WhenAnneenteredandtookherseatshewasalwaysloudlyhailedbyMillerLovedayashewhettedhisknife；butfromBobshecondescendedtoacceptnosuchfamiliargreeting，andtheyoftensatdowntogetherasifeachhadablindeyeinthedirectionoftheother。Bobsometimestoldseriousandcorrectstoriesaboutsea-
captains，pilots，boatswains，mates，ableseamen，andothercuriousfaunaofthemarineworld；buttheseweredirectlyaddressedtohisfatherandMrs。Loveday，Annebeingincludedattheclinching-pointbyaglanceonly。Hesometimesopenedbottlesofsweetciderforher，andthenshethankedhim；buteventhisdidnotleadtoherencouraginghischat。
OnedaywhenAnnewasparinganappleshewasleftattablewiththeyoungman。’Ihavemadesomethingforyou，’hesaid。
Shelookedalloverthetable；nothingwastheresavetheordinaryremnants。
’OIdon’tmeanthatitishere；itisoutbythebridgeatthemill-head。’
Hearose，andAnnefollowedwithcuriosityinhereyes，andwithherfirmlittlemouthpouteduptoapuzzledshape。Onreachingthemossymill-headshefoundthathehadfixedinthekeendampdraughtwhichalwaysprevailedoverthewheelanAEolianharpoflargesize。
Atpresentthestringswerepartlycoveredwithacloth。Heliftedit，andthewiresbegantoemitaweirdharmonywhichmingledcuriouslywiththeplashingofthewheel。
’Imadeitonpurposeforyou，MissGarland，’hesaid。
Shethankedhimverywarmly，forshehadneverseenanythinglikesuchaninstrumentbefore，anditinterestedher。’Itwasverythoughtfulofyoutomakeit，’sheadded。’Howcameyoutothinkofsuchathing？’
’OIdon’tknowexactly，’hereplied，asifhedidnotcaretobequestionedonthepoint。’Ihavenevermadeoneinmylifetillnow。’
Everynightafterthis，duringthemournfulgalesofautumn，thestrangemixedmusicofwater，wind，andstringsmetherear，swellingandsinkingwithanalmostsupernaturalcadence。ThecharacteroftheinstrumentwasfarenoughremovedfromanythingshehadhithertoseenofBob’shobbies；sothatshemarvelledpleasantlyatthenewdepthsofpoetrythiscontrivancerevealedasexistentinthatyoungseaman’snature，andallowedheremotionstoflowoutyetalittlefurtherintheolddirection，notwithstandingherlatesevereresolvetobarthemback。
Onebreezynight，whenthemillwaskeptgoingintothesmallhours，andthewindwasexactlyinthedirectionofthewater-current，themusicsomingledwithherdreamsastowakeher:itseemedtorhythmicallysetitselftothewords，’Rememberme！thinkofme！’
Shewasmuchimpressed；thesoundswerealmosttootouching；andshespoketoBobthenextmorningonthesubject。
’Howstrangeitisthatyoushouldhavethoughtoffixingthatharpwherethewatergushes！’shegentlyobserved。’Itaffectsmealmostpainfullyatnight。Youarepoetical，CaptainBob。Butitistoo——
toosad！’
’Iwilltakeitaway，’saidCaptainBobpromptly。’Itcertainlyistoosad；Ithoughtsomyself。Imyselfwaskeptawakebyitonenight。’
’Howcameyoutothinkofmakingsuchapeculiarthing？’
’Well，’saidBob，’itishardlyworthsayingwhy。Itisnotagoodplaceforsuchaqueernoisymachine；andI’lltakeitaway。’
’Onsecondthoughts，’saidAnne，’Ishouldlikeittoremainalittlelonger，becauseitsetsmethinking。’
’Ofme？’heaskedwithearnestfrankness。
Anne’scolourrosefast。
’Well，yes，’shesaid，tryingtoinfusemuchplainmatter-of-factintohervoice。’OfcourseIamledtothinkofthepersonwhoinventedit。’
Bobseemedunaccountablyembarrassed，andthesubjectwasnotpursued。Abouthalf-an-hourlaterhecametoheragain，withsomethingofanuneasylook。
’TherewasalittlematterIdidn’ttellyoujustnow，MissGarland，’hesaid。’Aboutthatharpthing，Imean。Ididmakeit，certainly，butitwasmybrotherJohnwhoaskedmetodoit，justbeforehewentaway。Johnisverymusical，asyouknow，andhesaiditwouldinterestyou；butashedidn’taskmetotell，Ididnot。
PerhapsIoughttohave，andnothavetakenthecredittomyself。’
’O，itisnothing！’saidAnnequickly。’Itisaveryincompleteinstrumentafterall，anditwillbejustaswellforyoutotakeitawayasyoufirstproposed。’
Hesaidthathewould，butheforgottodoitthatday；andthefollowingnighttherewasahighwind，andtheharpcriedandmoanedsomovinglythatAnne，whosewindowwasquitenear，couldhardlybearthesoundwithitsnewassociations。JohnLovedaywaspresenttohermindallnightasanill-usedman；andyetshecouldnotownthatshehadill-usedhim。
Theharpwasremovednextday。Bob，feelingthathiscreditfororiginalitywasdamagedinhereyes，bywayofrecoveringitsethimselftopaintthesummer-housewhichAnnefrequented，andwhenhecameoutheassuredherthatitwasquitehisownidea。
’Itwanteddoing，certainly，’shesaid，inaneutraltone。
’Itisjustabouttroublesome。’
’Yes；youcan’tquitereachup。That’sbecauseyouarenotverytall；isitnot，CaptainLoveday？’
’Youneverusedtosaythingslikethat。’
’O，Idon’tmeanthatyouaremuchlessthantall！ShallIholdthepaintforyou，tosaveyoursteppingdown？’
’Thankyou，ifyouwould。’
Shetookthepaint-pot，andstoodlookingatthebrushasitmovedupanddowninhishand。
’IhopeIshallnotsprinkleyourfingers，’heobservedashedipped。
’O，thatwouldnotmatter！Youdoitverywell。’
’Iamgladtohearthatyouthinkso。’
’Butperhapsnotquitesomuchartisdemandedtopaintasummer-houseastopaintapicture？’
Thinkingthat，asapainter’sdaughter，andapersonofeducationsuperiortohisown，shespokewithaflavourofsarcasm，hefelthumbledandsaid——
’Youdidnotusetotalklikethattome。’
’Iwasperhapstooyoungthentotakeanypleasureingivingpain，’
sheobserveddaringly。
’Doesitgiveyoupleasure？’
Annenodded。
’Iliketogivepaintopeoplewhohavegivenpaintome，’shesaidsmartly，withoutremovinghereyesfromthegreenliquidinherhand。
’Iaskyourpardonforthat。’
’Ididn’tsayImeantyou——thoughIdidmeanyou。’
Boblookedandlookedathersidefacetillhewasbewitchedintoputtingdownhisbrush。
’Itwasthatstupidforgettingof’eeforatime！’heexclaimed。
’Well，Ihadn’tseenyouforsoverylong——considerhowmanyyears！
O，dearAnne！’hesaid，advancingtotakeherhand，’howwellweknewoneanotherwhenwewerechildren！Youwasaqueentomethen；
andsoyouarenow，andalways。’
PossiblyAnnewasthrilledpleasantlyenoughathavingbroughtthetruantvillageladtoherfeetagain；buthewasnottofindthesituationsoeasyasheimagined，andherhandwasnottobetakenyet。
’Verypretty！’shesaid，laughing。’AndonlysixweekssinceMissJohnsonleft。’
’Zounds，don’tsayanythingaboutthat！’imploredBob。’IswearthatInever——neverdeliberatelylovedher——foralongtimetogether，thatis；itwasasuddensortofthing，youknow。Buttowardsyou——Ihavemoreorlesshonouredandrespectfullylovedyou，offandon，allmylife。There，that’strue。’
Anneretortedquickly——
’Iamwilling，offandon，tobelieveyou，CaptainRobert。ButI
don’tseeanygoodinyourmakingthesesolemndeclarations。’
’Givemeleavetoexplain，dearMissGarland。Itistogetyoutobepleasedtorenewanoldpromise——madeyearsago——thatyou’llthinko’me。’
’NotawordofanypromisewillIrepeat。’
’Well，well，Iwon’turge’eetoday。Onlyletmebegofyoutogetoverthequitewrongnotionyouhaveofme；anditshallbemywholeendeavourtofetchyourgraciousfavour。’
Anneturnedawayfromhimandenteredthehouse，whitherinthecourseofaquarterofanhourhefollowedher，knockingatherdoor，andaskingtobeletin。Shesaidshewasbusy；whereuponhewentaway，tocomebackagaininashorttimeandreceivethesameanswer。
’Ihavefinishedpaintingthesummer-houseforyou，’hesaidthroughthedoor。
’Icannotcometoseeit。Ishallbeengagedtillsupper-time。’
Sheheardhimbreatheaheavysighandwithdraw，murmuringsomethingabouthisbadluckinbeingcutawayfromthestarnlikethis。Butitwasnotoveryet。Whensupper-timecameandtheysatdowntogether，shetookuponherselftoreprovehimforwhathehadsaidtoherinthegarden。
Bobmadehisforeheadexpressdespair。
’Now，Ibegyouthisonething，’hesaid。’Justletmeknowyourwholemind。ThenIshallhaveachancetoconfessmyfaultsandmendthem，orclearmyconducttoyoursatisfaction。’
Sheansweredwithquickness，butnotloudenoughtobeheardbytheoldpeopleattheotherendofthetable——’Then，CaptainLoveday，I
willtellyouonething，onefault，thatperhapswouldhavebeenmorepropertomycharacterthantoyours。Youaretooeasilyimpressedbynewfaces，andthatgivesmeaBADOPINIONofyou——yes，aBADOPINION。’
’O，that’sit！’saidBobslowly，lookingatherwiththeintenserespectofapupilforamaster，herwordsbeingspokeninamannersopreciselybetweenjestandearnestthathewasinsomedoubthowtheyweretobereceived。’Impressedbynewfaces。Itiswrong，certainly，ofme。’
Thepoppingofacork，andthepouringoutofstrongbeerbythemillerwithaviewtogivingitahead，wereapparentlydistractionssufficienttoexcuseherinnotattendingfurthertohim；andduringtheremainderofthesittinghergentlechidingseemedtobesinkingseriouslyintohismind。Perhapsherownheartachedtoseehowsilenthewas；butshehadalwaysmeanttopunishhim。Dayafterdayfortwoorthreeweeksshepreservedthesamedemeanour，withaself-controlwhichdidjusticetohercharacter。And，onhispart，consideringwhathehadtoputupwith——howsheeludedhim，snappedhimoff，refusedtocomeoutwhenhecalledher，refusedtoseehimwhenhewantedtoenterthelittleparlourwhichshehadnowappropriatedtoherprivateuse，hispatiencetestifiedstronglytohisgood-humour。
Christmashadpassed。Drearywinterwithdarkeveningshadgivenplacetomoredrearywinterwithlightevenings。Rapidthawshadendedinrain，raininwind，windindust。Showerydayshadcome——
theseasonofpinkdawnsandwhitesunsets；andpeoplehopedthattheMarchweatherwasover。
Thechiefincidentthatconcernedthehouseholdatthemillwasthatthemiller，followingtheexampleofallhisneighbours，hadbecomeavolunteer，anddulyappearedtwiceaweekinared，long-tailedmilitarycoat，pipe-clayedbreeches，blackclothgaiters，aheel-balledhelmet-hat，withatuftofgreenwool，andepaulettesofthesamecolourandmaterial。Bobstillremainedneutral。Notbeingabletodecidewhethertoenrolhimselfasasea-fencible，alocalmilitia-man，oravolunteer，hesimplywentondancingattendanceuponAnne。Mrs。Lovedayhadbecomeawaketothefactthatthepairofyoungpeoplestoodinacuriousattitudetowardseachother；butastheywereneverseenwiththeirheadstogether，andscarcelyeversateveninthesameroom，shecouldnotbesurewhattheirmovementsmeant。
Strangelyenoughorperhapsnaturallyenough，sinceenteringtheLovedayfamilyherself，shehadgraduallygrowntothinklessfavourablyofAnnedoingthesamething，andrevertedtoheroriginalideaofencouragingFestus；thismoreparticularlybecausehehadoflateshownsuchperseveranceinhauntingtheprecinctsofthemill，presumablywiththeintentionoflightingupontheyounggirl。Buttheweatherhadkepthermostlyindoors。