’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！’