’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。