Sinceyoutoldmethat，Ihavenotlookedforheratall。’
’Iwaswrong，father，’Bobrepliedgravely，throwingdownhisbundleandstick。’Matilda，Ifind，hasnotgoneawayinscornofus；shehasgoneawayforotherreasons。Ifollowedhersomeway；butI
havecomebackagain。Shemaygo。’
’Whyisshegone？’saidtheastonishedmiller。
Bobhadintended，forMatilda’ssake，togivenoreasontoalivingsoulforherdeparture。Buthecouldnottreathisfatherthusreservedly；andhetold。
’Shehasmadegreatfoolsofus，’saidthemillerdeliberately；’andshemighthavemadeusgreaterones。Bob，Ithoughtth’hadstmoresense。’
’Well，don’tsayanythingagainsther，father，’imploredBob。
’’Twasasorryhaul，andthere’sanendon’t。Letherdownquietly，andkeepthesecret。Youpromisethat？’
’Ido。’Lovedaytheelderremainedthinkingawhile，andthenwenton——’Well，whatIwasgoingtosayisthis:I’vehituponaplantogetoutoftheawkwardcornershehasputusin。Whatyou’llthinkofitIcan’tsay。’
’Davidhasjustgivenmetheheads。’
’Anddoithurtyourfeelings，myson，atsuchatime？’
’No——I’llbringmyselftobearit，anyhow！WhyshouldIobjecttootherpeople’shappinessbecauseIhavelostmyown？’saidBob，withsaintlyself-sacrificeinhisair。
’Wellsaid！’answeredthemillerheartily。’Butyoumaybesurethattherewillbenounseemlyrejoicing，todisturbyeinyourpresentframeofmind。AllthemorningIfeltmoreashamedthanI
caredtoownatthethoughtofhowtheneighbours，greatandsmall，wouldlaughatwhattheywouldcallyourfolly，whentheyknewwhathadhappened；soIresolvedtotakethissteptostaveitoff，ifsobe’twaspossible。AndwhenIsawMrs。GarlandIknewIhaddoneright。Shepitiedmesomuchforhavinghadthehousecleanedinvain，andlaidinprovisionstowaste，thatitputherintothehumourtoagree。Wemeantodoitrightoffatonce，aforethepiesandcakesgetmouldyandtheblackpotstale。’Twasagoodthoughtofmineandhers，andIamglad’tissettled，’heconcludedcheerfully。
’PoorMatilda！’murmuredBob。
’There——Iwasafraid’twouldhurtthyfeelings，’saidthemiller，withself-reproach:’makingpreparationsforthywedding，andusingthemformyown！’
’No，’saidBobheroically；’itshallnot。Itwillbeagreatcomfortinmysorrowtofeelthatthesplendidgrub，andtheale，andyourstunningnewsuitofclothes，andthegreattable-clothsyou’vebought，willbejustasusefulnowasifIhadmarriedmyself。PoorMatilda！Butyouwon’texpectmetojoinin——youhardlycan。Icansheeroffthatdayveryeasily，youknow。’
’Nonsense，Bob！’saidthemillerreproachfully。
’Icouldn’tstandit——Ishouldbreakdown。’
’DeucetakemeifIwouldhaveaskedher，then，ifIhadknown’twasgoingtodrivetheeoutofthehouse！Now，come，Bob，I’llfindawayofarrangingitandsoberingitdown，sothatitshallbeasmelancholyasyoucanrequire——inshort，justlikeafuneral，ifthou’ltpromisetostay？’
’Verywell，’saidtheafflictedone。’OnthatconditionI’llstay。’
Havingenteredintothissolemncompactwithhisson，theelderLoveday’snextactionwastogotoMrs。Garland，andaskherhowthetoningdownoftheweddinghadbestbedone。’ItisplainenoughthattomakemerryjustnowwouldbeslightingBob’sfeelings，asifwedidn’tcarewhowasnotmarried，solongaswewere，’hesaid。
’Butthen，what’stobedoneaboutthevictuals？’
’Giveadinnertothepoorfolk，’shesuggested。’Wecangeteverythingusedupthatway。’
’That’strue’saidthemiller。’There’senoughof’eminthesetimestocarryoffanyextraswhatsoever。’
’AnditwillsaveBob’sfeelingswonderfully。Andtheywon’tknowthatthedinnerwasgotforanothersortofweddingandanothersortofguests；soyou’llhavetheirgood-willfornothing。’
Themillersmiledatthesubtletyoftheview。’Thatcanhardlybecalledfair，’hesaid。’Still，Ididmeansomeofitforthem，forthefriendswemeanttoaskwouldnothaveclearedall。’
Uponthewholetheideapleasedhimwell，particularlywhenhenoticedtheforlornlookofhissailorsonashewalkedabouttheplace，andpicturedtheinevitablyjarringeffectoffiddlesandtambourinesuponBob’sshatterednervesatsuchacrisis，evenifthenotesoftheformerweredulledbytheapplicationofamute，andBobshutupinadistantbedroom——aplanwhichhadatfirstoccurredtohim。HethereforetoldBobthatthesurchargedlarderwastobeemptiedbythecharitableprocessabovealludedto，andhopedhewouldnotmindmakinghimselfusefulinsuchagoodandgloomywork。Bobreadilyfellinwiththescheme，anditwasatonceputinhandandthetablesspread。
Thealacritywithwhichthesubstitutedweddingwascarriedout，seemedtoshowthattheworthypairofneighbourswouldhavejoinedthemselvesintoonelongago，hadtherepreviouslyoccurredanydomesticincidentdictatingsuchastepasanappositeexpedient，apartfromtheirpersonalwishtomarry。
Theappointedmorningcame，andtheservicequietlytookplaceatthecheerfulhouroften，inthefaceofatriangularcongregation，ofwhichthebasewasthefrontpew，andtheapexthewestdoor。
Mrs。GarlanddressedherselfinthemuslinshawllikeQueenCharlotte’s，thatBobhadbroughthome，andherbestplum-colouredgown，beneathwhichpeepedouthershoeswithredrosettes。Annewaspresent，butsheconsideratelytonedherselfdown，soasnottotooseriouslydamagehermother’sappearance。Atmomentsduringtheceremonyshehadadistressingsensethatsheoughtnottobeborn，andwasgladtogethomeagain。
Theinterestexcitedinthevillage，thoughreal，washardlyenoughtobringaseriousblushtothefaceofcoyness。Neighbours’mindshadbecomesosaturatedbytheabundanceofshowymilitaryandregalincidentlatelyvouchsafedtothem，thattheweddingofmiddle-agedcivilianswasofsmallaccount，exceptinginsofarthatitsolvedthequestionwhetherornotMrs。Garlandwouldconsiderherselftoogenteeltomatewithagrinderofcorn。
Intheevening，Loveday’sheartwasmadegladbyseeingthebakedandboiledinrapidprocessofconsumptionbythekitchenfulofpeopleassembledforthatpurpose。Three-quartersofanhourweresufficienttobanishforeverhisfearsastospoiltfood。Theprovisionsbeingthecauseoftheassembly，andnotitsconsequence，ithadbeendeterminedtogetallthatwouldnotkeepconsumedonthatday，evenifhighwaysandhedgeshadtobesearchedforoperators。And，inadditiontothepoorandneedy，everycottager’sdaughterknowntothemillerwasinvited，andtoldtobringherloverfromcamp——anexpedientwhich，forlettingdaylightintotheinsideoffullplatters，wasamongthemosthappyeverknown。
WhileMr。andMrs。Loveday，Anne，andBobwerestandingintheparlour，discussingtheprogressoftheentertainmentinthenextroom，John，whohadnotbeendownallday，enteredthehouseandlookedinuponthemthroughtheopendoor。
’How’sthis，John？Whydidn’tyoucomebefore？’
’Hadtoseethecaptain，and——otherduties，’saidthetrumpet-major，inatonewhichshowednogreatzealforexplanations。
’Well，comein，however，’continuedthemiller，ashissonremainedwithhishandonthedoor-post，surveyingthemreflectively。
’Icannotstaylong，’saidJohn，advancing。’TheRouteiscome，andwearegoingaway。’
’Goingaway！Whereto？’
’ToExonbury。’
’When？’
’Fridaymorning。’
’Allofyou？’
’Yes；someto-morrowandsomenextday。TheKinggoesnextweek。’
’Iamsorryforthis，’saidthemiller，notexpressinghalfhissorrowbythesimpleutterance。’Iwishyoucouldhavebeenhereto-day，sincethisisthecase，’headded，lookingatthehorizonthroughthewindow。
Mrs。Lovedayalsoexpressedherregret，whichseemedtoremindthetrumpet-majoroftheeventoftheday，andhewenttoherandtriedtosaysomethingbefittingtheoccasion。Annehadnotsaidthatshewaseithersorryorglad，butJohnLovedayfanciedthatshehadlookedratherrelievedthanotherwisewhensheheardhisnews。HisconversationwithBobonthedownmadeBob’smanner，too，remarkablycool，notwithstandingthathehadafterallfollowedhisbrother’sadvice，whichitwasasyettoosoonaftertheeventforhimtorightlyvalue。Johndidnotknowwhythesailorhadcomeback，neversupposingthatitwasbecausehehadthoughtbetterofgoing，andsaidtohimprivately，’Youdidn’tovertakeher？’
’Ididn’ttryto，’saidBob。
’Andyouarenotgoingto？’
’No；Ishallletherdrift。’
’Iamgladindeed，Bob；youhavebeenwise，’saidJohnheartily。
Bob，however，stilllovedMatildatoowelltobeotherthandissatisfiedwithJohnandtheeventthathehadprecipitated，whichtheelderbrotheronlytoopromptlyperceived；anditmadehisstaythateveningofshortduration。Beforeleavinghesaidwithsomehesitationtohisfather，includingAnneandhermotherbyhisglance，’Doyouthinktocomeupandseeusoff？’
Themilleransweredforthemall，andsaidthatofcoursetheywouldcome。’Butyou’llstepdownagainbetweennowandthen？’heinquired。
’I’lltryto。’Headdedafterapause，’IncaseIshouldnot，rememberthatRevalleywillsoundathalfpastfive；weshallleaveabouteight。Nextsummer，perhaps，weshallcomeandcamphereagain。’
’Ihopeso，’saidhisfatherandMrs。Loveday。
TherewassomethinginJohn’smannerwhichindicatedtoAnnethathescarcelyintendedtocomedownagain；buttheothersdidnotnoticeit，andshesaidnothing。Hedepartedafewminuteslater，intheduskoftheAugustevening，leavingAnnestillindoubtastothemeaningofhisprivatemeetingwithMissJohnson。
JohnLovedayhadbeengoingtotellthemthatonthelastnight，byanespecialprivilege，itwouldbeinhispowertocomeandstaywiththemuntileleveno’clock，butatthemomentofleavingheabandonedtheintention。Anne’sattitudehadchilledhim，andmadehimanxioustobeoff。Heutilizedthesparehoursofthatlastnightinanotherway。
Thiswasbycomingdownfromtheoutskirtsofthecampintheevening，andseatinghimselfnearthebrinkofthemill-pondassoonasitwasquitedark；wherehewatchedthelightsinthedifferentwindowstilloneappearedinAnne’sbedroom，andsheherselfcameforwardtoshutthecasement，withthecandleinherhand。Thelightshoneoutuponthebroadanddeepmill-head，illuminatingtoadistinctindividualityeverymothandgnatthatenteredthequiveringchainofradiancestretchingacrossthewatertowardshim，andeverybubbleoratomoffroththatfloatedintoitswidth。Shestoodforsometimelookingout，littlethinkingwhatthedarknessconcealedontheothersideofthatwidestream；tillatlengthsheclosedthecasement，drewthecurtains，andretreatedintotheroom。
Presentlythelightwentout，uponwhichJohnLovedayreturnedtocampandlaydowninhistent。
Thenextmorningwasdullandwindy，andthetrumpetsofthe——thsoundedReveilleforthelasttimeonOvercombeDown。KnowingthattheDragoonsweregoingaway，Annehadsleptheedfully，andwasatonceawakenedbythesmartnotes。Shelookedoutofthewindow，tofindthatthemillerwasalreadyastir，hiswhiteformbeingvisibleattheendofhisgarden，wherehestoodmotionless，watchingthepreparations。Annealsolookedonaswellasshecouldthroughthedimgreygloom，andsoonshesawthebluesmokefromthecooks’
firescreepingfitfullyalongtheground，insteadofrisinginverticalcolumns，asithaddoneduringthefineweatherseason。
Thenthemenbegantocarrytheirbeddingtothewaggons，andotherstothrowallrefuseintothetrenches，tillthedownwaslivelyasanant-hill。AnnedidnotwanttoseeJohnLovedayagain，buthearingthehouseholdastir，shebegantodressatleisure，lookingoutatthecampthewhile。
Whenthesoldiershadbreakfasted，shesawthemsellingandgivingawaytheirsuperfluouscrockerytothenativeswhohadclusteredround；andthentheypulleddownandclearedawaythetemporarykitchenswhichtheyhadconstructedwhentheycame。Atappingoftent-pegsandwrigglingofpicket-postsfollowed，andsoontheconesofwhitecanvas，nowalmostbecomeacomponentpartofthelandscape，felltotheground。Atthismomentthemillercameindoorsandaskedatthefootofthestairsifanybodywasgoingupthehillwithhim。
Annefeltthat，inspiteofthecloudhangingoverJohninhermind，itwouldillbecomethepresentmomentnottoseehimoff，andshewentdownstairstohermother，whowasalreadythere，thoughBobwasnowheretobeseen。Eachtookanarmofthemiller，andthusclimbedtothetopofthehill。Bythistimethemenandhorseswereattheplaceofassembly，and，shortlyafterthemill-partyreachedlevelground，thetroopsslowlybegantomoveforward。Whenthetrumpet-major，halfburiedinhisuniform，arms，andhorse-furniture，drewneartothespotwheretheLovedayswerewaitingtoseehimpass，hisfatherturnedanxiouslytoAnneandsaid，’YouwillshakehandswithJohn？’