’O？Yousurpriseme。Whichactressisit？’
　　’ThatMissJohnson。Annetellsmethathelovesherhopelessly。’
　　Festusarose。MissJohnsonseemedsuddenlytoacquirehighvalueasasweetheartatthisannouncement。Hehadhimselffeltanamelessattractivenessinher，andJohnhaddonelikewise。Johncrossedhispathinallpossibleways。
　　Beforetheyeomanhadrepliedsomebodyopenedthedoor，andthefirelightshoneupontheuniformofthepersontheydiscussed。
　　Festusnoddedonrecognizinghim，wishedMrs。Lovedaygoodevening，andwentoutprecipitately。
　　’SoBobtoldyouhemeanttobreakoffwithmyAnnewhenhewentaway？’Mrs。Lovedayremarkedtothetrumpet-major。’IwishIhadknownofitbefore。’
　　Johnappeareddisturbedatthesuddencharge。Hemurmuredthathecouldnotdenyit，andthenhastilyturnedfromherandfollowedDerriman，whomhesawbeforehimonthebridge。
　　’Derriman！’heshouted。
　　Festusstartedandlookedround。’Well，trumpet-major，’hesaidblandly。
　　’Whenwillyouhavesenseenoughtomindyourownbusiness，andnotcomeheretellingthingsyouhaveheardbysneakingbehindpeople’sbacks？’demandedJohnhotly。’Ifyoucan’tlearninanyotherway，Ishallhavetopullyourearsagain，asIdidtheotherday！’
　　’YOUpullmyears？Howcanyoutellthatlie，whenyouknow’twassomebodyelsepulled’em？’
　　’Ono，no。Ipulledyourears，andthrashedyouinamildway。’
　　’You’llsweartoit？Surely’twasanotherman？’
　　’Itwasintheparlouratthepublic-house；youwerealmostinthedark。’AndJohnaddedafewdetailsastotheparticularblows，whichamountedtoproofitself。
　　’ThenIheartilyaskyourpardonforsaying’twasalie！’criedFestus，advancingwithextendedhandandagenialsmile。’Sure，ifIhadknown’TWASyou，Iwouldn’thaveinsultedyoubydenyingit。’
　　’Thatwaswhyyoudidn’tchallengeme，then？’
　　’Thatwasit！Iwouldn’tfortheworldhavehurtyournicesenseofhonourbyletting’eegounchallenged，ifIhadknown！Andnow，yousee，unfortunatelyIcan’tmendthemistake。Solongatimehaspassedsinceithappenedthattheheatofmytemperisgoneoff。I
　　couldn’toblige’ee，tryhowImight，forIamnotaman，trumpet-major，thatcanbutcherincoldblood——no，notI，noryouneither，fromwhatIknowof’ee。So，willy-nilly，wemustfainletitpass，eh？’
　　’Wemust，Isuppose，’saidJohn，smilinggrimly。’WhodidyouthinkIwas，then，thatnightwhenIboxedyouallround？’
　　’No，don’tpressme，’repliedtheyeoman。’Ican’treveal；itwouldbedisgracingmyselftoshowhowverywideofthetruththemockeryofwinewasabletoleadmysenses。Wewillletitbeburiedineternalmixensofforgetfulness。’
　　’Asyouwish，’saidthetrumpet-majorloftily。’ButifyoueverSHOULDthinkyouknewitwasme，why，youknowwheretofindme？’
　　AndLovedaywalkedaway。
　　TheinstantthathewasgoneFestusshookhisfistattheeveningstar，whichhappenedtolieinthesamedirectionasthattakenbythedragoon。
　　’Nowformyrevenge！Duels？LifelongdisgracetomeifeverI
　　fightwithamanofbloodbelowmyown！Thereareotherremediesforupper-classsouls！……Matilda——that’smyway。’
　　FestusstrodealongtillhereachedtheHall，whereCripplestrawappearedgazingathimfromunderthearchoftheporter’slodge。
　　Derrimandashedopentheentrance-hurdlewithsuchviolencethatthewholerowofthemfellflatinthemud。
　　’Mercy，MaisterFestus！’saidCripplestraw。’“Surely，“IsaystomyselfwhenIseeyea-coming，“surelyMaisterFestusisfuminglikethatbecausethere’snochanceoftheenemycomingthisyearafterall。“’
　　’Cr-r-ripplestraw！Ihavebeenwoundedtotheheart，’repliedDerriman，withaluridbrow。
　　’Andthemanyetlives，andyouwantsyerhorse-pistolsinstantly？
　　Certainly，MaisterF——’
　　’No，Cripplestraw，notmypistols，butmynew-cutclothes，myheavygoldseals，mysilver-toppedcane，andmybucklesthatcostmoremoneythanheeversaw！Yes，Imusttellsomebody，andI’lltellyou，becausethere’snootherfoolnear。Helovesherheartandsoul。He’spoor；she’stip-topgenteel，andnotrich。Iamrich，bycomparison。I’llcourttheprettyplay-actress，andwinherbeforehiseyes。’
　　’Play-actress，MaisterDerriman？’
　　’Yes。Isawherthisveryday，metherbyaccident，andspoketoher。She’sstillinthetown——perhapsbecauseofhim。Icanmeetheratanyhouroftheday——ButIdon’tmeantomarryher；notI。
　　Iwillcourtherformypastime，andtoannoyhim。ItwillbeallthemoredeathtohimthatIdon’twanther。Thenperhapshewillsaytome，“Youhavetakenmyoneewelamb“——meaningthatIamtheking，andhe’sthepoorman，asinthechurchverse；andhe’llbegformercywhen’tistoolate——unless，meanwhile，Ishallhavetiredofmynewtoy。Saddlethehorse，Cripplestraw，tomorrowatten。’
　　FullofthisresolvetoscourgeJohnLovedaytothequickthroughhispassionforMissJohnson，Festuscameoutbootedandspurredatthetimeappointed，andsetoffonhismorningride。
　　MissJohnson’stheatricalengagementhavinglongagoterminated，shewouldhavelefttheRoyalwatering-placewiththerestofthevisitorshadnotmatrimonialhopesdetainedherthere。ThesehadnothingwhatevertodowithJohnLoveday，asmaybeimagined，butwithastout，staidboat-builderinCoveRowbythequay，whohadshownmuchinterestinherimpersonations。Unfortunatelythissubstantialmanhadnotbeenquitesoattentivesincetheendoftheseasonashispreviousmannerledhertoexpect；anditwasagreatpleasuretotheladytoseeMr。Derrimanleaningovertheharbourbridgewithhiseyesfixeduponherasshecametowardsitafterastrollpastherelderlywooer’shouse。
　　’Odtakeit，ma’am，youdidn’ttellmewhenIsawyoulastthatthetootingmanwiththebluejacketandlacewasyoursdevoted？’beganFestus。
　　’Whodoyoumean？’InMatilda’sever-changingemotionalinterests，JohnLovedaywasastaleandunprofitablepersonality。
　　’Why，thattrumpet-majorman。’
　　’O！Whatofhim？’
　　’Come；helovesyou，andyouknowit，ma’am。’
　　Sheknew，atanyrate，howtotakethecurrentwhenitserved。SosheglancedatFestus，foldedherlipsmeaningly，andnodded。
　　’I’vecometocuthimout。’
　　Sheshookherhead，itbeingunsafetospeaktillsheknewalittlemoreofthesubject。
　　’What！’saidFestus，reddening，’doyoumeantosaythatyouthinkofhimseriously——you，whomightlooksomuchhigher？’
　　’Constantdroppingwillwearawayastone；andyoushouldonlyhearhispleading！Hishandsomefaceisimpressive，andhismannersare——
　　O，sogenteel！Iamnotrich；Iam，inshort，apoorladyofdecayedfamily，whohasnothingtoboastofbutmybloodandancestors，andtheywon’tfindabodyinfoodandclothing！——Iholdtheworldbutastheworld，Derrimanio——astagewhereeverymanmustplayapart，andmineasadone！’Shedroppedhereyesthoughtfullyandsighed。
　　’Wewilltalkofthis，’saidFestus，muchaffected。’LetuswalktotheLook-out。’
　　Shemadenoobjection，andsaid，astheyturnedthatway，’Mr。
　　Derriman，alongtimeagoIfoundsomethingbelongingtoyou；butI
　　haveneveryetrememberedtoreturnit。’AndshedrewfromherbosomthepaperwhichAnnehaddroppedinthemeadowwheneludingthegraspofFestusonthatsummerday。
　　’Zounds，Ismellfreshmeat！’criedFestuswhenhehadlookeditover。’’Tisinmyuncle’swriting，and’tiswhatIheardhimsingingonthedaytheFrenchdidn’tcome，andafterwardssawhimmarkingintheroad。’Tissomethinghe’sgothidaway。Givemethepaper，there’sadear；’tisworthsterlinggold！’
　　’Halves，then？’saidMatildatenderly。
　　’Gad，yes——anything！’repliedFestus，blazingintoasmile，forshehadlookedupinherbestnewmanneratthepossibilitythathemightbeworththewinning。Theywentupthestepstothesummitofthecliff，anddwindledoveritagainstthesky。
　　XXXVII。REACTION
　　TherewasnoletterfromBob，thoughDecemberhadpassed，andthenewyearwastwoweeksold。Hismovementswere，however，prettyaccuratelyregisteredinthepapers，whichJohnstillbrought，butwhichAnnenolongerread。DuringthesecondweekinDecembertheVictorysailedforSheerness，andonthe9thofthefollowingJanuarythepublicfuneralofLordNelsontookplaceinSt。Paul’s。
　　Thentherecameameagrelineaddressedtothefamilyingeneral。
　　Bob’snewPortsmouthattachmentwasnotmentioned，buthetoldthemhehadbeenoneoftheeight-and-fortyseamenwhowalkedtwo-and-twointhefuneralprocession，andthatCaptainHardyhadbornethebannerofemblemsonthesameoccasion。ThecrewwassoontobepaidoffatChatham，whenhethoughtofreturningtoPortsmouthforafewdaystoseeavaluedfriend。Afterthatheshouldcomehome。
　　Butthespringadvancedwithoutbringinghim，andJohnwatchedAnneGarland’sdesolationwithaugmentingdesiretodosomethingtowardsconsolingher。Theoldfeelings，soreligiouslyheldincheck，werestimulatedtorebelliousness，thoughtheydidnotshowthemselvesinanydirectmannerasyet。
　　Themiller，inthemeantime，whoseldominterferedinsuchmatters，wasobservedtolookmeaninglyatAnneandthetrumpet-majorfromdaytoday；andby-and-byhespokeprivatelytoJohn。
　　Hiswordswereshortandtothepoint:Annewasverymelancholy；
　　shehadthoughttoomuchofBob。Now’twasplainthattheyhadlosthimformanyyearstocome。Well；hehadalwaysfeltthatofthetwohewouldratherJohnmarriedher。NowJohnmightsettledownthere，andsucceedwhereBobhadfailed。’Soifyoucouldgether，mysonny，tothinklessofhimandmoreofthyself，itwouldbeagoodthingforall。’
　　AninwardexcitementhadriseninJohn；buthesuppresseditandsaidfirmly——
　　’FairnesstoBobbeforeeverything！’
　　’Hehevforgother，andthere’sanendon’t。’
　　’She’snotforgothim。’
　　’Well，well；thinkitover。’
　　Thisdiscoursewasthecauseofhispenningalettertohisbrother。
　　Hebeggedforadistinctstatementwhether，asJohnatfirstsupposed，Bob’sverbalrenunciationofAnneonthequayhadbeenonlyamomentaryebullitionoffriendship，whichitwouldbecrueltotakeliterally；orwhether，asseemednow，ithadpassedfromahastyresolvetoastandingpurpose，perseveredinforhisownpleasure，withnotacarefortheresultonpoorAnne。
　　Johnwaitedanxiouslyfortheanswer，butnoanswercame；andthesilenceseemedevenmoresignificantthanaletterofassurancecouldhavebeenofhisabsolutionfromfurthersupporttoaclaimwhichBobhimselfhadsoclearlyrenounced。Thusithappenedthatpaternalpressure，brotherlyindifference，andhisownreleasedimpulseoperatedinonedelightfuldirection，andthetrumpet-majoroncemoreapproachedAnneasintheoldtime。
　　Butitwasnottillshehadbeenlefttoherselfforafullfivemonths，andtheblue-bellsandragged-robinsofthefollowingyearwereagainmakingthemselvescommontotheramblingeye，thathedirectlyaddressedher。Shewastyingupagroupoftallfloweringplantsinthegarden:sheknewthathewasbehindher，butshedidnotturn。Shehadsubsidedintoaplaciddignitywhichenabledherwhenwatchedtoperformanylittleactionwithseemingcomposure——
　　verydifferentfromtheflutterofherinexperienceddays。
　　’Areyounevergoingtoturnround？’heatlengthaskedgood-humouredly。
　　Shethendidturn，andlookedathimforamomentwithoutspeaking；
　　acertainsuspicionloominginhereyes，asifsuggestedbyhisperceptiblewantofease。
　　’Howlikesummeritisgettingtofeel，isitnot？’shesaid。
　　Johnadmittedthatitwasgettingtofeellikesummer:and，bendinghisgazeuponherwithanearnestnesswhichnolongerleftanydoubtofhissubject，wentontoask——
　　’Haveyoueverintheselastweeksthoughtofhowitusedtobebetweenus？’
　　Sherepliedquickly，’O，John，youshouldn’tbeginthatagain。Iamalmostanotherwomannow！’
　　’Well，that’sallthemorereasonwhyIshould，isn’tit？’
　　Annelookedthoughtfullytotheotherendofthegarden，faintlyshakingherhead；’Idon’tquiteseeitlikethat，’shereturned。
　　’Youfeelyourselfquitefree，don’tyou？’
　　’QUITEfree！’shesaidinstantly，andwithprouddistinctness；hereyesfell，andsherepeatedmoreslowly，’Quitefree。’Thenherthoughtsseemedtoflyfromherselftohim。’Butyouarenot？’
　　’Iamnot？’
　　’MissJohnson！’