’Itisdreadful！’saidAnne。’Idon’tliketoseeit。’
Shehadrecoveredfromheremotion，andwalkedalongbesidehimwithagrave，subduedface。Bobdidnotliketoassumetheprivilegesofanacceptedloveranddrawherhandthroughhisarm；for，consciousthatshenaturallybelongedtoapolitergradethanhisown，hefearedlestherexhibitionoftendernesswereanimpulsewhichcoolermomentsmightregret。AperfectPaul-and-Virginialifehadnotabsolutelysetinforhimasyet，anditwasnottobehastenedbyforce。Whentheyhadpassedoverthebridgeintothemill-fronttheysawthemillerstandingatthedoorwithafaceofconcern。
’Sinceyouhavebeengone，’hesaid，’aGovernmentmanhasbeenhere，andtoallthehouses，takingdownthenumbersofthewomenandchildren，andtheiragesandthenumberofhorsesandwaggonsthatcanbemustered，incasetheyhavetoretreatinland，outofthewayoftheinvadingarmy。’
Thelittlefamilygatheredthemselvestogether，allfeelingthecrisismoreseriouslythantheylikedtoexpress。Mrs。Lovedaythoughthowridiculousathingsocialambitionwasinsuchaconjunctureasthis，andvowedthatshewouldleaveAnnetolovewhereshewould。Anne，too，forgotthelittlepeculiaritiesofspeechandmannerinBobandhisfather，whichsometimesjarredforamomentuponhermorerefinedsense，andwasthankfulfortheirloveandprotectioninthisloomingtrouble。
OngoingupstairssherememberedthepaperwhichFarmerDerrimanhadgivenher，andsearchedinherbosomforit。Shecouldnotfinditthere。’Imusthaveleftitonthetable，’shesaidtoherself。Itdidnotmatter；sherememberedeveryword。Shetookapenandwroteaduplicate，whichsheputsafelyaway。
ButAnnewaswrong。Shehad，afterall，placedthepaperwhereshesupposed，andthereitoughttohavebeen。ButinescapingfromFestus，whenhefeignedapoplexy，ithadfallenoutuponthegrass。
Fiveminutesafterthatevent，whenpursuerandpursuedweretwoorthreefieldsahead，thegaily-dressedwomanwhomtheyeomanhadovertaken，peepedcautiouslythroughthestileintothecornerofthefieldwhichhadbeenthesceneofthescramble；andseeingthepapersheclimbedover，securedit，loosenedthewaferwithouttearingthesheet，andreadthememorandumwithin。Unabletomakeanythingofitsmeaning，thesauntererputitinherpocket，and，dismissingthematterfromhermind，wentonbytheby-pathwhichledtothebackofthemill。Here，behindthehedge，shestoodandsurveyedtheoldbuildingforsometime，afterwhichshemeditativelyturned，andretracedherstepstowardstheRoyalwatering-place。
Thenightwhichfollowedwashistoricandmemorable。Mrs。Lovedaywasawakenedbytheboomofadistantgun:shetoldthemiller，andtheylistenedawhile。Thesoundwasnotrepeated，butsuchwasthestateoftheirfeelingsthatMr。LovedaywenttoBob’sroomandaskedifhehadheardit。Bobwaswideawake，lookingoutofthewindow；hehadheardtheominoussound，andwasinclinedtoinvestigatethematter。Whilethefatherandsonweredressingtheyfanciedthataglareseemedtoberisingintheskyinthedirectionofthebeaconhill。NotwishingtoalarmAnneandhermother，themillerassuredthemthatBobandhimselfweremerelygoingoutofdoorstoinquireintothecauseofthereport，afterwhichtheyplungedintothegloomtogether。Afewsteps’progressopenedupmoreofthesky，which，astheyhadthought，wasindeedirradiatedbyaluridlight；butwhetheritcamefromthebeaconorfromamoredistantpointtheywereunabletoclearlytell。Theypushedonrapidlytowardshigherground。
Theirexcitementwasmerelyofapiecewiththatofallmenatthiscriticaljuncture。Everywhereexpectationwasatfeverheat。Forthelastyearortwoonlyfive-and-twentymilesofshallowwaterhaddividedquietEnglishhomesteadsfromanenemy’sarmyofahundredandfiftythousandmen。Wehadtakenthematterlightlyenough，eatinganddrinkingasinthedaysofNoe，andsingingsatireswithoutend。WepunnedonBuonaparteandhisgunboats，chalkedhiseffigyonstage-coaches，andpublishedthesameinprints。Still，betweentheseburstsofhilarity，itwassometimesrecollectedthatEnglandwastheonlyEuropeancountrywhichhadnotsuccumbedtothemightylittlemanwhowaslessthanhumaninfeeling，andmorethanhumaninwill；thatourspiritforresistancewasgreaterthanourstrength；andthattheChannelwasoftencalm。Boatsbuiltofwoodwhichwasgreenlygrowinginitsnativeforestthreedaysbeforeitwasbentaswalestotheirsides，wereridiculousenough；buttheymightbe，afterall，sufficientforasingletripbetweentwovisibleshores。
TheEnglishwatchedBuonaparteinthesepreparations，andBuonapartewatchedtheEnglish。AtthedistanceofBoulognedetailswerelost，butwewereimpressedonfinedaysbythenovelsightofahugearmymovingandtwinklinglikeaschoolofmackerelundertheraysofthesun。Theregularwayofpassinganafternooninthecoasttownswastostrolluptothesignalpostsandchatwiththelieutenantondutythereaboutthelatestinimicalobjectseenatsea。AboutonceaweekthereappearedinthenewspaperseitheraparagraphconcerningsomeadventurousEnglishgentlemanwhohadsailedoutinapleasure-boattillhelaynearenoughtoBoulognetoseeBuonapartestandingontheheightsamonghismarshals；orelsesomelinesaboutamysteriousstrangerwithaforeignaccent，who，aftercollectingavastdealofinformationonourresources，hadhiredaboatatasouthernport，andvanishedwithittowardsFrancebeforehisintentioncouldbedivined。
Inforecastinghisgrandventure，BuonapartepostulatedthehelpofProvidencetoaremarkabledegree。Justatthehourwhenhistroopswereonboardtheflat-bottomedboatsandreadytosail，therewastobeagreatfog，thatshouldspreadavastobscurityoverthelengthandbreadthoftheChannel，andkeeptheEnglishblindtoeventsontheotherside。Thefogwastolasttwenty-fourhours，afterwhichitmightclearaway。Adeadcalmwastoprevailsimultaneouslywiththefog，withthetwofoldobjectofaffordingtheboatseasytransitanddoomingourshipstoliemotionless。
Thirdly，therewastobeaspringtide，whichshouldcombineitsmanoeuvreswiththoseofthefogandcalm。
AmongthemanythousandsofminorEnglishmenwhoseliveswereaffectedbythesetremendousdesignsmaybenumberedouroldacquaintanceCorporalTullidge，whosportedthecrushedarm，andpooroldSimonBurden，thedazedveteranwhohadfoughtatMinden。
InsteadofsittingsnuglyinthesettleoftheOldShip，inthevillageadjoiningOvercombe，theywereobligedtokeepwatchonthehill。Theymadethemselvesascomfortableaswaspossibleinthecircumstances，dwellinginahutofclodsandturf，withabrickchimneyforcooking。Heretheyobservedthenightlyprogressofthemoonandstars，grewfamiliarwiththeheavingofmoles，thedancingofrabbitsonthehillocks，thedistanthootofowls，thebarkoffoxesfromwoodsfurtherinland；butsawnotasignoftheenemy。
As，nightafternight，theywalkedroundthetworickswhichitwastheirdutytofireatasignal——onebeingoffurzeforaquickflame，theotherofturf，foralong，slowradiance——theythoughtandtalkedofoldtimes，anddrankpatrioticallyfromalargewoodflagonthatwasfilledeveryday。
Bobandhisfathersoonbecameawarethatthelightwasfromthebeacon。Bythetimethattheyreachedthetopitwasonemassoftoweringflame，fromwhichthesparksfellonthegreenherbagelikeafierydew；theformsofthetwooldmenbeingseenpassingandrepassinginthemidstofit。TheLovedays，whocameuponthesmokyside，regardedthesceneforamoment，andthenemergedintothelight。
’Whogoesthere？’saidCorporalTullidge，shoulderingapikewithhissoundarm。’O，’tisneighbourLoveday！’
’Didyougetyoursignaltofireitfromtheeast？’saidthemillerhastily。
’No；fromAbbotseaBeach。’
’Butyouarenottogobyacoastsignal！’
’Chok’itall，wasn’ttheLord-Lieutenant’sdirection，wheneveryouseeRainbarrow’sBeaconburntothenor’east’ard，orHaggardontothenor’west’ard，ortheactualpresenceoftheenemyontheshore？’
’Butishehere？’
’Nodoubto’t！Thebeachlightisonlyjustgonedown，andSimonheardthegunsevenbetterthanI。’
’Hark，hark！Ihear’em！’saidBob。
Theylistenedwithpartedlips，thenightwindblowingthroughSimonBurden’sfewteethasthroughtheruinsofStonehenge。Fromfardownonthelowerlevelscamethenoiseofwheelsandthetrampofhorsesupontheturnpikeroad。
’Well，theremustbesomethinginit，’saidMillerLovedaygravely。
’Bob，we’llgohomeandmakethewomen-folksafe，andthenI’lldonmysoldier’sclothesandbeoff。Godknowswhereourcompanywillassemble！’
Theyhasteneddownthehill，andongettingintotheroadwaitedandlistenedagain。Travellersbegantocomeupandpasstheminvehiclesofalldescriptions。Itwasdifficulttoattracttheirattentioninthedimlight，butbystandingonthetopofawallwhichfencedtheroadBobwasatlastseen。
’What’sthematter？’hecriedtoabutcherwhowasflyingpastinhiscart，hiswifesittingbehindhimwithoutabonnet。
’TheFrenchhavelanded！’saidtheman，withoutdrawingrein。
’Where？’shoutedBob。
’InWestBay；andallBudmouthisinuproar！’repliedthevoice，nowfaintinthedistance。
Bobandhisfatherhastenedontilltheyreachedtheirownhouse。
Astheyhadexpected，Anneandhermother，incommonwithmostofthepeople，werebothdressed，andstoodatthedoorbonnetedandshawled，listeningtothetrafficontheneighbouringhighway，Mrs。
Lovedayhavingsecuredwhatmoneyandsmallvaluablestheypossessedinahugepocketwhichextendedallroundherwaist，andaddedconsiderablytoherweightanddiameter。
’’Tistrueenough，’saidthemiller:’he’scome！YouandAnneandthemaidmustbeofftoCousinJim’satKing’s-Bere，andwhenyougetthereyoumustdoastheydo。Imustassemblewiththecompany。’
’AndI？’saidBob。
’Thou’stbetterruntothechurch，andtakeapikebeforetheybeallgone。’
Thehorsewasputintothegig，andMrs。Loveday，Anne，andtheservant-maidwerehastilypackedintothevehicle，thelattertakingthereins；David’sdutiesasafighting-manforbiddingallthoughtofhisdomesticofficesnow。Thenthesilvertankard，teapot，pairofcandlestickslikeIoniccolumns，andotherarticlestoolargetobepocketedwerethrownintoabasketandputupbehind。Thencametheleave-taking，whichwasassadasitwashurried。BobkissedAnne，andtherewasnoaffectationinherreceivingthatmarkofaffectionasshesaidthroughhertears，’Godblessyou！’Atlasttheymovedoffinthedimlightofdawn，neitherofthethreewomenknowingwhichroadtheyweretotake，buttrustingtochancetofindit。
AssoonastheywereoutofsightBobwentoffforapike，andhisfather，firstnew-flintinghisfirelock，proceededtodonhisuniform，pipe-clayinghisbreecheswithsuchcursoryhasteastobespatterhisblackgaiterswiththesameornamentalcompound。
Findingwhenhewasreadythatnobuglehadasyetsounded，hewentwithDavidtothecart-house，draggedoutthewaggon，andputthereinsomeofthemostusefulandeasily-handledgoods，incasetheremightbeanopportunityforconveyingthemaway。Bythetimethiswasdoneandthewaggonpushedbackandlockedin，Bobhadreturnedwithhisweapon，somewhatmortifiedatbeingdoomedtothislowformofdefence。Themillergavehissonapartinggraspofthehand，andarrangedtomeethimatKing’s-Bereatthefirstopportunityifthenewsweretrue；ifhappilyfalse，hereattheirownhouse。
’Botheritall！’heexclaimed，lookingathisstockofflints。
’What？’saidBob。
’I’vegotnoammunition:notablessedround！’
’Thenwhat’stheuseofgoing？’askedhisson。
Themillerpaused。’O，I’llgo，’hesaid。’PerhapssomebodywilllendmealittleifIgetintoahotcorner？’
’Lendyealittle！Father，youwasalwayssosimple！’saidBobreproachfully。
’Well——Icanbagnetafew，anyhow，’saidthemiller。
Thebuglehadbeenblownerethis，andLovedaythefatherdisappearedtowardstheplaceofassembly，hisemptycartridge-boxbehindhim。Bobseizedabraceofloadedpistolswhichhehadbroughthomefromtheship，and，armedwiththeseandapike，helockedthedoorandsalliedoutagaintowardstheturnpikeroad。