man yes it seems that you ate sa l a pair of eyes yes never were the selfishness of love and the cruelty of jealousy more clearly than at this moment each of the two men looked at his friend as he had never looked at him before each was troubled the other s presence i thought	45
you said you were not coming till to morrow remarked knight i did it was an to come to day this journey was your engagement then no it was not this is an of mine too i left a note to explain it and account for my not being able to meet you this evening as we arranged so did i for you you don t look well you did not this morning i have a headache you are paler to day than you were i too have been suffering from headache we have to wait here a few minutes i think they walked up and down the platform each one more and more concerned with the awkwardness of his friend s presence they reached the end of the and paused in sheer absent s vacant eyes rested upon the operations of some who were shifting a dark and richly finished van from the rear of the train to another which was between it and the fore part of the train this operation having been concluded the friends returned to the side of their carriage will you come in here said knight not very warmly i have my rug and and umbrella with me it is rather to move now said reluctantly why not you come here i have my traps too it is hardly worth while to shift them for i shall see you again you know and each got into his own place just at starting a man on the platform held up his hands and stopped the train looked out to see what was the ma one of the officials was a m xv vo x s a p air of blue eyes carriage should have been attached again can t you see it is for the main line quick what fools there are in the world what a confounded nuisance these are exclaimed knight impatiently looking out from his what is it that singular carriage we saw has been from our train by mistake it seems said he was watching the process of it the van or carriage which he now recognized as having seen at before they started was rich and solemn rather than gloomy in aspect it seemed to be quite new and of modern design and its impressive personality attracted the notice of others besides himself he beheld it gradually wheeled forward by two men on each side slower and more sadly it seemed to approach then a slight and they were connected with it and off again sat all the afternoon pondering upon the reason of knight s unexpected was he going as far as if so he could only have one object in view a visit to and what an idea it seemed at smith partook of a little refreshment and then went round to the side from which the train started knight was already there walked up and stood beside him without speaking two men at this moment crept out from among the wheels of the waiting train the carriage is light enough said one in a grim tone light as vanity full of nothing nothing in size but a good deal in said the other a man of brighter mind and manners smith then perceived that to their train was attached that same carriage of grand and dark aspect which had haunted them all the way from london you are going on i suppose said knight turning to after idly looking at the same object yes we may as well travel together for the remaining distance may we not a pair of blue eyes i certainly we will and they both entered the same door evening drew on it chanced to be the eve of st s that bishop of blessed memory to youthful lovers and the sun shone low under the rim of a thick hard cloud the of the landscape with crowns of orange fire as the train changed its direction on a curve the same rays stretched in through the window and open knight s half closed eyes you will get out at st i suppose he murmured no said i am not expected till to morrow knight was silent and you are you going to said the younger man since you ask i can do no less than say i am continued knight slowly and with more resolution of manner than he had shown all the day i am going to to see if is still free and if so to ask her to be my wife so am i said smith i think you ll lose your labor knight returned with decision naturally you do there was a strong accent of bitterness in s voice you might have said hope instead of think he added i might have done no such thing i gave you my opinion may have loved you once no doubt but it was when she was so young that she hardly knew her own mind thank you said she knew her mind as well as i did we are the same age if you hadn t interfered don t say that don t say it how can you make out that i interfered be just please well said his friend she was mine before she was yours you know that and it seemed a hard thing to find you had her and that if it had not been for you all might have turned out well for me spoke with a l tv v k a fair of blue eyes of the window to hide the emotion that would make itself visible upon his face it is absurd said knight in a kinder tone for you to look at the matter in that light what i tell you is for your good you naturally do not like to realize the truth that her liking for you was only a girl s	45
first fancy which has no root ever it is not true i said passionately it was you put me out and now you ll be pushing in again between us and me of my chance again my right that s what it is how of you to come anew and try to take her away from me when you had her i did not interfere and you might i think mr knight do by me as i did by you don t mr me you are as well in the world as i am now it first love is deepest and that was mine who told you that said knight i had her first love and it was through me that you and she were parted i can guess that well enough it was and if i were to explain to you in what way that in parting us i should convince you that you do quite wrong in her that as i said at first your labor will be lost i don t choose to explain because the particulars are painful but if you won t listen to me go on for heaven s sake i don t care what you do my boy you have no right to over me as you do just because when i was a lad i was accustomed to look up to you as a master and you helped me a little for which i cared for you and have loved you too much you assume too much now and step in before me it is cruel it is unjust of you to injure me so knight showed himself keenly hurt at this those words are and unworthy of any man and they are unworthy of you you know you wrong me if you have ever by any instruction of mine i am only too glad to know it you know it was given and that i have never once looked upon it as making you in any way a to m s naturally e tv n x s v a pair of blue eyes was in a troubled voice that he said yes i am unjust in i own it this is st station i think are you going to get out knight s manner of returning to the matter in hand drew again into himself no i told you i was going to he resolutely replied knight s features became and he said no more the train continued rattling on and leaned back in his corner and closed his eyes the of evening had turned to the dusky shades and a flying cloud of dust occasionally the window borne upon a breeze which blew from the the previously gilded but now dreary hills began to lose their daylight aspects of and to become black against the sky all nature wearing the cloak that six o clock casts over the landscape at this time of the year started up in bewilderment after a long stillness and it was some time before he recollected himself well how real how real i he exclaimed brushing his hand across his eyes what is said knight that dream i fell asleep for a few minutes and have had a dream the most vivid i ever remember he wearily looked out into the gloom they were now drawing near to the lighting of the lamps was perceptible through the veil of evening each flame starting into existence at intervals and weakly against the of wind what did you dream said knight o nothing to be told twas a sort of l here is never anything in dreams i hardly supposed there was i know that however what i so vividly was this since you would like to hear it was the brightest of bright mornings at east church and you and i stood by the far away in the lord was standing alone cold and ix i c his usual self but i knew it was s o p j of blue eyes stood a strange clergyman with his book open he looked up and said to lord where s the bride lord said there s no bride at that moment somebody came in at the door and i knew her to be lady who died he turned and said to her i thought you were in the vault below us but that could have been only a dream of mine come on then she came on and in brushing between us she chilled me so with cold that i exclaimed the life is gone out of me and in the way of dreams i awoke but here we are at they were slowly entering the station what are you going to do said knight do you really intend to call on the by no means i am going to make inquiries first shall stay at the arms to night you will go right on to i suppose at once i can hardly do that at this time of the day perhaps you are not aware that the family her father at any rate is at with me as much as with you i didn t know it and that i cannot rush into the house as an old friend any more than you can certainly i have the privileges of a distant relationship whatever they may be knight let down the window and looked ahead there are a great many people at the station he said they seem all to be on the look out for us when the train stopped the half friends could perceive by the that the assemblage of enclosed as a a group of men in black a side gate in the platform railing was open and outside this stood a dark vehicle which they could not at first then knight saw on its upper part forms against the sky like fir	45
was a flat one towards the to learn if the rain had penetrated it resting it on the he supported it with one hand wiping his face with the handkerchief he held in the other i suppose you know what i ve got here he observed to the smith no i don t said the smith pausing again on his as the rain s not over i ll show you said the bearer he laid the thin and broad which had acute angles in different directions flat upon the and the smith blew up the fire to give him more light first after the a sheet of brown paper was removed this was laid flat then he unfolded a piece of this also he spread flat on the paper the third covering was a of paper which was spread out in its turn the was revealed and he held it up for the smith s inspection o i see i said the smith with a interest and drawing close poor young lady ah a terrible melancholy thing so soon too knight and turned their heads and looked and what s that continued the smith that s the beautifully finished isn t it ah that cost some money tis as fine a bit of metal work as ever i see that tis it came from the same people as the coffin you know but was not ready soon enough to be sent round to the town house yesterday i ve got to fix it on this very night the carefully packed articles were a coffin plate and knight and came forward the s man on seeing them look for the inscription turned it round towards them ax d e yea d almost at one moment by the ruddy l o c o a pair of blue eyes l jf they read it and read it and read it again and as if animated by one soul then put his hand upon knight s arm and they retired from the yellow glow farther farther till the chill darkness enclosed them round and the quiet sky asserted its presence overhead as a dim grey sheet of blank monotony where shall we go said i don t know a long silence ensued married said then in a whisper as if he feared to let the assertion loose on the world false whispered knight and dead denied us both i hate false i hate it t knight made no answer nothing was heard by them now save the slow of time by their beating the soft touch of the rain upon their clothes and the low of the blacksmith s hard by shall we follow any farther said no let us leave her alone she is beyond our love and let her be beyond our reproach since we don t know half the reasons that made her do as she did how can we say even now that she was not pure and true in heart knight s voice had now become mild and gentle as a child s he went on can we call her ambitious no circumstance has as usual overpowered her purposes fragile and delicate as she liable to be in a moment by the coarse elements of accident i know that s it don t you it may be it must be let us go on they proceeded to their steps towards and wandered on in silence for many minutes then paused and lightly put his hand k a pair of blue eyes i wonder how she to die he said in a broken whisper shall we return and learn a little more they turned back again and entering a second time came to a door which was standing open it was that of an inn called the welcome home and the house appeared to have been recently the name too was not that of the same landlord as formerly but martin s knight and smith entered the inn was quite silent and they followed the passage till they reached the kitchen where a huge fire was burning which roared up the chimney and sent over the floor ceiling and newly walls a glare so intense as to make the candle quite a secondary light a woman in a white apron and black gown was standing there alone behind a deal table first and knight afterwards recognized her as unity who had been parlor maid at the and young lady s maid at the unity said softly don t you know me she looked a moment and her face cleared up mr ay that it is she said and that s mr knight i beg you to sit down perhaps you know that since i saw you last i have married martin how long have you been married about five months we were married the same day that my dear miss became lady tears appeared in unity s eyes and filled them and fell down her cheeks in spite of efforts to the contrary the agony of the two men in resolutely themselves when thus to admit relief of the same kind was distressing they both turned their backs and walked a few steps away then unity said will you go into the parlor gentlemen let us stay here with her knight whispered and turning said no we will sit here we want to rest here for a time if you please that evening the li sat with their hostess beside the large fire v xv n x s s tf pair of blue eyes the chimney breast where he was in the shade and by showing a little confidence they won hers and she told what they had staid to hear the latter history of poor one day after you mr knight left us for the last time she was missed from the and	45
what is called no society will comprehend the gradual of distinctions that went on in this case at some sacrifice of on the part of one household the widow was sometimes sorry to find with what readiness anne caught up some dialect word or accent from the miller and his friends but he was so good and true hearted a man and she so easy minded a woman that she would not make life a solitude for fastidious reasons more than all she had good ground for thinking that the miller secretly admired her and this added a to the situation on a fine summer morning when the leaves were warm under the sun and the more industrious bees abroad into every blue and red cup that could possibly be considered a flower anne was sitting at the back window of her mother s portion of the house measuring out of the trumpet major i i for a fringed rug that she was making which lay about three quarters finished beside her the work though brilliant was tedious a hearth rug was a thing which nobody worked at from morning to night it was taken up and put down it was in the chair on the floor across the under the bed kicked here kicked there rolled away in the closet brought out again and so on more perhaps than any other article nobody was expected to finish a rug within a period and the of the beginning became faded and historical before the end was reached a sense of this inherent nature of work rather than idleness led anne to look rather from the open before her was the large smooth mill pond and into the hedge and into the road the water with its flowing leaves and spots of was stealing away like time under the dark arch to tumble over the great wheel within on the other side of the was an open place called the cross because it was three quarters of one two lanes and a meeting there it was the general and of the surrounding village behind this a steep slope rose high into the sky in a wide and open down now with sheep newly the trumpet major the by its height completely sheltered the mill and village from north winds making of springs to autumn and permitting to flourish in the open air the of noon pervaded the scene and under its influence the sheep had ceased to feed nobody was standing at the cross the few inhabitants being indoors at their dinner no human being was on the down and no human eye or interest but anne s seemed to be concerned with it the bees still worked on and the did not rest from their seeming to shield them from the effect that this turning moment of day had on larger creatures otherwise all was still the girl glanced at the down and the sheep for no particular reason the steep margin of turf and rising above the roofs chimneys apple trees and church tower of the hamlet around her bounded the view from her position and it was necessary to look somewhere when she raised her head while thus engaged in working and stopping her attention was attracted by the sudden rising and running away of the sheep on the down and there succeeded sounds of a heavy over the hard sod which the sheep had quitted the tramp being the trumpet major accompanied by a turning her eyes farther she beheld two cavalry soldiers on grey armed and throughout ascending the down at a point to the left where the incline was comparatively easy the chains and plates of their shone like little looking glasses and the blue red and white about them was by weather or wear the two rode proudly on as if nothing less than crowns and ever concerned their magnificent minds they reached that part of the down which lay just in front of her they came to a halt in another minute there appeared behind them a group containing some half dozen more of the same sort these came on halted and dismounted likewise two of the soldiers then walked some distance onward together when one stood still the other advancing farther and stretching a white line of between them two more of the men marched to another out lying point where they made marks in the ground thus they walked about and took distances obviously according to some scheme at the end of this proceeding one solitary a officer if his the trumpet major uniform could be judged rightly at that distance rode up the down went over the ground looked at what the others had done and seemed to think that it was good and then the girl heard yet louder and and she beheld rising from where the others had risen a whole column of cavalry in marching order at a distance behind there came a cloud of dust more and more troops their arms and reflecting the sun through the haze in faint flashes stars and streaks of light the whole body approached slowly towards the at the top of the down anne threw down her work and letting her eyes remain on the masses of cavalry the getting entangled as they would said mother mother come here here s such a fine sight what does it mean what can they be going to do up there the mother thus ran upstairs and came forward to the window she was a woman of sanguine mouth and eye manner and pleasant general appearance a little more as to surface but not much worse in than the girl herself widow s thoughts were those of the period can it be the french she said arranging herself for the form of consternation the trumpet major can that arch enemy of mankind have landed at last it should be stated that	45
at this time there were two arch enemies of mankind satan as usual and who had sprung up and his elder rival altogether mrs alluded of course to the junior gentleman it cannot be he said anne ah there s burden the man who watches at the he ll know she waved her hand to an aged form of the same colour as the road who had just appeared beyond the mill pond and who though active was bowed to that degree which almost reproaches a feeling observer for standing upright the arrival of the had drawn him out from his drop of drink at the duke of york as it had attracted anne at her call he crossed the mill bridge and came towards the window anne inquired of him what it all meant but burden without answering continued to move on with parted staring at the cavalry on his own private account with a concern that people often show about phenomena when such matters can affect them but a short time longer you ll walk into the mill pond said anne what are they doing you were a soldier many years ago and ought to know the trumpet major don t ask me mis ess anne said the military his body against the wall one limb at a time i were only in the foot ye know and never had a clear understanding of horses ay i be a old man and of no judgment now some additional pressure however caused him to search further in his worm eaten magazine of ideas and he found that he did know in a dim way the soldiers must have come there to camp those men they had seen first were the they had come on before the rest to measure out the ground he who had accompanied them was the and so you see they have got all the lines marked out by the time the regiment have come up he added and then they will well a who d ha supposed that would see such a day as this and then they will then ah it s gone from me again said oh and then they will raise their tents you know and their horses that was it so it was by this time the column of horse had ascended into full view and they formed a lively spectacle as they rode along the high ground in marching order backed by the pale blue sky and lit by the sun their uniform was bright and attractive white the major three quarter boots scarlet set off with lace to a needle point and above all those richly ornamented blue with the historic that fascination to women and to the themselves tis the york p said burden brightening like a dying foreigners to a man and long since my time but as good hearty comrades they say as you ll find in the king s service here are more and different ones said mrs other troops had during the last few minutes been ascending the down at a point and now drew near these were of different weight and build from the others lighter men in hats with white i don t know which i like best said anne these i think after all who had been looking hard at the latter now said that they were the th all englishmen they said the old man they lay at a few years ago they did i remember it said mrs and lots of the about here at the time said i can call to mind that there th trumpet major the trumpet major was ah tis gone me again however all that s of little account now the passed in front of the on as the others had done and their gay which had hung lazily during the ascent swung to northward as they reached the top showing that on the summit a fresh breeze blew but look across there said anne there had entered upon the down from another direction several of foot in white breeches and cloth they seemed to be weary from a long march the original black of their and boots being brown with dust presently came and the private carts which followed at the end of a the space in front of the mill pond was now occupied by nearly all the inhabitants of the village who had turned out in alarm and remained for pleasure their eyes lighted up with interest in what they saw for and war horses and men in towns an attraction were here almost a the troops filed to their lines dismounted and in quick time took off their rolled up their sheep skins and their horses and made ready to erect the tents as soon as they could be taken from the and brought for the trumpet major ward when this was done at a given signal the flew up from the sod and every man had a place in which to lay his head though nobody seemed to be looking on but the few at the window and in the village street there were as a matter of fact many eyes upon that military arrival in its high and conspicuous position not to mention the glances of birds and other wild creatures men in distant gardens women in and at cottage doors on remote hills in blue green miles away captains with spy glasses out at sea were regarding the picture keenly those three or four thousand men of one machine like movement some of them by nature others doubtless of a quiet shop keeping disposition who had got into uniform all of them had arrived from nobody knew where and hence were matter of great curiosity they seemed to the mere eye to belong to a different order of beings from those who inhabited the valleys below apparently unconscious and careless of what	45
camp perhaps no that was impossible it was the parson no he would not come at dinner time it was the well informed man who travelled with and the best not at all his time was not till thursday at three before they could think further the visitor moved forward another step and the got a glimpse of him through the same friendly that had afforded him a view of the dinner table oh it is only this to nobody was the miller above mentioned a hale man of fifty five or sixty hale all through as many were in those days and not merely with purple by and drinks though the latter were not at all despised by him his face was indeed rather pale than otherwise for he had just come firom the mill it was capable of immense changes of expression was its essence a roll of flesh forming a to his nose on each side and a deep lying between his lower lip and the represented by his chin these moved stealthily as if of their own accord whenever his fancy was the trumpet major his eyes having lighted on the table doth plates and he found himself in a position which had a sensible awkwardness for a modest man who always liked to enter only at times the presence of a girl of such pleasantly soft ways as anne she who could make apples seem like and throw over her the of guineas when she paid him for flour dinner is over neighbour please come in said the widow seeing his case and wondering why he called at that unusual hour the miller said something about coming in presently but anne who always liked his news pressed him to stay with a tender motion of her lip as it played on the verge of a smile without quite into one her habitual manner when speaking took off his low crowned hat and advanced as if he had thought that this might be the end of it he had not come about pigs or fowls this time seeing their door open as he passed he determined to step in and tell them some news you have been looking out like the rest o us no doubt mrs at the of soldiers that have come upon the down she said pleasantly that they had both been doing so well said one of the horse the trumpet major ments is the th my son john s regiment you know the announcement though it interested them did not create such an effect as the father of john had seemed to anticipate but anne who liked to say pleasant things replied the looked than the foot or the german cavalry either they are a handsome body of men said the miller in a disinterested voice faith i didn t know they were coming though it may be in the newspaper all the time but old keeps it so long that we never know things till they be in everybody s mouth this was a living near who was chiefly distinguished in the present warlike time by having a nephew in the we were told that the went along the road yesterday said anne following out this track of thought and they say that they were a pretty sight and quite ah well they be not said miller keeping back criticism as for but by the arrival of the which had been the exciting cause of his call his mind would not go to the john has not been home these five years he said the trumpet major and what rank does he hold now said the widow he s trumpet major ma am and a good the miller who was a good father went on to explain that john had seen some service too he had when the regiment was lying at more than eleven years before which put his father out of temper with him as he had wished him to follow on at the mill but as the lad had seriously and as he had often said that he would be a soldier the miller had thought that he would let jack take his chance in the profession of his choice had two sons and the second was now brought into the conversation by a remark of anne s that neither of them seemed to care for the miller s business no said in a less tone robert you see must needs go to sea he is much younger than his brother said mrs about four years the miller told her his soldier son was two and thirty and bob was when bob returned from his present voyage he was to be persuaded to stay and assist as in the mill and go to sea no more a sailor miller said anne the trumpet major oh he knows as much about mill business as i do said he was intended for it you know like john but bless he continued i am before my story fm come more particularly to ask you ma am and you anne my honey if you will join me and a few friends at a homely supper that i shall gi e to please the chap now he s come i can do no less than have a bit of a as the saying is now that he s here safe and sound mrs wanted to catch her daughter s eye she was in some doubt about her answer but anne s eye was not to be caught for she hated hints and calculations of any kind in matters which should be regulated by impulse and the matron replied if so be tis possible we ll be there you will tell us the day he would as soon as he had seen son john be rather you know owing to my having no in the house and my man david	45
is a poor headed for getting up a feast poor chap his sight is bad that s true and he s very good at making the beds and the legs of the chairs and other furniture or i should have got rid of him years ago you should have a woman to attend to the house said the widow the trumpet major yes i should but well tis a fine day neighbours hark i fancy i hear the noise of pots and up at the camp or my ears deceive me poor fellows they must be hungry good day t ye ma am and the miller went away all that afternoon continued in a of interest in the military which brought the excitement of an invasion without the strife there were great on the merits and appearance of the the event opened up to the girls unbounded possibilities of and being adored and to the young men an embarrassment of dashing acquaintances which quite falling in love thirteen of these lads stated within the space of a quarter of an hour that there was nothing in the world like going for a soldier the young women stated little but perhaps thought the more though in justice they glanced towards the from the comers of their blue and brown eyes in the most and modest manner that could be desired in the evening the village was lively with soldiers wives a tree full of would not have the chatter that was going on these ladies were very brilliantly dressed with more regard for colour than for material purple red and blue ihe major were numerous with of feathers and one bad on an hat of green turned up in to show her cap underneath it had once belonged to an officer s lady and was not so very much stained where the occasional storms of rain to a military life had caused the green to run and in curious like and islands some of the prettiest of these butterfly wives had been fortunate enough to get lodgings in the cottages and were thus spared the necessity of in huts and tents on the down those who had not been so fortunate were not rendered more amiable by the success of their sisters in arms and called them other names than those they had been to which the latter pleasantly retorted bringing forth of the knock me down class of speech till the end of these alternative remarks seemed dependent upon the close of the day one of these new who had a rosy nose and a slight thickness of voice which as anne said she couldn t help poor thing seemed to have seen so much of the and to have been in so many that anne would have liked to take her into their own house so as to acquire some of that practical knowledge of the history of england which the lady possessed and which could not be the trumpet major got from books but the of mrs land s rooms absolutely forbade this and the house less treasury of experience was obliged to look for quarters elsewhere that night anne retired early to bed the events of the day cheerful as they were in themselves had been unusual enough to give her a slight headache before getting into bed she went to the window and lifted the white curtains that hung across it the moon was shining though not as yet into the valley but just peeping above the ridge of the down where the white of the were softly touched by its the quarter guard and foremost tents showed themselves but the body of the camp the officers tents and in the rear were blotted out by the ground because of its height above her she could discern the forms of one or two moving to and fro across the of the moon at intervals she could hear the frequent shuffling and tossing of the horses tied to the and in the other direction the miles long voice of the sea whispering a louder note at those points of its length where in its ebb and flow by some or group of louder sounds suddenly broke this approach to silence they came from the camp of were taken up farther the trumpet major to the right by the camp of the and farther on still by the body of it was feeling no desire to sleep she listened yet longer looked at charles s swinging over the church tower and the moon ascending higher and higher over the right hand streets of tents where instead of parade and bustle there was nothing going on but and dreams the tired soldiers lying by this time under their proper like from the pole of each tent at last anne gave up thinking and retired like the rest the night wore on and except the occasional all s well of the no voice was heard in the camp or in the village below the trumpet major i he trumpet major chapter iii in which the mill becomes an important centre of operations the next morning miss awoke with an impression that something more than usual was going on and she recognised as soon as she could clearly reason that the proceedings whatever they might be lay not far away from her bedroom window the sounds were chiefly those of and anne got up and lifting the comer of the curtain about an inch peeped out a number of soldiers were busily engaged in making a path down the incline from the camp to the river head at the back of the house and judging from the quantity of work already got through they must have begun very early of men were working at several points in the proposed pathway and by the time that anne had dressed herself each section of the length had been connected with those above	45
and below it so that a continuous and easy track was formed from the crest of the down to the bottom of the steep ihe the rested on a bed of solid chalk and the surface exposed by the formed a white ribbon from top to bottom then the of working soldiers all disappeared nd not long after a troop of in watering order rode forward at the top and began to wind down the new path they came lower and closer and at last were immediately beneath her window gathering themselves up on the space by the mill pond a number of the horses entered it at the shallow part drinking and and tossing about perhaps as many as thirty half of them with on their backs were in the water at one time the thirsty animals drank stamped and drank again letting the clear cool water from their mouths miller was looking on from over his garden hedge and many admiring villagers were gathered around gazing up higher anne saw other troops descending by the new road from the camp those which had already been to the pond making room for these by withdrawing along the village lane and returning to the tc by a route suddenly the miller exclaimed as in fulfilment of expectation ah john my boy good morning and the reply of morning father came from a well mounted soldier near him who did not trumpet major ever form one of the watering party anne could not see his face very clearly but she had no doubt that this was john there were tones in the voice which reminded her of old times those of her very infancy when had been top boy in the village school and had wanted to learn painting of her father the and of the being better known to him than to any other man in the camp he had apparently come down on that account and was some of the against riding too far in towards the mill head since her childhood and his anne had seen him only once and then but casually when he was home on a short his figure was not much changed from what it had been but the many and which had passed since that day developing her from a comparative child to womanhood had abstracted some of his his skin and given him a foreign look it was interesting to see what years of training and service had done for this man few would have supposed that the white and the blue coats of miller and soldier covered the forms of father and son before the last troop of rode off they were welcomed in a body by miller who the trumpet major still stood in his outer garden this being a plot lying below the mill tail and stretching to the it was just the time of year when are ripe and hang in clusters under their dark leaves while the on their horses and to the miller across the stream he gathered of the fruit and held them up over the garden hedge for the acceptance of anybody who would have them whereupon the soldiers rode into the water to where it had washed holes in the garden bank and their horses there caught the in their caps or received of them on the ends of their with the dignified laugh that became martial men when stooping to slightly boyish amusement it was a cheerful careless half hour which returned like the scent of a flower fo the memories of some of those who enjoyed it even at a distance of many years after when they lay wounded and weak in foreign lands then and horses wheeled off as the others had done and troops of the g next came down and entered in procession the space below anne s eyes as if on purpose to gratify her these were notable by their and wound tightly with brown ribbon to the level of their broad shoulder blades the trumpet major they were charmed as the others had been by the head and neck of miss in the little square window overlooking the scene of operations and saluted her with devoted foreign civility and in such overwhelming numbers that the modest girl suddenly withdrew herself into the room and had a private blush between the chest of drawers and the washing stand when she came downstairs her mother said i have been thinking what i ought to wear to miller s to night to miller s said anne yes the party is to night he has been in here this morning to tell me that he has seen his son and they have fixed this evening do you think we ought to go mother said anne slowly and looking at the smaller features of the window flowers why not said mrs he will only have men there except ourselves will he and shall we be right to go alone among em ft anne had not recovered from the ardent gaze of the gallant york whose voices reached her even now in converse with la anne how proud you are said widow why isn t he our nearest neighbour and the trumpet major our landlord and don t he always fetch our from the wood and keep us in vegetables for next to nothing that s true said anne well we can t be distant with the man and if the enemy land next autumn as everybody says they will we shall have quite to depend upon the miller s and horses he s our only friend yes so he is said anne and you had better go mother and i ll stay at home they will be all men and i don t like going mrs reflected well if you don t want to go i don t she said perhaps as you are growing up it would be better to	45
stay at home this time your father was a professional man certainly having spoken as a mother she sighed as a woman why do you sigh mother you are so and stiff about everything very we ll go oh no i am not sure that we ought i did not promise and there will be no trouble in keeping away anne apparently did not feel certain of her own opinion and instead of supporting or looked thoughtfully down and brought the trumpet major her hands together on her bosom till her fingers met tip to tip as the day advanced the young woman and her mother became aware that great preparations were in progress in the miller s wing of the house the between the and the was not very thorough consisting in many cases of a simple up of the doors in the dividing walls and thus when the mill began any new performances they proclaimed themselves at once in the more private dwelling the smell of miller s pipe came down mrs s chimney of an evening with the greatest regularity every time that he his fire they knew from the vehemence or of the blows the precise state of his mind and when he wound his clock on sunday nights the of that reminded the widow to wind hers this of noises was most perfect where s mrs s and anne who was occupied for some time in the latter apartment enjoyed the privilege of hearing the visitors arrive and of catching stray sounds and words without the connecting phrases that made them entertaining to judge from the laughter they the passed through the house and went into the garden where they had tea in a large summer house an the trumpet major occasional of bright colour through the foliage being all that was visible of the assembly from mrs s windows when it grew dusk they all could be heard coming indoors to finish the evening in the parlour then there was an of the above mentioned signs of enjoyment and upstairs and down a of doors and a of cups and glasses till the adjoining tenant without friends on his own side of the might have been tempted to wish for entrance to that merry dwelling if only to know the cause of these of and to see if the guests were really so numerous and the observations so very amusing as they seemed the of life on the side of the party wall began to have a very gloomy effect by the contrast when about half past nine o clock one of these bursts of gaiety had for a longer time than usual anne said i believe mother that you are wishing you had gone i own to feeling that it would have been very cheerful if we had joined in said mrs in a tone i was rather too nice in listening to you and not going the parson never calls upon us except in his spiritual capacity old the trumpet major man is hardly genteel and there s nobody left to speak to lonely people must accept what company they can get or do without it altogether that s not natural anne and i am surprised to hear a young woman like you say such a thing nature will not be stifled in that way song and powerful chorus heard through i declare the room on the other side of the wall seems quite a paradise compared with this mother you are quite a girl said anne in slightly superior accents jo in and join them by all means oh no not now said her mother shaking her head it is too late now we ought to have taken advantage of the invitation they would look hard at me as a poor mortal who had no real business there and the miller would say with his broad smile ah you be obliged to come round while the and mrs continued thus to pass the evening in two places her body in her own house and her mind in the miller s somebody knocked at the door and directly after the elder himself was admitted to the room he was dressed in a suit between grand and gay which he used for such occasions as the the trumpet major present and his blue coat yellow and red waistcoat with the three lower buttons steel shoes and stockings became him very well in mrs s eyes your servant ma am said the miller as a matter of propriety the raised standard of politeness required by his higher costume now begging your pardon i can t this tis unnatural that you two ladies should be here and we under the same making merry without ye your husband poor man lovely that a would make to be sure would have been in with us long ago if he had been in your place i can take no nay from ye upon my honour you and anne must come in if it be only for half an hour john and his friends have got passes till twelve o clock to night and saving a few of our own village folk the lowest visitor present is a very genteel german if you should any on the score of respectability ma am we ll pack off the ones into the back kitchen widow and anne looked yes at each other after this appeal we ll follow you in a few minutes said the elder smiling and she rose with anne to go upstairs the trumpet major no fu wait for ye said the miller or perhaps you ll alter your mind again while the mother and daughter were upstairs dressing and saying to each other well we go now as if they hadn t wished to go all the evening other steps were heard in the passage and the miller cried from below your pardon	45
mrs widow but my son john has come to help fetch ye shall i ask him in till ye be ready certainly i shall be down in a minute screamed anne s mother in a voice toward the staircase when she descended the outline of the appeared half way down the passage this is john said the miller simply john you can mind mrs very well very well indeed said the coming in a little farther i should have called to see her last time but i was only home a week how is your little girl ma am mrs said anne was quite well she is grown up now she will be down in a moment there was a slight noise of military heels without the door at which the trumpet major went and put his head outside and said all right coming in a minute when voices in the darkness replied no hurry the trumpet major more friends said mrs oh it is only buck and jones come to fetch me said the soldier shall i ask em in a minute mrs ma am oh yes said the lady and the two interesting forms of buck and jones then came forward in the most friendly manner whereupon other steps were heard without and it was discovered that master tailor and johnson were outside having come to fetch messrs buck and jones as buck and jones had come to fetch the trumpet major as there seemed a possibility of mrs s small passage being choked up with human figures personally unknown to her she was relieved to hear anne coming downstairs here s my little girl said mrs and the trumpet major looked with a sort of awe upon the muslin apparition who came forward and stood quite dumb before her anne recognised him as the she had seen m her window and welcomed him kindly there was something in his honest face which made her feel instantly at home with him at this frankness of manner who was not a ladies man blushed and made some alteration in his bodily posture began a sentence which the trumpet major had no end and showed quite a boy s embarrassment recovering himself he politely offered his arm which anne took with a very pretty grace he conducted her through his comrades who themselves to the wall to let her pass and then they went out of the door her mother following with the miller and supported by the body of the latter walking with the usual cavalry gait as if their were rather too long for them thus they crossed the threshold of the mill house and up the passage the of which was worn into a by the ebb and flow of feet that had been going on there ever since times the trumpet major chapter iv who were present at the s little entertainment when the group entered the presence of the company a lull in the conversation was caused by the sight of new visitors and of course by the charm of anne s appearance until the old men who had daughters of their own perceiving that she was only a half formed girl resumed their tales and with miller had with half the soldiers in the camp since their arrival and the effect of this upon his party was striking both and otherwise those among the guests who first attracted the eye were the and of s regiment fine hearty men who sat facing the candles entirely resigned to physical comfort then there were other non officers a german two and a from the foreign young men with a look of sadness on their faces as if they did not much like serving so far from home trumpet major all of them spoke english fairly well old age was represented by burden the and the shady side of fifty by his and neighbour who was hard of hearing and sat with his hat on over a red cotton handkerchief that was wound several times round his head these two were employed as at the neighbouring which had lately been erected by the lord lieutenant for firing whenever the descent on the coast should be made they lived in a little hut on the hill close by the heap of but to night they had found to watch in their stead on a lower plane of experience and came neighbour james comfort of the a soldier by courtesy but a blacksmith by rights also william and of the local forces the two latter men of war were dressed merely as villagers and looked upon the from a humble position in the background the remainder of the party was made up of a neighbouring or two and their wives invited by the miller as anne was glad to see that she and her mother should not be the only women there the elder in a whisper to mi for the presence of the inferior villagers the trumpet major but as they axe learning to be brave of their home and country ma am as fast as they can master the and have worked for me off and on these many years i ve asked em in and thought you d excuse it certainly miller said the widow and the same of old burden and they have served well and long in the foot and even now have a hard time of it up at the in wet weather so after giving them a meal in the kitchen i just asked em in to hear the singing they faithfully promise that as soon as ever the appear in view and they have fired the to run down here first in case we shouldn t see it tis worth while to be friendly with em you see though their be queer quite worth while miller said she anne was rather embarrassed by the presence of	45
his clothes but how if we should be all you can t expect a man to be brave in his the trumpet major shirt especially we that have only got so far as shoulder he s not coming this summer he ll never come at all said a tall major the soldier was too much engaged in attending upon anne and her mother to join in these himself to get the ladies some of the best liquor the house afforded which had as a matter of fact crossed the channel as privately as wished his army to do and had been landed on a dark night over the cliff after this he asked anne to sing but though she had a very pretty voice in private performances of that nature she declined to oblige him turning the subject by making a hesitating inquiry about his brother robert whom he had mentioned just before robert is as well as ever thank you miss he said he is now mate of the rather young for such a command but the owner puts great trust in him the trumpet major added deepening his thoughts to a view of the person discussed bob is in love anne looked conscious and listened attentively but did not go on much she asked i can t exactly say and the strange part df the trumpet major it is that he never tells us who the woman is nobody knows at all he will tell of course said anne in the remote tone of a person with whose sex such matters had no connection whatever shook his head and the t te i was put an end to by a burst of singing from one of the who was followed at the end of his song by others each giving a in his turn the singer standing up in front of the table stretching his chin well into the air as though to abstract every possible from his throat and then plunging into the melody when this was over one of the foreign the genteel german of miller s description who called himself a and in reality belonged to no definite country performed at trumpet major s request the series of wild motions that he his national dance that anne might see what it was like miss was the flower of the whole company the soldiers one and all foreign and english seemed to be quite charmed by her presence as indeed they well might be considering how seldom they came into the society of such as she anne and her mother were just thinking of retiring to their own dwelling when the trumpet of the th foot who was at began a song when strive to heal a breach and sons what they preach then lit bo he down and march his men on don town chorus li ro rum lo rum li ro rum lay poor in spite of his satire he fell at the bloody battle of a few years after this pleasantly spent summer at being wounded and trampled down by a french when the was into line under while miller was saying well done mr at the close of the which seemed to be the last and mr was modestly expressing his regret that he could do no better a deep voice was heard outside the window li ro rum lo rum li ro rum la the company was silent in a moment at this phenomenon and only the military tried not to look surprised while all wondered who the singer could be somebody entered the porch the door opened the trumpet major and iti came a man about the size and weight of the in the uniform of the cavalry tis young squire old mr s nephew murmured voices in the background without waiting to address anybody or apparently seeing who were gathered there the colossal man waved his cap above his head and went on in tones that shook the window panes when bands with their wives a and maids won t wed from es t then lit bo he ll down and march his men on don town chorus li ro rum lo rum c c it was a verse which had been omitted by the gallant out of respect to the ladies the new comer was red haired and of complexion and seemed full of a conviction that his whim of entering must be their pleasure which for the moment it was no ceremony good men all he said i was passing by and my ear was caught by the singing i like singing tis warming and cheering and shall not be put down i should like to hear anybody say otherwise the major welcome master said the miller filling a glass and it to the come all the way from quarters then i hardly ye in your clothes you d look more natural with a in your hand sir i shouldn t ha known ye at all if i hadn t heard that you were called out more natural with a have a care miller said the young giant the fire of his complexion increasing to scarlet i don t mean anger but but a soldier s honour you know the military in the background laughed a little and the then for the first time discovered that there were more present than one he looked disconcerted but expanded again to full assurance right right master no offence twas only my joke said the genial miller everybody s a soldier nowadays drink a o this cordial and don t mind words the young man drank without the least reluctance and said yes miller i am called out tis times for us soldiers now we hold our lives in our hands what are those fellows grinning at behind the table i say we do staying with	45
your uncle at the farm for a day or two mr o the trumpet major no no as i told you at but i have to call and see the old old gentleman gentleman no he lives upon of the ha ha and the speaker s regular white teeth showed themselves like snow in a dutch well well the profession of arms makes a man proof against au that i take things as i find em quite right master another drop no no ril take no more than is good for me no man should so don t tempt me the then saw anne and by an unconscious went towards her and the other women flinging a remark to john in passing ah i heard you were come in short i come o purpose to see you glad to see you enjoying yourself at home again the trumpet major replied though not without for he seemed hardly to like s motion towards anne widow s daughter yes tis surely you remember me i have been here before cavalry anne gave a little i know your name is that s all yes tis well known especially hei the trumpet major l dropped his voice to confidence pitch i suppose your friends here are disturbed by my coming in as they don t seem to talk much i don t mean to interrupt the party but i often find that people are put out by my coming among em especially when i ve got my on la and are they yes tis the way i have he further lowered his tone as if they had been old friends though in reality he had only seen her three or four times and how did you come to be here dash my wig i don t like to see a nice young lady like you in this company you should come to some of our in or oh but the girls do come the are respected men men of good substantial families many farming their own land and every one among us rides his own which is more than these fellows do he nodded towards the hush hush why these are friends and neighbours of miller and he is a great friend of ours our best friend said anne with great emphasis and at the sense of injustice to their host what are you thinking of talking like that it is in you ha ha i ve you isn t that it fair angel fair what do you call it fair ah the major well would you was safe in my own house but honour must be minded now not pardon me my sweet i like ye it may be a come down for me land but i do like sir please be quiet said anne distressed i will i will well how s your head he said going towards the other end of the room and leaving anne to herself the company had again recovered its and it was a long time before the who had joined them could find heart to tear himself away from their society and good although he had had quite enough of the latter before he entered the natives received him at his own and the soldiers of the camp who sat beyond the table smiled behind their pipes at his remarks with a pleasant twinkle of the eye which approached the john being not the least conspicuous in this bearing but he and his friends were too courteous on such an occasion as the present to challenge the young man s large remarks and readily him to set them right on the details of and other military routine about which the seemed willing to let persons hold any opinion whatever provided that they themselves were not obliged to the trumpet major give attention to it showing strangely enough that if there was one subject more than mother which never interested their minds it was the art of wa to them the art of enjoying good company in mill the details of the miller s household the of his bees the number of his chickens and the of his pigs were matters of infinitely greater concern the present writer to whom this party has been described times out of number by members of the family and other old people now passed away can never enter the old living room of mill without seeing the genial through the mists of the seventy or eighty years that between then and now first and brightest to the eye are the dozen candles scattered about regardless of expense and kept well by the miller who walks round the room at intervals of five minutes in hand and each with great precision and with something of an s grim look upon his face as he the upon the neck of the candle next to the candle light show the red blue coats and white breeches of the soldiers nearly twenty of them in all besides the ponderous the bead of the latter and indeed the heads of all who are standing up being in dangerous to the the trumpet major black beams of the ceiling there is not one among them who would attach any meaning to or gather from the the remotest idea of their own glory or death next appears the correct and innocent anne little thinking what things time has in store for her at no great distance off she looks at with a half uneasy smile as he hither and thither and hopes he will not single her out again to hold a private dialogue with which however he does irresistibly attracted by the white muslin figure she must of course look a little gracious again now lest his mood should turn from sentimental to no impossible with the soldier as her quick perception had noted well well this	45
up into the garret in the north comer there is no fireplace in the room but i sha n t want that poor soul o me tis not moving far tis not but i have not a soul belonging to major me within ten mile and you know very well that i couldn t afford to go to lodgings that i had to pay for i know it i know it uncle well don t be disturbed tu come and manage for you as soon as ever this alarm is over but a man s country calls he must obey if he is a man a splendid spirit said uncle with much admiration on the surface of his countenance i never had it how could it have got into the boy from my mother s side perhaps perhaps so well take care of yourself said the waving his hand take care in these warlike times your spirit may carry ye into the arms of the enemy and you are the last of the family you should think of this and not let your bravery carry ye away don t be disturbed uncle i ll control myself said betrayed into self complacency against his will at least i ll do what i can but nature will out sometimes well i m off he began humming camp and promising to come again soon retired with assurance each yard of his retreat adding private to his uncle s form the trumpet major when the young man had disappeared through the porter s lodge uncle showed activity for one in his invalid state jumping up quickly without his stick at the same time opening and shutting his mouth quite silently like a thirsty which was his way of expressing mirth he ran upstairs as quick as an old and went to a window which commanded a view of the grounds beyond the gate and the that stretched across them to the village yes yes he said in a repressed scream dancing up and down he s after her hit en for there appeared upon the path the figure of anne and hastening on at some little distance behind her the shape of she became conscious of his approach and moved more quickly he moved more quickly still and overtook her she turned as if in answer to a call from him and he walked on beside her till they were out of sight the old man then played upon an imaginary fiddle for about half a minute and suddenly these signs of pleasure went downstairs again the trumpet major chapter vii how they talked in the pastures you often come this way said to anne rather before he had overtaken her i come for the newspaper and other things she said perplexed by a doubt whether he were there by accident or design they moved on in silence beating the grass with his in a way did you speak mis ess anne he asked no said anne ten thousand i thought you did now don t let me drive you out of the path i can walk among the high grass and they will not yellow my stockings as they will yours well what do you think of a lot of soldiers coming to the neighbourhood in this way i think it is very lively and a great change she said with seriousness perhaps you don t like us warriors as a body anne smiled without replying why you are laughing said the the l major looking at her and blushing like a little fire what do you see to laugh at did i laugh said anne a little scared at his sudden mortification why yes you know you did you young he said like a cross baby you are laughing at me that s who you are laughing at i should like to know what you would do without such as me if the french were to drop in upon ye any night would you help to beat them off said she can you ask such a question what are we for but you don t think anything of soldiers oh yes she liked soldiers she said especially when they came home from the wars covered with glory though when she thought what doings had won them that glory she did not like them quite so well the gallant and appeased said he supposed her to mean off heads blowing out brains and that kind of business and thought it quite right that a tender hearted thing like her should feel a little but as for him he should not mind such another this summer as the army had fought a hundred years ago or whenever it was dash bis wig if he should mind it at all now you are laughing again yes i saw you and the turned his the trumpet major blue eyes and flushed face upon her as though he would read her through anne strove to look calmly back but her eyes could not face his and they fell you did laugh he repeated it was only a tiny little one she murmured ah i knew you did thundered he now what was it you laughed at i only thought that you were merely in the she murmured and what of that and the only seem farmers that have lost their senses yes yes i knew you meant some o that sort mistress anne but i suppose tis the way of women and i take no notice i ll confess that some of us are no great things but i know how to draw a sword don t i say i don t just to provoke me i am sure you do said anne sweetly if a frenchman came up to you mr would you take him on the hip or on the now you are flattering he said his	45
white teeth themselves in a smile well of course i should draw my sword no i mean my sword would be already drawn and i should put spurs to my horse as we call it in the army and i should ride up to him and say no i the trumpet major shouldn t say anything of course men never waste words in battle i should take him with the third guard low point and then coming back to the second guard but that would be taking care of yourself not at him how can you say that he cried the beams upon his face turning to a lurid cloud in a moment how can you understand military terms never had a sword in your life i shouldn t take him with the sword at all he went on with eager i should take him with my pistol i should pull off my right glove and throw back my goat skin then i should open my pan prime and cast about no i shouldn t that s wrong i should draw my right pistol and as soon as loaded seize the weapon by the butt then at the word cock your pistol i should then there is plenty of time to give such words of command in the heat of battle said anne innocently no said the his face again in flames why of course i am only telling you what would be the word of command t there now you la i didn t my word i didn t no i don t think you did it was my mistake the trumpet major well then i come to present looking well along the barrel along the barrel and fire of course i know well enough how to engage the enemy but i expect my old uncle has been setting you against me he has not said a word replied anne though i have heard of you of course what have you heard nothing good i dare say it makes my blood boil within me oh nothing bad said she just a word now and then now come tell me there s a dear i don t like to be crossed it shall be a sacred secret between us come now anne was embarrassed and her smile was uncomfortable i shall not tell you she said at last there it is again said the throwing himself into a despair i shall soon begin to believe that my name is not worth sixpence about here i tell you twas nothing against you repeated anne that means it might have been for me said in a tone well though to speak the truth i have a good many faults some people will praise me i suppose t was praise the trumpet major it was well i am not much at farming and i am not much in company and i am not much at figures but perhaps i must own since it is forced upon me that i can show as fine a soldier s figure on the as any man of the cavalry you can said anne for though her flesh crept in mortal terror of his she could not resist the fearful pleasure of leading him on you look very well and some say you are what well they say i am good looking i don t make myself so tis no praise what are you looking across there for only at a bird that i saw fly out of that tree said anne what only at a bird do you say he heaved out in a voice of thunder i see your shoulders a g young madam now don t you provoke me with that laughing by god it won t do then go away said anne changed from to irritation by his rough manner i don t want your company you great thing you are so there s no bearing with you go away no no anne i am wrong to speak to you so i give you free liberty to say what you will to me say i am not a bit of a soldier or anything abuse the trumpet major me do now there s a dear fm tm i m dirt before the oh yes i have nothing to say sir stay where you are till i am out of this field well there s such command in your looks that i ha n t heart to go against you you will come this way to morrow at the same time now don t be she was too generous not to forgive him but the short little lip murmured that she did not think it at all likely she should come that way to morrow then sunday he said not sunday said she then monday tuesday wednesday surely he went on she answered that she should probably not see him on either day and cutting short the argument went through the into the other field paused looking after her and when he could no longer see her slight figure he swept away his began singing and turned off in the other direction trumpet major chapter viii anne makes a circuit of the camp when anne was crossing the last field she saw approaching her an old woman with wrinkled cheeks who surveyed the earth and its inhabitants through the medium of brass spectacles shaking her head at anne till the glasses shone like two she said ah ah i seed ye if i had only kept on my short ones that i use for reading the collect and gospel i shouldn t have seed ye but thinks i i be going out o doors and til put on my long ones httle thinking what they d show me ay i can tell folk at any distance with these tis a	45
beautiful pair for out o doors though my short ones be best for close work such as and catching that s true what have you seen said anne miss you know said shaking her head still but he s a fine young and will have all his uncle s money when a s gone anne said nothing to this and i he trumpet major looking ahead with a smile passed by the subject of the remark was at this time about three and twenty a fine fellow as to feet and inches and of a remarkably warm tone in skin and hair symptoms of beard and whiskers had appeared upon him at a very early age owing to his persistent use of the before there was any necessity for its operation the brave boy had scraped unseen in the out house in the cellar in the wood shed in the stable in the unused parlour in the cow in the barn and wherever he could set up his bit of looking glass without observation or a mirror by sticking up his hat on the outside of a window pane the result now was that did he neglect to use the instrument he once had with a fine broke out upon his countenance on the first day a golden on the second and a fiery on the third to a degree which admitted of no further his disposition divided naturally into two the and the when put on the big pot as it is called he was quite blinded to the effect of that mood and manner upon others but when disposed to be envious or he was rather shrewd than otherwise and could do some pretty the trumpet major strokes of satire he was both liked and abused by the girls who knew him and though they were pleased by his attentions they never failed to ridicule him behind his back in his cups he knew those vessels though only twenty three he first became noisy then excessively friendly and then invariably during childhood he had made himself renowned for his pleasant habit of down upon boys smaller and poorer than himself and knocking their birds nests out of their hands or their little carts of apples or pouring water down their backs but his conduct became singularly the reverse of the moment the little boys mothers ran out to him and whatever else they could lay hands on by way of weapons he then fled and hid behind bushes under or in till they had gone away and on one such occasion was known to creep into a s hole quite out of sight maintaining that post with great firmness and resolution for two or three hours he had brought more vulgar exclamations upon the tongues of respectable parents in his native parish than any other boy of his time when other snow him he ran into a place of shelter where he of his own with a stone inside and used these formidable the trumpet major in returning their sometimes he got fearfully beaten by boys his own age when he would roar most but fight on in the midst of his tears blood and cries he was early in love and had at the time of the story suffered from the of that passion thirteen distinct times he could not love lightly and gaily his love was earnest cross tempered and even savage it was a positive agony to him to be by the object of his affections and such conduct drove him into a frenzy if persisted in he was a torment to those who behaved humbly towards him cynical with those who denied his superiority and a very nice fellow towards those who had the courage to ill use him this gentleman and anne did not cross each other s paths again for a week then her mother began as before about the newspaper and though anne did not much like the errand she agreed to go for it on mrs pressing her with unusual anxiety why her mother was so persistent on so small a matter quite puzzled the girl but she put on her hat and started as she had expected appeared at a over which she sometimes went for sake and showed by his manner that he awaited her the trumpet major when she saw this she kept straight on as if she would not enter the park at all surely this is your way said i was thinking of going round by the road she said why is that she paused as if she were not inclined to say i go that way when the grass is wet she returned at last it is not wet now he persisted the sun has been shining on it these nine hours the fact was that the way by the path was less open than by the road and wished to walk with her but of course it is nothing to me what you do he flung himself from the and walked away towards the house anne supposing him really indifferent took the same way upon which he turned his head and waited for her with a proud smile i cannot go with you she said nonsense you foolish girl i must walk along with you down to the comer no please mr we might be seen now now that s sh he said no you know i cannot let you but i must but i do not allow it the trumpet major i j the trumpet major allow it or not i will then you are unkind and i must submit she said her eyes with tears ho ho what a shame of me my wig i won t do any such thing for the world said the why i thought your go away meant come on as it does with so many of the women i meet especially in these clothes	45
who was to know you were so serious as he did not go anne stood still and said nothing i see you have a deal more caution and a deal less good nature than i ever thought you had he continued emphatically no sir it is not any planned manner of mine at all she said earnestly but you will see i am sure that i could not go down to the hall with you without putting myself in a wrong light yes that s it that s it i am only a fellow in the cavalry a plain soldier i may say and we know what women think of such that they are a bad lot men you t speak to for fear of losing your character you avoid in the roads that come into a house like oxen the stairs wi their boots stain the furniture wi their drink talk rubbish to the servants abuse all that s holy and righteous and are only being the trumpet major carried off by old nick because they are wanted for indeed i didn t know you were thought so bad of as that said she simply what don t my uncle complain to you of me you are a favourite of that handsome nice old s i know never well what do we think of our nice hey anne closed her mouth up tight built it up in fact to show that no answer was coming to that question oh now come seriously is a good fellow and so is his father i don t know what a close little rogue you are there is no getting anything out of you i believe you would say i don t know to every mortal question so very discreet as you are upon my heart there are some women who would say i don t know to will ye marry me the brightness upon anne s cheek and in her eyes during this remark showed that there was a fair quantity of life and warmth beneath the discretion he complained of having spoken thus he drew loo the trumpet major aside that she might pass and bowed very low anne formally inclined herself and went on she had been at vexation point all the time that he was present from a haunting sense that he would not have spoken to her so freely had she been a young woman with male relatives to keep forward admirers in check but she had been struck now as at their previous meeting with the power she possessed of working him up either to irritation or to complacency at will and this consciousness of being able to play upon him as upon an instrument disposed her to a humorous and made her even while she him when anne got to the hall the farmer as usual insisted upon her reading what he had been unable to get through and held the paper tightly in his hand till she had agreed he sent her to a hard chair that she could not possibly injure to the extent of a by sitting in it a and watched her from the outer angle of his near eye while she bent over the paper his look might have been suggested by the sight that he had witnessed from his window on the last occasion of her visit for it partook of the nature of concern the old man was afraid of his nephew physically and morally and he began to regard anne as a fellow sufferer under the same after this the trumpet loi sly and curious gaze at her he withdrew his eye again so that when she casually lifted her own there was nothing visible but his keen as before when the reading was about half way through the door behind them opened and footsteps crossed the threshold the farmer diminished in his chair and looked fearful but pretended to be absorbed in the reading and quite unconscious of an intruder anne felt the presence of the and stopped her reading please go on miss anne he said i am not going to speak a word he withdrew to the and leaned against it at his ease go on do ye anne said uncle keeping down his by a great effort to half their natural extent anne s voice became much lower now that there were two listeners and her modesty shrank somewhat from exposing to the which an intelligent interest in the subject drew from her when but she still went on that he might not suppose her to be disconcerted though the ten minutes was one of she knew that the s eyes were travelling over her from his position behind creeping over her shoulders up to her i the trumpet major head and across her arms and hands old on his part knew the same thing and after to peep at his nephew from the comer of his eye he could bear the situation no longer do ye want to say an to me nephew he i no uncle thank ye said heartily i like to stay here thinking of you and looking at your back hair the nervous old man under this and anne read on till to the relief of both the gallant fellow grew tired of his amusement and went out of the room anne soon finished her paragraph and rose to go determined never to come again as long as haunted the her face grew warmer as she thought that he would be sure to her on her journey home to day on this account when she left the house instead of going in the customary direction she bolted round to the north side through the bushes along under the kitchen garden wall and through a door leading into a cart track which had been a pleasant drive when the fine old hall was in its prosperity	45
the trumpet major heels elevated over the saddle to keep them out of the stream which threatened to wash rider and horse into the deep mill head just below it was plainly he who had struck her for in a moment he looked up and their eyes met laughed loudly and her window again and just at that moment the began down the slope in review order she could not but wait a minute or two to see them pass while doing so she was suddenly led to draw back drop the comer of the curtain and blush privately in her room she had not only been seen by but by john who riding along with his trumpet up behind him had looked over his shoulder at the phenomenon of beneath anne s bedroom window and seemed quite astounded at the sight she was quite vexed at the of incidents and went no more to the window till the had ridden far away and she had heard s horse laboriously on to dry land when she looked out there was nobody left but miller who usually stood in the garden at this time of the morning to say a word or two to the soldiers of whom he already knew so many and was in a fair way of knowing many more from the liberality with which he handed round of the trumpet major cheering liquor whenever parties of them walked that way in the afternoon of this day anne walked to a party at a neighbour s in the adjoining parish of intending to walk home again before it got dark but there was a slight fall of rain towards evening and she was pressed by the people of the house to stay over the night with some hesitation she accepted their hospitality but at ten o clock when they were thinking of going to bed they were startled by a smart rap at the door and on it being a man s form was seen in the shadows outside is miss here the visitor inquired at which anne suspended her breath yes said anne s her mother is very anxious to know what s become of her she promised to come home to her great relief anne recognised the voice as john s and not s yes i did mr said she coming forward but it rained and i thought my mother would guess where i was said with that it had not rained anything to speak of at the camp or at the mill so that her mother was rather alarmed the trumpet major and she asked you to come for me anne inquired this was a question which the trumpet major had been during the whole of his walk thither well she didn t exactly ask me he said rather but still in a manner to show that mrs had indirectly signified such to be her wish in reality mrs had not addressed him at all on the subject she had merely spoken to his father on finding that her daughter did not return and received an assurance from the miller that the precious girl was doubtless quite safe john heard of this inquiry and having a pass that evening resolved to relieve mrs s mind on his own responsibility ever since his morning view of under her window he had been on thorns of anxiety and his thrilling hope now was that she would walk back with him he shifted his foot nervously as he made the bold request anne felt at once that she would go there was nobody in the world whose care she would more readily be under than the s in a case like the present he was their nearest neighbour s son and she had liked his single minded from the first moment of his return home when they had started on their walk anne said the trumpet major in a practical way to show that there was no sentiment whatever in her acceptance of his company mother was much alarmed about me perhaps yes she was uneasy he said and then was compelled by conscience to make a clean breast of it i know she was uneasy because my father said so but i did not see her myself the truth is she doesn t know i am come anne now saw how the matter stood but she was not offended with him what woman could have been they walked on in silence the respectful trumpet major keeping a yard off on her right as precisely as if that measure had been fixed between them she had a great feeling of civility toward him this evening and spoke again i often hear your blowing the calls they do it beautifully i think pretty fair they might do better said he as one too well to make much of an accomplishment in which he had a hand and you taught them how to do it yes i taught them it must require wonderful practice to get them into the way of beginning and finishing so exactly at one time it is like one throat doing it all how came you to be a mr well i took to it when i a little the trumpet major boy said he betrayed into quite a state by her delightful interest i used to make trumpets of paper elder sticks stems and even you know then father set me to keep the birds off that little ground of his and gave me an old horn to frighten em with i learnt to blow that horn so that you could hear me for miles and miles then he bought me a and when i could play that i borrowed a serpent and i learned to play a tolerable bass so when i i was picked out for training as at once of course you were sometimes however i wish i had never joined the	45
army my father gave me a very fair education and your father showed me how to draw horses on a slate i mean yes i ought to have done more than i have what did you know my father she asked with new interest oh yes for years you were a little of a thing then and you used to cry when we big boys looked at you and made pig s eyes at you which we did sometimes many and many a time have i stood by your poor father while he worked ah you don t remember much about him but i do anne remained thoughtful and the moon broke the trumpet major ii from behind the clouds lighting up the wet foliage with a twinkling brightness and to each of the trumpet major s buttons and spurs a little ray of its own they had come to the old park gate and he said do you like going across or round by the lane we may as well go by the nearest road said anne they entered the park following the half drive till they came almost opposite the hall when they entered a foot path leading on to the village while they heard a shout or chorus of exclamation apparently from within the walls of the dark buildings near them what was that said anne i don t know said her companion i ll go and see he went round the intervening swamp of and which had once been the crossed by a the brook that still flowed that way and advanced to the wall of the house boisterous noises were from within and he was tempted to go round the comer where the low windows were and look through a into the room whence the sound proceeded it was the room in which the owner dined called the great parlour and within it sat about a dozen young men of the trumpet major the trumpet major cavalry one of them being they were drinking laughing singing their fists on the table and enjoying themselves in the very perfection of confusion the candles blown by the breeze from the partly opened window had into coffin handles and and choked by their long black for want of gave out a smoky yellow light one of the young men might possibly have been in a state for he had his arm round the neck of his next neighbour another was making an speech to which nobody was listening some of their faces were red some were sallow some were sleepy some wide awake the only one among them who appeared in his usual frame of mind was whose huge form rose at the head of the table enjoying with a serene and triumphant aspect the difference between his own condition and that of his neighbours while the trumpet major looked a young woman niece of and one of uncle s servants was called in by one of the crew and much against her will a fiddle was placed in her hands from which they made her produce the absence of uncle had in fact been contrived by young that he might make use of the hall on his own account the trumpet major had been left in charge and had found no difficulty in forcing from that dependent the keys of whatever he required john turned his eyes from the scene to the neighbouring moon lit path where anne stood waiting then he looked into the room then at anne again it was an opportunity of advancing his own cause with her by exposing for whom he began to entertain hostile feelings of no mean force no i can t do it he said tis let things take their chance he moved away and then perceived that anne tired of waiting had crossed the stream and almost come up with him what is the noise about she said there s company in the house said company farmer is not at home said anne and went on to the window whence the rays of light out the trumpet major standing where he was he saw her face enter the beam of stay there for a moment and quickly withdraw she came back to him at once let us go on she said imagined from her tone that she must have an interest in and said sadly you blame me for going across to the window and leading you to follow me the trumpet major not a bit said anne seeing his mistake as to the state of her heart and being rather angry with him for it i think it was most natural considering the noise silence again is sober as a judge said as they turned to go it was only the others who were noisy whether he is sober or not is nothing whatever to me said anne of course not i know it said the in accents expressing at her somewhat tone and some doubt of her assurance before they had emerged from the shadow of the hall some persons were seen moving along the road was for going on just the same but anne from a shy feeling that it was as well not to be seen walking alone with a man who was not her lover said mr let us wait here a minute till they have passed on nearer view the group was seen to a man on a horse and another man walking beside him when they were opposite the house they halted and the rider dismounted whereupon a dispute between him and the other man ensued apparently on a question of money the trumpet major tis old mr come home said anne he has hired that horse from the bathing machine to bring him only fancy before they had gone many steps farther the farmer and his companion had ended their dispute and the latter mounted	45
the horse and away uncle coming on to the house at a pace as soon as he observed and anne he fell into a gait when they came up he recognised anne and you have come home from so soon farmer said she yes faith i couldn t bide at such a place said the farmer your hand in your pocket every minute of the day tis a shilling for this half a crown for that if you only eat one egg or even a poor of an apple you ve got to pay and a bunch o is a and a o a good three at lowest reckoning nothing without paying i couldn t even get a ride homeward upon that screw without the man wanting a shilling for it when my weight didn t take a penny out of the beast i ve saved a pen north or so of shoe leather to be sure but the saddle was so rough wi patches that a took out of the seat of my best breeches king george ruined for other folks more than that i l the trumpet major my nephew promised to come there to morrow to see me and if i had stayed i must have treated en what s that it was a shout from within the walls of the building and said your nephew is here and has company my nephew here gasped the old man good folks will you come up to the door with me i mean just for company dear i thought my house was as quiet as a church they went back to the window and the farmer looked in his mouth falling apart to a greater width at the comers than in the middle and his fingers assuming a state of tis my best silver the ve got that i ve never used oh tis my strong beer tis eight candles away when i ve used nothing but myself for the last half year you didn t know he was here then said oh no said the farmer shaking his head half way nothing s known to poor i there s my best as careless as if twas tin cups and my table scratched and my chairs out of joint see how they em on the two back legs and that s ruin to a chair ah i when i be gone he won t find another old man to the trumpet major make such work with and provide goods for his breaking and house room and drink for his set comrades and fellow soldiers said to the hot farmers and he entertained within as we have vowed to brave danger and death together so we ll share the couch of peace you shall sleep here to night for it is getting late my blue of an uncle takes care that there shan t be much comfort in the house but you can curl up on the furniture if beds run short as for my sleep it won t be much i m melancholy a woman has i may say got my heart in her pocket and i have hers in mine she s not much to other folk i mean but she is to me the little thing came in my way and conquered me i that simple girl i ought to have looked higher i know it what of that tis a fate that may happen to the greatest men her name said one of the warriors whose head drooped upon his and whose eyes fell together in the casual manner characteristic of the tired soldier it was really farmer of hole her name well tis a n but by i won t give ye her name here in company she don t live a hundred miles off however and she i the trumpet major wears the prettiest cap ribbons you ever saw well well tis weakness she has little and i have much but that girl in spite of myself let s go on said anne stand by a old man till he s got into his house implored uncle i only ask ye to bide within call stand back under the trees and i ll do my poor best to give no trouble i ll stand by you for half an hour sir said after that i must bolt to camp very well bide back there under the trees said uncle i don t want to spite em you ll wait a few minutes just to see if he gets in said the trumpet major to anne as they retired from the old man i want to get home said anne anxiously when they had quite behind the and he stood alone uncle to their surprise set up a loud shout altogether beyond the imagined power of his lungs man a lost man a lost he cried repeating the exclamation several times and then ran and hid himself behind a comer of the building soon the door opened and and his guests came tumbling out upon the green tis our duty to help folks in distress said man a lost where are you the trumpet major twas across there said one of his friends no twas here said another meanwhile uncle coming from his had with the quickness of a boy up to the door they had quitted and slipped in in a moment the door flew together and anne heard him and it inside the however did not notice this and came on towards the spot where the trumpet major and anne were standing here s at hand friends said we are all king s men do not fear us thank you said so are we he explained in two words that they were not the distressed traveller who had cried out and turned to go on tis she my life tis she said now	45
first anne fair anne i will not part from you till i see you safe at your own dear door she s in my hands said though not without firmness so it is not required thank you man had i but my sword come said i don t want to quarrel let s put it to her whichever of us she likes best he shall take her home miss anne which trumpet major anne would much rather have gone home alone but seeing the the party staggering up she thought it best to secure a protector of some kind how to choose one without offending the other and provoking a quarrel was the difficulty you must both walk home with me she said one on one side and one on the other and if you are not quite civil to one another all the time i ll never speak to either of you again they agreed to the terms and the other arriving at this time said they would go also as rear guard very well said anne now go and get your hats and don t be long ah yes our hats said the whose heads were so hot that they had forgotten their till then you ll wait till got em we won t be a moment said eagerly anne and said yes and ran back to the house followed by all his band now let s run and leave em said anne when they were out of hearing but we ve promised to wait said the in surprise the trumpet major j promised to wait said anne indignantly as if one ought to keep such a promise to drunken men as that you can do as you hke i shall go it is hardly fair to leave the said reluctantly and looking back at them but she heard no more and flitting off under the trees was soon lost to his sight and the rest had by this time reached uncle r s door which they were and astonished to find closed they began to knock and then to kick at the venerable timber till the old man s head crowned with a appeared at an upper window followed by his shoulders with apparently nothing on but his shirt though it was in truth a sheet thrown over his coat upon ye all for making such a at a weak old man s door he said yawning what s in ye to rouse honest folks at this time o night damn me why it s uncle said why how the devil s this tis i wanting to come in oh no no my clever man whoever you be said uncle in a tone of incredulous integrity my nephew dear boy is miles away at quarters and asleep by this time as becomes a good the trumpet major soldier that story won t do to night my man not at all upon my soul tis i said not to night my man not to night bring my said the farmer turning and addressing nobody inside the room let s break in the shutters said one of the others my wig and we said what a trick of the old man get some big stones said the searching under the wall no forbear forbear said beginning to be frightened at the spirit he had raised i forget we should drive him into fits for he s subject to em and then perhaps be comrades we must march no we ll lie in the bam i ll see into this take my word for t our honour is at stake now let s back to see my beauty home we can t as we got our hats said one of his fellow in domestic life jacob of farm no more we can said in a melancholy tone but i must go to her and tell her the reason she me in spite of all she s gone i saw her flee across park while the trumpet major t we were knocking at the door said another of the gone said grinding his teeth and putting himself into a rigid shape then tis my enemy he has tempted her away with him but i am a rich man and he s poor and rides the king s horse while i ride my own could i but find that fellow that regular that common man i would yes said the trumpet major coming up behind him i said starting round i would seize him by the hand and say guard her if you are my guard her from all harm a good speech and i will too said heartily and now for shelter said to his companions they then left without wishing him good night and proceeded towards the bam he crossed the park and ascended the down to the camp grieved that he had given anne cause of complaint and that she held him of slight account beside his rival the trumpet major chapter x the match making virtues of a double garden anne was so by the military incidents attending her return home that she was almost afraid to venture alone outside her mother s premises moreover the numerous soldiers regular and otherwise that haunted and its neighbourhood were getting better acquainted with the villagers and the result was that they were always standing at garden gates walking in the or sitting just within cottage doors with the of their tobacco pipes thrust outside for politeness sake that they might not the air of the household being gentlemen of a gallant and most affectionate nature they naturally turned their heads and smiled if a pretty girl passed by which was rather to the latter if she were unused to society every in the village soon had a lover and when the were all allotted those who scarcely deserved that title had their	45
turn many of the soldiers being not at all particular about half an inch of nose more or less a trifling de the trumpet major of teeth or a larger crop of than is customary in the saxon race thus with one and another courtship began to be practised in on rather a large scale and the young men who had been bom in the place were left to take their walks alone where instead of studying the works of nature they meditated gross on the brave men who had been so good as to visit their village anne watched these romantic proceedings from her window with much interest and when she saw how triumphantly other handsome girls of the neighbourhood walked by on the gorgeous arms of lieutenant and captain of the thrilling york who swore the most picturesque foreign oaths and had a wonderful sort of estate or property called the in their country across the sea she was filled with a sense of her own loneliness it made her think of things which she tried to forget and to look into a little drawer at something soft and brown that lay in a curl there wrapped in paper at last she could bear it no longer and went downstairs where are you going said mrs to see the folks because i am so gloomy i certainly not at present anne the trumpet major why not mother said anne blushing with an indefinite sense of being very wicked because you must not i have been going to tell you several times not to go into the street at this time of day why not walk in the morning there s young mr would be glad to don t mention him mother don t well then dear walk in the garden so poor anne who really had not the slightest wish to throw her heart away upon a soldier but merely wanted to old thoughts by new turned into the inner garden from day to day and passed a good many hours there the pleasant birds singing to her and the delightful on her hat and the horrid running up her stockings this garden was from s the two having originally been the single garden of the whole house it was a quaint old place enclosed by a thorn hedge so and dense from incessant that the mill boy could walk along the top without sinking in a feat which he often performed as a means of filling out his day s work the soil within was of that intense fat blackness which is only seen after a century of constant cultivation the paths were over so that people came and went upon them without being heard the trumpet major i g the grass and on this account the miller was going to replace it by gravel as soon as he had time but as he had said this for thirty years without doing it the grass and the seemed likely to remain the miller s man attended to mrs s piece of the garden as well as to the larger portion digging planting and indifferently in both the miller observing with reason that it was not worth while for a helpless widow lady to hire a man for her little plot when his man working alongside could tend it without much addition to his labour the two were on this account even more closely united in the garden than within the mill out there they were almost one family and they talked from plot to plot with a zest and animation which mrs could never have anticipated when she first removed thither after her husband s death the lower half of the garden farthest from the road was the most snug and sheltered part of this snug and sheltered and it was well watered as the land of lot three small about a yard wide ran with a sound from side to side between the plots crossing the paths under wood laid as bridges and passing out of the garden through little in the hedge the were so far at their by grass ta trumpet major the t major and garden produce that had it not been for their perpetual few would have noticed that they were there this was where anne liked best to linger when her excursions became to her own premises and in a spot of the garden not far removed the trumpet major loved to linger also having by virtue of his office no stable duty to perform he came down from the camp to the mill almost every day and anne finding that he walked and sat in his father s portion of the garden whenever she did so in the other half could not help smiling and speaking to him so his and blue jacket and anne s yellow hat were often seen in parts of the garden at the same time but he never into her part of the nor did she into s she always spoke to him when she saw him there and he replied in deep firm accents across the bushes or through the tall rows of peas as the case might be he thus gave her accounts at fifteen paces of his experiences in camp in quarters in and elsewhere of the difference between line and column and forced aud such like together with his hopes of promotion anne listened at first indifferently but knowing no one else so good natured and experienced she grew interested in him as in a the trumpet major brother by degrees his gold lace and spurs lost all their strangeness and were as familiar to her as own clothes at last mrs noticed this growing friendship and began to despair of her scheme of anne to the why she could not take prompt steps to check interference with her plans arose partly from her nature which was the reverse of	45
managing and partly fix m a new circumstance with which she found it difficult to reckon the near neighbourhood that had produced the friendship of anne for john was slowly a warmer liking between her mother and his father thus the month of july passed the troop horses came with the regularity of twice a day down to drink under her window and as the weather grew kicked up their heels and shook their heads furiously under the sting of the fly the green leaves in the garden became of a darker the and the three were reduced to half their winter volume at length the earnest trumpet major obtained mrs s consent to take her and her daughter to the camp which they had not yet viewed from any closer point than their own windows so one the trumpet major afternoon they went the miller being one of the party the villagers were by this time driving a roaring trade with the soldiers who purchased of them every description of garden produce milk butter and eggs at liberal prices the figures of these rural could be seen creeping up the slopes laden like bees to a spot in the rear of the camp where there was a kind of market place on the mrs anne and the miller were conducted from one place to another and on to the quarter where the soldiers wives lived who had not been able to get lodgings in the cottages near the most sheltered place had been chosen for them and snug huts had been built for their use by their husbands of a little or whatever they could lay hands on the trumpet conducted his friends thence to the large bam which had been appropriated as a hospital and to the cottage with its windows up that was used as the magazine then they the lines of shining dark horses each representing the then high figure of two and twenty guineas purchase money standing patiently at the ropes which stretched firom one post to another a bank being thrown up in front of them as a protection at night they passed on to the tents of the german the trumpet major a well grown and rather set of men with a poetical look about their faces which rendered them interesting to feminine eyes and other foreigners were numbered in their ranks they were cleaning arms which they carefully against a rail when the work was complete on their return they passed the mess house a temporary wooden building with a brick chimney as anne and her companions went by a group of three or four of the were standing at the door talking to a dashing young man who was on the qualities of a horse that one was inclined to buy anne recognised in the and was trotting the animal up and down as soon as she caught the s eye he came forward making some friendly remark to the miller and then turning to miss who kept her eyes steadily fixed on the distant landscape till he got so near that it was impossible to do so longer looked from anne to the trumpet major and from the trumpet major back to anne with a dark expression of face as if he suspected that there might be a tender understanding between them are you offended with me he said to her in a low voice of repressed resentment the trumpet major no said anne when are you coming to the hall again never perhaps nonsense anne said mrs who had come near and smiled pleasantly on you can go at any time as usual let her come with me now mrs i should be pleased to walk along with her my man can lead home the horse thank you but i shall not come said miss anne coldly the widow looked unhappily in her daughter s face distressed between her desire that anne should encourage and her wish to consult anne s own feelings leave her alone leave her alone said his gaze now i think of it i am glad she can t come with me for i am engaged and he stalked away anne moved on with her mother young silently following and they began to descend the hill well where s mr asked mrs father s behind said john mrs looked behind her and the miller who had been waiting for the event beckoned to her the trumpet major fu overtake you in a minute she said to the younger pair and went back her colour for some unaccountable reason rising as she did so the miller and she then came on slowly together conversing in very low tones and when they got to the bottom they stood still and anne waited for them saying but little to each other for the with had the spirits of both at last the widow s private talk with miller came to an end and she hastened onward the miller going in another direction to meet a man on business when she reached the trumpet major and anne she was looking very bright and rather and seemed sorry when said that he must leave them and to the camp they parted in their usual friendly manner and anne and her mother were left to walk the few remaining yards alone there settled it said mrs anne what are you thinking about i have settled in my mind that it is all right what s all right said anne that you do not care for and mean to encourage john what s all the world so long as folks are happy child don t take any notice of what i have said about and don t meet him any more ihe trumpet major what a you are mother why should you say that just now it is easy to call me a said the matron putting on the look of a	45
good woman but i have reasoned it out and at last thank god i have got over my ambition the are our true and only friends and mr with all his money is nothing to us at all but said anne what has made you change all of a sudden from what you have said before my feelings and my reason which i am thankful for anne knew that her mother s sentiments were naturally so that they could not be depended on for two days together but it did not occur to her for the moment that a change had been helped on in the present case by a romantic talk between mrs and the miller but mrs could not keep the secret long she gaily as she walked and before they had entered the house she said what do you think mr has been saying to me dear anne anne did not know at all why he has asked me to marry him trumpet major chapter xi our people are affected by the presence of to explain the miller s sudden proposal it is only necessary to go back to that moment when anne and mrs were talking together on the down john had fallen behind so as not to interfere with a meeting in which he was so decidedly superfluous and his father who guessed the trumpet major s secret watched his face as he stood john s face was sad and his eyes followed mrs s encouraging manner to in a way which plainly said that every parting of her lips was to him the miller loved his son as much as any miller or private gentleman could do and he was pained to see john s gloom at such a trivial circumstance so what did he resolve but to help john there and then by a matter which had he himself been the only person concerned he would have delayed for another six months he had long liked the society of his impulsive the trumpet major neighbour mrs had mentally taken her up and pondered her in connection with the question whether it would not be for the happiness of both if she were to share his home even though she was a little his superior in and knowledge in fact he loved her not but to a very creditable extent for his years that is next to his sons bob and john though he knew very well of that ground appearance near the comers of her once handsome eyes and that the little depression in her right cheek was not the lingering it was assumed to be but a result of the abstraction of some worn out within the cheek by the we man who lived by such on the heads of the elderly but what of that when he had lost two to each one of hers and exceeded her in age by some eight years to do john a service then he quickened his designs and put the question to her while they were standing under the eyes of the younger pair mrs though she had been interested in the miller for a long time and had for a moment now and then thought on this question as far as suppose he should if he were to and so on had never thought much farther and she was really taken by surprise when the question came she the major answered without that she would think over the proposal and thus they parted her mother s infirmity of purpose set anne thinking and she was suddenly filled with a conviction that in such a case she ought to have some purpose herself mrs s complacency at the miller s offer had in truth amazed her while her mother had held up her head and recommended it had seemed a very pretty thing to rebel but the pressure being removed an awful sense of her own responsibility took possession of her mind as there was no longer anybody to be wise or ambitious for her surely she should be wise and ambitious for herself her mother s attachment and encourage in his addresses for her own and her mother s good there had been a time when a thrilled her own heart but that was long ago before she had thought of position or differences to wake into cold daylight like this when and because her mother had gone into the land of romance was dreadful and new to her and like an increase of years without living them but it was easier to think that she ought to marry the than to take steps for doing it and she went on living just as before only with a little more in her eyes two days after the visit to the camp when she the trumpet major was again in the garden soldier said to her at a distance of five rows of beans and a bed you have heard the news miss no said anne without looking up from a book she was reading the king is coming to morrow the king she looked up then yes to we and he will pass this way he can t arrive till long past the middle of the night if what they say is true that he only reaches by supper time continued encouraged by her interest to cut off the bed from the distance between them miller came round the comer of the house have ye heard about the king coming miss anne he said anne said that she had just heard of it and the trumpet major who hardly welcomed his father at such a moment explained what he knew of the matter and you will go with your regiment to meet en i suppose said old young said that the men of the german were to perform that duty and turning half from his father and half towards anne he the	45
vague and was to day altogether too lively for the reasoning of this warm hearted soldier to so he in his intention to catch her alone and at last in spite of her to the contrary he succeeded the miller and mrs had walked about fifty yards farther on and anne and himself were left standing by the gate but the gallant s soul was so much disturbed by tender and by the sense of his presumption that he could not begin and it may the trumpet major the trumpet major be questioned if he would ever have the subject at all had not a distant church clock assisted him by striking the hour of three the trumpet major heaved a breath of relief that clock strikes in g sharp he said indeed g sharp said anne yes tis a fine toned i used to notice that note when i was a boy did you the veiy same yes and since then i had a about that bell with the of the north he said the note was g i said it wasn t when we found it was g sharp we didn t know how to settle it it is not a deep note for a clock oh no the finest tenor bell about here is the bell of peter s in e flat m m m that s the note m m m the trumpet major sounded fix m far down his throat what he considered to be e flat with a sense of luxury even by his present distraction shall we go on to where my mother is said anne less impressed by the beauty of the note than the trumpet major himself in one minute he said talking of music i fear you don t think the rank of a trumpet major much to compare with your own the trumpet major i do i a trumpet major a very respectable man i am glad to hear you say that it is given out by the king s command that trumpet are to be considered respectable indeed then i am by chance more loyal than i thought for i get a good deal a year extra to the because of my position that s very nice and i am not supposed ever to drink with the who serve beneath me naturally and by the orders of the war office i am to exert over them that s the government word exert over them full authority and if any one towards me with the least or my orders he is to be confined and reported it is really a dignified post she said with however a reserve of which was not altogether encouraging and of course some day i shall stammered the shall be in rather a better position than i am at present i am glad to hear it mr and in short mi anne continued john the trumpet major bravely and desperately may i pay court to you in the hope that no no don t go away you haven t heard yet that you may make me the happiest of men not yet but when peace is proclaimed and all is smooth and easy again i can t put it any better though there s more to be explained this is most awkward said anne evidently with pain i cannot possibly agree believe me mr i cannot but there s more than this you would be surprised to see what snug rooms the married trumpet and have in quarters are not all consider camp and war that brings me to my strong point exclaimed the soldier my father is better off than most non officers fathers and there s always a home for you at his house in any emergency i can tell you privately that he has enough to keep us both and if you wouldn t hear of well peace once established i d live at home as a miller and farmer next door to your own mother my mother would be sure to object anne no she leaves it all to you the trumpet major what you have asked her said anne with surprise yes i thought it would not be honourable to act otherwise that s very good of you said anne her face warming with a generous sense of his but my mother is so entirely ignorant of a soldier s life and the life of a soldier s she is so simple in all such matters that i cannot listen to you any more readily for what she may say then it is all over for me said the poor trumpet major wiping his face and putting away his handkerchief with an air of anne was silent any woman who has ever tried will know without explanation what an task it is to dismiss even when she does not love him a man who has all the natural and moral qualities she would desire and only fails in the social would be lovers are not so numerous even with the best women that the sacrifice of one can be felt as other than a good thing wasted in a world where there are few good things you are not angry miss said he finding that she did not speak oh no don t let us say anything more about this now and she moved on the trumpet ma when she drew near to the miller and her mother she perceived that they were engaged in a conversation of that peculiar kind which is all the more full and from the fact of its words being few in short here the game was succeeding which with herself had failed it was pretty dear from the symptoms marks tokens and general by play between and widow that miller must have again said to mrs some such thing as he had	45
the hill accompanied by mrs and anne as usual the trumpet major i it was a clear day with little wind stirring and the view from the downs one of the most extensive in the county was the eye of any observer who cared for such things swept over and s bay beyond and lying on the sea to the left of these like a great crouching animal to the on the extreme east of the marine horizon st s head closed the scene the sea to the of that point glaring like a mirror under the sun inland could be seen rings where a had been recently erected and farther to the left where another stood not far from this came to the west dog hill and black on near to the where there was yet another built of with straw and standing on the spot where the monument now raises its head at nine o clock the troops marched upon the ground some from the in the vicinity and some from quarters in the different towns round about the approaches to the down were blocked with carriages of all descriptions ages and colours and with of every class at ten the royal personages were said to be drawing near and soon after the king accompanied by the of cambridge and and a of the trumpet major appeared on horseback wearing a round hat turned up at the side with a and military feather sensation among the crowd then the queen and three of the entered the field in a great coach drawn by six beautiful cream coloured horses another coach with four horses of the same sort brought the two remaining confused there s king that s queen princess and c from the surrounding spectators anne and her party were fortunate enough to secure a position on the top of one of the which rose here and there on the down and the miller having gallantly constructed a little of he placed the two women by which means they were enabled to see over the heads horses and of the multitudes below and around at the march past the miller s eye which had been wandering about for the purpose discovered his son in his place by the who had moved forwards in two ranks and were sound ing the march that s john he cried to the widow his trumpet is of two colours d ye see aad the others be plain mrs too saw him now and enthusiastic the trumpet major j ally admired him from her hands upwards and anne silently did the same but before the young woman s eyes had quite left the trumpet major they fell upon the figure of riding with his troop and keeping his face at a medium between and mere bravery he certainly looked as as any of his own corps and felt more than half a dozen as anybody could see by observing him anne got behind the miller in case should discover her and regardless of his monarch rush upon her in a rage with why the devil did you run away from me that night hey madam but she resolved to think no more of him just now and to stick to who was her mother s friend in this she was helped by the stirring tones which burst from the latter gentleman and his from time to time well said the miller complacently there s few of more consequence in a regiment than a he s the chap that tells em what to do after all hey mrs so he is miller said she they could no more do without jack and his men than they could without indeed they could not said mrs again in a tone of pleasant agreement with any one in great britain or ireland n the trumpet major it was said that the line that day was miles long reaching from the high ground on the right of where the people stood to the road on the left after the review came a sham fight during which action the crowd dispersed more widely over the downs widow to get still clearer glimpses of the king and his handsome and the head of the queen and the elbows and shoulders of the in the carriages and parts of general and the duke of which sights gave her great gratification she at her daughter at every opportunity exclaiming now you can see his feather there s her hat there s her s india muslin shawl in a minor form of ecstasy that made the miller think her more girlish and animated than her daughter anne in those military the miller followed the fortunes of one man anne of two the spectators who unlike our party had no personal interest in the saw only troops and in the straight lines of red straight lines of blue white lines formed of innumerable knee breeches black lines formed of many coming and going in change who thought of every point in the line as an isolated man each dwelling all to himself in the trumpet major of his own mind one person did a young man far removed from the where the and miller stood the natural expression of his face was somewhat obscured by the effects of rough weather but the lines of his mouth showed that affectionate impulses were strong within him perhaps stronger than judgment well could he wore a blue jacket with little brass buttons and was plainly a man meanwhile in the part of the plain where rose the on which the miller had established himself a broad was his way along he saw mr from the base of the and beckoned to attract his attention went half way down and the other came up as near as he could miller said the man a letter has been lying at the post office for you for	45
its and it back again regarding and yet not examining it just then she saw the trumpet major coming back i can t find david an he said and his heart was not sorry as he said it anne was still holding out the sweet william as if about to drop it and scarcely knowing what she did under the distressing sense that she was watched she offered the flower to his face brightened with pleasure as he took it thank you indeed he said then anne saw what a blunder she had committed towards in playing to the perhaps she had sown the seeds of a quarrel it was not my sweet william she said hastily i i the trumpet major it was on the ground i don t mean any thing by giving it to you but fu keep it all the same said the innocent soldier as if he knew a good deal about and he put the flower carefully inside his jacket between his white waistcoat and his heart seeing this enlarged himself got hot in the face rose to his feet and glared down upon them like a lantern let us go away said anne i ll see you safe to your own door depend upon me said but i had near forgot there s father s letter that he s so anxiously waiting for will you come with me to the post office then i ll take you straight home anne expecting to every minute was glad to be off anywhere so she accepted the suggestion and they went along the parade together set this down as a proof of anne s thus in joyful spirits he entered the office paid the and received the letter it is from bob after all he said father told me to read it at once in case of bad news ask your pardon for keeping you a moment he broke the seal read anne standing silently by the trumpet major he is coming home to he married said the trumpet major without looking up anne did not answer the blood swept up her face at his words and as suddenly went away again leaving her rather paler than before she disguised her agitation and then overcame it observing nothing of this performance as far as i can understand he will be here saturday he said indeed said anne quite calmly and who is he going to marry that i don t know said john turning the letter about the woman is a stranger at this moment the miller entered the office hastily come john he cried i have been waiting and waiting for that there letter till i was nigh crazy john briefly explained the news and when his father had recovered from his astonishment taken off his hat and wiped the exact line where his forehead joined his hair he walked with anne up the street leaving john to return alone the miller was so absorbed in his mental perspective of bob s marriage that he saw nothing of the they passed through and anne seemed also so much im the pet major pressed by the same intelligence that she crossed before the inn occupied by without showing a recollection of his presence there xiv la in evening of same day when they reached home the sun was going down it had already been abroad that miller had received a letter and his cart having been heard coming up the lane the population of drew down towards the mill as soon as he had gone indoors a sudden flash of brightness from the window showing that he had struck such an early light as nothing but the of literature could require a letter was a matter of public moment and everybody in the parish had an interest in the reading of those rare documents so that when the miller had placed the candle himself and called in mrs to have her opinion on the meaning of any that he might encounter in his course he found that he was to be assisted by the opinions of the other neighbours whose persons appeared in the doorway partly the trumpet major covering each other like a hand of cards yet each showing a large enough piece of himself for to pass the time while they were arranging themselves the miller adopted his usual way of filling up casual intervals that of the candle we heard you had got a letter they said yes the twelfth of august dear father said and they were as silent as relations at the reading of a will anne for whom the letter had a singular fascination came in with her mother and sat down bob stated in his own way that having since landing taken into consideration his father s wish that he should a sea life and become a partner in the mill he had decided to agree to the proposal and with that object in view he would return to in three days from the time of writing he then said incidentally that since his voyage he had been in lodgings at and during that time had become acquainted with a lovely and virtuous young maiden in whom he found the exact qualities necessary to his happiness having known this lady for the full space of a fortnight he had had ample opportunities of studying her character i trumpet major and being struck with the recollection that if there was one thing more than another necessary in a mill which had no mistress it was somebody who could be one with grace and dignity he had asked miss to be his wife in her kind ness she though sacrificing far better prospects had agreed and he could not but regard it as a happy chance that he should have found at the nick of time such a woman to adorn his home whose innocence was	45
as as her beauty without much therefore he and she had arranged to be married at once and at that his father might not be deprived of the pleasures of the wedding feast she had kindly consented to follow him by land in the course of a few days and to live in the house as their guest for the week or so previous to the ceremony tis a proper good letter said mrs comfort from the background i never true love better put out of hand in my life and they seem nation fond of one another he haven t her such a very long time said job that s nothing said beach will find her way very rapid when the time s come for t well tis good news for ye miller yes sure i hope tis said without the trumpet major however showing any great hurry to burst into the frantic form of joy which the event should naturally have produced seeming more disposed to let his by examining thoroughly into the of the letter paper i was five years a my wife he presently remarked but folks were slower about in them days well since she s coming we must make her welcome did any of ye catch by my reading which day it is he means what with making out the my mind was drawn off from the sense here and there he says in three days said mrs the date of the letter will fix it on examination it was found that the day appointed was the one nearly expired at which the miller jumped up and said then hell be here before i didn t gather tiu now that he was coming afore saturday why he may drop in this very minute he had scarcely spoken when footsteps were heard coming along the front and they presently halted at the door pushed through the neighbours and rushed out and seeing in the passage a form which obscured the declining light the miller seized hold of him saying h my dear bob then you are come the trumpet major it all miller don t quite pull my poor shoulder out of joint whatever is the matter said the new comer trying to release himself from s grasp of affection it was uncle thought twas my son faltered the miller sinking back upon the toes of the who had closely followed him into the entry well come in mr and make at home why you haven t been here for years whatever has made you come now sir of all times in the world is he in there with ye whispered the farmer with who my nephew after that maid that he s so mighty with oh no he never calls here farmer breathed a breath of relief well i ve called to tell ye he said that there s more news of the french we shall have em here this month as sure as a gun the be all ready near two thousand of em and the whole army is at and miller i know ye to be an honest man did not say nay neighbour i know ye to be an honest man repeated the old can i speak to ye alone the trumpet major as the house was full took him into the garden all the while upon hooks not lest should appear in their midst but lest bob should come whilst he was not there to receive him when they had got into a comer uncle said miller what with the french and what with my nephew i assure ye my life is nothing but from morning to night miller you are an honest man nodded well i ve come to ask a favour to ask if you will take charge of my few poor title deeds and documents and while i am away from home next week lest an should befall me and they should be stole away by or and i should have nothing left in the wide world i can trust neither banks nor lawyers in these terrible times and i am come to you after some hesitation agreed to take care of that should bring whereupon the farmer said he would call with the and papers alluded to in the course of a week then went away by the garden gate mounted his pony which had been outside and rode on till his form was lost in the shades the miller rejoined his friends and found that the trumpet major i s the trumpet major in the meantime john had arrived john company that after parting from his father and anne he had to the harbour and discovered the by the on inquiry he had learnt that she came in at eleven o clock and that bob had gone ashore we ll go and meet him said the miller tis still light out of doors so as the dew rose from the and formed in the hollows and his friends and neighbours strolled out and by the which the foot path from to the high road at intervals of a hundred yards john being obliged to return to can was unable to accompany them but widow thought proper to fall in with the procession when she had put on her bonnet she called to her daughter anne said from upstairs that she was coming in a minute and her mother walked on without her what was anne doing having hastily unlocked a for objects of size she took thence the little folded paper with which we have already become acquainted and striking a light from her private box she held the paper and curl of hair it contained in the candle till it was burnt then she put on her hat and followed the trumpet major her mother and the rest of them across the moist grey fields cheerfully singing in an as	45
she went to assure herself of her indifference to circumstances chapter xv captain bob of the merchant service while and his neighbours were thus rambling forth full of some of them including anne in the rear heard the of light wheels along the curved lane to which the path was the at once anne thought perhaps that s he and we are missing him but recent events were not of a kind to induce her to say anything and the others of the company did not reflect on the sound had they gone across to the hedge which hid the lane and looked through it they would have seen a light cart driven by a boy beside whom was seated a man apparently of good standing in the merchant service with his feet outside on the shaft the vehicle went over the main bridge turned in upon the bridge at the tail of the the trumpet major mill and halted by the door the sailor alighted showing himself to be a well shaped active and fine young man with a bright eye an nose and of such a rich complexion by exposure that he might have been some connection of the foreigner who calls his likeness the portrait of a gentleman in galleries of the old masters yet in spite of this and though bob had been all over the world from cape horn to and from india s coral strand to the white sea the most conspicuous of all the marks that he had brought back with him was an increased resemblance to his mother who had lain all the time under aisle wall captain tried the house door finding this locked he went to the mill door this was locked also the mill being stopped for the night they are not at home he said to the boy but never mind that just help to the things and then fu pay you and you can drive off home the cart was and the boy was dismissed thanking the sailor for the payment rendered then bob finding that he had still some leisure on his hands looked east west north south and after which he himself by his goods article by the trumpet major l l article round to the back door out of the way of casual this done he walked round the mill in a more attitude and surveyed its familiar features one by one the panes of the grinding room now as heretofore clouded with flour as with stale frost the meal lodged in the comers of the window forming a soil in which grew without ever getting any bigger as they had done since his smallest infancy the on the towards the river reaching as high as the power of the walls would fetch up moisture for their nourishment and the now as ever on the point of overflowing into the garden everything was the same when he had had enough of this it occurred to that he might get into the house in spite of the locked doors and by entering the garden placing a pole from the fork of an apple tree to the window sill of a bedroom on that side and climbing across like a he entered the window and stepped down inside there was something in being close to the familiar furniture without having first seen his father and its silent shine was not cheering it was as if his relations were all dead and only their tables and of drawers left to greet him he went downstairs and seated himself in the dark parlour the trumpet major ing this place y too rather solitary and the of the clock loud he the obtained a light and set about making house comfortable for his father s return that the miller had gone out to meet him by the road interest in this work increased as he proceeded and he round and round the kitchen as lightly as a girl david the having lost himself among the pots of we there had been nobody left here to prepare and bob had it all to himself in a short time a fire blazed up the a was found the plates were clapped down and a search made for what provisions the house afforded which in addition to various included some fresh eggs of the shape that produces when and had been set aside on that account for putting under the next hen a more reckless of eggs than that which now went on had never been known in since the last large and as one on the side another at the end another and another he acquired by practice and at last made every son of a hen of them fall into two as neatly as if it opened by a from eggs he the trumpet major proceeded to ham and fix m ham to the result being a brilliant not to be tempted to fall to before his father came back the returned emptied the whole into a dish laid a plate over the top his coat over the plate and his hat over his coat thus completely stopping in the smell he sat down to await events he was relieved from the of doing this by hearing voices outside and in a minute his father entered glad to welcome ye home father said bob and supper is just ready why captain bob s here said mrs and we ve been out waiting to meet thee said the miller as he entered the room followed by representatives of the houses of comfort beach and together with some small of s posterity in the rear came david and quite in the of the composition anne the fair i drove over and so was forced to come by the road said bob and we went across the fields thinking you d walk said his father i should have been here this	45
morning but not ao much as a could i get for my traps trumpet major ever was gone to the review so i went too thinking i might meet you there i was then obliged to return to for the luggage then there was a of captain bob by pulling out his arms like drawers and shutting them again him on the back as if he were choking holding him at arm s length as if he were of too large type to read close all which persecution bob bore with a wide genial smile that was shaken into fragments and scattered among the spectators get a chair for n said the miller to david whom they had met in the fields and found to have got nothing worse by his absence than a slight in his walk never mind i am not tired i have been here ever so long said bob and i but the chair having been placed behind him and a smart touch in the hollow of a person s knee by the edge of that piece of furniture having a tendency to make the person sit without further argument bob sank down dumb and the others drew up other chairs at a convenient for easy i ic vision and the forms of good fellowship the miller went about saying david the nine best glasses from the comer cupboard david the david the tail of thy the trumpet major round the inside of these pots afore you draw drink in em they be an inch thick in dust david lower that chimney a couple of that the flame may touch the bottom of the kettle and light three more of the largest candles if you can t get the cork out of the jar david bore a hole in the tub of that s buried under the in the fuel house d ye hear dan brown left en there yesterday as a return for the little i en when they had all had a round and the superfluous neighbours had reluctantly departed one by one the inmates gave their minds to the supper which david had begun to serve up what be you rolling back the for david said the miller bob have put down one of the under sheets by mistake and i thought you might not like it sir as there s ladies present faith twas the first thing that came to hand said robert it seemed a to me never mind don t pull off the things now he s laid em down let it bide said the miller but where s widow and anne they were here but a minute ago said david depend upon it they have off cause they be shy the trumpet major the miller at once went round to ask them to come back and sup with him and while he was gone david told bob in confidence what an excellent place he had for an old man yes bob as i suppose i must call ye i ve worked for yer father these eight and thirty years and we have always got on very well together me with all the keys me his and leaves the house entirely to me widow next door too is just the same with me and treats me as if i was her own child she must have married young to make you that david yes yes i m years older than she tis only my common way of speaking mrs would not come in to supper and the meal proceeded without her bob to his father the dish he had cooked in the manner of a to a stranger just come the miller was anxious to know more about his son s plans for the future but would not for the present interrupt his eating looking up from his own plate to appreciate bob s travelled way of putting english out of sight as he would have looked at a mill on improved principles david had only just got the table clear and set the plates in a row under the house for the trumpet major the cats to when tbe door was hastily opened and mrs came in looking concerned i have been waiting to hear the plates removed to tell you how frightened we are at something we hear at the back door it seems like robbers muttering but when i look out there s nobody this must be seen to said the miller rising promptly david light the middle sized lantern ril go and search the garden and t l go too said his son taking up a lucky i ve come home just in time they went out stealthily followed by the widow and anne who had been afraid to stay alone in the house under the circumstances no sooner were they beyond the door when sure enough there was the muttering almost close at hand and low upon the ground as from persons lying down in hiding bless my heart said bob striking his head as though it were some enemy s why tis my luggage i d quite forgot it what asked his father my luggage really if it hadn t been for mrs it would have stayed there all night and they poor things would have been starved i ve got all sorts of articles for ye you go inside and i ll bring em in tis that you hear a the trumpet major v mrs you needn t be afraid any more said the miller well tm glad tis no worse but how forget so bob the were taken in by david and bob and the first were three wrapped in which being stripped off revealed three with a gorgeous in each this one is for you father to hang up outside the door and amuse us said bob he ll talk	45
very well but he s sleepy to night this other one i brought along for any neighbour that would like to have him his colours are not so bright but tis a good bird if you would like to have him you are welcome to him he said turning to anne who had been tempted forward by the birds you have hardly spoken yet miss anne but i recollect you very well how much taller you have got to be sure anne said she was much obliged but did not know what she could do with such a present mrs accepted it for her and the sailor went on now this other bird i hardly know what to do with but i dare say he ll come in for something or other he is by far the prettiest said the widow i would rather have it than the other if you don t mind the trumpet major yes said bob with embarrassment but the fact is that bird will hardly do for ye ma am he s a hard to tell the truth and i am afraid he s too old to be broken of it how dreadful said mrs we could keep him in the mill suggested the miller it won t matter about the hearing him for he can t learn to worse than he do already the shall have him then said bob the one i have given you ma am has no harm in him at all you might take him to church o sundays as far as that goes the sailor now a small wooden box about a foot square with holes here are two he continued you can t see them to night but they are beauties the sort what s a said the miller oh a little kind of monkey they bite strangers rather hard but you ll soon get used to em they are wrapped up in something i declare said mrs peeping in through a yes that s my flannel shirt said bob they suffer terribly from cold in this climate poor things and i had nothing better to give them well now in this next box i ve got things of sorts i go the trumpet major the latter was a regular seaman s chest and out of it he produced shells of many sizes and colours carved queer little gorgeous feathers and several silk handkerchiefs which articles were spread out upon all the available tables and chairs till the house began to look like a what a lovely shawl exclaimed widow in her interest the regular exhibition by looking into the box at what was coming oh yes said the mate pulling out a couple of the most that e ever saw one of these i am going to give to that young lady i am shortly to be married to you know mrs has father told you about it johnson of that s her name yes we know all about it said the widow well i shall give one of these to her because of course i ought to of course said she but the other one i ve got no use for at all and he continued looking round will you have it miss anne you refused the and you ought not to refuse this thank you said anne calmly but much distressed but really i don t want it and couldn t take it but do have it said bob in hurt tones mrs the trumpet major i i being all the while on hooks lest anne should persist in her absurd refusal why there s another reason why you ought to said he his face lightning up with recollections it never came into my head till this moment that i used to be your beau in a humble sort of way faith so i did and we used to meet at places sometimes didn t we that is when you were not too proud and once i gave you or somebody else a bit of my hair in fun it was somebody else said anne quickly ah perhaps it was said bob innocently but it was you i used to meet or try to i am sure well i ve never thought of that boyish time for years till this minute i am sure you ought to accept some one gift dear out of compliment to those old times anne drew back and shook her head for she would not trust her voice well mrs then you shall have it said bob tossing the shawl to that ready if you don t upon my life i will throw it out to the first beggar i see now here s a parcel of cap ribbons of the sort i could get have these do anne i yes do said mrs i promised them to continued bob trumpet major but i am sure she won t want em as she has got some of her own and i would as soon see them upon your head my dear as upon hers i think you had better keep them for your bride if you have promised them to her said mrs mildly it wasn t exactly a promise i just said til there s some cap ribbons in my box if you would like to have them but she s got enough things already for any bride in creation anne now you shall have em upon my soul you shall or i ll fling them down the mill tail anne had meant to be perfectly firm in refusing everything for reasons obvious even to that poor the meanest capacity but when it came to this point she was absolutely compelled to give in and reluctantly received the cap ribbons in her arms blushing and with her lip trembling in a motion which she tried to exhibit as a smile what	45
would say if she knew said the miller yes indeed and it is wrong of him anne instantly cried tears running down her face as she threw the parcel of ribbons on the floor you d better bestow your gifts where you bestow your love mr that s what i say and anne turned her back and went away the trumpet major take them for her said mrs quickly picking up the parcel now that s a pity said bob looking after anne i didn t remember that she was a quick tempered sort of girl at all tell her mrs that i ask her pardon but of course i didn t know she was too proud to accept a little present how should i upon my life if it wasn t for i d well that can t be of course what s this said mrs touching with her foot a large that had been laid down by bob unseen that s a bit of for myself said robert meekly the examination of presents at last ended and the two families parted for the night when they were alone mrs said to anne what a close girl you are i am sure i never knew that bob and you had walked together you must have been mere children oh yes so we were said anne now quite recovered it was when we first came here about a year after father died we not walk together in any regular way you know i have never thought the high enough for me it was only just nothing at all and i had almost forgotten it the major i t trumpet major it is to be hoped that somebody s sins were forgiven her that night before she went to bed when bob and his father were left alone the miller said well robert about this young woman of thine what s her name yes father johnson i was just going to tell ye about her the miller nodded and his well she is an excellent body continued bob that can truly be said a real you know a nice good comely young woman a miracle of genteel breeding you know and all that she can throw her hair into the curls and she s got splendid gowns and head clothes in short you might call her a land she ll make such a first rate wife as there never was no doubt she will said the miller for i have never known thee wanting in sense in a way he turned his cup round on its till the handle had travelled a complete circle how long did you say in your letter that you had known her a fortnight not very long it don t sound long tis true and twas really longer twas fifteen days and a quarter but hang it father i could see in the twinkling of an eye trumpet major that the girl would do i know a woman well enough when i see her i ought to indeed having been so much about the world now for instance there s widow and her daughter the girl is a nice little thing but the old woman oh no bob shook his head what of her said his father slightly shifting in his chair well she s she s mean i should never have chose her you know she s of a nice disposition and young for a widow with a grown up daughter but if all the men had been like me she would never have had a husband i like her in some respects but she s a style of beauty i don t care for oh if tis only looks you are thinking of said the miller much relieved there s nothing to be said of course though there s many a worse looking if it comes to argument as you would find my son he added with a sense of having been too soon the mate s thoughts were elsewhere by this time as to my thinks i here s one of the very sort and i may as well do the job at once so i chose her she s a dear girl there s nobody hke her search where you will the trumpet major how many did you choose her out from inquired his father well she was the only young woman i happened to know in that s true but what of that it would have been all the same if i had known a hundred her father is in business near the i suppose well no in short i didn t see her father her mother her mother no i didn t i think her mother is dead but she has got a very rich aunt living at i didn t see her aunt because there wasn t time to go but of course we shall know her when we are married yes yes of course said the miller trying to feel quite satisfied and she will soon be here ay she s coming soon said bob she has gone to this aunt s at to get her things packed and or she would have come with me i am going to meet the coach at the king s arms on monday at one o clock to show what a capital sort of wife she ll be i may tell you that she wanted to come by the because tis a little cheaper than the other but i said for once in your life do it well and come by the royal mail and i ll pay i can have the the trumpet major pony and trap to fetch her i suppose as tis too far for her to walk of course you can bob or else and fu do all i can to give you	45
a good wedding feast chapter xvi they make ready for the illustrious stranger preparations for s welcome and for the event which was to follow at once occupied the attention of the mill the miller and his man had but dim notions of on any large scale so the great wedding cleaning was kindly by mrs bob being mostly away during the day with his brother the trumpet major on various errands one of which was to buy paint and for the that was to be fetched in which he had determined to with his own hands by the widow s direction the old familiar of shining dirt along the back of the settle by the heads of countless jolly was and scraped away the brown circle round the nail whereon the miller hung his hat the trumpet major stained by the brim in wet weather was over the of shoulders in the passage were removed without regard to a certain genial and historical value which they had acquired the face of the clock with as thick as a plaster was rubbed till the figures emerged into day while inside the case of the same the that formed which the could hardly through were cleared away at one mrs also assisted at the invasion of worm eaten where of ancient smells lingered on in the air and recalled to the nose the many good things that had been kept there the upper floors were with such abundance of water that the old established death watches wood and flour worms were all drowned the down into the room below in so lively and novel a manner as to convey the romantic notion that the miller lived in a cave with dripping they moved what had never been moved before the oak containing the miller s wardrobe a tremendous weight what with its locks hinges nails dirt and the hard of old waist coats and knee breeches at the bottom never disturbed since the miller s wife died the trumpet major and half by the whose lay amid the mass in thousands it fairly makes my back open and shut said as in obedience to mrs s direction he lifted one comer the and david assisting at the others all together speak when ye be going to heave now and they heaved the pot covers and were brought to such a state that on examining them the was not conscious of but of his own face in a condition of hideous the broken was mended the rocked the nailed up and a new handle put to the the large household lantern was cleaned out after three years of the operation yielding a of candle candle ends remains of matches lamp black and eleven and a half of good invaluable as for boots and for everybody said that the mill residence had not been so thoroughly for twenty years the miller and david looked on with a sort of awe tempered by gratitude admitting by their gaze that this was beyond what they had ever thought of mrs all with dis the trumpet major interested benevolence it would never have done she said for his future daughter in law to see the house in its original state she would have taken a dislike to him and perhaps to bob likewise why don t ye come and live here with me and then you would be able to see to it at all times said the miller as she about again to which she answered that she was considering the matter and might in good time he had previously informed her that his plan was to put bob and his wife in the part of the house that she mrs occupied as soon as she chose to enter his which relieved her of any fear of being by the cooking for the wedding was on a scale of they killed the four chickens that had just begun to crow and the little curly pig in preference to the sow not having been put up for more than five weeks it was excellent small meat and therefore more delicate and likely to suit a town bred lad s taste than the large one which having reached the weight of fourteen score might have been a little gross to a there were also provided a cold stuffed and two pigeon also seventy rings of a dozen of white pot and twenty five knots of the trumpet major i tender and well washed cooked plain in case she should like a change as additional there were sweet and five up at one side in the form of a and stuffed with sage rice milk egg and other they were afterwards before a slow fire like and eaten hot the business of so many for the various was found to be aching work for women and david the miller the and the s boy being fully occupied in their proper branches and bob being very busy painting the and touching up the harness called in a friendly of john s regiment who was passing by and he being a muscular man willingly all the afternoon for a of strong administered and all other found taking off his jacket and gloves rolling up his shirt sleeves and his collar in an honourable and energetic way all and were excluded from the apple and as there was no known dish large enough for the purpose the were stirred up in the and boiled in the three bell metal of great weight and antiquity which every travelling for the o the trumpet major previous thirty years had tapped with his stick made a bid for and often attempted to steal in the liquor line laid in an ample barrel of strong beer this renowned drink now almost as much a thing of the past as s favourite was not only well calculated to win the	45
the office was placed near the ancient fabric so that whenever the sunday was late which it always was in hot weather in cold weather in wet weather and in weather of almost every other sort the rattle and swearing outside completely drowned the parson s voice within and sustained the interest of the congregation at precisely the major j the right moment no sooner did the children begin to on their benches and grow audible than the arrived captain felt a kind of sinking in his poetry at the possibility of her for whom they had made such preparations being in the slow vehicle which its way towards him but he would not give in to the weakness neither would he walk down the street to meet the lest she should not be there at last the broad wheels drew up against the the with his white frock and whip as long as a descended from the pony on which he rode alongside and the six broad horses backed from their and shook themselves in another moment something showed forth and he knew that was there bob felt three cheers rise within him as she stepped down but it being sunday he did not utter them in dress miss johnson passed his ex a green and white gown with long tight sleeves a green silk handkerchief round her neck and crossed in front a green and green gloves it was strange enough to see this turn out of a road and gracefully shake herself free from the bits of straw o the major and which would usually gather on the of the travellers by that vehicle but my dear said bob when he had kissed her three times with much the practical step he had determined on seeming to demand that these things should no longer be done in a comer my dear why didn t you come by the coach having the money for t and all that s my said in a delightful i know you won t be offended when you know i did it to save against a rainy day bob of course was not offended though the glory of meeting her had been less and even if vexation were possible it would have been out of place to say so still he would have experienced no little surprise had he learnt the real reason of his s change of plan that angel had in short so wildly spent bob s and her own money in the of her person before setting out that she found herself without a sufficient margin for her fare by coach and had from sheer necessity well i have got the trap out at the said bob i don t know whether it will hold your luggage and us too but it looked more respectable than the on a sunday and if there s not room for the boxes i can walk alongside major g i think there will be room said miss johnson mildly and it was soon very evident that she spoke the truth for when her property was deposited on the pavement it consisted of a trunk about eighteen inches long and nothing more oh that s all said captain surprised that s all said the young woman i didn t want to give trouble you know and what i have besides i have left at my aunt s yes of course he answered readily and as it s no bigger i can carry it in my hand to the inn and so it will be no trouble at all he caught up the little box and they went side by side to the and in ten minutes they were trotting up the road bob did not hurry the horse there being many things to say and hear for which the present situation was admirably suited the sun shone occasionally into s face as they drove on its rays picking out all her features to a great her eyes would have been called brown but they were really colour like many other nice brown eyes they were well shaped and rather bright though they had more of a broad shine than a sparkle she had a firm sufficient nose which seemed to say of itself that is was good as noses go she had trumpet major i ihe trumpet major i picturesque way of her er in her lower lip so the red of the latter showed strongly whenever she gazed against the sun towards the distant hills she brought into her forehead without knowing it three short lines not there at other times giving her for the moment rather a hard look and in turning her head round to a far angle to stare at something or other that he pointed out the drawn flesh of her neck became a mass of lines but bob did not look at these things which of course were of no significance for had she not told him when they compared ages that she was a little over two and twenty as nature was hardly invented at this early point of the century bob s could not say much about the of the hills or the of the foliage or the wealth of glory in the distant sea as she would doubtless have done had she lived farther on but she did her best to be interesting asking bob about matters of social interest in the neighbourhood to which she seemed quite a stranger is a large city she inquired when they mounted the hill where the folk had waited for the king bless you my dear no be nothing if it wasn t for the royal family and the lords and the trumpet major and the of soldiers and the and the king s messengers and the actors and and the games that go on at the words actors and the innocent	45
young thing pricked up her ears does pay as good this summer as in oh you know about it then i thought oh no no i have heard of read in the papers you know dear robert about the doings there and the actors and you know yes yes i see well i have been away from england a long time and don t know much about the theatre at but take you there some day would it be a treat to you oh an amazing treat said miss johnson with an ecstasy in which a close observer might have discovered a tinge of you ve never been into one perhaps dear n never said whatever do i see yonder a row of white things on the down yes that s a part of the above lots of soldiers are about here those are the white tops of their tents he pointed to a wing of the camp that had become visible was much interested the trumpet major it will make it very lively for us he added especially as john is there she thought so too and thus they on chapter xvii containing two fainting fits and a ment meanwhile miller was expecting the pair with interest and about five o clock after repeated he saw two the size of seeds on the far line of ridge where the white of the road met the blue of the sky then the remainder parts of bob and his lady became visible and then the whole vehicle end on and he heard the dry rattle of the wheels on the dusty road miller s plan as far as he had formed any was that robert and his wife should live with him in the mill house until mrs made up her mind to join him there in which event her present house would be made over to the young couple upon all grounds he wished to welcome the woman of his son s choice and came forward promptly as they drew up at the door what a lovely place you ve got here said the trumpet major miss johnson when the miller had received her from the captain a real stream of water a real mill wheel and real fowls and ever yes tis real enough said looking at the river with balanced sentiments and so you will say when you ve lived here a bit as mis ess and had the trouble of the furniture at this miss johnson looked modest and continued to do so till anne not knowing they were there came round the comer of the house with her prayer book in her hand having just arrived from church bob turned and smiled to her at which miss johnson looked how long she would have remained in that phase is unknown for just then her ears were assailed by a loud bass note from the other side causing her to jump round oh la what dreadful thing is it she exclaimed and beheld a cow of s of the name of standing close to her shoulder it being about time she had come to look up david and hasten on the operation oh what a horrid bull it did frighten me so i hope i shan t faint said the miller immediately used the which has been uttered by the of live stock ever since s time she won t hurt ye she s as timid as a mouse ma am the trumpet major but as persisted in making another terrific inquiry for david could not help closing her eyes and saying oh i shall be to death her head falling back upon bob s shoulder which seeing the urgent circumstances and knowing her delicate nature he had placed in a position to catch her anne who had been standing at the corner of the house not knowing whether to go back or come on at this felt her womanly sympathies aroused she ran and dipped her handkerchief into the mill tail and with it s face but as her eyes still remained closed bob to increase the effect took the handkerchief from anne and wrung it out on the bridge of s nose whence it ran over the rest of her face in a stream oh said anne the water is running over her green silk handkerchief and into her pretty there if i didn t think so exclaimed opening her eyes starting up and promptly pulling out her own handkerchief with which she wiped away the drops assisted by anne who in spite of her background of emotions could not help being interested that s right said the miller his spirits the trumpet major ing with the revival of the lady is not used to country life are you ma am i am not replied the sufferer all is so strange about here suddenly there spread into the from the direction of the down ra ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ra ta ta oh dear dear more hideous country sounds i suppose she inquired with another start oh no said the miller cheerfully tis only my son john s at the camp of just above us a blowing mess or feed or or some other of their john will be much pleased to tell you the meaning on t when he comes down he s trumpet major as you may know ma am oh yes you mean captain s brother dear bob has mentioned him if you come round to widow s side of the house you can see the camp said the miller don t force her she s tired with her long journey said mrs the widow having come out in the general wish to see captain bob s choice indeed they all behaved towards l the trumpet major her as if she were a tender which their crude country manners	45
might seriously injure she went into the house accompanied by mrs and her daughter though before leaving bob she managed to whisper in his ear don t tell them i came by will you dear a request which was quite needless for bob had long ago determined to keep that a dead secret not because it was an uncommon mode of travel but simply that it was hardly the usual conveyance for a gorgeous lady to her as the men had a feeling that they would be superfluous indoors just at present the miller assisted david in taking the horse round to the stables bob following and leaving to the women indoors miss johnson admired everything the new and the black beams of the ceiling the double comer cupboard with the glass doors through which gleamed the of sundry china sets acquired by bob s mother in her housekeeping two handled sugar no handled tea cups a tea pot like a and a cream in the form of a spotted cow this in their visitor was returned by mrs and anne and miss johnson s pleasing habit of partly dying whenever she heard any unusual bark or added to her in their eyes but con the trumpet major j as such was naturally at first of a nervous kind in which as in the works of the poet the sense was considerably led by the sound you get the sea breezes here no doubt oh yes dear when the wind is that way do you like windy weather yes though not now for it blows down the young apples apples are plentiful it seems you call st s their day if it rains yes dear ah me i have not been to a for these many years the baby s name was george i remember after the king i hear that king george is still staying at i he ll stay till i have seen him he ll wait till the com turns yellow he always does how very fashionable yellow is getting for gloves just now yes some persons wear them to the elbow i hear do they i was not aware of that i struck my elbow last week so hard against the door of my aunt s mansion that i feel the ache now before they were quite overwhelmed by the in l the trumpet major of this discourse the miller and bob came in in truth mrs found the office in which he had her that of introducing a strange woman to a house which was not the widow s own a rather awkward one and yet almost a necessity there was no woman belonging to the house except that wondrous of usefulness the maid servant whom had for appearances borrowed from mrs and mrs was in the habit of from the mother and as for the woman david he had been informed as as s baker that the office of and bed maker was taken from him and would be given to this girl till the wedding was over and bob s wife took the management into her own hands they all sat down to high tea anne and her mother included and the captain sitting next to miss johnson anne had put a brave face upon the matter outwardly at least and seemed in a fair way of any lingering sentiment which bob s return had revived during the evening and while they still sat over the meal john came down on a hurried visit as he had promised on purpose to be introduced to his intended law but much more to get a word and a smile from his beloved anne before they saw him they the trumpet major q heard the trumpet major s smart step coming round the comer of the house and in a moment his form darkened the door as it was sunday he appeared in his full dress coat white waistcoat and breeches and towering the latter of which he instantly lowered as much from necessity as good manners the beam in the mill house ceiling having a tendency to and ruin all such without warning john we ve been hoping you would come down said the miller and so we have kept the about on purpose draw up and speak to mrs johnson ma am this is robert s brother your humble servant ma am said the gallantly as it was getting dusk in the low small room he instinctively moved towards miss johnson as he spoke who sat with her back to the window he had no sooner noticed her features than his nearly fell from his hand his face became suddenly fixed and his natural complexion took itself off leaving a yellow in its stead the young person on her part had no sooner looked closely at him than she said weakly robert s brother and changed colour yet more rapidly than the trumpet major the soldier had done the previously half seized on her now in real earnest i don t feel well she said suddenly rising by an effort this warm day has quite upset me there was a regular of the tea party like that of the hamlet play scene bob seized his sweetheart and carried her upstairs the miller exclaiming ah she s terribly worn by the journey i thought she was when i saw her nearly go off at the of the cow no woman would have been frightened at that if she d been up to her natural strength that and being so very shy of men too must have made john s handsome quite overpowering to her poor thing added mrs following the young lady upstairs whose was this time beyond question and yet by some of the heart she was as eager now to make light of her as she had been to make much of it two or three	45
hours ago the miller and john stood like straight sticks in the room the others had quitted john s face being hastily turned towards a of on the wall that he had not seen more than a hundred and fifty times before come sit down and have a dish of tea any the trumpet major how said his father at last she ll soon be right again no doubt thanks i don t want any tea said john quickly and indeed he did not for he was in one gigantic ache from head to foot the light had been too dim for anybody to notice his amazement and not knowing where to vent it the trumpet major said he was going out for a minute he hastened to the but david being there he went to the but the maid being there he went to the cart shed but a couple of being there he went behind a row of french beans in the garden where he let off an the most pious that he had uttered that sabbath day heaven what s to be done and then he walked wildly about the paths of the dusky garden where the of the seemed loud by comparison with the stillness around treading on the that had come forth to feed and his spurs in the long grass till the were choked with its blades presently he heard another person approaching and his brother s shape appeared between the tree and the hedge oh is it you john said the mate yes i am taking a little air she is getting round nicely again and as i am the trumpet major not wanted indoors just now i am going into the village to call upon a friend or two i have not been able to speak to as yet john took his brother bob s hand bob rather wondered why all right old boy he said going into the village you ll be back again i suppose before it gets very late oh yes said captain bob cheerfully and passed out of the garden john allowed his eyes to follow his brother till his shape could not be seen and then he turned and again walked up and down the major chapter xviii the night after the arrival john continued his sad and heavy pace till walking seemed too old and worn out a way of showing sorrow so new and he himself against the fork of an apple tree like a log there the trumpet major remained for a considerable time his face turned towards the house whose ancient outline rose against the darkening sky and just shut out from his view the camp above but faint noises coming thence from horses restless at the and from visitors taking their leave recalled its existence and reminded him that in consequence of s arrival he had obtained leave for the night a fact which owing to the startling emotions that followed his entry he had not yet mentioned to his friends while considering how he could best use that privilege under the new circumstances which had arisen he heard farmer drive up to the front door and hold a conversation with his father the old man had at last apparently brought the tin box of private papers that he wished the trumpet major the miller to take charge of during s absence and it being a calm night john could hear though he little uncle s to to keep it safe from fire and thieves then uncle left and john s father went upstairs to deposit the box in a place of security the whole proceeding reaching john s comprehension merely as voices during sleep the next thing was the appearance of a light in the bedroom which had been assigned to johnson this effectually aroused the trumpet major and with a unusual in him he went indoors no light was in the lower rooms his father mrs and anne having gone out on the bridge to look at the new moon john went upstairs on tip toe and along the passage till he came to her door it was standing a band of shining across the passage and up the opposite wall as soon as he entered the radiance he saw her she was standing before the apparently lost in thought her fingers being clasped behind her head in abstraction and the light falling full upon her face i must speak to you said the trumpet major she started turned and grew paler than before and then as if moved by a sudden impulse she the trumpet major swung the door wide open and coming out said quite and with apparent oh yes you are my bob s brother i didn t for a moment recognise you but you do now as bob s brother you have not seen me before i have not she answered with a face as as a and s good god i have not she repeated nor any of the th captain jolly for instance no you mistake i ll remind you of particulars he said and he did remind her at some length never she said desperately but she had her staying powers and her adversary s character five minutes after that she was in tears and the conversation had resolved itself into words which on the soldier s part were of the nature of commands tempered by pity and were a mere series of entreaties on hers the whole scene did not last ten minutes when it was over the trumpet major walked from the doorway where they had been standing and brushed the trumpet major the trumpet major moisture from his eyes reaching a dark he stood still there to calm himself and then descended by a ladder to the instead of by the front stairs he found that the others including bob had gathered in the parlour during	45
his absence and lighted the candles miss johnson having sent down some time before john re entered the house to say that she would prefer to keep her room that evening was not expected to join them and on this account bob showed less than his customary the miller wishing to keep up his son s spirits expressed his regret that it being sunday night they could have no songs to make the evening cheerful when mrs proposed that they should sing which by choosing lively tunes and not thinking of the words would be almost as good as this they did the trumpet major appearing to join in with the rest but as a matter of fact no sound came from his moving lips mind was in such a state that he derived no pleasure even from anne s presence though he held a comer of the same book with her and was treated in a way which it was not her usual practice to indulge in she saw that his mind was clouded and far from the reason why was doing her best to clear it the trumpet major at length the found that it was the hour for them to leave and john at the same time wished his father and bob good night and went as far as mrs s door with her he had said not a word to show that he was free to remain out of camp for the reason that there was painful work to be done which it would be best tp do in secret and alone he lingered near the house till its reflected window ceased to glimmer upon the mill pond and all within the dwelling was dark and still then he entered the garden and waited there till the back door opened and a woman s figure came forward john at once went up to her and they began to talk in low yet tones they had conversed about ten minutes and were parting as if they had come to some painful arrangement miss johnson sobbing bitterly when a head stealthily arose above the dense and in a moment a shout burst from its owner thieves thieves my tin box thieves thieves vanished into the house and john hastened to the hedge for heaven s sake hold your tongue mr he exclaimed my tin box said uncle oh only the trumpet the trumpet major your box is safe enough i assure you it was only here the trumpet major gave vent to an artificial laugh only a sly bit of you know i said the relieved old miss anne then youve my nephew trumpet major well so much the better as for myself the truth on t is that i haven t been able to go to bed easy for thinking that possibly your father might not take care of what i put under his charge and at last i thought i would just step over and see if all was safe here before i turned in and when i saw your two shapes my poor nerves ye to and and i don t know what all you have alarmed the house said the hearing the of flint and steel in his father s bedroom followed in a moment by the rise of a light in the window of the same apartment you have got me into difficulty he added gloomily as his father opened the i am sorry for that said uncle but step back til put it all right again what for heaven s sake is the matter said the miller his appearing in the opening nothing nothing said the farmer i was the trumpet major uneasy about my few bonds and documents and i walked this way miller before going to bed as i start from home to morrow morning when i came by your garden hedge i thought i saw thieves but it turned out to be to be here a lump of earth from the trumpet major s hand struck uncle in the back as a to be the bough of a cherry tree a waving in the wind good night no thieves are like to try my house said miller now don t you come alarming us like this again farmer or you shall keep your box yourself begging your pardon for sa so good night t ye miller will ye just look since i am here just look and see if the box is all right there s a good man i am old you know and my poor remains are not what my original self was look and see if it is where you put it there s a good kind man very well said the miller good neighbour on second thoughts i will take my box home again after all if you don t mind you won t deem it ill of me i have no suspicions of course but now i think on t there s between my nephew and your son and if should take it into his head to set your house on fire in his enmity be bad for my deeds the trumpet major and documents no offence miller but i ll take the box if you don t mind faith i don t mind said but your nephew had better think twice before he lets his enmity take that colour receding from the window he took the candle to a back part of the room and soon reappeared with the tin box i won t ye to dress said let en down by anything you have at hand the box was lowered by a cord and the old man clasped it in his arms thank he said with gratitude good night the miller replied and closed the window and the light went out there now i hope you are satisfied sir said the trumpet major quite quite	45
said and leaning on his walking stick he pursued his lonely way that night anne lay awake in her bed musing on the traits of the new friend who had come to her neighbour s house she would not be critical it was and wrong but she could not help thinking of what interested her and were there she silently asked in miss johnson s mind and person such rare qualities as placed that lady altogether beyond comparison with herself oh the trumpet major yes there must be for had not captain bob out from among all other women herself included of course with his world wide experience he knew best when the moon had s t and only the summer stars threw their light into the great damp garden she fancied that she heard voices in that direction perhaps they were the voices of bob and taking a lover s walk before retiring if so how sleepy they would be next day and how absurd it was of to pretend she was tired in this way and saying to herself that she hoped they would be happy anne fell asleep the trumpet major chapter xix miss johnson s causes no little surprise partly from the excitement of having his under the paternal roof bob rose next morning as early as his father and the and when the big wheel began to and the little ones to in response went to sun himself outside the mill front among the fowls of brown and kinds which haunted that spot and the ducks that came up from the mill tail standing on the worn out mill stone in the gravel he talked with his father on various improvements of the premises and on the proposed arrangements for his permanent residence there with an enjoyment that was half based upon this prospect of the future and half on the penetrating warmth of the sun to his back and shoulders then the different troops of horses began their morning scramble down to the mill pond and after making it very muddy round the edge ascended the slope again the bustle of the camp grew more and more audible the trumpet major and presently david came to say that breakfast was ready is miss johnson downstairs said the miller and bob listened for the answer looking at a blue aloft on the down not yet said the excellent david we ll wait till she s down said when she is let us know david went indoors again and and bob continued their morning survey by ascending into the mysterious quivering recesses of the mill and holding a discussion over a second pair of which had to be re dressed before they could be used again this and similar things occupied nearly twenty minutes and looking from the window the elder of the two was reminded of the time of day by seeing mrs s table cloth fluttering from her back door over the heads of a flock of that had alighted for the i suppose david can t find us he said with a sense of hunger that was not altogether strange to bob he put out his head and shouted the lady is not down yet said his man in reply no hurry no hurry said the miller with cheerful bob to pass the time we ll look into the garden t trumpet major she ll get up sooner than this know when she s signed articles and got a berth here bob observed yes yes said and they descended into the garden here they turned over sundry flat stones and killed the sheltered beneath them from the coming heat of the day talking of in all their branches of the brown and the black of the tough and the tender of the reason why there were so many in the garden that year of the coming time when the grass walks them were to be taken up and gravel laid and of the relative merits of a pair of and the heel of the shoe at last the miller said well really bob i m hungry we must begin without her they were about to go in when david appeared with haste in his motions his eyes wider than and his cheeks nearly all gone i ve been to call her and as a didn t speak i and as a didn t answer i kicked and not being the door opened and she s gone bob went off like a swallow towards the house and the miller followed like the rather heavy that he was that miss was not in her room or a scrap of an belonging to her was the trumpet major soon apparent they searched every place in which she could possibly hide or squeeze herself every place in which she could not but found nothing at all captain bob was quite wild with astonishment and grief when he was quite sure that she was nowhere in his father s house he ran into mrs s and telling them the story so hastily that they hardly understood the particulars he went on towards comfort s house intending to raise the alarm there and also at s beach s s the parson s the clerk s the camp of of and so on through the whole county but he paused and thought it would be hardly expedient to publish his discomfiture in such a way if had left the house for any reason he would not care to look for her and if her deed had a tragic intent she would keep aloof from camp and village in his trouble he thought of anne she was a nice girl and could be trusted to her he went and found her in a state of excitement and anxiety which equalled his own tis so lonely to for her all by myself said bob his forehead all in wrinkles and	45
i ve thought you would come with me and cheer the way he trumpet major where shall we search said anne oh in the holes of rivers you know and down wells and in and over cliffs and like that your eyes might catch the loom of any bit of a shawl or bonnet that i should overlook and it would do me a real service please do come so anne took pity upon him and put on her hat and went the miller and david having gone off in another direction they examined the of fields bob going round by one fence and anne by the other till they met at the opposite side then they peeped under into and down old wells and till the theory of a end had nearly spent its force in bob s mind and he began to think that had simply run away however they still walked on though by this time the sun was hot and anne would gladly have sat down now didn t you think highly of her miss he inquired as the search began to oh yes said anne very highly she was really beautiful no nonsense about her looks was there none her beauty was thoroughly ripe not the trumpet major too young we should all have got to love her what can have possessed her to go away i don t know and upon my life i shall soon be drove to say i don t care replied the mate let me pilot ye down over those stones he added as anne began to descend a rugged he stepped forward down and turned to her she gave him her hand and sprang down before he his hold captain bob raised her fingers to his lips and kissed them oh captain cried anne away her hand in genuine dismay while a tear rose unexpectedly to each eye i never heard of such a thing i won t go an inch farther with you sir it is too bare faced and she turned and ran off upon my life i didn t mean it said the captain hastening after i do love her best indeed i do and i don t love you at all i am not so as that i merely just for the moment admired you as a sweet little craft and that s how i came to do it you know miss he continued earnestly and still running after tis like this when you come ashore after having been shut up in a ship for eighteen months women folks seem so new and nice that you can t the trumpet major help liking them one and all in a body and so your heart is apt to get scattered and a bit but of course i think of poor most and shall always stick to her he heaved a sigh of tremendous magnitude to show beyond the possibility of doubt that his heart was still in the place that honour required i am glad to hear that of course i am very glad said she with quick keeping her face turned from him and i hope we shall find her and that the wedding will not be put off and that you ll both be happy but i won t look for her any more no i don t care to look for her and my head i am going home and so am i said robert promptly no no go on looking for her of course all the afternoon and all night i am sure you will if you love her oh yes i mean to still i ought to you home first no you ought not and i shall not accept your company good morning sir and she went off over one of the stone with which the spot leaving the sailor standing in the field he sighed again and observing the camp not far off thought he would go to his brother john the trumpet major and ask him his opinion on the sorrowful case on reaching the tents he found that john was not at liberty just at that time being engaged in the and leaving word that he wished the trumpet major to come down to the mill as soon as possible bob went back again tis no good looking for her he said gloomily she liked me well enough but when she came here and saw the house and the place and the old horse and the plain furniture she was disappointed to l nd us all so homely and felt she didn t care to marry into such a family his father and david had returned with no news yes tis as been thinking father bob said we weren t good enough for her and she went away in scorn well that can t be helped said the miller what we be we be and have been for generations to my mind she seemed glad enough to get hold of us yes yes for the moment because of the flowers and birds and what s pretty in the place said bob but you don t know father how should you know who have hardly been out of in your life you don t know what delicate feelings are in a real refined woman s mind any little vulgar action their nerves like a the trumpet major now i wonder if you did anything to disgust her faith not that i know of said reflecting i didn t say a single thing that i should naturally have said on purpose to give no offence you was rs very homely you know father yes so i was said the miller meekly i wonder what it could have been bob continued wandering about you didn t go drinking out of the big with your mouth full or wipe your lips with	45
your sleeve that ru swear i didn t said the miller firmly thinks i there s no knowing what i may do to shock her so i ll take my solid in the and only a and a drop in her company for manners you could do no more than that certainly said bob gently if my manners be good enough for up people like the they be good enough for her continued the miller with a sense of injustice that s true then it must have been david david come here how did you behave before that lady now mind you speak the truth the trumpet major yes mr captain robert said david earnestly i assure ye she was served like a royal queen the best silver were put down and yer poor s silver as you seed and the feather cushion for her to sit on now got it said bob bringing down his hand upon the window sill her bed was hard and there s nothing a true lady like that the bed in that room always was as hard as the rock of no captain bob the beds were changed wasn t they we put the goose bed in her room and the flock one that used to be there in yours yes we did the miller david and i changed em with our own hands because they were too heavy for the women to move sure i didn t know i had the flock bed murmured bob i slept on little thinking what i was going to wake to well well she s gone and search as i will i shall never find another like her she was too good for me she must have carried her box with her own hands poor girl as far as that goes i could overtake her even now i dare say but i won t entreat her against her will not i miller and david feeling themselves to be rather a in the presence of bob s the trumpet major the trumpet major tender emotions managed to edge off by degrees the former burying himself in the most recesses of the mill his invariable resource when the having a soothing effect upon the nerves of those properly trained to its music bob was so impatient that after going up to her room to assure himself once more that she had not but had only lain down on the outside of the bed he went out of the house to meet john and waited on the sunny slope of the down till his brother appeared john looked so brave and and warlike that even in bob s present distress he could not but feel an honest and affectionate pride at such a relative yet he fancied that john did not come along with the same swinging step he had shown yesterday and when the trumpet major got nearer he looked anxiously at the mate and waited for him to speak first you know our great trouble john said robert gazing into his brother s eyes come and sit down and tell me all about it answered the trumpet major showing no surprise they went towards a slight where it was easier to sit down than on the flat ground and here john among the pointing to his brother to do the same the trumpet major but do you know what it is said robert has anybody told ye i do know said john she s gone and i am thankful what said bob rising to his knees in amazement fm at the bottom of it said the trumpet major slowly you john yes and if you will listen i ll tell you all do you remember what happened when i came into the room last night why she turned colour and nearly fainted away that was because she knew me bob stared at his brother with a face of pain and distrust for once bob i must say something that will hurt thee a good deal continued john she was not a woman who could possibly be your wife and so she s gone you sent her oflf weu i did john tell me right tell me perhaps i had better said the trumpet major his blue eyes resting on the far distant sea that seemed to rise like a wall as high as the hill they sat upon and then he told a tale of miss johnson which the trumpet major wrung his heart as much in the telling as it did bob s to hear and which showed that john had been temporarily cruel to be ultimately kind even bob excited as he was could discern from john s manner of speaking what a terrible undertaking that night s business had been for him to justify the course he had adopted the of duty must have been imperative but the trumpet major with a becoming which his brother at the time was naturally unable to appreciate scarcely dwelt distinctly enough upon the compelling cause of his conduct it would indeed have been hard for any man much less so modest a one as john to do himself justice in that remarkable relation when the listener was the lady s lover and it is no wonder that robert rose to his feet and put a greater distance between himself and john and what time was it he asked in a hard suppressed voice it was just before one o clock how could you help her to go away i had a pass i carried her box to the she was to follow at dawn but she had no money yes she had i took particular care of that john did not add as he might have done that he had given her in his pity all the money he possessed the major and at present had only in the world well it is	45
over bob so sit ye down and talk with me of old times he added ah jack it is well enough for you to speak like that said the sailor but i can t help feeling that it is a cruel thing you have done after all she would have been snug enough for me would i had never found out this about her john why did you interfere you had no right to my affairs like this why didn t you tell me fairly all you knew and let me do as i chose you have turned her out of the house and it s a shame if she had only come to me why didn t she because she knew it was best to do otherwise well i shall go after her said bob firmly you can do as you like said john but i would advise you strongly to leave matters where they are i won t leave matters where they are said bob you have made me miserable and all for nothing i tell you she was good enough for me and as long as i knew nothing about what you say of her history what difference would it have made to me never was there a young woman who was better company and she loved a merry song as i do myself yes i ll follow her the trumpet major oh bob said john i hardly expected this i that s because you didn t know your man can i ask you to do me one kindness i don t suppose i can can i ask you not to say a word against her to any of them at home certainly the very reason why i got her to go off silently as she has done was because nothing should be said against her here and no scandal should be heard of that may be but i m off after her marry that girl i wiu you ll be sorry that we shall see replied robert with determination and he went away rapidly towards the mill the trumpet major had no heart to follow no good could possibly come of further opposition and there on the down he remained like a image till bob had vanished from his sight into the mill bob entered his father s only to leave word that he was going on a renewed search for and to pack up a few necessaries for his journey ten minutes later he came out again with a bundle in his hand and john saw him go across the lower fields towards the high road and this is all the good i have done said the trumpet major john y his stock where it cut his neck and descending towards the mill chapter xx how they lessened the effect of the calamity meanwhile anne had gone home and being weary with her scramble in search of sat silent in a corner of the room her mother was passing the time in giving utterance to every conceivable on the cause of miss johnson s disappearance that the human mind could frame to which anne returned answers the result not of indifference but of intense pre occupation presently the father came to the door her mother vanished with him and they remained together a long time anne went into the garden and seated herself beneath the tree whose boughs had sheltered her during so many hours of her residence here her attention was fixed more upon the miller s wing of the irregular building before her than upon that occupied by her mother for she could not help expecting every to see some one run out with z s the trumpet major a wild face and announce some awful clearing up of the mystery every sound set her on the alert and hearing the tread of a horse in the lane she looked round eagerly gazing at her over the hedge was mounted on such an tall animal that he could see her to her very feet over the thick and broad thorn fence she no sooner recognised him than she withdrew her glance but as his eyes were fixed steadily upon her this was a futile i saw you look round he exclaimed what have i done to make you behave like that come miss be fair tis no use to turn your back upon me as she did not turn he went on well now this is enough to provoke a saint now i tell you what miss here fu stay till you do turn round if tis all the afternoon you know my temper what i say i mean he seated himself firmly in the saddle plucked some leaves from the hedge and began humming a song to show how absolutely indifferent he was to the flight of time what have you come for that you are so anxious to see me inquired anne when at last he had wearied her patience rising and facing him the trumpet major with the added independence which came from a sense of the hedge between them there i knew you would turn round he said his hot angry face invaded by a smile in which his teeth showed like white hemmed in by red at what do you want mr said she what do you want mr now listen to that is that my encouragement anne bowed and moved away i have just heard news that explains all that said the giant her movements with my uncle has been letting things out he was here late last night and he saw you indeed he didn t said anne oh now he saw trumpet major somebody like you in that garden walk and when he came you ran indoors it is not true and i wish to hear no more upon my life he said so how can you do it miss when	45
t go after all he said i be by accidents any more he picked up his bundle and and his steps towards mill knocking down the and as he went with gloomy and indifferent blows when he got within sight of the house he beheld david in the road all right all right again captain shouted that a wedding after all ah she s back again cried bob seizing david and dancing round with him no but it s all the same it is of no consequence at all and no harm will be done and mrs have made up a match and mean to marry at once that the wedding may not be wasted they felt be a thousand to let such good things get blue for want of a ceremony to use em upon and at last they have thought of this i don t care for the bitterly cried bob in a tone of far higher thought how you disappoint me and he went slowly towards the house his father appeared in the opening of the looking more cheerful than when they had parted what robert you ve been after her he said faith then i wouldn t have followed her if the trumpet major i had been as sure as you were that she went away in scorn of us since you told me that i have not looked for her at all i was wrong father bob replied gravely throwing down his bundle and stick i find has not gone away in scorn of us she has gone away for other reasons i followed her some way but i have come back again she may go why is she gone said the astonished miller bob had intended for s sake to give no reason to a living soul for her departure but he could not treat his father thus and he told she has made great fools of us said the miller deliberately and she might have made us greater ones bob i thought th more sense well don t say anything against her father implored bob twas a sorry haul and there s an end on t let her down quietly and keep the secret you promise that i do the elder remained thinking awhile and then went on well what i was going to say is this i ve hit upon a plan to get out of the awkward comer she has put us in what you ll think of it i can t say david has just given me the heads the trumpet major and do it hurt your feelings my son at such a time no bring myself to bear it anyhow why should i object to other people s happiness because i have lost my own said bob with in his air well said answered the miller heartily but you may be sure that there will be no rejoicing to disturb ye in your present frame of mind all the morning i felt more ashamed than i cared to own at the thought of how the neighbours great and small would laugh at what they would call your folly when they knew what had happened so i resolved to take this step to it off if so be twas possible and when i saw mrs i knew i had done right she pitied me so much for having had the house cleaned in vain and laid in provisions to waste that it put her into the humour to agree we mean to do it right off at once afore the and cakes get and the stale twas a good thought of mine and hers and i am glad tis settled he concluded cheerfully poor murmured bob there i was afraid hurt thy feelings said the miller with self reproach making preparations for thy wedding and using them for my own r e trumpet major no said bob it shall not it will be a great comfort in my sorrow to feel that the splendid and the ale and your new suit of clothes and the great table youve bought will be just as useful now as if i had married myself poor but you won t expect me to join in you hardly can i can sheer off that day very easily you know nonsense bob said the miller i couldn t stand it i should break down deuce take me if i would have asked her then if i had known twas going to drive thee out of the house now come bob i ll find a way of arranging it and it down so that it shall be as melancholy as you can require in short just like a funeral if thou lt promise to stay very well said the young man on that condition i ll stay trumpet major the trumpet major chapter xxi upon the hill he turned having entered into this solemn compact with his son the elder s next action was to go to mrs and ask her how the down of the wedding had best be done it is plain enough that to make just now would be bob s feelings as if we didn t care who was not married so long as we were he said but then what s to be done about the give a dinner to the poor folk she suggested we can get ever used up that way that s true said the miller there s enough of em in these times to carry off ny whatsoever and it will save bob s wonderfully and they won t know that the dinner was got for another sort of wedding and another sort of guests so you ll have their good will for nothing the miller smiled at the of the view that can hardly be called fair he said still i did mean some of it for	45
them for the friends we meant to ask would not have cleared all the trumpet major upon the whole the idea pleased him well particularly when he noticed the forlorn look of his sailor son as he walked about the place and pictured the inevitably effect of and upon bob s shattered nerves at such a crisis even if the notes of the former were by the application of a mute and bob shut up in a distant bedroom a plan which had at first occurred to him he therefore told bob that the was to be emptied by the charitable process above alluded to and hoped he would not mind making himself useful in such a good and gloomy work bob readily fell in with the scheme and it was at once put in hand and the tables spread the alacrity with which the wedding was carried out seemed to show that the worthy pair of neighbours would have joined themselves into one long ago had there previously occurred any domestic incident such a step as an expedient apart from their personal wish to marry the appointed morning came and the service quietly took place at the cheerful hour of tea in the face of a congregation of which the base was the front and the the west door mrs dressed herself in the muslin shawl like queen s that bob had brought the trumpet major home and her best coloured gown beneath which peeped out her shoes with red anne was present but she toned herself down so as not to too seriously damage her mother s appearance at moments during the ceremony she had a sense that she ought not to be bom and was glad to get home again the interest excited in the village though real was hardly enough to bring a serious blush to the face of neighbours minds had become so by the abundance of military and incident lately vouchsafed to them that a wedding of middle aged was of small account excepting in so far that it solved the question whether or not mrs would consider herself too genteel to mate with a of com in the evening s heart was made glad by seeing the baked and boiled in rapid process of consumption by the of people assembled for that purpose three quarters of an hour were sufficient to banish for ever his fears as to spoilt food the provisions being the cause of the assembly and not its consequence it had been determined to get all that would not keep consumed on that day even if and hedges had to be searched for and in addition to the the trumpet major poor and every s daughter known to the miller was invited and told to bring her lover from camp an expedient which for letting daylight into the inside of full was among the most happy ever known while mr and mrs anne and bob were standing in the parlour discussing the progress of the entertainment in the next room john who had not been down all day entered the house and looked in upon them through the open door how s this john why didn t you come before had to see the captain and other duties said the trumpet major in a tone which showed no great zeal for explanations well come in however continued the miller as his son remained with his hand on the surveying them i cannot stay long said john advancing the route is come and we are going away going away where to to when friday morning all of you yes some to morrow and some next day the king goes next w ttie major i am sorry for this said the miller not expressing half his sorrow by the simple utterance i wish you could have been here to day since this is the case he added looking at the horizon through the window mrs also expressed her regret which seemed to remind the trumpet major of the event of the day and he went to her and tried to say something the occasion anne had not said that she was either sorry or glad but john fancied that she had looked rather relieved than otherwise when she heard his news his conversation with bob on the down made bob s manner too remarkably cool notwithstanding that he had after all followed his brother s advice which it was as yet too soon after the event for him to rightly value john did not know why the sailor had come back never supposing that it was because he had thought better of going and said to him privately you didn t overtake her i didn t try to said bob and you are not going to no i shall let her drift i am glad indeed bob you have been wise said john heartily bob however still loved too well to be the trumpet major other than dissatisfied with john and the event that he had which the elder brother only too promptly perceived and it made his stay that evening of short duration before leaving he said with some hesitation to his father including anne and her mother by his glance do you think to up and see us off the miller answered for them all and said that of course they would come but you ll step down again between now and then he inquired fu try to he added after a pause in case i should not remember that will sound at half past five we shall leave about eight next perhaps we shall come and camp here again i hope so said his father and mrs there was something in john s manner which indicated to anne that he scarcely intended to come down again but the others did not notice it and she said nothing he departed a few minutes later in the dusk	45
of the august evening leaving anne still in doubt as to the meaning of his private meeting with miss johnson john had been going to tell them that on the last night by an especial privilege it would be in his power to come and stay with them until the major eleven o clock but at the moment of leaving he abandoned the intention anne s attitude had chilled him and made him anxious to be off he the spare hours of that last night in another way this was by coming down from the outskirts of the camp in the evening and himself near the brink of the mill pond as soon as it was quite dark where he watched the lights in the different windows till one appeared in anne s bedroom and she herself came forward to shut the with the candle in her hand the light shone out upon the broad and deep mill head to a distinct individuality every and that entered the quivering chain of radiance stretching across the water towards him and every or of that floated into its width she stood for some time looking out little thinking what the darkness concealed on the other side of that wide stream till at length she closed the drew the curtains and retreated into the room presently the light went out upon which john returned to camp and lay down in his tent the next morning was dull and windy and the trumpets of the th sounded for the last time on down knowing that the the trumpet major were going away anne had slept and was at once awakened by the smart notes she looked out of the window to find that the miller was already his white form being visible at the end of his garden where he stood motionless watching the preparations anne also looked on as well as she could through the dim grey gloom and soon she saw the blue smoke from the fires creeping along the ground instead of rising in columns as it had done during the fine weather season then the men began to carry their to the and others to throw all refuse into the till the down was lively as an ant hill anne did not want to see john again but hearing the household she began to dress at leisure looking out at the camp the while when the soldiers had she saw them selling and giving away their superfluous to the natives who had clustered round and then they pulled down and cleared away the temporary which they had constructed when they came a tapping of tent and of posts followed and soon the of white canvas now almost become a com part of the landscape fell to the ground at this moment the miller came indoors and asked at the trumpet major the foot of the stairs if anybody was going up the hill with him anne felt that in spite of the cloud hanging over john in her mind it would ill become the present moment not to see him off and she went downstairs to her mother who was already there though bob was nowhere to be seen each took an arm of the miller and thus climbed to the top of the hill by this time the men and horses were at the place of assembly and shortly after the reached level ground the troops slowly began to move forward when the trumpet major half buried in his uniform arms and horse furniture drew near to the spot where the were waiting to see him pass his father turned anxiously to anne and said you will shake hands with john anne faintly replied yes and allowed the miller to take her forward on his arm to the so as to be close to the flank of the approaching column it came up many people on each side grasping the hands of the in bidding them farewell and as soon as john saw the members of his father s household he stretched down his hand across his right pistol for the same performance the miller gave his then mrs the trumpet major gave hers and then the hand of the trumpet major was extended towards anne but as the horse did not absolutely stop it was a somewhat awkward performance for a young woman to undertake and more on that account than on any other anne drew back and the gallant passed by without receiving her adieu anne s heart reproached her for a moment and then she thought that after all he was not going off to immediate battle and that she would in all probability see him again at no distant date when she hoped that the mystery of his conduct would be explained her thoughts were interrupted by a voice at her elbow thank heaven he s gone now there s a chance for me she turned and was standing by her there s no chance for you she said indignantly why not because there s another left the words had slipped out quite and she blushed quickly she would have given an to be able to recall them but he had heard and said who anne went forward to the miller to avoid replying and caught her no more has anybody been hanging about the trumpet major mill except s son the soldier he asked of a comrade his son the sailor was the reply oh his son the sailor said slowly damn his son the sailor the trumpet major chapter xxii the two united at this particular moment the object of s was assuredly not dangerous as a rival bob after watching the soldiers from the front of the house till they were out of sight had gone within doors and seated himself in the mill parlour where his father found him his elbows resting on the table and his forehead on	45
his hands his eyes being fixed upon a document that lay open before him what art bob with such a long face bob sighed and then mrs and anne entered tis only a state paper that i fondly thought i should have a use for he said gloomily and looking down as before he cleared his voice as if moved inwardly to go on and began to read in feeling tones from what proved to be his marriage by permission bishop the trumpet major of to our well beloved robert of the parish of bachelor and johnson of the same parish greeting here anne sighed but contrived to keep down her sigh to a mere nothing beautiful language isn t it said bob i was never greeted like that afore yes i have often thought it very excellent language myself said mrs come to that the old gentleman will greet thee like it again any day for a couple of guineas said the miller that s not the point father you never could see the real meaning of these things well then he goes on whereas ye are as it is alleged determined to enter into the holy estate of matrimony but why should i read on it all means nothing now nothing and the splendid words are all wasted upon air it seems as if i had been hailed by some venerable prophet and had turned away put the hard up and wouldn t hear nobody replied feeling probably that sympathy could not meet the case and bob went on reading the rest of it to himself occasionally heaving a breath like the wind in a ship s the trumpet major jt i wouldn t set my mind so much upon her if i was thee said his father at last why not well folk might call thee a fool and say thy brains were turning to water bob was apparently much struck by this thought and instead of continuing the discourse further he carefully folded up the went out and walked up and down the garden it was apt what his father had said and worse than that what people would call him might be true and the of his brains turn out to be no fable by degrees he became much concerned and the more he examined himself by this new light the more clearly did he perceive that he was in a very bad way on reflection he remembered that since miss johnson s departure his appetite had he had eaten in meat no more than fourteen or fifteen a day but one third of a on an average in vegetables only a small heap of potatoes and half a york and no whatever which considering the usual appetite of a seaman for fresh food at the end of a long voyage was no small index of the depression of his mind then he had once every night and on occasion twice while dressing the trumpet major each morning since the gloomy day he had not whistled more than seven bars of a without stopping and falling into thought of a most painful kind and he had told none but absolutely true stories of foreign parts to the neighbouring villagers when they saluted and clustered about him as usual for anything he chose to pour forth except that of the whale whose eye was about as large as the round pond in s lease which was like tempting fate to set a seal for ever upon his tongue as a traveller all this mental and physical had been produced by s departure he also considered what he had lost of the rational amusements of manhood during these unfortunate days he might have gone to every afternoon stood before lodge till the king and queen came out held his hat in his hand and enjoyed their smiles at his homage all for nothing watched the mounting heard the different bands strike up observed the staff and above all have seen the pretty girls go trip trip trip along the deliberately fixing their innocent eyes on the distant sea the grey cliffs and the sky and accidentally on the soldiers and himself fu out her image he said she shall t e et r a fool of me no more and his resolve resulted in conduct which had elements of real greatness he went back to his father whom he found in the mill tis true father what you say he observed my brains will turn to water if i think of her much longer by the oath of a i wish i could sigh less and laugh she s gone why can t i let her go and be happy but how begin take it careless my son said the miller and lay yourself out to enjoy and that s a thought said bob is good for t so is though i don t advise thee to drink neat i d almost forgot it said captain he went to his room hastily the of tobacco that he had brought home and began to make use of it in his own way calling to david for a bottle of the old household that had lain in the cellar these eleven years he was discovered by his father three quarters of an hour later as a half invisible object behind a cloud of smoke the miller drew a breath of relief why bob he said i thought the house was the trumpet mt l trumpet major i m smoking rather fast to drown my reflections father tis no use to w to tempt his appetite the mate made david cook an and a seed cake the latter so richly that it opened to the knife like a with the same object he stuck night lines into the banks of the mill pond and drew up next morning a family of	45
and other curious of the marine world but these were directly addressed to his father and mrs anne being included at the point by a glance only he sometimes opened bottles of sweet for her and then she thanked him but even this did not lead to her encouraging his chat the et major one day when anne was an apple she was left at table with the young man i have made something for you he said she looked all over the table nothing was there save the ordinary oh i don t mean that it is here it is out by the bridge at the mill head he arose and anne followed with curiosity in her eyes and with her firm little mouth up to a puzzled shape on reaching the she found that he had fixed in the keen damp draught which always prevailed over the wheel an harp of large size at present the strings were partly covered with a cloth he lifted it and the wires began to a weird harmony which mingled curiously with the of the wheel i made it on purpose for you miss he said she thanked him very warmly for she had never seen anything like such an instrument before and it interested her it was very thoughtful of you to make it she added how came you to think of such a thing oh i don t know exactly he replied as if he did not care to be questioned on the point i have never made one in my life till now the trumpet major every night after this during the mournful of autumn the strange mixed music of water wind and strings met her ear swelling and sinking with an almost supernatural the character of the instrument was far enough removed from anything she had hitherto seen of bob s so that she pleasantly at the new depths of poetry this contrivance revealed as in that young seaman s nature and allowed her emotions to flow out yet a little farther in the old direction notwithstanding her late severe resolve to bar them back one night when the mill was kept going into the small hours and the wind was exactly in the direction of the water current the music so mingled with her dreams as to wake her it seemed to set itself to the words remember me think of me she was much impressed the sounds were almost too touching and she spoke to bob the next morning on the subject how strange it is that you should have thought of fixing that harp where the water she gently observed it affects me almost painfully at night you are poetical captain bob but it is too too sad i will take it away said captain bob promptly the trumpet major it certainly is too sad i thought so myself i myself was kept awake by it one night how came you to think of making such a peculiar thing well said bob it is hardly worth saying why it is not a good place for such a queer noisy machine and take it away on second thoughts said anne i should like it to remain a little longer because it sets me thinking of me he asked with earnest frankness anne s colour rose fast well yes she said trying to much plain matter of fact into her voice of course i am led to think of the person who invented it bob seemed embarrassed and the subject was not pursued about half an hour later he came to her again with something of an uneasy look there was a little matter i didn t tell you just now miss he said about that harp thing i mean i did make it certainly but it was my brother john who asked me to do it just before he went away john is very musical as you know and he said it would interest you but as he didn t ask me to tell i did not perhaps i ought to have and not have taken the credit to myself the t oh it is nothing said anne quickly it is a very instrument after all and it will be just as well for you to take it away as you first proposed he said that he would but he forgot to do it that day and the following night there was a high wind and the harp cried and moaned so that anne whose window was quite near could hardly bear the sound with its new associations john was present to her mind all night as an ill used man and yet she could not own that she had ill used him the harp was removed next day bob feeling that his credit for was in her eyes by way of recovering it set himself to paint the summer house which anne frequented and when he came out he assured her that it was quite his own idea it wanted doing certainly she said in a tone it is just about troublesome yes you can t quite reach up that s because you are not very tall is it not captain you never used to say things like that oh i don t mean that you are much less than tall shall i hold the paint for you to save your stepping down the trumpet major thank you if you would she took the paint pot and stood looking at the brush as it moved up and down in his hand i hope i shall not your fingers he observed as he dipped oh that would not matter you do it very well i am glad to hear that you think so but perhaps not quite so much art is demanded to paint a summer house as to paint a picture thinking that as a painter s daughter and a person of education	45
system in der text in ist an die des materials und von von in ist information und den material der von ver week dire legal ist fur in den ist in ist ob ist von land land ob ist in es in form und der von die in form at ion en und und die we lt und au und den im books z i c collection of british authors edition vol a by thomas hardy in two vol u a or the castle of the de a story of to day by thomas hardy author of far from the crowd etc edition in two volumes vol il the right is reserved a or the castle of the book the third de continued chapter vi a quick arrested expression in her two eyes accompanied by a little a very little blush which long was all the outward disturbance that the sight of her lover caused the habit of self at any new was instinctive with her always could not say more than a word he looked his intense solicitude and spoke she declared that this was an unexpected pleasure had he arranged to come on the tenth as she wished how strange that they should meet thus and yet not strange the world was so small said that he was coming on the very day she mentioned that the appointment gave him infinite gratification which was quite within the truth come into this shop with me said with good humoured they entered the shop and talked on while she made a small purchase but not a word did say of her sudden errand to town i am having an exciting morning she said i am going from here to catch the one o clock train to it is important that you get there this afternoon i suppose a an yes you know why not at all the hunt ball it was fixed for the sixth and this is the sixth i thought they might have asked you no said a trifle gloomily no i am not asked but it is a great task for you a long journey and a ball all in one day yes said that but i don t mind it you are glad you are going are you glad he said softly her air confessed more than her words i am not so very glad that i am going to the hunt ball she replied thanks for that said he she lifted her eyes to his for a moment her manner had suddenly become so nearly the of that in the tea house that to suspect any of affection in her was no longer generous it was only as if a thin of recent events had her memories of him until his presence swept them away looked up and finding the to be still some way off he added when will you assure me of something in return for what i assured you that evening in the rain not before you have built the castle my aunt does not know about it yet nor anybody i ought to tell her no not yet i don t wish it then everything stands as usual she lightly nodded that is i may love you but you still will not say you love me t e g she nodded again and directing his attention to the advancing said please not a word more soon after this they left the s and parted driving straight off to the station and going on his way happy his re impression after a few minutes was that a special journey to town to fetch that magnificent which she had not once mentioned to him but which was plainly to be the medium of some proud purpose with her this evening was hardly in harmony with her of indifference to the attractions of the hunt ball he got into a cab and drove to his club where he and spent a great part of the afternoon in making calculations for the foundations of the castle works late in the afternoon he returned to his chambers wishing that he could the three days remaining before the tenth particularly this coming evening on his table was a letter in a strange writing and indifferently turning it over he found from the that it had been addressed to him days before at the king s arms hotel where it had lain ever since the landlord probably expecting him to return opening the he found to his surprise that it was after all an invitation to the hunt ball too late said to think i should be served this trick a second time after a moment s pause however he looked to see the time of day if was five minutes past five just about the hour when would be driving from station to castle to rest and prepare lo a herself for her evening triumph there was a train at six o clock timed to reach between eleven and twelve which by great exertion he might save even now if it were worth while to undertake such a scramble for the pleasure of dropping in to the ball at a late hour a moment s vision of moving to swift tunes on the arm of a person or persons unknown was enough to impart the required he jumped up flung his dress suit into a sent down to call a cab and in a few minutes was rattling off to the railway which had borne away from london just five hours earlier once in the train he began to consider where and how he could most conveniently dress for the dance the train would certainly be half an hour late half an hour would be spent in getting to the town hall and that was the utmost delay tolerable if he would secure the hand of for one spin or be	45
more than a mere behind the earlier he looked for an empty at the next and finding the one next his own he entered it and changed his for that in his during the run of twenty miles thus prepared he awaited the platform which was reached as the clock struck twelve called a fly and drove at once to the town hall the natives had ascended to their upper floors and were putting out their candles one by one as he passed along the streets but the lively strains that proceeded from the central edifice revealed distinctly enough what was going on among the temporary visitors from the neighbouring the de doors were opened for him and entering the lined with flags flowers and he stood looking into the furnace of gaiety beyond it was some time before he could gather his impressions of the scene so were the lights the motions the the full dress of officers and the of sound yet light sound and movement were not so much the essence of that giddy scene as an intense aim at in the beings it for two or three hours at least those whirling young people meant not to know that they were mortal the room was beating like a heart and the pulse was regulated by the trembling strings of the most popular band in but at last his eyes grew settled enough to look around the room was crowded too crowded every variety of fair ones beauties secondary and appeared among the personages the throng there were and also pale of little account speaking these daughters of the county fell into two classes one the pink faced girls from neighbouring and small country houses who knew not town except for an occasional fortnight and who spent their time from to day much as they spent it during the remaining nine months of the year the other class were the children of the wealthy who each season to the town house these were pale and collected showed less in their countenances and wore in general an to the languid manners of the capital a was in progress and ti a each set his mind had run so long upon the his glance involuntarily sought out that gleaming object rather than the personality of its at the top of the room there he beheld it but it was on the neck of de the whole explanation broke across his understanding in a second his dear had fetched the that should not appear to disadvantage among the county people by reason of her poverty it was generously done a disinterested act of kindness theirs was the friendship of and before he had got further than to this there wheeled round amongst the dancers a lady whose he recognised well she was and to the young man s vision a something distinguished her from all the rest this was not dress or ornament for she had hardly a upon her her attire being a model of effective simplicity her partner was captain de the discovery of this latter fact slightly obscured his appreciation of what he had discovered just before it was with rather a brow that he asked himself whether s as she called it for the de line might not lead to a of a different sort for its last representative which would be not at all satisfactory the remained in the background till the dance drew to a conclusion and then he went forward the circumstance of having met him by accident once already that day seemed to any surprise in miss power s bosom at seeing him now there was nothing in her parting from captain de when he led her to a seat calculated to make de i uneasy after his long absence though for that matter this proved nothing for like all wise maidens never ventured on the game of the eyes with a lover in public well knowing that every moment of such indulgence might mean an hour s sneer at her expense by the indulged gentleman next day when weighing by the aid of a cold morning light and a bad headache whilst was explaining to and her aunt the reason of his sudden appearance their attention was drawn to a seat a short way off by a fluttering of ladies round the spot in a moment it was whispered that somebody had fallen ill and in another that the sufferer was miss de mrs and at once joined the group of friends who were assisting her neither of them imagined for an instant that the unexpected advent of on the scene had anything to do with the poor girl s she was assisted out of the room and her brother who now came up prepared to take her home exchanging a few civil words with him which the hurry of the moment prevented them from continuing though on taking his leave with who was now better de informed in answer to a inquiry that he hoped to be back again at the ball in half an hour when they were gone feeling that now another dog might have his day sounded on the delightful question of a dance replied in the negative how is that asked with disappointment a i cannot dance again she said in a somewhat depressed tone i must be released from every engagement to do so on account of s illness i should have gone home with her if i had not been particularly requested to stay a little longer since it is as yet so early and s illness is not very serious if s illness was not very serious thought might have stretched a point but not wishing to hinder her in showing respect to a friend so well liked by himself he did not ask it de had promised to be back again in half an hour and had heard the promise	45
but at the end of twenty minutes still seeming indifferent to what was going on around her she said she would stay no longer and reminding that they were soon to meet and talk over the drove off with her aunt to castle stood looking at the retreating carriage till it was enveloped in shades that the lamps could not the ball room was now empty for him and feeling no great anxiety to return thither he stood on the steps for some minutes longer looking into the calm mild night and at the dark houses behind whose blinds lay the with their eyes sealed up in sleep he could not but think that it was rather too bad of to spoil his evening for a sentimental devotion to which could do the latter no good and he would have been seriously hurt at her move if it had not been equally severe upon captain de who was doubtless back full of belief that she would still be found there be i the star of gas over the entrance threw its light upon the walls on the opposite side of the street where there were notice boards of events in glancing over these for the fifth time his eye was attracted by the first words of a in blue letters of a size larger than the rest and moving onward a few steps he read castle by the kind permission of miss power a play will shortly be performed at the above castle in aid of the funds of the county hospital by the officers of the royal horse assisted by several ladies of the neighbourhood the cast and other particulars will be duly announced in small bills places will be reserved on application to mr high street where a plan of the room may be seen n b the castle is about fifteen minutes drive from station to which there are numerous convenient trains from all parts of the county in a profound study turned and re entered the ball room where he remained gloomily standing a here and there for about five minutes at the end of which he observed captain de who had returned to his word crossing the hall in his direction the gallant officer darted glances of lively search over every group of dancers and and then with rather a blank look in his face he came on to replying to the latter s inquiry for his sister that she had nearly recovered he said i don t see my father s neighbours anywhere they have gone home replied a trifle they asked me to make their apologies to you for leading you to expect they would remain miss power was too anxious about miss de to care to stay longer the eyes of de and the speaker met for an instant that curious guarded understanding or which arises at moments between two men in love with the same woman was present here and in their mutual glances each said as plainly as by words that her departure had ruined his evening s hope they were now about as much in one mood as it was possible for two such natures to be neither cared further for giddy curves on that town hall floor they stood talking languidly about this and that local topic till de turned aside for a short time to speak to a little lady who had beckoned to him in a few minutes he came back to mrs the wife of major of my battery would very much like me to introduce you de to her she is an old friend of your father s and has wanted to know you for a long time de and crossed over to the lady and in a few minutes thanks to her flow of spirits she and were with remarkable freedom it is a happy coincidence continued mrs that i should have met you here immediately after receiving a letter from your father indeed it reached me only this morning he has been so kind we are getting up some as you know i suppose to help the funds of the county hospital which is in debt i have just seen the announcement nothing more yes an purpose and as we wished to do it thoroughly well i asked mr to design us the and he has now sent me the sketches it is quite a secret at present we are going to play shakespeare s romantic drama love s labour s lost and we hope to get miss power to take the leading part you see being such a handsome girl and so wealthy and rather an novelty in the county as yet she would draw a crowded room and greatly benefit the funds miss power going to play herself i am rather surprised said whose idea is all this oh captain de s he s the entirely you see he is so interested in the neighbourhood his family having been connected with it for so many centuries that naturally a charitable object of this local nature appeals to his feelings naturally her listener repeated a ii a and have you settled who is to play the junior gentleman s part leading lover hero or whatever he is called not absolutely though i think captain de will not refuse it and he is a very good figure at present it lies between him and mr mild one of our young my husband of course takes the heavy line and i am to be the second lady though i am rather too old for the part really if we can only secure miss power for heroine the cast will be excellent excellent said with a smile de chapter vii when he awoke the next morning at the king s arms hotel felt quite morbid on recalling the intelligence he had received from mrs but as the day for	45
serious practical consultation about the castle works to which had alluded was now close at hand he determined to banish sentimental reflections on the that were her nature by active preparation for his profession undertaking to be her high priest in art to elaborate a structure whose cunning would be meeting her eye every day till the end of her natural life and saying to her he invented it with all the eloquence of an thing long regarded this was no mean satisfaction come what else would he returned to town the next day to set matters there in such trim that no inconvenience should result from his prolonged at the castle for having no other commission he determined with an eye rather to heart interests than to increasing his professional practice to make as before the castle itself his office and chief abiding place till the works were fairly in progress on the tenth he reappeared at passing through the town on the road to castle his eyes were again arrested by the notice board which had conveyed such startling information to him on the a la night of the ball the small bills now appeared but when he anxiously looked them over to learn how the parts were to be allotted he found that intelligence still withheld yet they told enough the list of lady players was given and miss power s name was one that a young lady who six months ago would scarcely join for conscientious reasons in a simple dance on her own lawn should now be willing to exhibit herself on a public stage love passages with a stranger argued a rate of development which under any circumstances would have surprised him but which with the particular addition as leading of captain de him almost to anger what arrangements had been going on in his absence to produce such a full blown intention it were futile to guess s course was a race rather than a march and each successive heat was startling in its of that which went before was however enough to know that his morals would have taken no such virtuous alarm had he been the chief male player instead of captain de he passed under the castle arch and entered there seemed a little turn in the tide of affairs when it was announced to him that miss power expected him and was alone the well known chambers through which he walked filled with twilight draughts and thin echoes that seemed to from two hundred years ago did not delay his eye as they had done when he had been ignorant that his destiny lay beyond and he de followed on through all this to where the modern sat to receive him he forgot everything in the pleasure of being alone in a room with her she met his eye with that in her own which cheered him it was a light expressing that something was understood between them she said quietly in two or three words that she had expected him in the explained that he had come only that morning from london after a little more talk in which she said that her aunt would join them in a few minutes and that miss de was still at her father s house she rang for tea and sat down beside a little table shall we proceed to business at once she asked him i suppose so first then when will the working drawings be ready which i think you said must be made out before the work could begin while informed her on this and other matters mrs entered and joined in the discussion after which they found it would be necessary to to the where the plans were hanging on their walk thither asked if he stayed late at the ball i left after you that was very early seeing how late you arrived yes i did not dance what did you do then i and walked to the door and saw an announcement i know the play that is to be performed in which you are to be the princess a that s not settled i have not agreed yet i shall not play the princess of france unless mr mild plays the of this sounded rather well the princess was the lady beloved by the king and mr mild the young lieutenant of was a inexperienced rather plain looking fellow whose sole interest in lay in the consideration of his costume and the sound of bis own voice in the ears of the audience with such an person to the part of lover the prominent character of leading young lady or heroine which was to was really the most satisfactory in the whole list for her for although she was to be hard there was just as much love making among the remaining personages while as had understood the play there could occur no of her person upon her lover s neck or upon the stage in her whole performance as there were in the parts chosen by mrs the major s wife and some of the other ladies why do you play at all he murmured what a question how could i refuse for such an excellent purpose they say that my taking a part will be worth a hundred pounds to the charity my father always supported the hospital which is quite and he said i was to do the same do you think the peculiar means you have adopted for supporting it entered into his view inquired regarding her with critical for my part i don t it is an interesting way she returned though apparently in a state of mental on de the point raised by his question and i shall not play the princess as i said to any other than that quiet young man now i assure you of this so don t be angry	45
and absurd besides the king doesn t marry me at the end of the play as in shakespeare s other and if miss de continues seriously i shall not play at all the young man pressed her hand but she gently slipped it away are we not engaged he asked she shook her head come yes we are shall we tell your aunt he continued at that moment mrs gk who had followed them to the at a slower pace appeared round the doorway no to the last replied hastily then her aunt entered and the conversation was no longer personal took his departure in a mood though not completely assured a chapter viii his serenity continued during two or three following days when continuing at the castle he got pleasant glimpses of now and then her strong desire that his love for her should be kept secret perplexed him but his affection was generous and he in that desire meanwhile news of the dramatic performance in every direction and in the next number of the county paper it was announced to s comparative satisfaction that the cast was settled mr mild having agreed to be the king and miss power the french princess captain de with becoming modesty for one who was the leading spirit figured quite low down in the secondary character of sir remembered that by a happy chance the costume he had designed for sir was not at all picturesque moreover sir scarcely came near the princess through the whole play every day after this there was coming and going to and from the castle of railway laden with canvas columns trees limp house fronts and there were also frequent of young ladies from neighbouring country houses and warriors from the x and y of by their de but it was upon captain de and mrs that the weight of preparation fell through being much occupied in the drawing office was seldom present during the and until one day tea being served in the at the usual hour he dropped in with the rest to receive a cup from s table the chatter was tremendous and was at once consulted about some necessary which was to be specially made at after that he was looked on as one of the band which resulted in a large addition to the number of his acquaintance in this part of england but his own feeling was that of being an still this had been originated the play chosen the parts allotted all in his absence and calling him in at the last moment might if were possible in be but a to him what would he have given to her lover in the piece but neither nor any one else had asked him the evening came had been engaged during the day with the different people by whom the works were to be carried out and in the evening went to his rooms at the king s arms where he dined he did not return to the castle till the hour fixed for the performance and having been received by mrs entered the large apartment now into a theatre like any other spectator of the projected representation had spread far and wide six times the number of tickets issued might have been readily sold friends and acquaintances of the actors came from curiosity to see how they would themselves while other classes of people came because they were eager to see well known a ia unwonted situations when ladies hitherto only beheld in impenetrable positions behind their in high street were about to reveal their hidden traits home attitudes intimate smiles and perhaps kisses to the public eye it was a throwing open of fascinating social secrets not to be missed for money the performance opened with no further delay than was occasioned by the customary refusal of the curtain at these times to rise more than two feet six inches but this was and the play began it was with no emotion that who was watching intently saw not mr mild but captain de enter as the king of as a friend of the family had had a seat reserved for him next to that of mrs and turning to her he said with some excitement i understood that mr mild had agreed to take that part yes she said in a whisper so he had but he broke down he did very well at the first then he got more and more nervous and at last this very morning said he could not possible the part luckily captain de was familiar with it through having the others so persistently and he undertook it off hand being about the same figure as lieutenant mild the same dress fits him with a little alteration by the tailor it did fit him indeed and of the male it was that on which had bestowed most pains when them it burst upon his mind that there might have been between mild and de the former agreeing to take the captain s place and act as blind till the last moment de l a greater question was could have possibly been aware of this and would she perform as the princess of france now de was to be her lover or throw up the part and stop the play does miss power know of this change he inquired she did not till quite a short time ago he asked no further question from very pride and controlled his impatience till the beginning of the second act the princess entered it was but whether the slight embarrassment with which she pronounced her opening words good lord my beauty though but mean needs not the painted flourish of your praise was due to the of her situation or to her knowledge that de had mild s part of her lover he could not guess de appeared and felt grim as he	45
listened to the gallant captain s salutation of the princess and her response de s fair princess welcome to the court of fair i give you back again and welcome i have not yet listened to this and to all that which followed of the same sort with the reflection that after all the princess never throughout the piece her dignity by showing her love for the king and that the latter on this account never addressed her in words in which passion got the better of courtesy moreover as had herself observed they did not marry at the end of the piece as in shakespeare s other somewhat calm in this assurance he a waited on while the other couples indulged in their love making and including mrs as the but he was doomed to be surprised out of his humour when the end of the act came on in the play for convenience of representation the or gifts from the gentlemen to the ladies were personally presented and now saw de advance with the fetched by from london and clasp it on her neck this seemed to throw a less pleasant light on her hasty journey to fetch a valuable ornament in order to lend it to a poorer friend was but to fetch it that the friend s brother should have something magnificent and attractive to use as a lover s offering to herself in public that wore a different complexion moreover if the article were recognised by the spectators as the same that had worn at the ball which it probably was by de of what must seem to be an of his house assumed the colour of a union of the families de s mode of presenting the though by shakespeare had the approval of the company and set them in good humour to receive major as the nothing calculated to jealousy occurred again till the fifth act and then there arose full cause for it the scene was the outside of the princess s de as the king of stood with his group of attendants awaiting the princess who presently entered from her door the two began to con de verse as the play appointed de turning to her with this reply rebuke me not for that which you provoke the virtue of your eye must break my oath so far all was well and opened her lips for the set but before she had spoken de continued if i profane with my unworthy hand taking her hand this holy shrine the gentle fine is this my lips two blushing ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss stared surely in this comedy the king never addressed the princess in such warm words and yet they were shakespeare s for they were quite familiar to him a dim suspicion crossed his mind mrs had brought a copy of shakespeare with her which she kept in her lap and never looked at it turned to and and there he saw the words which de had introduced as to the mild love making of the other play meanwhile de continued oh then dear saint let lips do what hands do they pray grant thou lest faith turn to despair then move not while my prayer s effect i take thus from my lips by yours my sin is d i could it be that de was going to do what came next in the stage direction kiss her before there was time for conjecture on that point the of a very sweet and long drawn spread through tiie room followed by loud applause from the a people in the cheap seats de withdrew from bending over and she was very red in the face nothing seemed clearer than that he had actually done the deed the applause continuing turned his head five hundred faces had regarded the act and four hundred and fifty mouths in those faces were smiling about one half of them were tender smiles these came from the women the other half were at best humorous and mainly these came from the men it was a without parallel and his face blazed like a coal the play was now nearly at an end and sat on feeling what he did not and could not express more than ever was he assured that there had been between the two officers to bring about this end that he should have been the unhappy man to design those picturesque dresses in which his rival so played the lover to his s mistress was an added point to the satire he could hardly go so far as to assume that was a party to this startling but her otherwise unaccountable wish that his own love should be shown lent immense force to a doubt of her sincerity the ghastly thought that she had merely been keeping him on like a pet to amuse her leisure moments till she should have found appropriate opportunity for an open engagement with some one else trusting to his sense of chivalry to keep secret their little episode filled him with a grim heat de chapter ix at the back of the room the applause had been loud at the moment of the kiss real or the cause was partly owing to an exceptional circumstance which had occurred in that quarter early in the play the people had all seated themselves and the first act had begun when the that the door was lifted gently and a figure appeared in the opening the general attention was at this moment absorbed by the newly disclosed stage and scarcely a soul noticed the stranger had any one of the audience turned his head there would have been sufficient in the countenance to detain his gaze notwithstanding the counter attraction forward he was obviously a man who had come from afar there was not a square inch about	45
mechanically when she pushed to the door do you really think it was well done she asked drawing near him with a air it was done the part from and pre eminently so do you think i knew he was going to introduce it or do you think i didn t know she said with that gentle which shows itself in the loved one s manner when she has had a triumphant evening without the lover s assistance i think you may have known no she shaking her head it took me as much by surprise as it probably did you but why should i have told without answering that question went on then what he did at the end of his was of course a surprise also he didn t really do what he seemed to do she serenely answered well i have no right to make your a actions are not subject to my you float above my plane said the young man with some bitterness but to speak plainly surely he kissed you no she said he only kissed the air in front of me ever so far off was it six inches off no not six inches nor three it was quite one she said with an air i don t call that very far a miss is as good as a mile says the proverb and it is not for us modem mortals to question its truth how can you be so off hand broke out i love you wildly and desperately and you know it well i have never denied knowing it she said softly then why do you with such knowledge adopt an air of levity at such a moment as this you keep me at arm s length and won t say whether you care for me one bit or no i have owned all to you yet never once have you owned anything to me i have owned much and you do me wrong if you consider that i show levity but even if i have not owned ever and u all it is not altogether such a grievous thing you mean to say that it is not grievous even if a man does love a woman and suffers all the pain of feeling he loves in vain well i say it is quite the reverse and i have grounds for knowing now don t so george but hear de me my not all may not have the dreadful meaning you think and therefore it may not be really such a grievous thing there are genuine reasons for women s conduct in these matters as well as for men s though it is sometimes supposed to be regulated entirely by caprice and if i do not give way to every i mean demonstration it is because i don t want to there now don t expect me to say more very well said with repressed sadness i will not expect you to say more but you do like me a little now she said shaking her head with s of tenderness and looking into his eyes what have you just promised perhaps i like you a little more than a little which is much too much yes shakespeare says so and he is always right do you still doubt me ah i see you do because somebody has stood nearer to you tonight than i an elderly man like him half as old again as either of us how can you mind him what shall i do to show you that i do not for a moment let him come between me and you it is not for me to suggest what you should do though what you should permit me to do is obvious enough she dropped her voice you mean permit you to do really and in earnest what he only seemed to do in the play signified by a look that such had been his thought was silent no she murmured at last that cannot be he did not nor t you a it was said none the less decidedly for being spoken low you quite resent such a suggestion you have a right to i beg your pardon not for speaking of it but for thinking it i don t resent it at all and i am not offended but i am not the less of opinion that it is possible to be premature in some things and to do this just now would be premature i know what you would say that you would not have asked it but for that unfortunate of it in the play but that i was not responsible for and therefore owe no to you now listen where in the world are you was heard along the corridor in the voice of her aunt our friends are all ready to leave and you will surely bid them good night i must be gone i won t ring for you to be shown out come this way but how will you get on in repeating the play tomorrow evening if that is against your wish he asked looking her hard in the face i ll think it over during the night come tomorrow morning to help me settle but she added with yet genial independence listen to me not a word more about a what you asked for mind i don t want to go so far and i will not not yet at least i mean not at all you must promise that or i cannot see you again alone it shall be as you request very well and not a word of this to a soul my aunt but she is a good aunt and will say nothing now that is clearly understood i should be de g glad to consult with you to morrow early	45
i will come to you in the or as soon as i am disengaged she took him to a little doorway in the comer which opened into a descending and went down when he had the door at the bottom and stepped into the lower corridor she asked are you down and on receiving an affirmative reply she closed the top door a chapter x was in the the next morning about ten o clock the labours of and whom he had again engaged to assist him with the drawings on his appointment to out the works when he had set them going he ascended the staircase of the great tower for some purpose that bore upon the of this part passing the door of the he heard little sounds within which led him to pause they came from the instrument that somebody was working only two people in the castle to the best of his knowledge knew the trick of this miss power and a page in her service called john miss de could also despatch messages but she was at villa the door was closed and much as he would have liked to enter the possibility that was not the led him to withhold his steps since he had no legitimate reason for he went on to where the uppermost had resisted the mighty hostility of the elements for five hundred years without receiving worse than half a century produces upon the face of man but he still wondered who was and whether the message bore on the subject of housekeeping architecture or love de could have seen through the of the door in passing he would have beheld the room occupied by alone it was she who sat at the instrument and the message she was ran as under can you send down a competent who will undertake the part of princess of france in love s labour s lost this evening in a temporary theatre here dresses already provided suitable to a lady about the middle height state price the was addressed to a well known theatrical agent in london off went the message and retired into the next room which was her leaving the door open between that and the one she had just quitted here she busied herself with writing some letters till in less than an hour the telegraph instrument showed signs of life and she hastened back to its side the reply received from the agent was as follows miss bell of the theatre could come quite competent her terms would be about twenty five guineas without a moment s pause returned for answer terms are quite satisfactory presently she heard the instrument again and emerging from the next room in which she had passed the intervening time as before she read miss terms were accidentally under stated they would he forty guineas in consequence of the distance am waiting at the a reply p set to work as before and replied quite satisfactory only let her come at once a she did not leave the room this time but went to an arrow hard by and gazed out at the trees till the instrument began to speak again returning to it with a leisurely manner a full persuasion that the matter was settled she was somewhat surprised to learn that belly in stating her terms understands thai she will not be required to leave london till the middle of the afternoon if it is necessary for her to leave at once j ten guineas extra he indispensable on ac count of the great inconvenience of such a short noticed seemed a little vexed but not much concerned she sent back with a readiness scarcely in the circumstances she must start at once price agreed top her impatience for the answer was mixed with curiosity as to whether it was due to the agent or to miss bell that the prices had grown like jack s stalk in the another duly came travelling expenses are expected to be with decided impatience she dashed off of course hut nothing more will be agreed top then and only then came the desired reply miss bell starts by the twelve o clock train j this business being finished left the chamber and descended into the called the a spot down like a lawn here stood who having come down from the tower was looking on while a man searched for old foundations under the sod with a he was glad to see her at last and noticed that she looked serene and relieved but could not for the moment divine the cause de came nearer returned his salutation and regarded the man s operations in silence awhile till his work led him to a distance from them do you still wish to consult me asked about the building perhaps said she not about the play but you said so yes but it will be unnecessary thought this meant and merely bowed you mistake me as usual she said in a low tone i am not going to consult you on that matter because i have done all you could have asked for without consulting you i take no part in the play to night forgive my momentary doubt somebody else will play for me an from london but on no account must the be known beforehand or the performance to night will never come off and that i should much regret captain de will not play his part if he knows you will not play yours that s what you mean you may assume as much she said smiling and to guard against this you must help me to keep the secret by being my to be s to day indeed time had brought him something worth waiting for in anything cried only in this said she with soft severity and you know what	45
you have promised george and you remember there is to be no what we talked about now will you go in the one horse to station this afternoon and meet the four o clock a train inquire for a lady for castle a miss bell see her safely into the carriage and send her straight on here i am particularly anxious that she should not enter the town for i think she once came to in a company and she might be recognised and my plan be thus defeated thus she instructed her lover and devoted friend and when he could stay no longer he left her in the garden to return to his as went in by the garden door he met a strange looking personage coming out by the same passage a stranger with the manner of a the face of a and the clothes of an of the stranger whom we have already seen sitting at the back of the theatre the night before looked hard from to and from again to as he stepped out had an unpleasant conviction that this queer gentleman had been standing for some time in the doorway unnoticed him and his mistress as they talked together if so he might have learnt a secret when he arrived upstairs went to a window commanding a view of the garden still stood in her place and the stranger was earnestly conversing with her soon they passed round the corner and disappeared it was now time for him to see about starting for an intelligible zest for the ardent and captain of saving him from any unnecessary delay in the journey he was at the station ten minutes before the train was due and when it drew up to the platform the first person to jump out was captain de in s de attire and with a gun in his hand nodded and de spoke informing the that he had been ten miles down the line shooting water fowl that s miss power s carriage i think he added yes said carelessly she expects a friend i believe we shall see you at the castle again to night de assured him that they would and the two men parted captain de when he had glanced to see that carriage was empty going on to where a porter stood with a couple of dogs now looked again to the train while his back had been turned to converse with the captain a lady of five and thirty had alighted from the identical occupied by de she made an inquiry about getting to castle upon which who had not till now observed her went forward and introducing himself assisted her to the carriage and saw her safely off de had by this time disappeared and walked on to his rooms at the king s arms where he remained till he had dined the discomfiture of his alert rival when there should enter to him as princess not power but miss bell of the s theatre london thus the hour passed till he found that if he meant to see the issue of the plot it was time to be off on arriving at the castle entered by the public door from the hall as before a natural delicacy leading him to feel that though he might be welcomed as an ally at the stage door in other words the door from the corridor it was advisable not to take too ready an advantage of a privilege which in the exist a ing secrecy of his understanding with might lead to an overthrow of her plans on that point not intending to sit out the whole performance contented himself with standing in a window recess near the whence he could observe both the stage and the front rows of spectators he was quite uncertain whether would appear among the audience to night and resolved to wait events just before the rise of the curtain the young lady in question entered and sat down when the scenery was disclosed and the king of appeared what was s surprise to find that though the part was the part taken by de on the previous night the voice was that of mr mild to him at the appointed season entered the princess namely miss bell before had recovered from his sensation at de s that officer himself emerged in evening dress from behind a curtain forming a wing to the and remarked that the minor part originally allotted to him was filled by the who had it the night before de glanced across whether by accident or otherwise could not determine and his glance seemed to say he quite recognised there had been a trial of wits between them and that thanks to his chance meeting with miss bell in the train his had proved the stronger the house being less crowded to night there were one or two vacant chairs in the best part de advancing fix m where he had stood for a few moments seated himself comfortably beside miss power on the other side of her he now perceived the de same queer elderly foreigner as he appeared who had come to her in the garden that was surprised to perceive also that with very little hesitation introduced him and de to each other a conversation ensued between the three none the less animated for being carried on in a whisper in which seemed on strangely intimate terms with the stranger and the stranger to show feelings of great friendship for de considering that they must be new acquaintances the play proceeded and still lingered in his comer he could not help that de s ingenious of his part and its obvious reason was winning s admiration his conduct was homage carried to and inconvenient a sort of thing which a woman may but which she can never resent who could do	45
otherwise than talk kindly to a man incline a little to him and his fault when the sole motive of so audacious an exercise of his wits was to escape acting with any other heroine than herself his conjectures were brought to a pause by the ending of the comedy and the opportunity afforded him of joining the group in front the mass of people were soon gone and the knot of friends assembled around were discussing the merits and faults of the two days performance my uncle mr power said suddenly to as he came near presenting the stranger to the astonished young man i could not see you before the performance as i should have liked to do the return of my uncle is so extraordinary that it ought to be told in a less hurried way than a this he has been supposed dead by all of us for nearly ten years ever the time we last heard from him for which i am to blame said mr power nodding to s yet not i but accident and a temperament there are times mr when the human creature feels no interest in his kind and that his kind feel no interest in him the feeling is not active enough to make him fly from their presence but sufficient to keep him silent if he happens to be away i may not have described it precisely but this i know that after my long illness and the fancied neglect of my letters for which my father was not to blame since he did not receive them said for which nobody was to blame after that i say i wrote no more you have much pleasure in returning at last no doubt said sir as i remained away without particular pain so i return without particular joy i speak the truth and no compliments i may add that there is one exception to this absence of feeling from my heart namely that i do derive great satisfaction from seeing how this young woman has grown and prevailed this address though delivered to was listened to by mrs and de also after uttering it the speaker turned away and continued his previous conversation with captain de from this time till the group parted he never again spoke directly to paying him barely so much attention as he might have de expected as s and certainly less than he might have supposed his due as her accepted lover the result of the appearance as from the tomb of this wintry man was that the evening ended in a and formal way which gave little satisfaction to the sensitive who was abstracted and constrained by reason of thoughts on how this of the uncle would affect his relation with it was possibly also the thought of two at least of the others there had in truth scarcely yet been time enough to the possibilities opened up by this gentleman s return the only private word exchanged by with any one that night was with mrs in he always recognised a friend to his cause though the of her character rendered her but a feeble one at the best of times she informed him that mr power had no sort of legal control over or direction in her estates but could not doubt that a near and only blood relation even had he possessed but half the force of character that made itself apparent in mr power might exercise considerable moral influence over the girl if he chose and in view of mr power s marked preference for de had many as to its in a direction favourable to himself a a chapter xi was deeply engaged with his and during the three following days and scarcely entered the occupied wing of the castle at his suggestion had agreed to have the works executed as such operations were carried out in old times before the advent of each trade required in the building was to be represented by a master of that who should stand responsible for his own section of labour and for no other himself as chief working out his designs on the spot by this means the of the would be greatly increased in comparison with the modem arrangement whereby a seldom present who can certainly know no more than one trade intimately and well and who often does not know that the whole but notwithstanding its manifest advantages to the proprietor the plan added largely to the of the who with his master master and what not had scarcely a moment to call his own still the method being upon the face of it the true one liked it and with a will but though so deeply occupied as to be removed from immediate contact with the household there de seemed to float across the court to him from the inhabited wing an intimation that things were not as they had been before that an influence adverse to himself was at work behind the face of inner wall which confronted him hard by perhaps this was because he never saw at the windows or heard her in that half of the building given over to himself and his there was really no reason other than a sentimental one why he should see her the part of the castle was almost an independent structure and it was quite natural to exist for weeks in this wing without coming in contact with in the other but a more pronounced cause than vague was destined to him and this in an unexpected manner it happened one morning that before leaving his chambers at the king s arms he glanced through a local paper while waiting for the pony carriage to be brought round in which e often drove to the castle the paper was two days old but to his unutterable amazement he read therein a paragraph which ran as	45
follows we are informed that a marriage is likely to be arranged captain de of the royal horse only son of sir william de and only daughter of the late john power esq m p of castle dropped the paper and stared out of the window fortunately for his emotions the horse and carriage were at this moment brought to the door so that nothing in driving off to the spot at which he would be likely to learn what truth or otherwise there was in the newspaper report a from the first he doubted it and yet how should it have got there such strange like generally include a portion of truth and what this portion was he found it impossible to ess five days had elapsed since he last spoke to could anything have happened in that interval to lead the girl to smile on de reaching the castle he entered his own quarters as usual and after setting the to work walked up and down pondering how he might best see her without making the disturbing paragraph the ground of his request for an interview for if it were absolutely a such a reason would wound her pride in her own honour towards him and if it were partly true he would certainly do better in leaving her alone than in her it would simply amount to a proof that was an the explanation of whose guarded conduct towards himself lay in the fact that she wished not to commit herself in playing her game with him but all this or any of it was too a thought to entertain for an instant it the whole problem of her bearing from the beginning and was painful even when rejected as absurd in his meditation he stood still closely one of the stones of a entrance as if to discover where the old hook had entered the he heard a footstep behind him and looking round saw standing by she held a newspaper in her hand the spot was one quite hemmed in from observation a fact of which she seemed to be quite aware i have something to tell you she said some de thing important but you are so occupied with that old stone that i am obliged to wait it is not true surely he said looking at the paper no look here she said holding up the sheet it was not what he had supposed but a new one the local rival to that which had contained the announcement and was still damp from the press she pointed and he read we are to state that there is no foundation whatever for the assertion of our contemporary that a marriage is likely to be arranged between captain de and miss power of castle pressed her hand and spoke his feelings not by language but by the more pathetic vehicle of eyes it disturbed me he said i did not believe it it astonished me s much as it disturbed you and i sent this contradiction at once how could it have got there she shook her head you have not the least knowledge not the least i wish i had it was not from any friends of de s or himself it was not his sister has ascertained beyond doubt that he knew nothing of it well now don t say any more to me about the matter i ll find out how it got into the paper not now any future time will do i have something else to tell you i hope the news is as good as the last he said looking into her face with anxiety for though that a face was blooming it seemed full of a doubt as to how her next information would be taken oh yes it is good because everybody says so we are going to take a delightful journey my uncle as he seems and i and my aunt and perhaps if she is well enough are going to nice and other places about there to nice said rather and i must stay here why of course you must considering what you have undertaken she said looking with composure into his eyes my uncle s reason for proposing the journey just now is that he thinks the alterations will make residence here dusty and disagreeable during the spring the opportunity of going with him is too good an one for us to lose as i have never been there i wish i was going to be one of the party what do wish about it she shook her head who knows time will tell are you really glad you are going dearest as i must call you just once said the young man gazing earnestly into her face which struck him as looking far too rosy and radiant to be consistent with ever so little regret at leaving him behind i take great interest in foreign especially to the shores of the and everybody makes a point of getting away when their house is turned out of the window but you do feel a little sadness such as i should feel if our positions were reversed i think you ought not to have asked that so she murmured we can be near each de other in spirit when our bodies are far apart can we not her tone grew softer and she drew a little closer to his side with a slightly motion as she went on may i be sure that you will not think of me when i am absent from your sight and not b me any little pleasure because you are not there to share it with me may you can you ask it as for me i shall have no pleasure to be or otherwise the only pleasure i have is as you well know in you when you are with me i am happy	45
when you are away i take no pleasure in anything i don t deserve it i have no right to disturb you so she said very gently but i have given you some pleasure have i not a little more pleasure than pain perhaps you have and yet but i don t accuse you dearest yes you have given me pleasure one truly pleasant time was when we stood together in the summer house on the evening of the garden party and you said you liked me to love you yes it was a pleasant time she returned thoughtfully how the rain came down and formed a between us and the dancers did it not and how afraid we were at least i was lest anybody should discover us there and how quickly i ran in after the rain was over yes said i remember it but no harm came of it to you and perhaps no good will come of it to me do not be premature in your conclusions sir she said if you really do feel for me only a half what you say we shall you will make good come of it i mean in some way or other dear now i believe you and can bear anything then we will say no more because as you recollect we agreed not to go too far no for we are going to be practical young people besides i won t listen if you utter them i simply echo your words and say i too believe you now i must go rely on me and don t trifles light as air i think i understand you and if i do it will make a great difference in my conduct you will have no cause to complain then you must not understand me so much as to make much difference for your conduct as my is perfect but i must not linger longer though i wished you to know this news from my very own lips bless you for it when do you leave the day after to morrow so early does your uncle guess an do you wish him to be told just yet yes to the first no to second i may write to you on business yes it will be necessary how can you speak so at a time of parting now george you see i say george and not mr and you may draw your own don t be so morbid in your reproaches i have informed you that you may write or still better telegraph since the wire is so handy on business well of course it is for you to judge whether you will add de of another sort there you make me say more than a woman ought because you are so and literal good afternoon good bye this will be my address she handed him a slip of paper and was gone though he saw her again after this it was during the bustle of preparation when there was always a third person present usually in the shape of that breathing her uncle hence the few words that passed between them were of the most formal description and chiefly concerned the restoration of the castle and a church at nice designed by him which he wanted her to inspect they were to leave by an early afternoon train and was invited to lunch on that day the morning was occupied by a long business consultation in the with mr power and mrs on what rooms were to be left locked up what left in charge of the servants and what thrown open to the and workmen under the of at present the work consisted mostly of to existing rooms so as to render those which had long been used only as stores for lumber did not appear during this discussion but when they were all seated in the dining hall she came in dressed for the journey and to outward appearance with anticipation at its prospect blooming from every feature next to her came de still with some of the of an invalid but brightened up as thought by the prospect of a visit to a delightful shore it might have been this and it might have been that s presence had a share in the change a it was in the hall when they were in the bustle of leave taking that there occurred the only opportunity for the two or three private words with to which his star treated him on that last day his took the hasty form of you will write soon will be quicker she answered in the same low tone and whispering be true to me turned away how unreasonable he was in addition to those words warm as they were he would have preferred a little of cheek or trembling of lip instead of the bloom and the beauty which sat upon her to tell him that in some slight way she suffered at his loss immediately after this they went to the carriages waiting at the door who had in a measure taken charge of the castle accompanied them and saw them off much as if they were his visitors she stepped in a general adieu was spoken and she was gone while the carriages rolled away he ascended to the top of the tower where he saw them lessen to spots on the road and turn the comer out of sight the chances of a rival seemed to grow in proportion as paul j m his side but he could not have answered why he had her and her relatives adieu on her own door step like a privileged friend of the family while de had scarcely seen her since the play night that the silence into which the captain appeared to have sunk was the of conscious power derived from sources that	45
knew not of was scarcely probable yet that existed for de he could not deny the link formed by between de and de much as he liked the girl was that he could have wished away it constituted a bridge of access to s inner life and feelings which nothing could rival except that one fact which as he firmly believed did actually rival it giving hun faith and hope his own occupation of s heart moreover mrs would be an influence favourable to himself and his cause during the journey though to be sure to set against her there was the and obstinate power in whom by those subtle of intelligence which lovers possess he fancied he saw no friend remained but a short time at the castle that day the light of its chambers had fled the gross grandeur of the towers oppressed him and the was hateful he remembered a promise made long ago to mr of calling upon him some afternoon and a visit which had not much in it at other times recommended itself now through being the one possible way open to him of hearing named and her doings talked of this being a turn the discussion would inevitably take hence in walking back to instead of going up the high street he turned aside into the that led to the minister s cottage mr was not indoors at the moment of his call and lingered at the and cast his eyes around it was a house which the of its with great it stood upon its spot of earth without any natural union with it no disguised the stiff straight line where wall met earth not a softened the o a aspect of the bare front the garden walk was strewn with loose from the neighbouring which rolled under the s foot and his soul out of him before he reached the door but all was clean and clear and dry whether mr was personally responsible for this condition of things or whether it resulted from a landlord s taste by a tenant there was not time to closely consider for at this minute perceived the minister coming up the walk towards him mr welcomed him heartily and yet with the mien of a man whose mind has scarcely dismissed some scene which has preceded the one that him what that scene was soon i have had a busy afternoon said the minister as they walked indoors or rather an exciting afternoon your at castle whose relative as i imagine you know has so unexpectedly returned has left with him to day for the south of france and i wished to ask her before her departure some questions as to how a charity by her father was to be administered in her absence but i have been very unfortunate she could not find time to see me at her own house and i awaited her at the station all to no purpose owing to the presence of her friends well well i must see if a letter will find her asked if anybody of the neighbourhood was there to see them off yes that was the trouble of it captain de was there and quite her i don t be know what tis coming to and perhaps i have no business to inquire since she is scarcely a member of our church now who could have anticipated the daughter of my old friend john power developing into the ordinary gay woman of the world as she has done who could have expected her to associate with people who show contempt for their maker s intentions by assuming other characters than those in which he created you mistake her murmured in a voice which he vainly endeavoured to to philosophy miss power has some very rare and beautiful qualities in her nature though i confess i tremble fear lest the de influence should be too strong sir it is already do you remember my telling you that i thought the force of her surroundings would obscure the pure daylight of her spirit as a window of coloured images the rays of god s sun i do not wish to indulge in rash but her from her family creed of truth towards the traditions of the de has been so decided though so gradual that well i may be wrong that what said the young man sharply i sometimes think she will take to her as husband the present representative of that line captain de which she may easily do if she chooses as his behaviour to day showed he was probably there on account of his sister said trying to escape the mental picture of farewell bestowed on a it was hinted at in the papers the other day and it was contradicted yes well we shall know in the lord s good time i can do no more for her and now mr pray take a cup of tea the discovery that de had enjoyed the privilege of seeing the last of her coupled with the other words of the minister depressed a little and he did not stay long as he went to the door said there is a worthy man the of our chapel mr who would like to be friendly with you poor man since the death of his wife he seems to have something on his mind some trouble which my words will not reach if ever you are passing his door please give him a look in he fears that calling on you might be an intrusion did not clearly promise and went his way the minister s allusion to the mysterious announcement of the marriage reminded that she had expressed a wish to know how the paragraph came to be inserted the wish had been but carelessly spoken but so telling was the caused by her absence that any deed	45
my own conduct but to offer you a very fair explanation of it your resolve not to be out of humour with me suggests that you have been sorely tempted that way else why should such a resolve have been necessary if you only knew what passes in my mind sometimes you would perhaps not be so ready to blame shall i tell you no for if it is a great emotion it may afford you a cruel satisfaction at finding i suffer through separation and if it be a growing indifference to you it will be upon you if you care for me as i sometimes think you may do a oh said please which way would you have it but it is better that you should guess at what i feel than that v you should distinctly know it notwithstanding this j assertion you will i know to your first pre in favour of prompt in spite of that i fear that upon trial such would not dare and de produce that happiness which your fancy leads you t expect your heart would revolt in time and when j once that happens farewell to the emotion you have told me of your feelings strictly and you will find this true at the same time i admit that a woman who is only a compound of and is very disagreeable do not write very frequently and never write at all unless you have some real information about the castle works to communicate i will explain to you on another occasion why i make this request you will possibly set it down as additional evidence of my cold if so you must would you also mind writing the business letter on an independent sheet with a proper beginning and ending whether you another sheet is of course sincerely yours power had a suspicion that her order to him not to neglect the business letter was to escape any remarks from her uncle he wished she would be more explicit so that he might know exactly how matters stood with them and whether power had ever ventured to express of him as her lover but not knowing he waited anxiously for a new event on which he might send her another line this occurred about a week later when the men engaged in digging foundations discovered remains of old ones which a of the original plan he accordingly sent off his professional advice on the point her a assent or otherwise to the winding up the inquiry with yours faithfully on another sheet he wrote do you suffer from any in the manner of others on account of me if so inform me i cannot otherwise interpret your request for the separate sheets while on this point i will tell you what i have learnt relative to the of that false paragraph about your engagement it was communicated to the paper by your uncle was the wish father to the thought or could he have been as many were by appearances at the if i am not to write to you without a professional reason surely you can write to me without such an excuse when you write tell me of yourself there is nothing i so much wish to hear of write a great deal about your daily doings that she whose words are the sweetest to me in the world may express them upon the sweetest subject you say nothing of having been to look at the chapel of ease i told you of the plans of which i made when an s pupil working in instead of feet and inches to my immense perplexity that the drawings might be understood by the foreign workmen go there and tell me what you think of its design i can assure you that every curve thereof is my own how i wish you would invite me to run over and see you if only for a day or two for my heart runs after you in a most distracted manner dearest you entirely fill my life but i forget we have resolved not to go very far but the fact is i am half afraid dare and de lest with such you should not remember how very much i am yours and with what a dogged constancy i shall always remember you sometimes i have horrible that something will divide us especially if we do not make a more distinct show of our true relationship true do i say i mean the relationship which i think exists between us but which you do not too yours always away southward like the swallow went the tender lines he wondered if she would notice his hint of being ready to pay her a flying visit if permitted to do so his fancy dwelt on that further side of france the very of whose shore were now lines of beauty for him he in the library and found interest in the facts relating to that place learning with pleasure that the of its population was fifty thousand that the mean temperature of its atmosphere was and that the peculiarities of a were far from agreeable he waited over long for her reply but it ultimately came after the usual business preliminary she said as requested i have visited the little church you designed it gave me great pleasure to stand before a building whose outline and details had come from the brain of such a valued friend and adviser valued friend and adviser repeated i like the style much especially that of the windows early english are they not i am going to attend service there next sunday because you were the and for no reason at all does that a content you for your despondency remember m this is the chief thing be not for all things are of the nature of the universal indeed i am a little surprised	45
disregard his feelings but considering the relationship and his kindness in other respects i should prefer not to do so at present honestly speaking i want the courage to resist him in some things he said to me the other day that he was very much surprised that i did not depend upon his judgment for my future happiness whether that meant much or little i have resolved to communicate with you only by for the remainder of the time we are here please reply by the same means only there now don t flush and call me names it is for the best and we want no nonsense you and i i feel more than i say and if i do not speak more plainly you will what is behind after all i have hinted i can promise you that you will not like me less upon knowing me better hope ever i would give up a good for you good bye i this brought some cheerfulness and a good deal of gloom he silently reproached her who was apparently so independent for lacking independence in such a vital matter perhaps it was mere sex per dare and de it was peculiar to a few that her independence and courage like s failed her occasionally at the last one curious impression which had often haunted him now returned with force he could not see himself as the husband of power in any likely future he could not imagine her his wife people were apt to run into mistakes in their but though he could picture her as it over him as her love for him even as herself for him he could not see her in a state of with him being commanded to the telegraph he repaired when after two days an immediate wish to communicate with her led him to dismiss vague conjecture on the future situation his first took the following form give up the letter writing i will part with anything to please you but yourself your comfort with your is the first thing to be considered not for the world do i wish you to make divisions within doors tuesday wednesday thursday passed and on saturday a came in reply can fear grieve at and complain of nothing having your nice promise to consider my comfort always this was very pretty but it admitted little such short messages were in themselves poor for letters but their speed and easy were good qualities which the letters did not possess three days later he replied vou do not once say to me come would such a strange accident as my arrival disturb you much o a she replied rather quickly am to answer you too clearly keep your heart strong tis a world the there shown made and he could not help replying somewhat more than usual w iy do you give me so much cause for anxiety why treat me to so much say once distinctly that what i have asked is he waited for the answer one day two days a week but none came it was now the end of march and when walked of an afternoon by the river and pool in the lower part of the grounds his ear newly greeted by the small voices of and and other creatures who had been through the winter he became doubtful and uneasy that she alone should be silent in the awakening year he waited through a second week and there was still no reply it was possible that the of his request had tempted her to punish him and he continued his walks to fro and around with as close an ear to the of nature and as attentive an eye to the charms of his own art as the grand passion would allow now came the days of battle between winter and spring on these excursions though spring was to the forward during the daylight winter would itself at night and not at other moments airs and breezes met on the of sunshine and shade trembling that were still akin to frost dashed themselves from the bushes as he pursued his way from town to dare de castle the birds were like an waiting for the signal to strike up and colour began to enter into the country round but he gave only a of thought to these proceedings he rather thought such things as she can afford to be and to find a source of in my attachment considering the power that wealth gives her to pick and choose almost where she will he was bound to own however that one of the charms of her conversation was the complete absence of the note of the from its accents that other things equal her interest would naturally incline to a person bearing the name of de was evident from her his original assumption that she was a of the modem spirit who had been dropped like a seed from the bill of a bird into a of required some it had been based on her bold flights of thought and her original but which will exist in every human breast as long as human nature itself exists had asserted itself in her veneration for things old not because of any merit in them but because of their long continuance had developed in her and her modem spirit was taking to itself wings and flying away whether his image was flying with the other was a question which moved him all the more deeply now that her silence gave him dread of an affirmative answer but he refused to give credit for more than brief spaces to those signs which at other moments convinced him that her passing fancy for him was ing like a summer day like other natures he was much more disposed to abandon himself blindly a to his own passion than	45
time will show that i am within the truth i hope you don t let your passions your policy as so many young men are apt to do better be poor and than rich and that s the opinion of an old man however i was going to say that it was purely from a policy that i allowed a friendship to develop between my daughter and miss power and now events axe proving the wisdom of my course show how the wind blows and there are little signs that my son captain de will return to castle by the fortunate step of marrying its owner i say nothing to either of them and they say nothing to me but my wisdom lies in doing nothing to hinder such a despite inherited prejudices had quite time enough to rein himself in during the old gentleman s and the voice in which he answered was so cold and reckless that it did not seem his own but how will they live happily together when she is a and a radical and a new light and a greek and a person of red blood while captain de is the reverse of them all i anticipate no difficulty on that score said the my son s star lies in that direction and like the he is following it without trifling with his opportunity you have skill in architecture therefore you follow it my son has skill in gallantry and now he is about to exercise it may nobody wish him more harm in that exercise than i do said fervently a of several hours which followed his visit to villa and the intelligence there acquired resulted in a temper to which he had been warming for some time it was to journey over to the very next day and the whole mystery face to face with her he now felt perfectly convinced that the inviting of captain de to dare and de visit them at nice was a second stage in the scheme of s uncle the premature announcement of her marriage having been the first was not so blinded by his heart but that he could see what an attraction the union would have for a whose thoughts were like the and neatness of the whole plan could not fail to recommend it to the mind which delighted in putting involved things straight and such a mind power s seemed to be in fact the felicity in a sense of the captain with the no little excuse for to bring it about so long as that fell short of which mr power s could scarcely be said to do the next day was spent in the with such instructions as they might require for a coming week or ten days and in dropping a short note to ending as follows i am coming to see you possibly you will refuse me an interview never mind i am coming yours g the morning after that he was up and away between him and stretched nine hundred miles by the line of journey that he found it necessary to adopt namely by way of london in order to inform his father of his movements and to make one or two business calls the afternoon was passed in attending to these matters the night in onward and by the time that nine o clock sounded next morning a through the and leaden air of the english channel he had reduced the number of miles on his list by two hundred and cut off the sea from the between him and although his haste had involved an unpleasant night passage he did not wait for rest pressing onward at once to paris which he reached about noon at present it was not the and beautiful city that it had formerly been to him but a stage marking three hundred and fifty miles as the number cleared off his score he dined at an hotel without waiting for the regular table d and about seven o clock the same evening moved out of paris on his course up the valley of the and through the vine slopes of on awakening from a fitful sleep in the grey dawn of the next morning he looked out upon the great city whose name associates silk in the fantastic imagination with some of the catholic and that the world has beheld but all in was quiet enough now the citizens being as yet even to the daily round of bread winning and enveloped in a haze of fog six hundred and fifty miles of his journey had now been got over there still three hundred and fifty between him and the end of suspense when he thought of that he was to pause and pressed on by the same train which set him down at at mid day here he considered by going on to nice that afternoon he would arrive at too late an hour to call upon her at the hotel the same evening it would therefore be advisable to sleep in and pro dare and de the next morning to his s end so as to meet her in a brighter and more refreshed condition than he could boast of to day this he accordingly did and leaving the next morning about eight found himself at nice early in the afternoon now that he was actually at the centre of his he seemed even further away from a meeting with her than in england while afar off his presence at nice had appeared to be the one thing needful for the solution of his trouble but the very house fronts seemed now to ask him what right he had there in writing from england he had not allowed her time to reply before his departure so that he did not know what difficulties might lie in the way of her seeing him privately before deciding	45
what to do he walked down the avenue de la to the between the shore and the public and sat down to think the hotel which she had given him as her address looked right out upon him and the sea beyond and he rested there with the pleasing hope that her eyes might glance from a window and discover his form everything in the scene was sunny and gay behind him in the gardens a band was playing before him was the sea the great sea the historical and original the sea of innumerable characters in history and legend that arranged themselves before him in a long of memories so as to include both and st paul northern eyes are not prepared on a sudden for the of such images of warmth and colour as meet them southward or for the vigorous light that falls from the sky of this favoured shore in any a other circumstances the and serenity of the air the perfume of the sea the radiant houses the palms and flowers would have acted upon as an enchantment and wrapped him in a reverie but at present he only saw and felt these things as through a thick glass which kept out half their atmosphere at last he made up his mind he would take up his quarters at her hotel and catch echoes of her and her people to learn somehow if their attitude towards him as a lover were actually hostile before formally them under this light full of sentiment languor and ready made romance the memory of a solitary unimportant man in the north might have faded from her mind he was only her hired he was an artist but he had been engaged by her and was not a and she did not as yet know that he meant to accept no return for his labours but the pleasure of presenting them to her as a love offering so off he went at once towards the imposing building whither his letters had preceded him owing to a press of visitors there was a moment s delay before he could be attended to at the and he turned to the large staircase that confronted him hoping that her figure might descend her dress must indeed have brushed the of those steps scores of times she must have gone in and out of this daily he now went to the hostess at the desk engaged his room ordered his luggage to be sent for and finally inquired for the party he sought they left nice yesterday replied madame dare and de was she quite sure asked her yes she was quite sure two of the hotel carriages had driven them to the station did she know where they had gone to this and other inquiries in the information that they had gone to the hotel at that how long they were going to stay there and whether they were coming back again was not known his final question whether miss power had received a letter from england which must have arrived the day previous was answered in the affirmative s first and sudden resolve was to his engagement to stay here for the night and to follow on after them to the hotel named but he finally decided to make his immediate visit to only a cautious returning to nice to sleep accordingly after an early dinner he again set forth through the broad avenue de la and an hour on the coast railway brought him to the beautiful and sinister little spot to which the power and de party had strayed in common with the rest of the frivolous throng he assumed that their visit thither would be chiefly one of curiosity and therefore not prolonged this proved to be the case in even greater measure than he had anticipated on inquiry at the hotel he learnt that they had stayed only one night leaving a short time before his arrival though it was believed that some of the party were still in the town could not discover in which direction they had gone and in a state of he strolled into the gardens of the and looked out upon the sea there it still lay calm yet lively of an un a mixed blue yet hushed but articulate to everything about and around this coast appeared indeed and at ease with the ra rs of the splendid sun everything except himself the palms and the flowers on the before him were undisturbed by a single cold breath the marble work of and steps was by the whole was like a with the sky for its dome for want of other occupation he presently strolled round towards the public entrance to the and ascended the great staircase into the hall it was possible after all that after leaving the hotel and sending on their luggage they had taken another turn through the rooms to follow by a later train with more than curiosity then he first the only however to see not a face that he knew he then crossed the to the tables dare de q chapter iv here he was confronted by a heated of splendour and a high pressure of suspense that seemed to make the air quiver a low whisper of conversation prevailed which might probably have been not defined as the lowest note of social harmony the people gathered at this negative pole of industry had come from all countries their tongues were familiar with many forms of utterance that of each group or type being unintelligible in its variations if not entirely to the rest but the language of and they comprehended without translation in a half charmed spell bound state they had in knots standing or sitting in hollow circles round the no oval tables marked with figures and lines the eyes of all these sets of people were watching the went from table to	45
table looking among the rather than among the regular players for faces or at least for one face which did not meet his gaze there passing into his ears the while a confusion of sentences le le est il ne va pair et from the lips of the the suggestive charm which the centuries old im a personality rather than games and had for led him to on even when his hope of meeting any of the power and de party had vanished as a non in its profits and losses and it had that stage effect upon his imagination which is usually exercised over those who behold chance presented to them with without advancing far enough in its acquaintance to suffer from its ghastly and tricks that strip it of all romance he beheld a hundred opposed wishes issuing from the around a table and spreading down across each other upon the figured in their midst each to its own number it was a of hopes which at the announcement et disappeared like magic to be replaced in a moment by new that all the people there including himself could be interested in what to the eye of perfect reason was a somewhat monotonous thing the property of numbers to at certain longer or shorter intervals in a machine containing them in other words the blind groping after of a result the whole of which was well known was one testimony among many of the of logic when confronted with imagination in some of the there was an that reached the point of ferocity in others a patience that was even less admirable but these s were after all secondary the broad aspect of nearly every one was that of well calm and a view of the faces alone would have discovered nothing strongly with those of a mixed congregation listening to a church dare and de sermon if they were all of they seemed to find that word quite as as the blessed and its kin at this juncture our discerned at one of the tables about the last person in the world he could have wished to encounter there it was dare whom he had supposed to be a thousand miles off hanging about the of dare was seated beside a table in an attitude of application which seemed to imply that he had come early and engaged in this pursuit in a manner had never witnessed dare and de together neither had he heard of any engagement of dare by the travelling party as artist or otherwise and yet it crossed his mind that dare might have had something to do with them or at least have seen them this possibility was enough to s reluctance to speak to the young man and he did so as soon as an opportunity occurred dare s face was as rigid and dry as if it had been with plaster and he was like one turned into a machine which no longer had the power of feeling he recognised as indifferently as if he had met him in the ward of castle and replying to his remarks by a word or two concentrated on ihe game anew are you here alone said presently quite alone there was a silence till dare added but i have seen some friends of yours he again became absorbed in the events of the table retreated a few steps and pondered the question whether dare could know where they had a gone he disliked to be to dare for information but he would give a great deal to know while pausing he watched dare s play he only pieces but it was done with an worthy of larger coin at every half minute or so he placed his money on a certain spot and as regularly had the mortification of seeing it swept away by the s after a while he varied his he risked his money which from the look of his face seemed rather to have than increased less against long odds than before leaving off numbers en he laid his venture upon two columns d then tried it upon the then upon two numbers then upon a square and getting nearer and nearer defeat at last upon the simple chances of even or odd over or under red or black yet with a few in his favour fortune bore steadily against him till he could breast her blows no longer he rose from the table and came towards and they both moved on together into the entrance hall dare was at that moment the victim of an overpowering for more money his presence in the south of europe had its origin as may be guessed in captain de s journey in the same direction whom he had followed and occasionally troubled with persistent for more though carefully keeping out of sight of and the rest his dream of in the de knew no but had by accident lighted upon him at an instant when his idea though not was overwhelmed by a temporary rage for continuing play he was so possessed with dare and de q this desire that in a hope of being able to gratify it by s aid he was prepared to do almost anything to please the you asked me said dare his brow if i had seen anything of the powers i have seen them and if i can be of any use to you in giving information about them i shall only be too glad what information can you give i can tell you where they are gone to where to the grand hotel they went on there this afternoon whom do you refer to by they mrs mr power miss power miss de and the worthy captain he leaves them tomorrow he comes back here for a day on his way to england was silent dare continued now i have done	45
you a favour will you do me one in return looked toward the rooms and said well lend me two hundred yes said but on one condition that i don t give them to you till you are inside the hotel you are staying at can t be it s at nice well i am going back to nice and i ll lend you the money the instant we get there but i want it here now instantly cried dare and for the first time there was a in his voice that fortified his companion more firmly than ever in his determination to lend the young man no money whilst he remained inside that building a ii a you want it to throw it away i don t approve of it so come with me but said dare i arrived here with a hundred and more expressly to work out my theory of chances and which is sound i have studied it hundreds of times by the help of this he partially drew from his pocket the little volume that we have before seen in his hands if i only in my system the certainty that i must win is almost i have and lost two hundred and thirty three times allowing out of that one chance in every thirty six which is the average of being marked and two hundred and four times for the of the other numbers i have the expectation of six times at least which would nearly me and shall i then sacrifice that vast foundation of waste chances that i have laid down and paid for merely for want of a httle ready money you might for a and still not get the better of your time tells in favour of the bank just imagine for the sake of argument all the people who have ever placed a stake upon a certain number to be one person playing has that imaginary person won the existence of the bank is a answer but a particular player has the of leaving off at any point favourable to himself which the bank has not and there s my which from your mood you will be sure not to take advantage of i shall go on playing said dare not with my money very well we won t part as enemies replied dare and d dare with the politeness of a man whose speech has no longer any with his feelings shall we share a bottle of wine you will not well i hope your luck with your lady will be more magnificent than mine has been here but mind captain de he s a fearful wild fowl for you he s a harmless officer as far as i know if he is not let him be what he may for me and do his worst to cut you out i suppose ay if you will much against his judgment was being stimulated by these into words of irritation captain de might i think be better employed than in dangling at the heels of a lady who can well dispense with his company and you might be better employed than in wasting your wages here wages a fit word for my money may i ask you at what stage in the appearance of a man whose way of existence is unknown his money ceases to be called wages and begins to be called means turned and left him without replying dare following his receding figure with a look of ripe resentment not less likely to vent itself in mischief from the want of moral in him who it he then fixed a and gaze upon the rooms and in another minute or two left the also dare and met no more that day the latter returned to nice by the evening train and went straight to the hotel he now thanked his fortune that he had not given up his room there for a from awaited him his hand almost loo a trembled as he opened it to read the following few short words dated from the grand hotel letter received am glad to hear of your journey we are not returning to nice but stay here a week i direct this at a venture j this message the first breaking of her recent silence was almost cruel in its dry it led him to give up his idea of following at once to that was what she obviously expected him to do and it was possible that his might draw a letter or message from her of a sweeter composition than this that would at least be the effect of his if she cared in the least for him if she did not he could bear the worst the argument was good enough as far as it went but like many more failed from the of its premises the of dare being entirely of it was altogether a fatal which cost him dear passing by the telegraph office in the at an early hour the next morning he saw dare coming out from the door it was s momentary impulse to thank dare for the information given as to s whereabouts information which had now proved true but dare did not seem to appreciate his friendliness and after a few words of studied civility the young man moved on and well he might five minutes before that time he had thrown open a gulf of treachery between himself and the which nothing in life could ever close before leaving the telegraph office dare had despatched the following message to direct as a set off against what he called s ingratitude for dare and de loi valuable information though it was really the fruit of many passions motives and	45
desires t nice to miss powers grand hotel have lost all at have learnt that d s returns here to morrow please send me one hundred pounds by him and save me from disgrace will await him at eleven o clock and four on the i a chapter v five hours after the despatch of that captain de was rattling along the coast railway of the from to nice he was returning to england by way of but before turning he had engaged to perform on miss power s account a peculiar and somewhat disagreeable duty this was to place in s hands a hundred and twenty five which had been demanded from her by a message in s name the money was in his pocket all in gold in a canvas bag tied up by s own hands which he had observed to tremble as she tied it as he leaned in the comer of the carriage he was thinking over the events of the morning which had in that liberal response at ten o clock before he had gone out from the hotel where he had taken up his quarters which was not the same as the one by and her friends he had been summoned to her presence in a manner so unexpected as to imply that something serious was in question on entering her room he had been by the absence of that independence usually apparent in her bearing towards him notwithstanding the with which he had hovered near her for the previous month and gradually by the position of his sister and the favour of s uncle in one of dare and de io s letters and several of his established himself as an intimate member of the travelling party his entry however this time as always had had the effect of a and it was quite with her customary self possession that she had told him of the object of her message you think of returning to nice this afternoon she inquired de informed her that such was his intention and asked if he could do anything for her there then he remembered she had hesitated i have received a she said at length and so she allowed to escape her bit by bit the information that her whose name she seemed reluctant to utter had travelled from england to nice that week partly to consult her partly for a holiday trip that he had gone on to had there lost his money and got into difficulties and had appealed to her to help him out of them by the immediate advance of some ready cash it was a sad case an unexpected case she murmured with her eyes fixed on the window indeed she could not comprehend it to de there appeared nothing so very extraordinary in s apparent except in so far as that he should have applied to for relief from his instead of elsewhere it was a which a lover would have avoided at all costs he thought yet after a momentary reflection on his theory of s character it seemed sufficiently natural that he should lean persistently on if only with a view of keeping himself linked to her memory without thinking too profoundly of his i a own dignity that the esteem in which she had held up to that hour suffered a tremendous blow by his apparent scrape was clearly visible in her as she was and de while pitying thanked him in his mind for having given a rival an advantage which that rival s attentions had never been able to gain of themselves after a little further conversation she had said since you are to be my messenger i must tell you that i have decided to send the hundred pounds asked for and you will please to deliver them into no hands but his own a curious little blush crept over her face perhaps it was a blush of shame at the conduct of the young man in whom she had of late been suspiciously interested as she added he will be on the at four this afternoon and again at eleven to morrow can you meet him there certainly de replied she then asked him rather anxiously how he could account for mr knowing that he captain de was about to return to nice de informed her that he left word at the hotel of his intention to return which was quite true moreover there did not in his mind at the moment of speaking the faintest suspicion that had seen dare she then tied the bag and handed it to him leaving him with a serene and impenetrable bearing which he hoped for his own sake meant an acquired indifference to and his fortunes her sending the a sum of money which she could easily spare might be set down to natural generosity t dare and t e i towards a man with whom she was for the improvement of her home she came back to him again for a moment could you possibly get there before four this afternoon she asked and he informed her that he could just do so by leaving almost at once which he was very willing to do though by so his time he would lose the projected morning with her and the rest at the i may tell you that i shall not go to the either if it is any consolation to you to know it was her reply i shall sit indoors and think of you on your journey the answer had admitted of two but her manner had inclined him to the that her reason	45
for fix m a visit to the palace was his enforced of it and not her mental in the result of his meeting with these and conjectures filled the gallant officer s mind during the greater part of the journey he arrived at the hotel they had all stayed at in succession about six hours after had left it for a little excursion to san and its neighbourhood as a means of passing a few days till should write again to inquire why he had not come on had de and met at nice a curious explanation would have resulted but so it was that de saw no one he knew and in obedience to s commands he promptly set off on foot for the though opposed to the as a lover de felt for him as a poor devil in need of money having had experiences of that sort himself and he i a was really anxious that the needful supply to him should reach s hands he was on the bridge five minutes before the hour and when the clock struck a hand was laid on his shoulder turning he beheld dare knowing that the youth was somewhere along the coast for they had frequently met together on de s previous visit the latter merely said don t bother me for the present i have an engagement you can see me at the hotel this evening when you have given me the hundred pounds i will fly like a captain said the young gentleman i keep the appointment instead of the other man de looked hard at him how do you know about he asked i have seen him de took the young man by the two shoulders and gazed into his eyes the scrutiny seemed not altogether to remove the suspicion which had suddenly started up in his mind my soul he said dropping his arms can this be true what you know dare shrugged his shoulders are you going to hand over the money or no he said i am going to make inquiries said de walking away with a vehement tread captain you are without natural affection said dare walking by his side in a tone which showed his fear that he had over that emotion see what i have done for you you have been my con dare and de i care and anxiety for i can t tell how long i have stayed awake at night thinking how i might best give you a good start in the world by arranging this judicious marriage when you have been sleeping as sound as a top with no cares upon your mind at all and now i have got into a scrape as the most thoughtful of us may sometimes you go to make inquiries i have promised the lady to whom this money belongs whose generosity has been abused in some way that i will deliver it into no hands but those of one man and he has not yet appeared i therefore go to find him dare laid his hand upon de s arm captain we are both warm and on points of honour this will come to a split between us if we don t mind so not to bring matters to a crisis lend me ten pounds here to enable me to get home and ril disappear in a state on distraction eager to get the young man out of his sight before worse revelations rise up between them de without pausing in his walk gave him the sum demanded he soon reached the post office where he inquired if a mr had left any directions for letters it was just what had done de was told that mr had commanded that any letters should be sent on to him at the victoria san it was now evident that the scheme of getting money from was either of dare s invention or that ashamed of his first impulse had f a abandoned it as speedily as it had been formed de turned and went out dare in keeping with his promise had vanished captain de resolved to do nothing in the case till further events should him beyond sending a line to miss power to inform her that had not appeared and that he therefore retained the money till further instructions a i f book the fifth de and chapter i miss power was on a red velvet couch in the bedroom of an old fashioned red hotel at and her friend miss de was sitting by a window of the same apartment they were both rather wearied by a long journey of the previous day the hotel overlooked the large open erect in the midst of which the bronze statue of general received the rays of a warm sun that was powerless to him the whole square with its people and going to and fro as if they had plenty of time was visible to in her chair but from her position could see nothing below the level of the many on the opposite side of the after watching upper story of the city for some time in silence she asked to hand her a lying on the table through which instrument she quietly regarded the distant roofs what strange and philosophical creatures are she said they give a ghostly character to the whole town the birds were crossing and the field of the glass in their flight hither and thither between the chimneys their sad grey forms sharply out a lined against the sky and their legs showing beneath like the limbs of dead in s the indifference of these birds to all that was going on beneath them impressed her to with their solemn and silent	45
movements the houses beneath should have been deserted and grass growing in the streets behind the long roofs thus visible to over the window sill with their of windows rose the cathedral spire in airy forming the highest object in the scene it suggested something which for a long time she appeared unwilling to utter but natural instinct had its way a place like this she said where he can study architecture would i should have thought be a spot more congenial to him than the person referred to was the whom the two had been discussing from time to time allowing any casual subject such as that of the to interrupt the personal one at every two or three sentences it would be more like him to be here replied miss de trusting her tongue with only the on this matter was again dismissed for the topic but could not let him alone and she presently resumed as if an irresistible fascination compelled what judgment had forbidden the strongest minded persons are sometimes caught unawares at that place if they once think they will their first losses and i am not aware that he is particularly for a moment looked at her with a mixed de and ii expression in which there was that a woman with any feeling should so and relief that it was who did so for notwithstanding her assumption that could never be an more to her than he was already s heart would occasionally step down and trouble her views so expressed whether looking through a glass at distant objects enabled to bottle up her affection for the absent one or whether her friend had so little personality in s regard that she could with her as with a lay figure it was certain that she evinced remarkable ease in speaking of her words about him in the tone of one to whom he was at most an ordinary professional adviser it would be very awkward for the works at the castle if he has got into a scrape i suppose the were well posted up with instructions before he left but he ought certainly to return soon why did he leave england at all just now perhaps it was to see you he should have waited it would not have been so dreadfully long to may or june how can a man who does such a hare thing as this be deemed in an important work like that of castle there was such stress in the inquiry that whatever had gone before perceived to be at last speaking her mind and it seemed as if must have considerably lost ground in her opinion or she would not have him thus my brother will tell us full particulars when he a ii j a comes perhaps it is not at all as we suppose said she strained her eyes across the and added he ought to have been here before this time while they waited and talked still observing the the hotel came round the comer from the station i believe he has arrived resumed miss de i see something that looks like his on the top of the yes it is his baggage i ll run down to him de had obtained six weeks additional leave on account of his health which had somewhat suffered in india the first use he made of his extra time was in hastening back to meet the travelling ladies here at mr power and mrs were also in the hotel and when got downstairs the former was de at the door had not seen him since he set out from for nice by her to deliver the hundred pounds to his note stating that he had failed to meet contained no details and she guessed that he would soon appear before her now to answer any question about that peculiar errand her were justified by the event she had no sooner gone into the next sitting room than de appeared and asked if her brother might come up the observer would have been in doubt whether s ready reply in the affirmative was prompted by personal consideration for de or by a hope to hear more of his mission to nice as soon as she had welcomed him she at once to the subject yes as i told you he was not at the place of de and meeting de replied and taking from his pocket the bag of ready money he placed it upon the table de did this with a hand that shook somewhat more than a long railway journey was adequate to account for and in truth it was the vision of dare s position which agitated the unhappy officer for had that young man as de feared been with s name his fate now trembled in the balance would unquestionably and naturally the aid of the law against him if she discovered such an were you punctual to the time mentioned she asked curiously de replied in the affirmative did yon wait long she continued not very long he answered his instinct to screen the possibly guilty one him to guarded statements w still to the literal truth why was that somebody came and told me that he would not appear who ah young man who has been acting as his clerk his name is dare he informed me that mr could not keep the appointment why he had gone on to san has he been travelling with mr he had been with him they know each other very well but as you me to deliver the money into no hands but mr s i strictly to your instructions il a but perhaps my instructions were not wise should it in your opinion have been sent by this young man was he to ask you for it de murmured that dare was not to ask for it that upon the whole he deemed	45
accept his fortune without much question the journey to though short was not without incidents on which he could work out this curious of to power an already positive passion handing her in and out of the carriage accidentally getting brushed by her dress of de and all such as this he made available fuel though she might have guessed the general nature of what was going on seemed unconscious of the he was trying to throw into it and sometimes when in stepping into or firom a railway carriage she put her hand upon his arm the obvious she attached to the action struck him with one of the first things they did at was to stroll into the where the water she was about to put down the glass when de quickly took it from her hands as though to make use of it himself oh if that is what you mean she said you should have noticed the exact spot it was there she put her finger on a particular portion of its edge you ought not to act like that unless you mean something power he replied gravely tell me more plainly i mean you should not do things which excite my heart to the hope that you care something for me unless you really do i put my finger on the edge and said it was there meaning it was there my lips touched let yours do the same the latter part i wholly deny she answered with disregard after which she went away and kept between and her aunt for the rest of the afternoon since the receipt of the message had been silent she frequently stayed in a alone and sometimes she became quite gloomy an altogether phase for her this was the case on the morning after the incident in the not to intrude on her walked about the of the sunny white hotel in which they had taken up their quarters went down into the court and the that were creeping about there among the flowers and plants till at last on going to her friend she caught her reading some old letters of s made no secret of them and miss de could see that more than half were written on blue paper with amid the writing they were in fact simply those sheets of his letters which related to the nevertheless fancied she had caught in a sentimental mood and doubtless could have walked in at this moment instead of it might have well with him so do tender memories themselves in the face of outward they took a short drive down the road and into the forest de and power riding on horseback alongside the sun streamed yellow behind their backs as they wound up the long lighting the red trunks and even the blue black foliage itself the summer had already made impression upon that mass of uniform colour by every with a tiny of yellow while the minute sounds which issued from the forest revealed that the apparently still place was becoming a perfect of insect life power was quite sentimental that day in such places as these he said as he rode alongside de and mrs nature s powers in the of one type strike me as much as the grandeur of the mass mrs agreed with him and said the foliage forms the roof of an interminable green cr the pillars being the trunks and the vault the boughs it is a fine place in a said de i am not an but to see the lightning spring hither and thither like lazy and striking and vanishing is rather impressive it must be indeed said and in the winter winds these pines sigh like ten thousand spirits in trouble indeed they must said at the same time i know a little fir plantation about a mile square not far from said de which is precisely like this in miniature stems colours slopes winds and all if we were to go there any time with a highly pair of spectacles it would look as fine as this and save a deal of travelling i know the place and i agree with you said you agree with me on all subjects but one he presently observed in a voice not intended to reach the others looked at him but was silent onward and upward they went the same pattern and colour of tree repeating themselves till in a couple of hours they reached the castle hill which was to be the end of their journey and beheld stretched beneath them the valley of the they alighted and entered the fortress what did you mean by that look of kindness you bestowed upon me just now when i said you agreed with me on all subjects but one asked de half as he held open a little door for her the others having gone ahead i meant i suppose that i was much obliged to you for not requiring agreement on that one subject she said passing on not more than that said de as he followed her but whenever i involuntarily express towards you sentiments that there can be no you seem truly compassionate if i seem so i feel so if you mean no more than mere compassion i wish you would show nothing at all for your mistaken kindness is only preparing more misery for me than i should have if let alone to suffer without mercy i you to be quiet captain de leave me and look out of the window at the view here or at the pictures or at the or whatever it is we are come to see very well but pray don t extract amusement from my harmless remarks such as they are i mean them she stopped him by changing the subject for they had entered an chamber on the first floor full of	45
pictures and but the shutters were closed and only stray beams of light gleamed in to suggest what was there can t somebody open the windows said de and the attendant is about to do it said her uncle and as he spoke the shutters to the east were flung back and one of the loveliest views in the forest disclosed itself outside some of them stepped out upon the balcony the river lay along the bottom of the valley with a silver shine little of floated on its surface like tiny the men who them not appearing larger than stood on the balcony looking for a few minutes upon the sight and then came again into the shadowy room where de had remained while the rest were still outside she resumed you must not suppose that i shrink from the subject you so persistently bring before me i respect deep affection you know i do but for me to say that i have any such for you of the particular sort you only will be satisfied with would be absurd i don t feel it and therefore there can be nothing between us one would think it would be better to feel kindly towards you than to feel nothing at all but if you object to tiiat ru try to feel nothing i don t really object to your sympathy said de rather struck by her seriousness but it is very to think you can feel nothing more it must be so since i can feel no more she replied adding as she dropped her seriousness you must pray for strength to get over it one thing i shall never pray for to see you give yourself to another man but i suppose i shall witness that some day a you may she gravely returned you have no doubt chosen him cried the captain bitterly no captain de she said shortly a faint involuntary blush coming into her face as she guessed his allusion this and a few glances round at the pictures and completed their survey of the castle de knew better than to trouble her further that day with special remarks during the return journey he rode ahead with mr power and she saw no more of him she would have been astonished had she heard the conversation of the two gentlemen as they wound gently downwards through the trees as far as i am concerned captain de s companion was saying nothing would give me more delight than that you should and win her but you must understand that i have no authority over her nothing more than the natural influence that arises from my being her father s brother and for that much whatever it may be in my favour i thank you heartily said de but i am coming to the conclusion that it is useless to press her further she is right i am not the man for her i am too old and too poor and i must put up as well as i can with her loss drown her image in old till i in s boat for good really if i had the industry i could write some good verses on my de and tion ah well in this way i affect levity over my troubles but in plain truth my life will not be the brightest without her don t be down hearted you are too too gentlemanly de in this matter you are too soon put off you should have a touch of the about you in approaching her and not stick at things you have my hearty invitation to travel with us all the way till we cross to england and there will be heaps of opportunities as we wander on i ll keep a slow pace to give you time you are very good my friend well i will try again i am full of doubt and mind but at present i feel that i will try again there is i suppose a slight possibility of something or other turning up in my favour if it is true that the unexpected always happens for i foresee no chance whatever which way do we go when we leave here to morrow to she says if the rest of us have no objection then let it be with all my heart or anywhere to they went next day after a night of soft rain which brought up a warm steam from the valleys and caused the young and to swell visibly in a few hours after the slopes the of charles s rest seemed somewhat uninteresting though a busy fair which was proceeding in the streets created a quaint and unexpected on reaching the old a fashioned inn in the that they had fixed on the women of the party themselves to their rooms and showed little inclination to see more of the world that day than could be from the hotel windows de and g chapter iii while the malignant tongues had been playing with s fame in the ears of and her companion the young man himself was proceeding partly by rail partly on foot below and amid the hills groves and gardens of the shores arrived at san he wrote to nice to inquire for letters and such as had come were duly forwarded but not one of them was from this broke down his resolution to hold off and he hastened directly to that he had not taken this step when he first heard that she was there something in the very aspect of the marble halls of that city which at any other time he would have liked to linger over whispered to him that the bird had flown and inquiry confirmed the fancy nevertheless the beauties of the vast street looking as if mountains of marble must have been to supply the materials	45
for it detained him there two days or rather a feat of resolution by which he set himself to with stand the drag chain of s influence was for that jf time at the end of it he moved onward there was no difficulty in discovering their track and feeling that might as well return to england by the a route as by any other he followed in the course they had chosen getting scent of them in missing them at by a day and finally them at which town he reached on the morning after the power and de party had taken up their quarters at the ancient inn above mentioned when was about to get out of the train at this place little dreaming what a meaning the word would have for him in subsequent years he was surprised to see no other than dare stepping out of the adjoining carriage a new brown leather in one of his hands a new umbrella in the other and a new suit of fashionable clothes on his back seemed to considerable improvement in the young man s fortunes was so struck by the circumstance of his being on this spot that he almost missed his opportunity for dare meanwhile had moved on without seeing his former employer and resolved to take the chance that offered and let him go there was something so mysterious in their common presence simultaneously at one place five hundred miles from where they had last met that he exhausted conjecture on whether dare s errand this way could have an to do with his own or whether their a second time was the result of pure accident greatly as he would have liked to get this answered by a direct question to dare himself he did not his first instinct and remained unseen they went out in different directions when for the first time remembered that in learning at that the party had flitted towards de and i i he had taken no care to ascertain the name of the hotel they were bound for was not a large place and the point was but the would a little inquiry to follow dare on the chance of his having fixed upon the same quarters was a course which did not commend itself he resolved to get some lunch before proceeding with his business or of discovering the lady and drove off to a neighbouring tavern which did not happen to be as he hoped it might the one chosen by those who had preceded him meanwhile dare previously master of their plans went straight to the house which sheltered them and on entering under the from the was saved the trouble of inquiring for captain de by seeing him drinking at a little table in the court had chosen this inn for his quarters instead of the one in the market place which he actually did choose the three must inevitably have met here at this moment with some possibly striking dramatic results though what they would have been remains for ever hidden in the darkness of the de jumped up from his chair and went forward to the new comer you are not long behind us then he said with i thought you were going straight home i was said dare but i have been blessed with what i may call a small since i saw you last of the two hundred you gave me i risked fifty at the tables and i have multiplied them how many times do you think more than four hundred times a de immediately looked grave wish you had lost them he said with as much feeling as could be shown in a place where strangers were hovering near nonsense captain i have proceeded purely on a calculation of chances and my calculations proved as true as i expected notwithstanding a uttle in luck at first witness this as the result he his bag with his umbrella and the of money firom within just feel the weight of it it is not necessary take your word shall i lend you five pounds god forbid as if that would repay me for what you have cost me but come let s get out of this place to where we can talk more finely he put his hand through the young man s arm and led him round the comer of the hotel towards the these runs of luck will be your ruin as i have told you before continued de you will be for repeating and repeating your experiments and will end by blowing your brains out as wiser heads than yours have done i am glad you have come away at any rate why did you travel this way simply because i could afford it of course but come captain something has ruffled you to day i thought you did not look in the best temper the moment i saw you every you took of your pick up as you sat there showed me something was wrong tell your worry i can tell you in two words said the captain your arrangement for my wealth de and and happiness for i suppose you still claim it to be yours has fallen through the lady has announced to day that she means to send for instantly she is coming to a personal explanation with him so woe to me and in another sense woe to you as i have reason to fear though i have hoped otherwise send for him said dare with the stillness of complete abstraction then he ll come well said de looking him in the face and does it make you feel you had better be off how about that did he ask you to send it or did he not one minute or i shall be up such a tree as nobody ever saw the like of	45
then what did you come here for burst out de tis my belief you are no more than a but i won t call you names fu tell you quite plainly that if there is anything wrong in that message to her which i believe there is no i can t believe though i fear it you have the chance of appearing in clothes at the expense of the government before the year is out and i of being disgraced no captain you won t be disgraced i am bad to beat i can tell you and come the worst luck i don t say a word but those letters pricked in your skin would say a good deal it strikes me what would they strip me but it is not coming to that look here now i ll tell you the truth for once though you don t believe me capable of it i did that and sent it just as a practical joke and many a worse one has been only laughed at by honest men and officers i could show you a bigger joke still a joke of jokes on the same individual dare as he spoke put his hand into his as if the said joke lay there but after a moment he withdrew his hand empty as he continued having invented it i have done enough i was going to explain it to you that you might carry it out but you are so serious that i will leave it alone my second joke shall die with me so much the better said de i don t like your jokes even though they are not directed against myself they express a kind of humour which does not suit me you may have reason to alter your mind said dare carelessly your success with your lady may depend on it the truth is captain we must not take too high a tone our days as an independent division of society which holds aloof from other sections are past this has been my argument in spite of my strong feelings ever since i the subject of your marrying this girl who represents both intellect and wealth all in fact except the historical that you represent and we mustn t at things the case is even more pressing than ordinary cases owing to the odd fact that the representative of the new blood who has come in our way actually lives in your own old house and owns your own old lands the ordinary reason for such is in our case do then just think and be reasonable before you talk tall about not liking my jokes and all that beggars mustn t be de and there s really much reason in your argument said de with a bitter laugh and my own heart much the same way but leaving me to take care of my aristocratic self i advise your aristocratic self to slip off at once to england like any dog and if is here and you have been doing wrong in his name and it all comes out i ll try to save you as far as an honest man can if you have done no wrong of course there is no fear though i should be obliged by your going homeward as quickly as possible as being better both for you and for me they had reached one side of the nobody apparently being near them save a who was on duty before the palace but turning as he spoke de beheld a group consisting of his sister and mr power strolling across the square towards them it was impossible to escape their observation and putting a bold front upon it de advanced with dare at his side till in a few moments the two parties met and dare at once as the young man who assisted at the castle i have met my young said de cheerily what a small world it is as every truly i am wishing he could take some views for us as we go on but you have no apparatus with you i suppose mr dare i have not sir i am sorry to say replied dare respectfully you could get one i suppose asked of the interesting young dare declared tiiat it would be not impossible a whereupon de said that it was only a passing thought of his and in a few minutes the two parties again separated going their several ways that was awkward said de trembling with excitement i would advise you to keep further off in future dare said thoughtfully that he would be careful adding she is a prize for any man indeed leaving alone the substantial possessions behind her now was i too enthusiastic was i a fool for urging you on wait till success the undertaking in case of failure it will have been an but wise it is no light matter to have a carefully preserved repose broken in upon for nothing a repose that could never be restored they walked down the to he s and back to the hotel where dare also decided to take up his stay de left him with the book keeper at the desk and went upstairs to see if the ladies had returned de and chapter iv he found them in their sitting room with their on as if they had just come in mr power was also present reading a newspaper but mrs had gone out to a neighbouring shop in the windows of which she had seen something which attracted her fancy when de entered s thoughts seemed to to dare for almost at once she asked him in what direction the youth was travelling with some hesitation de replied that he believed mr dare was returning to england after a spring trip for the improvement of his mind	45
a very thing to do said what places has he visited those which afford opportunities for the study of the old masters i believe said de he has also been to and so on the captain spoke the more readily to her questioning in that he divined her words to be dictated not by any suspicions of his relations with dare but by her knowledge of dare as the employed by has he been to nice she next demanded did he go there in the company of my i think not has he seen anything of him my a once employed him they know each other i think he saw for a short time was silent do you know where this young man dare is at the present moment she asked quickly de said that dare was staying at the same hotel with themselves and that he believed he was downstairs i think i can do no better than send for him said she he may be able to throw some light upon the matter of that she rang and despatched the waiter for the young man in question de almost visibly trembling for the result but he opened the town which was lying on a table and affected to be engrossed in the names before dare was shown in she said to her uncle perhaps you will speak to him for me mr power looking up from the paper he was reading assented to her proposition dare appeared in the doorway and the waiter retired dare seemed a trifle startled out of his usual coolness the message having evidently been unexpected and he came forward somewhat uneasily mr dare we are anxious to know something of miss power s and captain de tells us you have seen him lately said mr power over the edge of his newspaper not knowing whether danger or no or if it from what quarter it was to be expected dare felt that honesty was as good as anything else for him and replied boldly that he had seen mr de and de continuing to cream and mantle almost visibly in anxiety at the situation of the speaker and where did you see him continued mr power in the at how long did you see him only for half an hour i left him there s interest got the better of her reserve and she cut in upon her uncle did he seem in any unusual state or in trouble he was rather excited said dare and can you remember when that was dare considered looked at this pocket book and said that it was on the evening of april the the answer had a significance for de and to which power was a stranger the request for money which had been kept a secret from him by his niece because of his already tone towards arrived on the morning of the twenty third a date which with painfully suggestive that now given by dare she seemed to be silenced and asked no more questions dare having himself up to a gentlemanly appearance with some of his recent was invited to stay on awhile by s uncle who as became a travelled man was not fastidious as to company being a youth of the world dare made himself agreeable to that gentleman and afterwards tried to do the same with miss de at this the captain to whom the situation for some time had a been uncomfortable pleaded some excuse for going out and left the room dare continued his to say a few polite to de in the course of which he drew from his pocket his new silk handkerchief by some chance a card came out with the handkerchief and fluttered downwards his momentary instinct was to make a grasp at the card and conceal it but it had already tumbled to the floor where it lay face upward beside de s chair it was neither a visiting nor a playing card but one bearing a portrait of a peculiar nature it was what dare had as his best joke of all in speaking on the subject to captain de he had in the morning put it ready in his pocket to give to the captain and had in fact held it in waiting between his finger and thumb while talking to him in the meaning that he should make use of it against his rival whenever convenient but his sharp conversation with that officer had his zest for this final joke at s expense had at least shown him that de would not adopt the joke by accepting the photograph and using it himself and determined him to lay it aside till a more convenient season so fully had he made up his mind on this course that when the photograph slipped out he did not perceive the of the circumstance in putting into his own hands the he had intended for de till after a moment s reflection though in an after on the incident it was asserted that the whole scene was deliberately planned however once having seen the accident he seemed resolved to take the cur de and i i rent as it served and smiling waited events with cheerful the card having fallen beside her miss de glanced over it which indeed she could not help doing the smile that had previously hung upon her lips was arrested as if by frost and she involuntarily uttered a little distressed cry of oh like one in bodily pain who had been talking to her uncle during this started round and wondering what had happened crossed the room to poor s side asking her what was the matter had regained self possession though not enough to enable her to reply and asked her a second time what had made her exclaim like that miss de still seemed confused whereupon noticed that her eyes were continually drawn as by	45
fascination towards the photograph on the floor which contrary to his first impulse dare as has been said now seemed in no hurry to regain at last that the card whatever it was had something to do with the exclamation picked it up it was a portrait of but by a device known in the though to produce what seemed to be a perfect likeness had given it the distorted features and wild attitude of a man advanced in no woman unless specially of such possibilities could have looked upon it and doubted that the photograph was a genuine illustration of a customary phase in the young man s private life observed it thoroughly took it in but the effect upon her was by no means clear s eyes at once the portrait to dwell on s a face it a little and this was followed by a hot blush a blush of shame that was all she flung the picture down on the table and moved away it was now mr power s turn dare who was advancing with a look to seize the photograph he also grasped it when he saw whom it represented he seemed both amused and startled and after it awhile handed it to the young man with a queer smile i am very sorry began dare in a low voice to mr power i fear i was to blame for in not destroying it but i thought it was rather funny that a man should permit such a thing to be done and that the humour would redeem the offence in you for it said with haughty quickness from the other side of the room though probably his friends if he has any would say not in him there was silence in the room after this and dare finding himself rather in the way took his leave as as a cat that has upset the family china though he continued to say among his apologies that he was not aware mr was a personal friend of the ladies of all the thoughts which filled the minds of and de the thought that the photograph might have been a was probably the last to them that picture of had all the of direct vision s experience much less s had never lain in the fields of science and they would as soon have thought that the sun could again stand still upon as that it could de and be made to men s characters in their features what power thought he himself best knew he might have seen such pictures before or he might never have heard of them while pretending to resume his reading he closely observed as did also de but thanks to the self management which was miss power s as much by na ture as by art she emotion was j it is a pity a professional man should make himself so ludicrous she said with careless that it was almost impossible even for who knew her so well to believe her indifference feigned yes said mr power since did not speak it is what i scarcely should have expected oh i am not surprised said quickly you don t know all the was indeed inevitable that if her uncle were made aware of the he would see nothing unlikely in the picture well you are very silent continued when she found that nobody went on talking what made you cry out h when mr dare dropped that horrid photograph i don t know i suppose it frightened me stammered the girl it was a stupid fuss to make before such a person one would think you were in love with mr what did you say inquired her uncle looking up from the newspaper which he had again resumed nothing uncle she walked to the a window and as if to tide over what was plainly passing in their minds about her she began to make remarks on objects in the street what a quaint being look it was an old woman sitting by a stall on the opposite side of the way which seemed suddenly to hit s sense of the humorous though beyond the fact that the dame was old and poor and wore a white handkerchief over her head there was really nothing about her seemed to be more hurt by what the silence of her companions implied a suspicion that the discovery of s was her heart than by the wound itself the ease with which she drew them into a bye conversation had perhaps the defect of proving too much though her that no love was in question was not incredible on the supposition that pride alone caused her embarrassment the chief of her heart being really tender towards consisted in her apparent blindness to s secret so obviously suggested by her momentary agitation de and chapter v and where was the subject of their opinions all this while having secured a room at his inn he came forth to complete the discovery of his dear mistress s halting place without delay after one or two inquiries he ascertained where such a party of english were staying and arriving at the hotel knew at once that he had them to earth by seeing the heavier portion of the power luggage him in the hall he sent up intelligence of his presence and awaited her reply with a beating heart in the meanwhile dare descending from his interview with and the rest had captain de in the public drawing room and entered to him forthwith it was while they were here together that passed the door and sent up his name to the incident at the railway station was now reversed being the observed of dare as dare had then been the observed of immediately on sight of him dare showed real alarm he had imagined that would eventually on s	45
route but he had scarcely expected it yet and the s sudden appearance led dare to ask himself the ominous question whether had discovered his trick and was in the mood for prompt measures a ii a there is no more for me to do here said the boy man hastily to de miss power does not wish to ask me any more questions i may as well proceed on my way as you advised de who had also gazed with dismay at s passing figure though with dismay of another sort was recalled from his vexation by dare s remarks and turning upon him he said sharply well may you be in such a hurry all of a sudden true i am superfluous now you have been doing a foolish thing and you must suffer its will i am sorry for one thing i am sorry i ever owned you for you are not a lad to my mind you have disappointed me disappointed me almost beyond endurance i have acted according to my illumination what can you expect of a man bom to that s mere before you knew anything of me and while you thought you were the child of poverty on both sides you were well enough but ever since you thought you were more than that you have led a life which is intolerable what has become of your plan of alliance between the de and the powers now the man is gone upstairs who can overthrow it all if the man had not gone upstairs you wouldn t have complained of my nature or my plans said dare if i mistake not he will come down again with the in his ear however i have done my play is played out all the rest remains with you but captain grant me this if when i am gone this difficulty should vanish and things should go well with you and your suit should prosper will you think of de and him bad as he is who first put you on the track of such happiness and let him know it was not done in vain i will said de promise me that you will be a better boy very well as soon as ever i can afford it now i am up and away when i have explained to them that i shall not require my room dare fetched his bag touched his hat with his umbrella to the captain and went out of the hotel de sat down in the and wondered what other time had in store for him a waiter in the had announced to the group upstairs started as much as at hearing the name and power stared at them both if mr wishes to see me on business show him in said in a few seconds the door was thrown open for on receipt of the pointed message he guessed that a change had come time absence ambition her uncle s influence and a new seemed to account sufficiently well for that change and he accepted his fate but from a instinct to show that he could regard her with the that became a man a desire to ease her mind of any fear she might entertain that his connection with her past would render him troublesome in future induced him to accept her permission and see the act to the end how do you do mr said power with he had been far enough a about the world not to be greatly concerned at s apparent particularly when it helped to reduce him from the rank of lover to his niece to that of professional adviser miss de faltered a welcome as weak as that of the maid of and said coldly we are rather surprised to see you perhaps there is something urgent at the castle which makes it necessary for you to call there is something a little urgent said slowly as he approached her and you have judged rightly that it is the cause of my call he sat down near her chair as he spoke put down his hat and drew a note book from his pocket with a despairing sang that was far more perfect than had been s just before perhaps you would like to talk over the business with mr alone murmured to miss power hardly knowing what she said oh no said i think not is it necessary she said turning to him not in the least replied he a penetrating glance upon his s face which seemed however to produce no effect and turning towards he added you will have the goodness i am sure miss de to excuse the of professional details he spread some on the table and pointed out certain modified features to as he went on and exchanging occasionally a few words on the subject with mr power by the distant window in this dialogue over his sketches de and i s head and s became very close the temptation was too much for the young man under cover of the rustle of the he murmured i could not get here before in a low voice to the other two she did not reply only herself the more with the notes and sketches and he said again i stayed a couple of days at and some days at san and but it is not the least concern of mine where you stayed is it she said with a cold yet look do you speak seriously whispered concluded her examination of the drawings and turned from him with disregard he tried no further but when she had signified her pleasure on the points submitted packed up his papers and rose with the bearing of a man altogether superior to such a class of misfortune as this before going he turned to speak a few words of a general kind to mr power and you	45
will stay and dine with us said the former rather with the air of being unhappily able to do no less than ask the question my charges here won t go down to the table d h i fear but de and myself will be there excused himself and in a few minutes withdrew at the door he looked round for an instant and his eyes met s there was the same expression in hers that they had worn when he entered but there was also a look of inquiry as if she were earnestly expecting him to say a something more this of course did not comprehend possibly she was clinging to a hope of some excuse for the message he was supposed to have sent or for the other and more degrading matter anyhow only bowed and went away a moment after he had gone impelled by something or other crossed the room to the window in a short time she saw his form in the broad street below which he traversed to an opposite comer his head somewhat bent and his eyes on the ground before vanishing into the he turned his head and glanced at the hotel windows as if he knew that she was watching him then he disappeared and the only sign of emotion betrayed by during the whole episode escaped her at this moment it was a slight trembling of the lip and a sigh so slowly breathed that scarce anybody could hear scarcely even who was on a couch her face on her hand and her eyes downcast not more than two minutes had elapsed when mrs came in with a manner of haste you have returned said mr power have you made your purchases without answering she asked whom of all people on earth do you think i have met mr has he been here he passed me almost without speaking yes he has been here said he is on the way from home and called on business you will have him here to dinner of course i asked him said mr power but he declined oh that s unfortunate surely we could get him de and i i to come you would like to have him here would you not no indeed i don t want him here said she you don t no she said sharply you used to like him well enough anyhow rejoined mrs it is a mistake to suppose that i have ever particularly liked the mentioned then you are wrong mrs it seems said mr power mrs who had been growing quietly indignant notwithstanding a vigorous use of her fan at this said you did like him you said to me only a week or two ago that you should not at all object to marry him it is a mistake repeated calmly i meant the other one of the two we were talking about what de yes knowing this to be a fiction mrs made no remark and hearing a slight noise behind turned her head seeing her aunt s action also looked round the door had been left and de was standing in the room the last words of mrs and s reply must have been quite audible to him they looked at each other much as if they had unexpectedly met at the altar but after a momentary start did not fi om the position into which hurt pride had betrayed her de bowed gracefully and she merely walked to the window whither he followed her a i am grateful to you for that i have won favour in your sight at last he whispered she acknowledged the remark with a somewhat reserved bearing really i don t deserve your gratitude she said i did not know you were there i know you did not that s why the is so sweet to me can i take you at your word yes i suppose then your preference is the greatest honour that has ever fallen to my lot it is enough you accept me as a lover on no more the conversation being carried on in low tones s uncle and aunt took it as a hint that their presence was superfluous and left the room the former gladly the latter with some vexation de followed and to what am i indebted for this happy change inquired de as soon as they were alone you shouldn t look a gift horse in the mouth she replied you mistake my motive i am like a criminal and can scarcely believe the news you shouldn t say that to me or i shall begin to think i have been too kind she answered some of the of her manner returning now i know what you mean to say in answer but i don t want to hear any more at present and whatever you do don t fall into the mistake of supposing i have accepted you in any other sense than tiie way i say if you don t like such a you can go away i dare say i shall get over it de and go away could i go away but you are beginning to and will soon punish me severely so i will make my escape while all is well it would be to expect more in one day it would indeed said with her eyes on a bunch of flowers a chapter vi on leaving the hotel s first impulse was to get out of sight of its windows and his glance upward had perhaps not the tender significance that imagined the last look impelled by any such of emotion having been the lingering one he bestowed upon her in passing out of the room for the prospects of this attachment s conduct towards him now as a result of had enough in common with her previous silence at nice to make it	45
not unreasonable as a further development of that silence moreover her social position as a woman of wealth always felt by as a perceptible bar to that full and free eagerness with which he would fain have approached her rendered it impossible for him to return to the charge ascertain the reason of her coldness and it by an explanation without being suspected of objects continually does it happen that a genial to bottle up is set down to interested motives by those who do not know what generous conduct means had she occupied the financial position of miss de he would readily have persisted further and cleared up the d having no further interest in s decided to leave by an evening intervening hour he spent in wandering into the thick of the fair de and i where steam the of wax work shows and fancy stall maintained a din the animated was better than silence for it in him an artificial indifference to the events that had just happened an indifference which though he too well knew it was only destined to be temporary afforded a passive period wherein to store up strength that should enable him to withstand the wear and tear of regrets which would surely set in soon it was the case with as with others of his temperament that he did not feel a blow of this sort immediately and what often seemed like misfortune was only the of transition from hope to assured wretchedness he walked round and round the fair till all the knew him by sight and when the sun got low he turned into the now from end to end by rays of level light seeking his hotel he dined there and left by the evening train for g with its romantic surroundings was not precisely the place calculated to heal s wounded heart he had known the town of and his recollections of that period when in fancy he had transferred to his sketch book the fine details of the came back with unpleasant force he knew of some carved heads and other curious wood work in the copies of which being by photographs he had intended to make if all went well between and himself the zest for this was now well nigh over but on in the morning and a looking up the valley towards the castle and at the dark green height of the alongside he felt that to become by a passion driven to suffer fast and pray in the dull pains and of despised love was a not to be welcomed too readily thereupon he set himself to learn the sad science of which everybody has to learn in his degree either throughout the lesson or like taking to it kindly by force of judgment a more obstinate pupil might have altogether escaped the lesson in the present case by discovering its to in the heretofore satisfactory paths of art while life and faculties were left though every instant must proclaim that there would be no longer any attraction in that pursuit he went along under the trees of the and reached the castle in whose cool shades he spent the out his intentions with fair result when he had strolled back to his hotel in the evening the time was approaching for the table d having seated himself rather early he spent the few minutes of waiting in looking over his pocket book and putting a few finishing touches to the afternoon performance whilst the objects were fresh in his memory thus occupied he was but dimly conscious of the customary rustle of dresses and pulling up of chairs by the crowd of other as they gathered around him serving began and he put away his book and prepared for the meal he had hardly done this when he became conscious that the person on his left hand was not the typical with boundless hotel knowledge and experiences that he was accustomed to de and find next him but a face he recognised as that of a young man whom he had met and talked to at castle garden party whose name he had now forgotten this young fellow was conversing with somebody on his left hand no other personage than herself next to he beheld de and de s sister beyond him it was one of those which only happen to discarded lovers who have shown under disappointment as if on purpose to and their wounds it seemed as if the intervening traveller had met the other party by accident there and then in a minute he turned and recognised and by degrees the young men s remarks to each other developed into a pretty regular conversation interrupted only when he turned to speak to on his left hand your adviser travels in your party how very convenient said the young to her far pleasanter than having a medical attendant in one s train who had no on the other side of him could hear every word of this he glanced at she had not known of his presence in the room till now their eyes met for a second and she bowed returned her bow and her eyes were quickly withdrawn with scarcely visible confusion mr is not travelling with us she said we have met by accident mr came to me on business a little while ago i must congratulate you on having put the castle a in good hands continued the enthusiastic young man i believe mr is quite competent said stiffly to include in the conversation the young man turned to him and added you carry on your work at the castle con no doubt there is work i should like better said indeed the of his manner seemed to set her at ease by all fear of a scene and alternate of this sort with the gentleman in their midst were more or less	45
as if those rash words of mine had never been spoken i must bear it all as best i can i suppose said de with melancholy and i shall treat you as your behaviour shall seem to deserve she said then i may st y yes i am willing to give you that pleasure if it is one in return for the attentions you have shown and the trouble you have taken to make my journey pleasant she walked on and discovered mrs near and presently the whole party met together de did not find himself again at her side till later in the afternoon when they had left the immediate of the castle and decided on a drive to the k the carriage containing only mrs was driven a short way up the winding incline her uncle and miss de walking behind under the shadow of the trees then mrs called to them and asked when they were going to join her we are going to walk up said mr power seemed seized with a spirit of quite unlike her usual behaviour my aunt may drive up and you may walk up but i shall run up she said see here s a way she tripped towards a path through the bushes which instead of winding like the regular track made straight for the summit had not the remotest conception of the actual distance to the top imagining it to be but a couple of hundred yards at the outside whereas it was ii a really nearer a mile the ascent being uniformly steep all the way when her uncle and de had seen her vanish they stood still the former evidently reluctant to the easy ascent for a difficult one though he said we can t let her go alone that way i suppose no of course not said de they then followed in the direction taken by entering the carriage when power and de had ascended about fifty yards the former looked back and dropped off from the pursuit to return to the easy route giving his companion a parting hint concerning thereupon de went on alone he soon saw above him in the path which ascended straight as jacob s ladder but was so by the as to be quite shut out from the sun when he reached her side she was moving easily upward apparently enjoying the seclusion which the place afforded is not my uncle with you she said on turning and seeing him he went back said de she replied that it was of no consequence that she should meet him at the top she supposed looked up amid the green light which through the as far as her eyes could stretch but the top did not appear and she allowed de to get in front it did not seem such a long way as this to look at she presently said he explained that the trees had deceived her as to the real height by reason of her seeing the slope fore when she looked up from the castle allow me to help you he added de and no thank you said lightly we must be near the top they went on again but no when next de turned he found that she was sitting down immediately going back he offered his arm she took it in silence declaring that it was no wonder her uncle did not come that wearisome way if he had ever been there before de did not explain that mr power had said to him at parting there s a chance for you if you want one but at once went on with the subject begun on the terrace if my behaviour is good you will re affirm the statement made at it is not fair to begin that now i can only think of getting to the top her colour deepening by the exertion he suggested that she should sit down again on one of the by the nothing loth she did de standing by and with his cane scratching the moss from the stone this is rather awkward said in her usual way my relatives and your sister will be sure to suspect me of having arranged this scramble with you but i know better sighed de i wish to heaven you had arranged it she was not at the top but she took advantage of the halt to answer his previous question there are many points on which i must be satisfied before i can re affirm anything do you not see that you are mistaken in clinging to this idea that you are laying up mortification and disappointment for yourself a a negative reply from you would be disappointment early or late and you prefer having it late to accepting it now if i were a man i should like to abandon a false scent as soon as possible i suppose all that has but one meaning that i am to go oh no she assured him bounding up from her seat i to my statement that you may stay though it is true something may possibly happen to make me alter my mind he again offered his arm and from sheer necessity she upon it as before grant me but a moment s patience he began captain de is this fair i am physically obliged to hold your arm so that i must listen to what you say no it is not fair my soul it is not said de i won t say another word he did not and they on through the boughs nothing disturbing the solitude but the rustle of their own footsteps and the singing of birds overhead they occasionally got a peep at the sky and whenever a hung out in a position to strike s face the gallant captain bent it aside with his stick but she did not thank him perhaps he was just	45
as well satisfied as if she had done so panting broke the silence will you go on and discover if the top is near he went on this time the top was near when he returned she was sitting where he had left her among the leaves it is quite near now he told her tenderly and she took his arm again without a word de and soon the path changed its nature from a steep and rugged water course to a level green thank you captain de she said letting go his arm as if relieved before them rose the tower and at the base they beheld two of their friends mr power being seen above looking over the through his glass you will go to the top now said de no i take no interest in it my interest has turned to fatigue i only want to go home he took her on to where the carriage stood at the foot of the tower and leaving her with his sister ascended the to the top the landscape had quite changed from its afternoon appearance and had become rather marvellous than beautiful the air was charged with a lurid that the extensive view he could see the distant at its with the shining like a thread of blood through the mist which was gradually up the declining sun the scene had in it something that was more than melancholy and not much less than tragic but for de such evening effects possessed little meaning he was engaged in an enterprise that all his resources and had no sentiments to spare for air earth or skies remarkable scene said power mildly at elbow yes i dare say it is said de time has been when i should have held forth upon such a prospect and wondered if its livid colours out my own life et et but i have almost forgotten there s such a thing as nature and i care for nothing but a comfortable life and a certain woman who does not care for me now shall we go down a chapter viii it was quite true that de at the present period of his existence wished only to escape from the of active life and to win the affection of power there were however occasions when a recollection of his old vows would itself upon him and tinge his present with bitterness so much was this the case that a day or two after they had arrived at he could not refrain from making remarks almost to his cause saying to her i am unfortunate in my situation there are unhappily worldly reasons why i should pretend to love you even if i do not they are so strong that though really loving you perhaps they enter into my thoughts of you i don t want to know what such reasons are said with for it required but little to discover that he alluded to her possession of his home and estates you lack tone she gently added that s why the situation of affairs seems distasteful to you yes i suppose i am ill and yet i am well enough these remarks passed under a tree in the public gardens during an odd minute of waiting for and mrs and he said no more to her in private that day few as h r words had been he liked de and them better than any he had lately received the conversation was not resumed till they were gliding between the banks that bear the vine on board one of the which like the hotels in this early summer time were comparatively free from other english travellers so that everywhere and her party were with open arms and countenances as among the first of the season the saloon of the was quite empty the few passengers being outside and this of afforded de a opportunity saw him approach her and there appearing in his face signs that he would begin again on the eternal subject she seemed to be struck with a sense of the ludicrous de something seems to amuse you he said it is over she replied becoming serious was it about me and this unhappy fever in me if i speak the truth i must say it was you here s that absurd man again going to begin his daily not absurd she said with emphasis because i don t think it is absurd she continued looking through the windows at the heights under which they were now sailing and he remained with his eyes on her may i stay here with you he said at last i have not had a word with you alone for four hours you must be then you have said such as that before i wish you would say loving instead of cheerful a yes know i know she responded with impatient perplexity but why must you think of me me only is there no other woman in the world who has the power to make you happy i am sure there must be perhaps there is but i have never seen her then look for her and believe me when i say that you will certainly find her he shook his head captain de i have long felt for you she continued with a frank glance into his face you have deprived yourself too long of other women s company why not go away for a little time and when you have found somebody else likely to make you happy you can meet me again i will see you at your s house and we will enjoy all the pleasure of easy friendship very correct and very cold o best of women you are too full of exclamations and i think they stood in silence apparently much in the of a which was passing by dear miss power he resumed before i go and join	45
your uncle above let me just ask do i stand any chance at all yet is it possible you can never be more than you have been you put me out of all patience but why did you raise my hopes you should at least pity me after doing that yes it s that again i unfortunately raised your hopes because i was a fool was not myself that moment now question me no more as it is i think you presume too much upon my becoming de and yours as the consequence of my having dismissed another not on becoming mine but on listening to me your argument would be reasonable enough had i led you to believe i would listen to you and ultimately accept you but that i have not done i see now that a woman who gives a man an answer one shade less than a harsh negative may be carried beyond her intentions and out of her own power before she knows it me if you will i don t care she looked at him with a little mischief in her eyes you do care she said then why don t you listen to me i would not for a moment longer if it were against the wishes of your family your uncle says it would give him pleasure to see you accept me does he say why she asked thoughtfully yes he takes of course a practical view of the matter he thinks it itself so to reason and common sense that the owner of castle should become a member of the de family yes that s the horrid plague of it she said with a which seemed to contradict her words it is so dreadfully reasonable that we should marry i wish it wasn t well you are younger than i and perhaps that s a natural wish but to me it seems a combination not often met with i confess that your interest in our family before you knew me lent a to my hopes that otherwise they would not have had my interest in the de has not been a a interest except in the case of your sister she returned it has been an historical interest only and is not at au increased by your existence and perhaps it is not diminished no i am not aware that it is diminished she murmured as she observed the gliding shore well you will allow me to say this since i say it without reference to your personality or to mine that the r and de families are the to each other and that they call earnestly to one another how neat and fit a thing for us to join hands who was not when a direct appeal was made to her common sense answered with ready yes from the point of view of domestic politics that undoubtedly is the case but i hope i am not so calculating as to risk happiness in order to round off a social idea i hope not or that i am either still the social idea exists and my increased years make its excellence more obvious to me than to you the ice one broken on this aspect of the question the subject seemed rather to her and she spoke on as if inclined to venture where she had never anticipated going pleasure from the very strangeness of her you mean that in the fitness of things i ought to become a de to strengthen my social position and that i ought to strengthen mine by alliance with the of a name so dear to science as power well we are talking with unexpected frankness but you are not seriously displeased with me for be and saying what after all one can t help feeling and thinking no only be so good as to leave off going further for the present indeed of the two i would rather have the other sort of address i mean she hastily added that what you urge as the result of a real affection however i have some remote satisfaction in listening to not the least from any love on my side but from a woman s gratification at being the object of anybody s devotion for that feeling towards her is always regarded as a merit in a woman s eye and taken as a kindness by her even i when it is at the expense of her convenience she had said voluntarily or involuntarily better things than he expected and perhaps too much in her own opinion for she hardly gave him an opportunity of replying they passed st and and when round the sharp bend of river just beyond the latter place de met her again exclaiming you left me very suddenly you must make please she said i have always stood in need of them then you shall always have them i don t doubt it she said quickly but was not to be caught again and kept close to the side of her aunt while they glided past and approaching her aunt said let me suggest that you be not so much alone with captain de and why said quietly you ll have plenty of offers if you want them without taking trouble said the direct mrs your existence is hardly known to the world yet and captain de is too near middle age for a girl like you did not reply to either of these remarks being seemingly so interested in heights as not to hear them de and chapter ix it was midnight at and the travellers had retired to rest in their respective apartments overlooking the river finding that there was a moon shining out of her window the tall rock of on the opposite shore was with light and a steamer was drawing up to the where it presently deposited its passengers we should	45
have come by the last boat so as to have been touched into romance by the rays of moon like those happy people said a voice she looked towards the spot whence the voice proceeded which was a window quite near at hand de was smoking outside it and she became aware that the words were addressed to her you left me very abruptly he continued s instinct of caution impelled her to speak the windows are all open she murmured please be careful there are no english in this hotel except ourselves i thank you for what you said to day please be careful she repeated my dear miss p don t mention names and don t continue the subject life and death perhaps depend upon my it soon a she shut the window possibly wondering if de had drunk a glass or two of more than was good for him and saw no more of that night and heard no more of de but it was some time before he closed his window and previous to doing so saw a dark form at an adjoining one on the other side it was mr power also taking the air well what luck to day said power a decided advance said de none of the knew that a little person in the room above heard all this out of window talk though not looking out had left her open and what reached her ears set her wondering as to the result it is not necessary to detail in full de s advances with during that northward journey so slowly performed that it seemed as if she must perceive there was a special reason for her return to england at one day he conveniently overtook her when she was ascending the hotel staircase seeing him she went to the window of the landing which commanded a view of the meaning that he should pass by to his room i have been very uneasy began the captain drawing up to her side and i am obliged to trouble you sooner than i meant to do turned her eyes upon him with some curiosity as to what was coming of this respectful indeed she said he then informed her that he had been himself since they last talked and had some reason de and to blame himself for and general want of which although he had meant nothing by it must have been very disagreeable to her but he had always aimed at sincerity particularly as he had to deal with a lady who despised and was above flattery however he feared he might have carried his disregard for too far but from that time he would promise that she should find an alteration by which he hoped he might return the friendship at least of a young lady he honoured more than any other in the world this movement was evidently unexpected by the honoured young lady herself after being so long accustomed to rebuke him for his there was novelty finding him do the work for her the guess might even have been that there was also disappointment still looking across the river upon the bridge of boats which stretched to the opposite of you need not blame yourself she said with the conceivable manner i can make all i wish is that you should remain under no i comprehend he said thoughtfully but since by a perverse fate i have been thrown into your company you could hardly expect me to feel and act otherwise perhaps not since i have so much reason to be dissatisfied with myself he added i cannot refrain from elsewhere to a slight extent and thinking i have to do with an person why she asked i a ii a in this way that since you cannot love me you see no reason at all for trying to do so in the fact i so deeply love you hence i say that you are rather to be distinguished by your wisdom than by your humanity it comes to this that if your words are all seriously meant it is much to be regretted we ever met she murmured now will you go on to where you were going and leave me here without a remonstrance he went on saying with dejected as he smiled back upon her you show a wisdom which for so young a lady is perfectly surprising it was resolved to the journey by a circuit through holland and but nothing changed in the attitudes of and captain de till one afternoon during their stay at the when they had gone for a drive down to by the long straight avenue of and under whose boughs of wild waved their flowers except where the of retired merchants blazed forth with new paint of every hue on mounting the which kept out the sea behind the village a brisk breeze greeted their faces and a fine sand blew up into their eyes de with his umbrella as they stood their backs to the wind looking down on the red roofs of the village within the sea wall and pulling at the long grass which by some means found nourishment in the soil of the when they had discussed the scene he continued it always seems to me that this place the average mood of human life i mean if we strike the de and balance between our best moods and our worst we shall find our average condition to stand at about the same pitch in colour as these sandy and this grey scene do in landscape that he ought not to measure everybody by himself i have no other standard said de and if my own is wrong it is you who have made it so have you thought any more of what i said at i don t quite remember what you did say at my dearest life s eyes	45
somewhat he corrected the exclamation my dear miss power i will without reserve tell it to you all over again pray spare yourself the effort she said what has that one fatal step betrayed me into do you seriously mean to say that i am the cause of your life being coloured like this scene of grass and sand if so i have committed a very great fault it can be by a such a word it is a very short one there s a still shorter one more to the purpose frankly i believe you suspect me to have some latent and inclination for you that you think speaking is the only point upon which i am backward there now it is what shall we do i thought this wind meant rain do stand on here as we are standing now your sister and my aunt are gone under the wall i think we will walk towards them i l o a you had made me hope he continued his thoughts apparently far away from the rain and the wind and the possibility of shelter that you might change your mind and give to your original promise a liberal meaning in it in brief i mean this that you would allow it to into an engagement don t think it he went on as he held the umbrella over her i am sure any man would speak as i do a distinct permission to be with you on that was what you gave me at and flinging on one side what does that mean that i am interested in your family history and she went out from the umbrella to the shelter of the hotel where she found her aunt and friend de could not but feel that his had made some impression it was hardly possible that a woman of independent nature would have his dangling at her side so long if his presence were wholly distasteful to her that evening when driving back to the by a route through the dense avenues of the he conversed with her again also the next day when standing by the looking at the and in each case she seemed to have at least got over her objection to being seen talking to him apart from the remainder of the travelling party scenes very similar to those at and on the were at later stages of their journey mr power had proposed to cross from but a stiff north breeze pre i de and l l herself became reluctant to hasten back to castle turning abruptly they made for it was here while walking homeward from the park one morning that her uncle for the first time alluded to the situation of affairs between herself and her admirer the captain had gone up the ale with his sister and mrs either to show them the house in which the ball took place on the eve of or some other site of interest and the two powers were thus left to themselves to reach their hotel they passed into a little street sloping down from the to the place where at the moment of the cathedral a wedding party emerged from the porch and crossed in front of uncle and niece i hope said the former in his way we shall see a performance of this sort between you and captain de not so very long after our return to england why asked following the bride with her eyes it is as i may say such a highly correct thing such an expedient thing such an obvious thing in all eyes not altogether to mine uncle she returned be a thousand to let slip such a neat offer of difficulties as accident makes you in this you could many more tin that s true but you don t want it you want a name and historic what do they call it now by coming to terms with the captain you ll be lady de in a few years and a title which is useless to him and a fortune a and castle which are in some degree useless to you will make a splendid whole useful to you both thought it over quite she answered and i quite see what the advantages are but how if i don t care one for artistic completeness and a splendid whole and do care very much to do what my fancy me to do then i should say that taking a comprehensive view of human nature of all colours your fancy is about the fancy existing on this earthly ball laughed indifferently and her felt that persistent as was his nature he was the wrong man to influence her by argument s blindness to the advantages of the match if she were blind was that of a woman who wouldn t see and the best argument was silence this was in some measure proved the next morning when made her appearance mrs said holding up an envelope here s a letter from mr dear me said she though a quick little flush ascended her cheek i had nearly forgotten him the letter on being read contained a request as brief as it was unexpected having prepared all the drawings necessary for the begged leave to resign the of the work into other hands his letter caps your remarks very said mrs with secret triumph you are nearly forgetting him and he is quite forgetting you yes said carelessness well i must get somebody else i suppose de and chapter x they next to intending to stay there only one night but their schemes were by the sudden illness of she had been looking for a fortnight past though with her usual self she had made light of her even now she declared she could go on but this was said over night and in the morning it was abundantly evident	45
that to move her was highly still she was not in serious danger and having called in a physician who pronounced rest indispensable they prepared to remain in the old capital two or three additional days mr power thought he would take advantage of the halt to run up to paris leaving de in charge of the ladies in more ways than in the illness of this day was the of a crisis it was a summer evening without a cloud had fallen asleep in her bed and who had been sitting by her looked out into the place st which the hotel commanded the lawn of the square was all with red and yellow of flowers the trees were brightly green the sun was soft and low tempted by the prospect went and put on her hat and her aunt who was nodding in the next room to request her to keep an ear on s bedroom descended into the de alone and entered the green a while she walked round two or three little children in charge of a nurse a large ball along the grass and it rolled to s feet she smiled at them and endeavoured to return it by a slight kick the ball rose in the air and passing over the back of a seat which stood under one of the trees alighted in the lap of a gentleman hitherto by its boughs the back and shoulders proved to be those of de he turned his head jumped up and was at her side in an instant a flush having meanwhile crossed s face i thought you had gone to the she said hastily i am going to the cathedral obviously uttered lest it should seem that she had seen him from the hotel windows and entered the square for his company of course there is nothing else to go to here even for if you mean me by that you are very much mistaken said she the were your ancestors and they knocked down my s castle and broke the stained glass and of the said de and now you go not only to a cathedral but to a service of the church in it in a foreign country it is different from home said in and you of all men should not reproach me for when it has been brought about by by my sympathies with with the troubles of the de well you know what i mean she answered with considerable anxiety not to be misunderstood my liking for the old castle and what it contains and de and what it suggests i declare i will not explain to you further why should i i am not to s show of was perhaps not wholly because she had appeared to seek him but also from being reminded by his criticism that mr s prophecy on her weakly to surroundings was slowly working out its fulfilment she moved forward towards the gate at the further end of the square beyond which the cathedral lay at a very short distance did not turn her head and de strolled slowly after her down the du college the day happened to be one of the church and people were a second time into the lofty monument of at its vanished into the porch with the rest and almost catching the as it flew back from her hand he too entered the high shouldered edifice an edifice doomed to labour under the melancholy misfortune of seeming only half as vast as it really is and described by as a monument built with the strength of and decorated with the patience of de walked up the so close beside her as to touch her dress but she would not recognise his presence the darkness that evening had thrown over the interior which was scarcely broken by the few candles dotted about being a sufficient excuse if she required one miss power de said at last i am coming to the service with you she received the intelligence without surprise and he knew she had been conscious of him all the way a went no further than the middle of the where there was hardly a soul and took a chair beside a solitary which looked amid the vague gloom of the inaccessible architecture like a at the foot of tall cliffs he put his hand on the next chair do you object not at all she replied and he sat down suppose we go into the choir said de presently nobody sits out here in the shadows this is sufficiently near and we have a candle murmured before another minute had passed the candle flame began to drown in its own slowly and went out i suppose that means i am to go into the choir in spite of myself heaven is on your side said and rising they left their now totally dark corner and joined the noiseless shadowy figures who in and kept passing up the within the choir there was a blaze of partly from the altar and more particularly from the image of the saint whom they had assembled to honour which stood surrounded by candles and a thicket of plants some way in advance of the foot pace a secondary radiance from the same source was reflected upward into their faces by the polished marble pavement except when interrupted by the shady forms of the priests when it was over and the people were moving off de and his companion went towards the saint now by numbers of women anxious to claim the respective flower pots they had lent for the de and tion as each struggled for her own seized and marched off with it remarked this rather spoils the effect of what has gone before i perceive you are a harsh no captain de why will you speak so i am far too much	45
otherwise i have grown to be so much of your way of thinking that i accuse myself and am accused by others of being worldly and half and other dreadful things though it isn t that at all they were now walking down the preceded by the sombre figures with the pot flowers who were just visible in the rays that reached them through the distant choir screen at their back while above the grey night sky and stars looked in upon them through the high windows do be a little more of my way of thinking rejoined de passionately don t don t speak she said rapidly there are and was one of the maids and the and who had been engaged by power they had been sitting behind the other pair throughout the service and indeed knew rather more of the relations between and de than knew herself hastening on the two latter went out and walked together silently up the short street the place st was now lit up lights shone from the hotel windows and the world without the cathedral had so far advanced in change that it seemed as if they had been gone from it for hours within the a hotel they found the change even greater than without mrs met them half way on the stairs poor is worse she said quite feverish and almost reproached herself with why did i go away the common interest of de and in the sufferer at once an ease between them as nothing else could have done the physician was again called in who prescribed certain draughts and recommended that some one should sit up with her that night if allowed of love to escape her towards anybody it was towards and her instinct was at once to watch by the invalid s couch herself at least for some hours it being deemed unnecessary to call in a regular nurse unless she should further but i will sit with her said de surely you had better go to bed would not be persuaded and thereupon de saying he was going into the town for a short time before retiring left the room the last returned from the last train and the inmates of the hotel retired to rest meanwhile a had arrived for captain de but as he had not yet returned it was put in his bedroom with directions to the night porter to remind him of its arrival sat on with the sleeping presently she retired into the adjacent sitting room with a book and flung herself on a couch leaving the door open between her and her charge in case the latter should awake while she sat a new breathing seemed to de and mingle with the regular sound of s that reached her through the doorway she turned quickly and saw her uncle standing behind her oh i thought you were in paris said i have just come from there i could not stay something has occurred to my mind about this affair his strangely marked now more noticeable from being worn with fatigue had a effect by the night light what affair this marriage de is a good fellow enough but you must not accept him just yet did not answer do you hear you must not accept him repeated her uncle till i have been to england and examined into matters i start in an hour s time by the ten minutes past two train this is something very new yes tis new he murmured into his dutch manner you must not accept him till something is made clear to me i have come from paris to say so uncle i don t understand this i am my own mistress in all matters and though i don t mind telling you i have by no means resolved to accept him the question of her marriage is especially a woman s own affair her uncle stood for a moment as if his convictions were more than his proofs i say no more at present he murmured can i do anything for you about a new very well good night and then he left her a in a short time she heard him go down and out of the house to cross to england hy the morning with a little shrug as if she resented his interference in so delicate a point she settled herself down anew to her book one two three hours passed when awoke but soon sweetly again had stayed up for some time lest her mistress should require anything but the girl being sleepy sent her to bed it was a lovely night of early summer and drawing aside the window curtains she looked out upon the flowers and trees of the place now quite visible for it was nearly three o clock and the morning light was growing strong she turned her face upwards except in the case of one bedroom all the windows on that side of the hotel were in darkness the room being rather close she left the and opening the door walked out upon the staircase landing a number of were kept here and she observed in the dim light of the landing lamp how their heads were all tucked in on returning to the sitting room again she could hear that was still and this encouraging circumstance disposed her to go to bed herself before however she had made a move a gentle tap came to the door opened it there in the faint light by the stood s brother how is she now he whispered sleeping soundly said that s a blessing i have not been to bed i de and came in late and have now come down to know if i had not better take your place nobody is required i think but you can judge for yourself up to this point they had	45
conversed in the doorway of the sitting room which de now entered crossing it to s apartment he came out from the latter at a pensive pace she is doing well he said gently you have been very good to her was the chair i saw by her bed the one you have been sitting in all night i sometimes sat there sometimes here i wish i could have sat beside you and held your hand i speak frankly to excess and why not i do not wish to hide from you any comer of my breast futile as may be just heaven for what reason is it ordered that courtship in which soldiers are usually so successful should be a failure with me your lack of foresight chiefly in indulging feelings that were not encouraged that and my uncle s permission to you to travel with us have our relations in a way that i could neither foresee nor avoid though of late i have had apprehensions that it might come to this you vex and disturb me by such words of regret not more than you vex and disturb me but you cannot hate the man who loves so i have said before i don t hate you i repeat that i am interested in your family and its associations because of its complete contrast with my own she might have added and i am ii a t now because my uncle has forbidden me to be but you don t care enough for me personally to save my happiness hesitated fix m the moment de confronted her she had felt that this conversation was to be a grave business the cathedral clock struck three i have thought once or twice she with a unusual in her that if i could be sure of giving peace and joy to your mind by becoming your wife i ought to endeavour to do so and make the best of it merely as a charity but i believe that feeling is a mistake your discontent is constitutional and would go on just the same whether i accepted you or no my refusal of you is purely an imaginary grievance not if i think otherwise oh no she murmured with a sense that the place was very lonely and silent if you think it otherwise i suppose it is otherwise my darling my he said seizing her hand do promise me something you must indeed captain de she said trembling and turning away captain de she tried to withdraw her fingers then faced him exclaiming in a firm voice a third time captain de let go my hand for i tell you i will not marry you good god he cried dropping her hand what have i driven you to say in your anger it oh it don t urge me further as you value my good opinion de and to lose you now is to lose you for ever come please answer i won t be compelled she interrupted with vehemence i am resolved not to be yours not to give you an answer to night never never will i be reasoned out of my intention and i say i won t answer you to night i should never have let you be so much with me but for pity of you and now it is come to this she had sunk into a chair and now leaned upon her hand and buried her face in her handkerchief he had never caused her any such agitation as this before you me with your words continued de the experience i have had with you is without parallel it seems like a dream i won t be hurried by anybody that may mean anything he said with a perplexed passionate air well mine is a fallen family and we must abide would to heaven it was extinguished what was extinguished she murmured the de here am i a wanderer living on my pay in the next room lies she my sister a poor little fragile feverish invalid with no social position and hardly a we two represent the de line and i wish we were behind the iron door of our old vault at sleeping green it can be seen by looking at us and our circumstances that we cry for the earth and oblivion captain de it is not like that i assure you s with damp i love f a too dearly for you to talk like that indeed i don t want to marry you exactly and yet i cannot bring myself to say i permanently reject you because i remember you are s brother and do not wish to be the cause of any feelings in you which would ruin your future prospects my dear life what is it you doubt in me your earnestness not to do me harm makes it all the harder for me to think of never being more than a friend well i have not positively refused she exclaimed in mixed tones of pity and distress let me think it over a little while it is not generous to urge so strongly before i can collect my thoughts and at this midnight time darling forgive it there tu say no more he then offered to sit up in her place for the remainder of the night but declined assuring him that she meant to stay only another half hour after which nobody would be necessary he had already crossed the landing to ascend to his room when she stepped after him and asked if he had received his no said de nor have i heard of one explained that it was put in his room that he might see it the moment he came in it matters very little he replied since i shall see it now good night dearest good night he added tenderly she gravely shook	45
her head it is not for you to express yourself like that she answered captain de de and he went up the stairs to the second floor and returned to the sitting room having left a light burning de proceeded to look for the and found it on the carpet where it had been swept from the table when he had opened the sheet a sudden solemnity his face he sat down rested his elbow on the table and his forehead on his hands captain de did not remain thus long rising he went softly downstairs the grey morning had by this time crept into the hotel rendering a light no longer necessary the old clock on the landing was within a few minutes of four and the birds were up and down their and their bills he tapped at the sitting room and she came instantly but i told you it was not necessary she began yes but the he said hurriedly i wanted to let you know first that it is very serious my father is dead he died suddenly yesterday and i must go at once about and how to let her know she must not be told yet said sir william dead you think we had better not tell her just yet said de anxiously that s what i want to consult you about if you don t mind my certainly i don t she said they continued the discussion for some time and it was decided that should not be informed of what had happened till the doctor had been con a suited promising to account for her brother s departure de then prepared to leave for by the first morning train and roused the night porter which having packed off power was discovered asleep on the sofa of the landlord s parlour at half past five who in the had been sitting with her hand to her chin quite forgetting that she had meant to go to bed heard wheels without and looked from the window a fly had been brought round and one of the hotel servants was in the act of putting up a with de s upon it a minute afterwards the captain came to her door i thought you had not gone to bed after all i was anxious to see you off said she since neither of the others is awake and you wished me not to rouse them quite right you are very good and lowering his voice it is a sad and solemn time with me will you grant me one word not on our last sad subject but on the previous one before i part with you to go and bury my father certainly she said in gentle accents then have you thought over my position will u at last have pity upon my loneliness by becoming ly wife sighed deeply and said yes your hand upon it she gave him her hand he held it a few moments then raised it to his lips and was gone when mrs rose she was informed of sir william s death and of his son s departure de and then the captain is now sir william de she exclaimed really since you would be lady de by marrying him i almost think hush aunt well what are you writing there only entering in my that i accepted him this morning in spite of uncle a chapter xi on the evening of the fourth day after the parting between and de at when it was quite dark in the except in so far as the shades were broken by the faint from the adjacent town a young man knocked softly at the door of villa and asked if captain de had arrived from abroad he was answered in the affirmative and in a few moments the captain himself came from an adjoining room seeing that his visitor was dare from whom as will be remembered he had parted at in no very satisfied mood de did not ask him into the house but putting on his hat went out with the youth into the public road here they conversed as they walked up and down dare beginning by alluding to the death of sir william the suddenness of which he feared would delay captain de s for the hand of miss power no said de on the contrary it has matters she has accepted you captain we are engaged to be married well done i congratulate you the speaker was about to proceed to further triumphant notes on the intelligence when casting his eye upon the upper windows of the neighbouring villa he appeared to re de and fleet on what was within them and checking himself said when is the funeral to be to morrow de replied it would be advisable for you not to come near me during the day i will not i will be a mere spectator the old vault of our ancestors will be opened i presume captain it is opened i must see it and mi what we once were it is a thing i like doing the of our dead ah what was that i heard nothing i thought i heard a footstep behind us they stood still but the road appeared to be quite deserted likely to continue so for the remainder of that evening they walked on again speaking in somewhat lower tones than before will the late sir william s death delay the wedding much asked the younger man curiously de languidly answered that he did not see why it should do so some little time would of course but since there were several reasons for despatch he should urge miss power and her relatives to consent to a private wedding which might take place at a very early date and he thought there would be a general consent	45

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