’Iamreadytogo，’saidAnne，assoonashearrived。
　　Hepausedasiftakenabackbyherreadiness，andrepliedwithmuchuncertainty，’Wouldit——wouldn’titbebettertoputitofftillthereislesssun？’
　　Theveryslightestsymptomofsurprisearoseinherassherejoined，’Buttheweathermaychange；orhadwebetternotgoatall？’
　　’Ono！——itwasonlyathought。Wewillstartatonce。’
　　Andalongthevaletheywent，Johnkeepinghimselfaboutayardfromherrighthand。Whenthethirdfieldhadbeencrossedtheycameuponhalf-a-dozenlittleboysatplay。
　　’Whydon’theclasphertohisside，likeaman？’saidthebiggestandrudestboy。
　　’Whydon’theclasphertohisside，likeaman？’echoedalltherudesmallerboysinachorus。
　　Thetrumpet-majorturned，and，aftersomerunning，succeededinsmackingtwoofthemwithhisswitch，returningtoAnnebreathless。
　　’Iamashamedtheyshouldhaveinsultedyouso，’hesaid，blushingforher。
　　’Theysaidnoharm，poorboys，’sherepliedreproachfully。
　　PoorJohnwasdumbwithperception。Thegentlehintuponwhichhewouldhaveeagerlyspokenonlyoneshortdayagowasnowlikefiretohiswound。
　　Theypresentlycametosomestepping-stonesacrossabrook。Johncrossedfirstwithoutturninghishead，andAnne，justliftingtheskirtofherdress，crossedbehindhim。Whentheyhadreachedtheothersideavillagegirlandayoungshepherdapproachedthebrinktocross。Annestoppedandwatchedthem。Theshepherdtookahandoftheyounggirlineachofhisown，andwalkedbackwardoverthestones，facingher，andkeepingheruprightbyhisgrasp，bothofthemlaughingastheywent。
　　’Whatareyoustayingfor，MissGarland？’askedJohn。
　　’Iwasonlythinkinghowhappytheyare，’shesaidquietly；andwithdrawinghereyesfromthetenderpair，sheturnedandfollowedhim，notknowingthattheseemingsoundofapassingbumble-beewasasuppressedgroanfromJohn。
　　Whentheyreachedthehilltheyfoundfortynavviesatworkremovingthedarksodsoastolaybarethechalkbeneath。TheequestrianfigurethattheirshovelswereformingwasscarcelyintelligibletoJohnandAnnenowtheywereclose，andafterpacingfromthehorse’sheaddownhisbreasttohishoof，backbywayoftheking’sbridle-arm，pastthebridgeofhisnose，andintohiscocked-hat，Annesaidthatshehadhadenoughofit，andsteppedoutofthechalkclearinguponthegrass。Thetrumpet-majorhadremainedallthetimeinamelancholyattitudewithintherowelofhisMajesty’srightspur。
　　’Myshoesarecakedwithchalk，’shesaidastheywalkeddownwardsagain；andshedrewbackherdresstolookatthem。’HowcanIgetsomeofitclearedoff？’
　　’Ifyouwastowipetheminthelonggrassthere，’saidJohn，pointingtoaspotwherethebladeswererankanddense，’someofitwouldcomeoff。’Havingsaidthis，hewalkedonwithreligiousfirmness。
　　Annerakedherlittlefeetontherightside，ontheleftside，overthetoe，andbehindtheheel；butthetenaciouschalkhelditsown。
　　Pantingwithherexertion，shegaveitup，andatlengthovertookhim。
　　’Ihopeitisrightnow？’hesaid，lookinggingerlyoverhisshoulder。
　　’No，indeed！’saidshe。’Iwantedsomeassistance——someonetosteadyme。Itissohardtostandononefootandwipetheotherwithoutsupport。Iwasindangeroftopplingover，andsogaveitup。’
　　’Mercifulstars，whatanopportunity！’thoughtthepoorfellowwhileshewaitedforhimtoofferhelp。Buthislipsremainedclosed，andshewentonwithapoutingsmile——
　　’Youseeminsuchahurry！Whyareyouinsuchahurry？Afterallthefinethingsyouhavesaidabout——aboutcaringsomuchforme，andallthat，youwon’tstopforanything！’
　　ItwastoomuchforJohn。’Uponmyheartandlife，mydea——’hebegan。HereBob’slettercrackledwarninglyinhiswaistcoatpocketashelaidhishandasseveratinglyuponhisbreast，andhebecamesuddenlyscaleduptodumbnessandgloomasbefore。
　　WhentheyreachedhomeAnnesankuponastooloutsidethedoor，fatiguedwithherexcursion。Herfirstactwastotrytopulloffhershoe——itwasadifficultmatter；butJohnstoodbeatingwithhisswitchtheleavesofthecreeperonthewall。
　　’Mother——David——Molly，orsomebody——docomeandhelpmepulloffthesedirtyshoes！’shecriedaloudatlast。’Nobodyhelpsmeinanything！’
　　’Iamverysorry，’saidJohn，comingtowardsherwithincredibleslownessandanairofunutterabledepression。
　　’O，IcandowithoutYOU。Davidisbest，’shereturned，astheoldmanapproachedandremovedtheobnoxiousshoesinatrice。
　　Annewasamazedatthissuddenchangefromdevotiontocrassindifference。Onenteringherroomsheflewtotheglass，almostexpectingtolearnthatsomeextraordinarychangehadcomeoverherprettycountenance，renderingherintolerableforevermore。Butitwas，ifanything，fresherthanusual，onaccountoftheexercise。
　　’Well！’shesaidretrospectively。Forthefirsttimesincetheiracqaintanceshehadthisweekencouragedhim；andforthefirsttimehehadshownthatencouragementwasuseless。’Butperhapshedoesnotclearlyunderstand，’sheaddedserenely。
　　Whenhenextcameitwas，tohersurprise，tobringhernewspapers，nowforsometimediscontinued。Assoonasshesawthemshesaid，’Idonotcarefornewspapers。’
　　’Theshippingnewsisveryfullandlongto-day，thoughtheprintisrathersmall。’
　　’Itakenofurtherinterestintheshippingnews，’sherepliedwithcolddignity。
　　Shewassittingbythewindow，insidethetable，andhencewhen，inspiteofhernegations，hedeliberatelyunfoldedthepaperandbegantoreadabouttheRoyalNavyshecouldhardlyriseandgoaway。
　　Withastoicalmienhereadontotheendofthereport，bringingoutthenameofBob’sshipwithtremendousforce。
　　’No，’shesaidatlast，’I’llhearnomore！Letmereadtoyou。’
　　Thetrumpet-majorsatdown。Anneturnedtothemilitarynews，deliveringeverydetailwithmuchapparententhusiasm。’That’sthesubject_I_like！’shesaidfervently。
　　’But——butBobisinthenavynow，andwillmostlikelyrisetobeanofficer。Andthen——’
　　’Whatistherelikethearmy？’sheinterrupted。’Thereisnosmartnessaboutsailors。Theywaddlelikeducks，andtheyonlyfightstupidbattlesthatnoonecanformanyideaof。Thereisnosciencenorstratageminsea-fights——nothingmorethanwhatyouseewhentworamsruntheirheadstogetherinafieldtoknockeachotherdown。Butinmilitarybattlesthereissuchart，andsuchsplendour，andthemenaresosmart，particularlythehorse-soldiers。O，Ishallneverforgetwhatgallantmenyouallseemedwhenyoucameandpitchedyourtentsonthedowns！IlikethecavalrybetterthananythingIknow；andthedragoonsthebestofthecavalry——andthetrumpetersthebestofthedragoons！’
　　’O，ifithadbutcomealittlesooner！’moanedJohnwithinhim。Herepliedassoonashecouldregainself-command，’IamgladBobisinthenavyatlast——heissomuchmorefittedforthatthanthemerchant-service——sobravebynature，readyforanydaringdeed。I
　　haveheardeversomuchmoreabouthisdoingsonboardtheVictory。
　　CaptainHardytookspecialnoticethatwhenhe——’
　　’Idon’twanttoknowanythingmoreaboutit，’saidAnneimpatiently；’ofcoursesailorsfight；there’snothingelsetodoinaship，sinceyoucan’trunaway！Youmayaswellfightandbekilledasbekillednotfighting。’
　　’Stillitishischaractertobecarelessofhimselfwherethehonourofhiscountryisconcerned，’Johnpleaded。’Ifyouhadonlyknownhimasaboyyouwouldownit。Hewouldalwaysriskhisownlifetosaveanybodyelse’s。Oncewhenacottagewasafireupthelaneherushedinforababy，althoughhewasonlyaboyhimself，andhehadthenarrowestescape。Wehavegothishatnowwiththeholeburntinit。ShallIgetitandshowittoyou？’
　　’No——Idon’twishit。Ithasnothingtodowithme。’Butashepersistedinhiscoursetowardsthedoor，sheadded，’Ah！youareleavingbecauseIaminyourway。Youwanttobealonewhileyoureadthepaper——Iwillgoatonce。IdidnotseethatIwasinterruptingyou。’Andsheroseasiftoretreat。
　　’No，no！IwouldratherbeinterruptedbyYOUthan——O，MissGarland，excuseme！I’lljustspeaktofatherinthemill，nowIamhere。’
　　ItisscarcelynecessarytostatethatAnnewhoseunquestionablegentilityamidsomewhathomelysurroundingshasbeenmanytimesinsistedoninthecourseofthishistorywasusuallythereverseofawomanwithacoming-ondisposition；but，whetherfrompiqueathismanner，orfromwilfuladherencetoacourserashlyresolvedon，orfromcoquettishmaliciousnessinreactionfromlongdepression，orfromanyotherthing，——soitwasthatshewouldnotlethimgo。
　　’Trumpet-major，’shesaid，recallinghim。
　　’Yes？’herepliedtimidly。
　　’Thebowofmycap-ribbonhascomeuntied，hasitnot？’Sheturnedandfixedherbewitchingglanceuponhim。
　　Thebowwasjustoverherforehead，or，moreprecisely，atthepointwheretheorganofcomparisonmergesinthatofbenevolence，accordingtothephrenologicaltheoryofGall。John，thusbroughtto，endeavouredtolookatthebowinaskimming，duck-and-drakefashion，soastoavoiddippinghisownglanceasfarastotheplaneofhisinterrogator’seyes。’Itisuntied，’hesaid，drawingbackalittle。
　　Shecamenearer，andasked，’Willyoutieitforme，please？’
　　Astherewasnohelpforit，henervedhimselfandassented。Asherheadonlyreachedtohisfourthbuttonshenecessarilylookedupforhisconvenience，andJohnbeganfumblingatthebow。Tryashewoulditwasimpossibletotouchtheribbonwithoutgettinghisfingertipsmixedwiththecurlsofherforehead。
　　’Yourhandshakes——ah！youhavebeenwalkingfast，’shesaid。
　　’Yes——yes。’
　　’Haveyoualmostdoneit？’Sheinquiringlydirectedhergazeupwardthroughhisfingers。
　　’No——notyet，’hefalteredinawarmsweatofemotion，hisheartgoinglikeaflail。
　　’Thenbequick，please。’
　　’Yes，Iwill，MissGarland！B——B——Bobisaverygoodfel——’
　　’Notthatman’snametome！’sheinterrupted。
　　Johnwassilentinstantly，andnothingwastobeheardbuttherustlingoftheribbon；tillhishandsoncemoreblunderedamongthecurls，andthentouchedherforehead。
　　’OgoodGod！’ejaculatedthetrumpet-majorinawhisper，turningawayhastilytothecorner-cupboard，andrestinghisfaceuponhishand。
　　’What’sthematter，John？’saidshe。
　　’Ican’tdoit！’
　　’What？’
　　’Tieyourcap-ribbon。’
　　’Whynot？’
　　’Becauseyouareso——BecauseIamclumsy，andnevercouldtieabow。’
　　’Youareclumsyindeed，’answeredAnne，andwentaway。
　　Afterthisshefeltinjured，foritseemedtoshowthatheratedherhappinessasofmeanervaluethanBob’s；sincehehadpersistedinhisideaofgivingBobanotherchancewhenshehadimpliedthatitwasherwishtodootherwise。CouldMissJohnsonhaveanythingtodowithhisfirmness？Anopportunityoftestinghiminthisdirectionoccurredsomedayslater。Shehadbeenupthevillage，andmetJohnatthemill-door。
　　’Haveyouheardthenews？MatildaJohnsonisgoingtobemarriedtoyoungDerriman。’
　　Annestoodwithherbacktothesun，andashefacedher，hisfeaturesweresearchinglyexhibited。Therewasnochangewhateverinthem，unlessitwerethatacertainlightofinterestkindledbyherquestionturnedtocompleteandblankindifference。’Well，astimesgo，itisnotabadmatchforher，’hesaid，withaphlegmwhichwashardlythatofalover。
　　Johnonhispartwasbeginningtofindthesetemptationsalmostmorethanhecouldbear。Butbeingquarteredsoneartohisfather’shouseitwasunnaturalnottovisithim，especiallywhenatanymomenttheregimentmightbeorderedabroad，andaseparationofyearsensue；andaslongashewenttherehecouldnothelpseeingher。