’PleaseIhavecomeforthepaper，’saidAnne。
　　’O，isityou，dearAnne？’whinedtheinmate，openingthedooralittlefurther。’Icouldhardlygettothedoortoopenit，Iamsoweak。’
　　Thespeakerwasawizenedoldgentleman，inacoatthecolourofhisfarmyard，breechesofthesamehue，unbuttonedattheknees，revealingabitoflegabovehisstockingandadazzlinglywhiteshirt-frilltocompensateforthisuntidinessbelow。Theedgeofhisskullroundhiseye-socketswasvisiblethroughtheskin，andhehadamouthwhosecornersmadetowardsthebackofhisheadontheslightestprovocation。Hewalkedwithgreatapparentdifficultybackintotheroom，Annefollowinghim。
　　’Well，youcanhavethepaperifyouwantit；butyounevergivememuchtimetoseewhat’sinen！Here’sthepaper。’Hehelditout，butbeforeshecouldtakeithedrewitbackagain，saying，’Ihavenothadmyshareo’thepaperbyagooddeal，whatwithmyweaksight，andpeoplecomingsosoonforen。Iamapoorput-uponsoul；
　　butmy“DutyofMan“willbelefttomewhenthenewspaperisgone。’
　　Andhesankintohischairwithanairofexhaustion。
　　Annesaidthatshedidnotwishtotakethepaperifhehadnotdonewithit，andthatshewasreallylaterintheweekthanusual，owingtothesoldiers。
　　’Soldiers，yes——rotthesoldiers！Andnowhedgeswillbebroke，andhens’nestsrobbed，andsucking-pigsstole，andIdon’tknowwhatall。Who’stopayfor’t，sure？Ireckonthatbecausethesoldiersbecomeyoudon’tmeantobekindenoughtoreadtomewhatIhadn’ttimetoreadmyself。’
　　Shewouldreadifhewished，shesaid；shewasinnohurry。Andsittingherselfdownsheunfoldedthepaper。
　　’“DinneratCarltonHouse“？’
　　’No，faith。’TisnothingtoI。’
　　’“Defenceofthecountry“？’
　　’Yemayreadthatifyewill。Ihopetherewillbenobilletinginthisparish，oranywildworkofthatsort；forwhatwouldapooroldlamigerlikemyselfdowithsoldiersinhishouse，andnothingtofeed’emwith？’
　　Annebeganreading，andcontinuedathertasknearlytenminutes，whenshewasinterruptedbytheappearanceinthequadrangularsloughwithoutofalargefigureintheuniformoftheyeomanrycavalry。
　　’Whatdoyouseeoutthere？’saidthefarmerwithastart，asshepausedandslowlyblushed。
　　’Asoldier——oneoftheyeomanry，’saidAnne，notquiteatherease。
　　’Scrounchitall——’tismynephew！’exclaimedtheoldman，hisfaceturningtoaphosphoricpallor，andhisbodytwitchingwithinnumerablealarmsasheformeduponhisfaceagaspingsmileofjoy，withwhichtowelcomethenew-comingrelative。’Readon，prithee，MissGarland。’
　　Beforeshehadreadfarthevisitorstraddledoverthedoor-hurdleintothepassageandenteredtheroom。
　　’Well，nunc，howdoyoufeel？’saidthegiant，shakinghandswiththefarmerinthemannerofoneviolentlyringingahand-bell。
　　’Gladtoseeyou。’
　　’Badandweakish，Festus，’repliedtheother，hispersonrespondingpassivelytotherapidvibrationsimparted。’O，betender，please——
　　alittlesofter，there’sadearnephew！Myarmisnomorethanacobweb。’
　　’Ah，poorsoul！’
　　’Yes，Iamnotmuchmorethanaskeleton，andcan’tbearroughusage。’
　　’Sorrytohearthat；butI’llbearyourafflictioninmind。Why，youareallinatremble，UncleBenjy！’
　　’’TisbecauseIamsogratified，’saidtheoldman。’IalwaysgetallinatremblewhenIamtakenbysurprisebyabelovedrelation。’
　　’Ah，that’sit！’saidtheyeoman，bringinghishanddownonthebackofhisuncle’schairwithaloudsmack，atwhichUncleBenjynervouslysprangthreeinchesfromhisseatanddroppedintoitagain。’Askyourpardonforfrighteningye，uncle。’Tishowwedointhearmy，andIforgotyournerves。Youhavescarcelyexpectedtoseeme，Idaresay，buthereIam。’
　　’Iamgladtoseeye。Youarenotgoingtostaylong，perhaps？’
　　’Quitethecontrary。Iamgoingtostayeversolong！’
　　’OIsee！Iamsoglad，dearFestus。Eversolong，didyesay？’
　　’Yes，EVERsolong，’saidtheyounggentleman，sittingontheslopeofthebureauandstretchingouthislegsasprops。’IamgoingtomakethisquitemyownhomewheneverIamoffduty，aslongaswestayout。Andafterthat，whenthecampaignisoverintheautumn，Ishallcomehere，andlivewithyoulikeyourownson，andhelpmanageyourlandandyourfarm，youknow，andmakeyouacomfortableoldman。’
　　’Ah！Howyoudopleaseme！’saidthefarmer，withahorrifiedsmile，andgraspingthearmsofhischairtosustainhimself。
　　’Yes；Ihavebeenmeaningtocomealongtime，asIknewyou’dliketohaveme，UncleBenjy；and’tisn’tinmyhearttorefuseyou。’
　　’Youalwayswaskindthatway！’
　　’Yes；Ialwayswas。ButIoughttotellyouatonce，nottodisappointyou，thatIshan’tbeherealways——allday，thatis，becauseofmymilitarydutiesasacavalryman。’
　　’O，notalways？That’sapity！’exclaimedthefarmerwithacheerfuleye。
　　’Iknewyou’dsayso。AndIshan’tbeabletosleephereatnightsometimes，forthesamereason。’
　　’Notsleephereo’nights？’saidtheoldgentleman，stillmorerelieved。’Yououghttosleephere——youcertainlyought；inshort，youmust。Butyoucan’t！’
　　’Notwhilewearewiththecolours。Butdirectlythat’sover——theverynextday——I’llstayhereallday，andallnighttoo，toobligeyou，sinceyouaskmesoverykindly。’
　　’Th-thankye，thatwillbeverynice！’saidUncleBenjy。
　　’Yes，Iknew’twouldrelieveye。’Andhekindlystrokedhisuncle’shead，theoldmanexpressinghisenjoymentattheaffectionatetokenbyadeath’s-headgrimace。’IshouldhavecalledtoseeyoutheothernightwhenIpassedthroughhere，’Festuscontinued；’butitwassolatethatIcouldn’tcomesofaroutofmyway。Youwon’tthinkitunkind？’
　　’Notatall，ifyouCOULDN’T。InevershallthinkitunkindifyoureallyCAN’Tcome，youknow，Festy。’Therewasafewminutes’
　　pause，andasthenephewsaidnothingUncleBenjywenton:’IwishIhadalittlepresentforye。Butasill-luckwouldhaveitwehavelostadealofstockthisyear，andIhavehadtopayawaysomuch。’
　　’Pooroldman——Iknowyouhave。ShallIlendyouaseven-shillingpiece，UncleBenjy？’
　　’Ha，ha！——youmusthaveyourjoke；well，I’llthinko’that。AndsotheyexpectBuonapartytochoosethisverypartofthecoastforhislanding，hey？Andthattheyeomanrybetostandinfrontastheforlornhope？’
　　’Whosaysso？’askedthefloridsonofMars，losingalittleredness。
　　’Thenewspaper-man。’
　　’O，there’snothinginthat，’saidFestusbravely。’Thegover’mentthoughtitpossibleatonetime；buttheydon’tknow。’
　　Festusturnedhimselfashetalked，andnowsaidabruptly:’Ah，who’sthis？Why，’tisourlittleAnne！’Hehadnotnoticedhertillthismoment，theyoungwomanhavingathisentrykeptherfaceoverthenewspaper，andthengotawaytothebackpartoftheroom。
　　’Andareyouandyourmotheralwaysgoingtostaydownthereinthemill-housewatchingthelittlefishes，MissAnne？’
　　Shesaidthatitwasuncertain，inatoneoftruthfulprecisionwhichthequestionwashardlyworth，lookingforcedlyathimasshespoke。Butsheblushedfitfully，inherarmsandhandsasmuchasinherface。Notthatshewasoverpoweredbythegreatboots，formidablespurs，andotherfierceappliancesofhisperson，asheimagined；simplyshehadnotbeenpreparedtomeethimthere。
　　’Ihopeyouwill，Iamsure，formyowngood，’saidhe，lettinghiseyeslingerontheroundofhercheek。
　　Annebecamealittlemoredignified，andherlookshowedreserve。
　　Buttheyeomanonperceivingthiswentontalkingtoherinsocivilawaythatheirresistiblyamusedher，thoughshetriedtoconcealallfeeling。Atabrighterremarkofhisthanusualhermouthmoved，herupperlipplayinguncertainlyoverherwhiteteeth；itwouldstaystill——no，itwouldwithdrawalittlewayinasmile；
　　thenitwouldflutterdownagain；andsoitwaveredlikeabutterflyinatenderdesiretobepleasedandsmiling，andyettobealsosedateandcomposed；toshowhimthatshedidnotwantcompliments，andyetthatshewasnotsocoldastowishtorepressanygenuinefeelinghemightbeanxioustoutter。
　　’Shallyouwantanymorereading，Mr。Derriman？’saidshe，interruptingtheyoungermaninhisremarks。’Ifnot，I’llgohomeward。’
　　’Don’tletmehinderyoulonger，’saidFestus。’I’moffinaminuteortwo，whenyourmanhascleanedmyboots。’
　　’Yedon’thinderus，nephew。Shemusthavethepaper:’tisthedayforhertohave’n。Shemightreadalittlemore，asIhavehadsolittleprofitouto’enhitherto。Well，whydon’tyespeak？Willye，orwon’tye，mydear？’
　　’Nottotwo，’shesaid。
　　’Ho，ho！damnit，Imustgothen，Isuppose，’saidFestus，laughing；
　　andunabletogetafurtherglancefromherhelefttheroomandclankedintothebackyard，wherehesawaman；holdinguphishandhecried，’AnthonyCripplestraw！’
　　Cripplestrawcameupinatrot，movedalockofhishairandreplacedit，andsaid，’Yes，MaisterDerriman。’HewasoldMr。
　　Derriman’soddhandintheyardandgarden，andlikehisemployerhadnogreatpretensionstomanlybeauty，owingtoalimpnessofbackboneandspecialityofmouth，whichopenedononesideonly，givinghimatriangularsmile。
　　’Well，Cripplestraw，howisitto-day？’saidFestus，withsocially-superiorheartiness。
　　’Middlin’，considering，MaisterDerriman。Andhow’syerself？’
　　’Fairish。Well，now，seeandcleanthesemilitarybootsofmine。
　　I’llcockmyfootuponthisbench。Thispigstyofmyuncle’sisnotfitforasoldiertocomeinto。’
　　’Yes，MaisterDerriman，Iwill。No，’tisnotfit，MaisterDerriman。’
　　’Whatstockhasunclelostthisyear，Cripplestraw？’
　　’Well，let’ssee，sir。Icancalltomindthatwe’velostthreechickens，atom-pigeon，andaweaklysucking-pig，oneofafareoften。Ican’tthinkofnomore，MaisterDerriman。’
　　’H’m，notalargequantityofcattle。Theoldrascal！’
　　’No，’tisnotalargequantity。Oldwhatdidyousay，sir？’
　　’Onothing。He’swithinthere。’Festusflunghisforeheadinthedirectionofarightlinetowardstheinnerapartment。’He’saregularsnicheone。’
　　’Hee，hee；fie，fie，MasterDerriman！’saidCripplestraw，shakinghisheadindelightedcensure。’Gentlefolksshouldn’ttalkso。Andanofficer，Mr。Derriman！’Tisthedutyofallcavalrygentlementobearinmindthattheirbloodisaknowedthinginthecountry，andnottospeakillo’t。’
　　’He’sclose-fisted。’
　　’Well，maister，heis——Iownheisalittle。’Tisthenaterofsomeoldvenerablegentlementobeso。We’llhopehe’lltreatyewellinyerfortune，sir。’
　　’Hopehewill。Dopeopletalkaboutmehere，Cripplestraw？’askedtheyeoman，astheothercontinuedbusywithhisboots。
　　’Well，yes，sir；theydooffandon，youknow。Theysaysyoubeasfineapieceofcalveryfleshandbonesaswasevergrowedonfallow-ground；inshort，allownsthatyoubeafinefellow，sir。I
　　wishIwasn’tnomoreafraidoftheFrenchthanyoube；butbeingintheLocals，MaisterDerriman，IassureyeIdreamofhavingtodefendmycountryeverynight；andIdon’tlikethedreamatall。’
　　’Youshouldtakeitcareless，Cripplestraw，asIdo；and’twouldsooncomenaturaltoyounottominditatall。Well，afinefellowisnoteverything，youknow。Ono。There’sasgoodasIinthearmy，andevenbetter。’
　　’Andtheysaythatwhenyoufallthissummer，you’lldielikeaman。’
　　’WhenIfall？’
　　’Yes，sure，MaisterDerriman。Poorsoulo’thee！Ishan’tforget’eeasyouliemoulderinginyersoldier’sgrave。’
　　’Hey？’saidthewarrioruneasily。’Whatmakes’emthinkIamgoingtofall？’
　　’Well，sir，byallaccountstheyeomanrywillbeputinfront。’
　　’Front！That’swhatmyunclehasbeensaying。’
　　’Yes，andbyallaccounts’tistrue。Andnaterellythey’llbemoweddownlikegrass；andyouamong’em，pooryounggalliantofficer！’
　　’Lookhere，Cripplestraw。Thisisareg’larfoolishreport。Howcanyeomanrybeputinfront？Nobody’sputinfront。WeyeomanryhavenothingtodowithBuonaparte’slanding。Weshallbeawayinasafeplace，guardingthepossessionsandjewels。Now，canyousee，Cripplestraw，anywayatallthattheyeomanrycanbeputinfront？