’Itisdreadful！’saidAnne。’Idon’tliketoseeit。’
　　Shehadrecoveredfromheremotion，andwalkedalongbesidehimwithagrave，subduedface。Bobdidnotliketoassumetheprivilegesofanacceptedloveranddrawherhandthroughhisarm；for，consciousthatshenaturallybelongedtoapolitergradethanhisown，hefearedlestherexhibitionoftendernesswereanimpulsewhichcoolermomentsmightregret。AperfectPaul-and-Virginialifehadnotabsolutelysetinforhimasyet，anditwasnottobehastenedbyforce。Whentheyhadpassedoverthebridgeintothemill-fronttheysawthemillerstandingatthedoorwithafaceofconcern。
　　’Sinceyouhavebeengone，’hesaid，’aGovernmentmanhasbeenhere，andtoallthehouses，takingdownthenumbersofthewomenandchildren，andtheiragesandthenumberofhorsesandwaggonsthatcanbemustered，incasetheyhavetoretreatinland，outofthewayoftheinvadingarmy。’
　　Thelittlefamilygatheredthemselvestogether，allfeelingthecrisismoreseriouslythantheylikedtoexpress。Mrs。Lovedaythoughthowridiculousathingsocialambitionwasinsuchaconjunctureasthis，andvowedthatshewouldleaveAnnetolovewhereshewould。Anne，too，forgotthelittlepeculiaritiesofspeechandmannerinBobandhisfather，whichsometimesjarredforamomentuponhermorerefinedsense，andwasthankfulfortheirloveandprotectioninthisloomingtrouble。
　　OngoingupstairssherememberedthepaperwhichFarmerDerrimanhadgivenher，andsearchedinherbosomforit。Shecouldnotfinditthere。’Imusthaveleftitonthetable，’shesaidtoherself。Itdidnotmatter；sherememberedeveryword。Shetookapenandwroteaduplicate，whichsheputsafelyaway。
　　ButAnnewaswrong。Shehad，afterall，placedthepaperwhereshesupposed，andthereitoughttohavebeen。ButinescapingfromFestus，whenhefeignedapoplexy，ithadfallenoutuponthegrass。
　　Fiveminutesafterthatevent，whenpursuerandpursuedweretwoorthreefieldsahead，thegaily-dressedwomanwhomtheyeomanhadovertaken，peepedcautiouslythroughthestileintothecornerofthefieldwhichhadbeenthesceneofthescramble；andseeingthepapersheclimbedover，securedit，loosenedthewaferwithouttearingthesheet，andreadthememorandumwithin。Unabletomakeanythingofitsmeaning，thesauntererputitinherpocket，and，dismissingthematterfromhermind，wentonbytheby-pathwhichledtothebackofthemill。Here，behindthehedge，shestoodandsurveyedtheoldbuildingforsometime，afterwhichshemeditativelyturned，andretracedherstepstowardstheRoyalwatering-place。
　　Thenightwhichfollowedwashistoricandmemorable。Mrs。Lovedaywasawakenedbytheboomofadistantgun:shetoldthemiller，andtheylistenedawhile。Thesoundwasnotrepeated，butsuchwasthestateoftheirfeelingsthatMr。LovedaywenttoBob’sroomandaskedifhehadheardit。Bobwaswideawake，lookingoutofthewindow；hehadheardtheominoussound，andwasinclinedtoinvestigatethematter。Whilethefatherandsonweredressingtheyfanciedthataglareseemedtoberisingintheskyinthedirectionofthebeaconhill。NotwishingtoalarmAnneandhermother，themillerassuredthemthatBobandhimselfweremerelygoingoutofdoorstoinquireintothecauseofthereport，afterwhichtheyplungedintothegloomtogether。Afewsteps’progressopenedupmoreofthesky，which，astheyhadthought，wasindeedirradiatedbyaluridlight；butwhetheritcamefromthebeaconorfromamoredistantpointtheywereunabletoclearlytell。Theypushedonrapidlytowardshigherground。
　　Theirexcitementwasmerelyofapiecewiththatofallmenatthiscriticaljuncture。Everywhereexpectationwasatfeverheat。Forthelastyearortwoonlyfive-and-twentymilesofshallowwaterhaddividedquietEnglishhomesteadsfromanenemy’sarmyofahundredandfiftythousandmen。Wehadtakenthematterlightlyenough，eatinganddrinkingasinthedaysofNoe，andsingingsatireswithoutend。WepunnedonBuonaparteandhisgunboats，chalkedhiseffigyonstage-coaches，andpublishedthesameinprints。Still，betweentheseburstsofhilarity，itwassometimesrecollectedthatEnglandwastheonlyEuropeancountrywhichhadnotsuccumbedtothemightylittlemanwhowaslessthanhumaninfeeling，andmorethanhumaninwill；thatourspiritforresistancewasgreaterthanourstrength；andthattheChannelwasoftencalm。Boatsbuiltofwoodwhichwasgreenlygrowinginitsnativeforestthreedaysbeforeitwasbentaswalestotheirsides，wereridiculousenough；buttheymightbe，afterall，sufficientforasingletripbetweentwovisibleshores。
　　TheEnglishwatchedBuonaparteinthesepreparations，andBuonapartewatchedtheEnglish。AtthedistanceofBoulognedetailswerelost，butwewereimpressedonfinedaysbythenovelsightofahugearmymovingandtwinklinglikeaschoolofmackerelundertheraysofthesun。Theregularwayofpassinganafternooninthecoasttownswastostrolluptothesignalpostsandchatwiththelieutenantondutythereaboutthelatestinimicalobjectseenatsea。AboutonceaweekthereappearedinthenewspaperseitheraparagraphconcerningsomeadventurousEnglishgentlemanwhohadsailedoutinapleasure-boattillhelaynearenoughtoBoulognetoseeBuonapartestandingontheheightsamonghismarshals；orelsesomelinesaboutamysteriousstrangerwithaforeignaccent，who，aftercollectingavastdealofinformationonourresources，hadhiredaboatatasouthernport，andvanishedwithittowardsFrancebeforehisintentioncouldbedivined。
　　Inforecastinghisgrandventure，BuonapartepostulatedthehelpofProvidencetoaremarkabledegree。Justatthehourwhenhistroopswereonboardtheflat-bottomedboatsandreadytosail，therewastobeagreatfog，thatshouldspreadavastobscurityoverthelengthandbreadthoftheChannel，andkeeptheEnglishblindtoeventsontheotherside。Thefogwastolasttwenty-fourhours，afterwhichitmightclearaway。Adeadcalmwastoprevailsimultaneouslywiththefog，withthetwofoldobjectofaffordingtheboatseasytransitanddoomingourshipstoliemotionless。
　　Thirdly，therewastobeaspringtide，whichshouldcombineitsmanoeuvreswiththoseofthefogandcalm。
　　AmongthemanythousandsofminorEnglishmenwhoseliveswereaffectedbythesetremendousdesignsmaybenumberedouroldacquaintanceCorporalTullidge，whosportedthecrushedarm，andpooroldSimonBurden，thedazedveteranwhohadfoughtatMinden。
　　InsteadofsittingsnuglyinthesettleoftheOldShip，inthevillageadjoiningOvercombe，theywereobligedtokeepwatchonthehill。Theymadethemselvesascomfortableaswaspossibleinthecircumstances，dwellinginahutofclodsandturf，withabrickchimneyforcooking。Heretheyobservedthenightlyprogressofthemoonandstars，grewfamiliarwiththeheavingofmoles，thedancingofrabbitsonthehillocks，thedistanthootofowls，thebarkoffoxesfromwoodsfurtherinland；butsawnotasignoftheenemy。
　　As，nightafternight，theywalkedroundthetworickswhichitwastheirdutytofireatasignal——onebeingoffurzeforaquickflame，theotherofturf，foralong，slowradiance——theythoughtandtalkedofoldtimes，anddrankpatrioticallyfromalargewoodflagonthatwasfilledeveryday。
　　Bobandhisfathersoonbecameawarethatthelightwasfromthebeacon。Bythetimethattheyreachedthetopitwasonemassoftoweringflame，fromwhichthesparksfellonthegreenherbagelikeafierydew；theformsofthetwooldmenbeingseenpassingandrepassinginthemidstofit。TheLovedays，whocameuponthesmokyside，regardedthesceneforamoment，andthenemergedintothelight。
　　’Whogoesthere？’saidCorporalTullidge，shoulderingapikewithhissoundarm。’O，’tisneighbourLoveday！’
　　’Didyougetyoursignaltofireitfromtheeast？’saidthemillerhastily。
　　’No；fromAbbotseaBeach。’
　　’Butyouarenottogobyacoastsignal！’
　　’Chok’itall，wasn’ttheLord-Lieutenant’sdirection，wheneveryouseeRainbarrow’sBeaconburntothenor’east’ard，orHaggardontothenor’west’ard，ortheactualpresenceoftheenemyontheshore？’
　　’Butishehere？’
　　’Nodoubto’t！Thebeachlightisonlyjustgonedown，andSimonheardthegunsevenbetterthanI。’
　　’Hark，hark！Ihear’em！’saidBob。
　　Theylistenedwithpartedlips，thenightwindblowingthroughSimonBurden’sfewteethasthroughtheruinsofStonehenge。Fromfardownonthelowerlevelscamethenoiseofwheelsandthetrampofhorsesupontheturnpikeroad。
　　’Well，theremustbesomethinginit，’saidMillerLovedaygravely。
　　’Bob，we’llgohomeandmakethewomen-folksafe，andthenI’lldonmysoldier’sclothesandbeoff。Godknowswhereourcompanywillassemble！’
　　Theyhasteneddownthehill，andongettingintotheroadwaitedandlistenedagain。Travellersbegantocomeupandpasstheminvehiclesofalldescriptions。Itwasdifficulttoattracttheirattentioninthedimlight，butbystandingonthetopofawallwhichfencedtheroadBobwasatlastseen。
　　’What’sthematter？’hecriedtoabutcherwhowasflyingpastinhiscart，hiswifesittingbehindhimwithoutabonnet。
　　’TheFrenchhavelanded！’saidtheman，withoutdrawingrein。
　　’Where？’shoutedBob。
　　’InWestBay；andallBudmouthisinuproar！’repliedthevoice，nowfaintinthedistance。
　　Bobandhisfatherhastenedontilltheyreachedtheirownhouse。
　　Astheyhadexpected，Anneandhermother，incommonwithmostofthepeople，werebothdressed，andstoodatthedoorbonnetedandshawled，listeningtothetrafficontheneighbouringhighway，Mrs。
　　Lovedayhavingsecuredwhatmoneyandsmallvaluablestheypossessedinahugepocketwhichextendedallroundherwaist，andaddedconsiderablytoherweightanddiameter。
　　’’Tistrueenough，’saidthemiller:’he’scome！YouandAnneandthemaidmustbeofftoCousinJim’satKing’s-Bere，andwhenyougetthereyoumustdoastheydo。Imustassemblewiththecompany。’
　　’AndI？’saidBob。
　　’Thou’stbetterruntothechurch，andtakeapikebeforetheybeallgone。’
　　Thehorsewasputintothegig，andMrs。Loveday，Anne，andtheservant-maidwerehastilypackedintothevehicle，thelattertakingthereins；David’sdutiesasafighting-manforbiddingallthoughtofhisdomesticofficesnow。Thenthesilvertankard，teapot，pairofcandlestickslikeIoniccolumns，andotherarticlestoolargetobepocketedwerethrownintoabasketandputupbehind。Thencametheleave-taking，whichwasassadasitwashurried。BobkissedAnne，andtherewasnoaffectationinherreceivingthatmarkofaffectionasshesaidthroughhertears，’Godblessyou！’Atlasttheymovedoffinthedimlightofdawn，neitherofthethreewomenknowingwhichroadtheyweretotake，buttrustingtochancetofindit。
　　AssoonastheywereoutofsightBobwentoffforapike，andhisfather，firstnew-flintinghisfirelock，proceededtodonhisuniform，pipe-clayinghisbreecheswithsuchcursoryhasteastobespatterhisblackgaiterswiththesameornamentalcompound。
　　Findingwhenhewasreadythatnobuglehadasyetsounded，hewentwithDavidtothecart-house，draggedoutthewaggon，andputthereinsomeofthemostusefulandeasily-handledgoods，incasetheremightbeanopportunityforconveyingthemaway。Bythetimethiswasdoneandthewaggonpushedbackandlockedin，Bobhadreturnedwithhisweapon，somewhatmortifiedatbeingdoomedtothislowformofdefence。Themillergavehissonapartinggraspofthehand，andarrangedtomeethimatKing’s-Bereatthefirstopportunityifthenewsweretrue；ifhappilyfalse，hereattheirownhouse。
　　’Botheritall！’heexclaimed，lookingathisstockofflints。
　　’What？’saidBob。
　　’I’vegotnoammunition:notablessedround！’
　　’Thenwhat’stheuseofgoing？’askedhisson。
　　Themillerpaused。’O，I’llgo，’hesaid。’PerhapssomebodywilllendmealittleifIgetintoahotcorner？’
　　’Lendyealittle！Father，youwasalwayssosimple！’saidBobreproachfully。
　　’Well——Icanbagnetafew，anyhow，’saidthemiller。
　　Thebuglehadbeenblownerethis，andLovedaythefatherdisappearedtowardstheplaceofassembly，hisemptycartridge-boxbehindhim。Bobseizedabraceofloadedpistolswhichhehadbroughthomefromtheship，and，armedwiththeseandapike，helockedthedoorandsalliedoutagaintowardstheturnpikeroad。