’Yes；’tisthewayIhave。’Hefurtherloweredhistone，asiftheyhadbeenoldfriends，thoughinrealityhehadonlyseenherthreeorfourtimes。’Andhowdidyoucometobehere？Dashmywig，I
don’tliketoseeaniceyoungladylikeyouinthiscompany。YoushouldcometosomeofouryeomanryspreesinCasterbridgeorShottsford-Forum。O，butthegirlsdocome！Theyeomanryarerespectedmen，menofgoodsubstantialfamilies，manyfarmingtheirownland；andeveryoneamongusrideshisowncharger，whichismorethanthesecussedfellowsdo。’Henoddedtowardsthedragoons。
’Hush，hush！Why，thesearefriendsandneighboursofMillerLoveday，andheisagreatfriendofours——ourbestfriend，’saidAnnewithgreatemphasis，andreddeningatthesenseofinjusticetotheirhost。’Whatareyouthinkingof，talkinglikethat？Itisungenerousinyou。’
’Ha，ha！I’veaffrontedyou。Isn’tthatit，fairangel，fair——whatdoyoucallit？——fairvestal？Ah，well！wouldyouwassafeinmyownhouse！Buthonourmustbemindednow，notcourting。Rollicum-
rorum，tol-lol-lorum。Pardonme，mysweet，Ilikeye！Itmaybeacomedownforme，owningland；butIdolikeye。’
’Sir，pleasebequiet，’saidAnne，distressed。
’Iwill，Iwill。Well，CorporalTullidge，how’syourhead？’hesaid，goingtowardstheotherendoftheroom，andleavingAnnetoherself。
Thecompanyhadagainrecovereditsliveliness，anditwasalongtimebeforethebouncingRufuswhohadjoinedthemcouldfindhearttotearhimselfawayfromtheirsocietyandgoodliquors，althoughhehadhadquiteenoughofthelatterbeforeheentered。Thenativesreceivedhimathisownvaluation，andthesoldiersofthecamp，whosatbeyondthetable，smiledbehindtheirpipesathisremarks，withapleasanttwinkleoftheeyewhichapproachedthesatirical，JohnLovedaybeingnottheleastconspicuousinthisbearing。Butheandhisfriendsweretoocourteousonsuchanoccasionasthepresenttochallengetheyoungman’slargeremarks，andreadilypermittedhimtosetthemrightonthedetailsofcampingandothermilitaryroutine，aboutwhichthetroopersseemedwillingtoletpersonsholdanyopinionwhatever，providedthattheythemselveswerenotobligedtogiveattentiontoit；showing，strangelyenough，thatiftherewasonesubjectmorethananotherwhichneverinterestedtheirminds，itwastheartofwar。TothemtheartofenjoyinggoodcompanyinOvercombeMill，thedetailsofthemiller’shousehold，theswarmingofhisbees，thenumberofhischickens，andthefatnessofhispigs，weremattersofinfinitelygreaterconcern。
Thepresentwriter，towhomthispartyhasbeendescribedtimesoutofnumberbymembersoftheLovedayfamilyandotheragedpeoplenowpassedaway，canneverentertheoldliving-roomofOvercombeMillwithoutbeholdingthegenialscenethroughthemistsoftheseventyoreightyyearsthatintervenebetweenthenandnow。Firstandbrightesttotheeyearethedozencandles，scatteredaboutregardlessofexpense，andkeptwellsnuffedbythemiller，whowalksroundtheroomatintervalsoffiveminutes，snuffersinhand，andnipseachwickwithgreatprecision，andwithsomethingofanexecutioner’sgrimlookuponhisfaceasheclosesthesnuffersupontheneckofthecandle。Nexttothecandle-lightshowtheredandbluecoatsandwhitebreechesofthesoldiers——nearlytwentyoftheminallbesidestheponderousDerriman——theheadofthelatter，and，indeed，theheadsofallwhoarestandingup，beingindangerousproximitytotheblackbeamsoftheceiling。Thereisnotoneamongthemwhowouldattachanymeaningto’Vittoria，’orgatherfromthesyllables’Waterloo’theremotestideaofhisowngloryordeath。
NextappearsthecorrectandinnocentAnne，littlethinkingwhatthingsTimehasinstoreforheratnogreatdistanceoff。ShelooksatDerrimanwithahalf-uneasysmileasheclankshitherandthither，andhopeshewillnotsingleheroutagaintoholdaprivatedialoguewith——which，however，hedoes，irresistiblyattractedbythewhitemuslinfigure。Shemust，ofcourse，lookalittlegraciousagainnow，lesthismoodshouldturnfromsentimentaltoquarrelsome——noimpossiblecontingencywiththeyeoman-soldier，asherquickperceptionhadnoted。
’Well，well；thisidlingwon’tdoforme，folks，’heatlastsaid，toAnne’srelief。’Ioughtnottohavecomein，byrights；butI
heardyouenjoyingyourselves，andthoughtitmightbeworthwhiletoseewhatyouwereupto；Ihaveseveralmilestogobeforebedtime；’andstretchinghisarms，liftinghischin，andshakinghishead，toeradicateanyunseemlycurveorwrinklefromhisperson，theyeomanwishedthemanoff-handgood-night，anddeparted。
’Youshouldhaveteasedhimalittlemore，father，’saidthetrumpet-majordrily。’Youcouldsoonhavemadehimascrabbedasabear。’
’Ididn’twanttoprovokethechap——’twasn’tworthwhile。Hecameinfriendlyenough，’saidthegentlemillerwithoutlookingup。
’Idon’tthinkhewasovermuchfriendly，’saidJohn。
’’Tisaswelltobeneighbourlywithfolks，iftheybenotquiteonbearable，’hisfathergeniallyreplied，ashetookoffhiscoattogoanddrawmoreale——thisperiodicalstrippingtotheshirt-sleevesbeingnecessitatedbythenarrownessofthecellarandthesmearyeffectofitsnumerouscobwebsuponbestclothes。
SomeofthegueststhenspokeofFessDerrimanasnotsuchabadyoungmanifyoutookhimrightandhumouredhim；otherssaidthathewasnobody’senemybuthisown；andtheelderladiesmentionedinatoneofinterestthathewaslikelytocomeintoadealofmoneyathisuncle’sdeath。Thepersonwhodidnotpraisewastheonewhoknewhimbest，whohadknownhimasaboyyearsago，whenhehadlivednearertoOvercombethanhedidatpresent。Thisunappreciativepersonwasthetrumpet-major。
AtthistimeinthehistoryofOvercombeonesolitarynewspaperoccasionallyfounditswayintothevillage。ItwaslentbythepostmasteratBudmouthwho，insomemysteriousway，gotitfornothingthroughhisconnexionwiththemailtoMr。DerrimanattheHall，bywhomitwashandedontoMrs。Garlandwhenitwasnotmorethanafortnightold。Whoeverremembersanythingabouttheoldfarmer-squirewill，ofcourse，knowwellenoughthatthisdelightfulprivilegeofreadinghistoryinlongcolumnswasnotaccordedtotheWidowGarlandfornothing。Itwasbysuchingenuousmeansthathepaidherforherdaughter’soccasionalservicesinreadingaloudtohimandmakingouthisaccounts，inwhichmattersthefarmer，whoseguineaswerereportedtotouchfivefigures——somesaidmore——wasnotexpert。
Mrs。MarthaGarland，asarespectablewidow，occupiedatwilightrankbetweenthebenightedvillagersandthewell-informedgentry，andkindlymadeherselfusefultotheformerasletter-writerandreader，andgeneraltranslatorfromtheprintingtongue。Itwasnotwithoutsatisfactionthatshestoodatherdoorofanevening，newspaperinhand，withthreeorfourcottagersstandinground，andpoureddowntheiropenthroatsanyparagraphthatshemightchoosetoselectfromthestirringonesoftheperiod。WhenshehaddonewiththesheetMrs。Garlandpasseditontothemiller，themillertothegrinder，andthegrindertothegrinder’sboy，inwhosehandsitbecamesubdividedintohalfpages，quarterpages，andirregulartriangles，andendeditscareerasapapercap，aflagonbung，orawrapperforhisbreadandcheese。
NotwithstandinghiscompactwithMrs。Garland，oldMr。Derrimankeptthepapersolong，andwassocharyofwastinghisman’stimeonamerelyintellectualerrand，thatunlessshesentforthejournalitseldomreachedherhands。Annewasalwayshermessenger。ThearrivalofthesoldiersledMrs。Garlandtodespatchherdaughterforitthedayaftertheparty；andawayshewentinherhatandpelisse，inadirectionatrightanglestothatoftheencampmentonthehill。
Walkingacrossthefieldsforthedistanceofamileortwo，shecameoutuponthehigh-roadbyawicket-gate。Ontheothersideofthewaywastheentrancetowhatatfirstsightlookedlikeaneglectedmeadow，thegatebeingarottenone，withoutabottomrail，andbroken-downpalingslyingoneachside。Thedryhardmudoftheopeningwasmarkedwithseveralhorseandcowtracks，thathadbeenhalfobliteratedbyfiftyscoresheeptracks，surchargedwiththetracksofamanandadog。Beyondthisgeologicalrecordappearedacarriage-road，nearlygrownoverwithgrass，whichAnnefollowed。Itdescendedbyagentleslope，divedunderdark-rindedelmandchestnuttrees，andconductedherontillthehissofawaterfallandthesoundoftheseabecameaudible，whenittookabendroundaswampoffreshwatercressandbrooklimethathadoncebeenafishpond。Herethegrey，weather-wornfrontofabuildingedgedfrombehindthetrees。ItwasOxwellHall，oncetheseatofafamilynowextinct，andoflateyearsusedasafarmhouse。
BenjaminDerriman，whoownedthecrumblingplace，hadoriginallybeenonlytheoccupierandtenant-farmerofthefieldsaround。Hiswifehadbroughthimasmallfortune，andduringthegrowthoftheironlysontherehadbeenapartitionoftheOxwellestate，givingthefarmer，nowawidower，theopportunityofacquiringthebuildingandasmallportionofthelandattachedonexceptionallylowterms。
Buttwoyearsafterthepurchasetheboydied，andDerriman’sexistencewasparalyzedforthwith。Itwassaidthatsincethateventhehaddevisedthehouseandfieldstoadistantfemalerelative，tokeepthemoutofthehandsofhisdetestednephew；butthiswasnotcertainlyknown。
Thehallwasasinterestingasmansionsinastateofdeclensionusuallyare，astheexcellentcountyhistoryshowed。Thatpopularworkinfoliocontainedanoldplatededicatedtothelastscionoftheoriginalowners，fromwhichdrawingitappearedthatin1750，thedateofpublication，thewindowswerecoveredwithlittlescratcheslikeblackflashesoflightning；thatahornofhardsmokecameoutofeachofthetwelvechimneys；thataladyandalap-dogstoodonthelawninastrenuouslywalkingposition；andasubstantialcloudandnineflyingbirdsofnoknownspecieshungoverthetreestothenorth-east。
Theramblingandneglecteddwellinghadalltheromanticexcellenciesandpracticaldrawbackswhichsuchmildewedplacesshareincommonwithcaves，mountains，wildernesses，glens，andotherhomesofpoesythatpeopleoftastewishtoliveanddiein。
Mustardandcresscouldhavebeenraisedontheinnerplasterofthedewywallsatanyheightnotexceedingthreefeetfromthefloor；
andmushroomsofthemostrefinedandthin-stemmedkindsgrewupthroughthechinksofthelarderpaving。Asfortheoutside，Nature，intheampletimethathadbeengivenher，hadsomingledherfilingsandeffacementswiththemarksofhumanwearandtearuponthehouse，thatitwasoftenhardtosayinwhichofthetwoorifinboth，anyparticularobliterationhaditsorigin。Thekeennesswasgonefromthemouldingsofthedoorways，butwhetherwornoutbytherubbingpastofinnumerablepeople’sshoulders，andthemovingoftheirheavyfurniture，orbyTimeinagranderandmoreabstractform，didnotappear。Theironstanchionsinsidethewindow-paneswereeatenawaytothesizeofwiresatthebottomwheretheyenteredthestone，thecondensedbreathingsofgenerationshavingsettledthereinpoolsandrustedthem。Thepanesthemselveshadeitherlosttheirshinealtogetherorbecomeiridescentasapeacock’stail。Inthemiddleoftheporchwasaverticalsun-dial，whosegnomonswayedlooselyaboutwhenthewindblew，andcastitsshadowhitherandthither，asmuchastosay，’Here’syourfinemodeldial；here’sanytimeforanyman；Iamanolddial；andshiftinessisthebestpolicy。’
Annepassedunderthearchedgatewaywhichscreenedthemainfront；
overitwastheporter’slodge，reachedbyaspiralstaircase。
Acrossthearchwaywasfixedarowofwoodenhurdles，oneofwhichAnneopenedandclosedbehindher。Theirnecessitywasapparentassoonasshegotinside。Thequadrangleoftheancientpilewasabedofmudandmanure，inhabitedbycalves，geese，ducks，andsowpigssurprisinglylarge，withyoungonessurprisinglysmall。Inthegroinedporchsomeheiferswereamusingthemselvesbystretchinguptheirnecksandlickingthecarvedstonecapitalsthatsupportedthevaulting。Annewentontoasecondandopendoor，acrosswhichwasanotherhurdletokeepthelivestockfromabsolutecommunitywiththeinmates。Therebeingnoknocker，sheknockedbymeansofashortstickwhichwaslaidagainstthepostforthatpurpose；butnobodyattending，sheenteredthepassage，andtriedaninnerdoor。
Aslightnoisewasheardinside，thedooropenedaboutaninch，andastripofdecayedface，includingtheeyeandsomeforeheadwrinkles，appearedwithinthecrevice。