’O——thatwoman！YouknowaswellasIthatwasallmake-up，andthatIneverforamomentthoughtofher。’
’Ihadanideayouwereacting；butIwasn’tsure。’
’Well，that’snothingnow。Anne，Iwanttorelieveyourlife；tocheeryouinsomeway；tomakesomeamendsformybrother’sbadconduct。Ifyoucannotloveme，likingwillbewellenough。Ihavethoughtovereverysideofitsomanytimes——formonthshaveIbeenthinkingitover——andIamatlastsurethatIdorighttoputittoyouinthisway。ThatIdon’twrongBobIamquiteconvinced。Asfarasheisconcernedwebebothfree。HadInotbeensureofthatIwouldneverhavespoken。Fatherwantsmetotakeonthemill，anditwillpleasehimifyoucangivemeonelittlehope；itwillmakethehousegoonaltogetherbetterifyoucanthinko’me。’
’Youaregenerousandgood，John，’shesaid，asabigroundtearbowledhelter-skelterdownherfaceandhat-strings。
’Iamnotthat；IfearIamquitetheopposite，’hesaid，withoutlookingather。’Itwouldbeallgaintome——Butyouhavenotansweredmyquestion。’
Sheliftedhereyes。’John，Icannot！’shesaid，withacheerlesssmile。’PositivelyIcannot。Willyoumakemeapromise？’
’Whatisit？’
’Iwantyoutopromisefirst——Yes，itisdreadfullyunreasonable，’
sheadded，inamilddistress。’Butdopromise！’
Johnbythistimeseemedtohaveafeelingthatitwasallupwithhimforthepresent。’Ipromise，’hesaidlistlessly。
’Itisthatyouwon’tspeaktomeaboutthisforEVERsolong，’shereturned，withemphatickindliness。
’Verygood，’hereplied；’verygood。DearAnne，youdon’tthinkI
havebeenunmanlyorunfairinstartingthisanew？’
Annelookedintohisfacewithoutasmile。’Youhavebeenperfectlynatural，’shemurmured。’AndsoIthinkhaveI。’
John，mournfully:’Youwillnotavoidmeforthis，orbeafraidofme？Iwillnotbreakmyword。Iwillnotworryyouanymore。’
’Thankyou，John。Youneednothavesaidworry；itisn’tthat。’
’Well，Iamveryblindandstupid。Ihavebeenhurtingyourheartallthetimewithoutknowingit。Itismyfate，Isuppose。Menwholovewomentheverybestalwaysblunderandgivemorepainthanthosewholovethemless。’
Annelaidoneofherhandsontheotherasshesoftlyreplied，lookingdownatthem，’Noonelovesmeaswellasyou，John；nobodyintheworldissoworthytobeloved；andyetIcannotanyhowloveyourightly。’Andliftinghereyes，’ButIdosofeelforyouthatIwilltryashardasIcantothinkaboutyou。’
’Well，thatissomething，’hesaid，smiling。’YousayImustnotspeakaboutitagainforeversolong；howlong？’
’Nowthat’snotfair，’Anneretorted，goingdownthegarden，andleavinghimalone。
Aboutaweekpassed。ThenoneafternoonthemillerwalkeduptoAnneindoors，aweightytopicbeingexpressedinhistread。
’Iwassoglad，myhoney，’hebegan，withaknowingsmile，’toseethatfromthemill-windowlastweek。’Heflunganodinthedirectionofthegarden。
Anneinnocentlyinquiredwhatitcouldbe。
’Jackandyouinthegardentogether，’hecontinuedlayinghishandgentlyonhershoulderandstrokingit。’Itwouldsopleaseme，mydearlittlegirl，ifyoucouldgettolikehimbetterthanthatweathercock，MasterBob。’
Anneshookherhead；notinforciblenegation，buttoimplyakindofneutrality。
’Can’tyou？Comenow，’saidthemiller。
Shethrewbackherheadwithalittlelaughofgrievance。’Howyouallbesetme！’sheexpostulated。’Itmakesmefeelverywickedinnotobeyingyou，andbeingfaithful——faithfulto——’Butshecouldnottrustthatsideofthesubjecttowords。’Whywoulditpleaseyousomuch？’sheasked。
’Johnisassteadyandstaunchafellowaseverblowedatrumpet。
I’vealwaysthoughtyoumightdobetterwithhimthanwithBob。NowI’veaplanfortakinghimintothemill，andlettinghimhaveacomfortabletimeo’tafterhislongknockingabout；butsomuchdependsuponyouthatImustbideabittillIseewhatyourpleasureisaboutthepoorfellow。Mind，mydear，Idon’twanttoforceye；Ionlyjustaskye。’
Annemeditativelyregardedthemillerfromunderhershadyeyelids，thefingersofonehandplayingasilenttattooonherbosom。’I
don’tknowwhattosaytoyou，’sheansweredbrusquely，andwentaway。
ButthesediscourseswerenotwithouttheireffectupontheextremelyconscientiousmindofAnne。Theywere，moreover，muchhelpedbyanincidentwhichtookplaceoneeveningintheautumnofthisyear，whenJohncametotea。Annewassittingonalowstoolinfrontofthefire，herhandsclaspedacrossherknee。JohnLovedayhadjustseatedhimselfonachairclosebehindher，andMrs。LovedaywasintheactoffillingtheteapotfromthekettlewhichhunginthechimneyexactlyaboveAnne。Thekettleslippedforwardsuddenly，whereuponJohnjumpedfromthechairandputhisowntwohandsoverAnne’sjustintimetoshieldthem，andthepreciouskneesheclasped，fromthejetofscaldingwaterwhichhaddirecteditselfuponthatpoint。TheaccidentaloverflowwasinstantlycheckedbyMrs。Loveday；butwhathadcomewasreceivedbythedevotedtrumpet-majoronthebackofhishands。
Anne，whohadhardlybeenawarethathewasbehindher，starteduplikeapersonawakenedfromatrance。’Whathaveyoudonetoyourself，poorJohn，tokeepitoffme！’shecried，lookingathishands。
Johnreddenedemotionallyatherwords，’Itisabitofascald，that’sall，’hereplied，drawingafingeracrossthebackofonehand，andbringingofftheskinbythetouch。
’Youarescaldedpainfully，andInotatall！’Shegazedintohiskindfaceasshehadnevergazedtherebefore，andwhenMrs。LovedaycamebackwithoilandotherlinimentsforthewoundAnnewouldletnobodydressitbutherself。Itseemedasifhercoynesshadallgone，andwhenshehaddoneallthatlayinherpowershestillsatbyhim。Athisdepartureshesaidwhatshehadneversaidtohiminherlifebefore:’Comeagainsoon！’
Inshort，thatimpulsiveactofdevotion，thelastofaseriesofthesametenor，hadbeentheaddeddropwhichfinallyturnedthewheel。John’scharacterdeeplyimpressedher。Hisdeterminedsteadfastnesstohislodestarwonheradmiration，themoreespeciallyasthatstarwasherself。ShebegantowondermoreandmorehowshecouldhavesopersistentlyheldoutagainsthisadvancesbeforeBobcamehometorenewgirlishmemorieswhichhadbythattimegotconsiderablyweakened。Couldshenot，afterall，pleasethemiller，andtrytolistentoJohn？Bysodoingshewouldmakeaworthymanhappy，theonlysacrificebeingatworstthatofherunworthyself，whosefuturewasnolongervaluable。’AsforBob，thewomanistobepitiedwholoveshim，’shereflectedindignantly，andpersuadedherselfthat，whoeverthewomanmightbe，shewasnotAnneGarland。
Afterthistherewassomethingofrecklessnessandsomethingofpleasantryintheyounggirl’smannerofmakingherselfanexampleofthetriumphofprideandcommonsenseovermemoryandsentiment。
HerattitudehadbeenepitomizedinherdefiantsingingatthetimeshelearntthatBobwasnotlealandtrue。John，aswasinevitable，cameagainalmostimmediately，drawnthitherbythesunofherfirstsmileonhim，andthewordswhichhadaccompaniedit。Andnowinsteadofgoingofftoherlittlepursuitsupstairs，downstairs，acrosstheroom，inthecorner，ortoanyplaceexceptwherehehappenedtobe，ashadbeenhercustomhitherto，sheremainedseatednearhim，returninginterestinganswerstohisgeneralremarks，andateveryopportunitylettinghimknowthatatlasthehadfoundfavourinhereyes。
Thedaywasfine，andtheywentoutofdoors，whereAnneendeavouredtoseatherselfontheslopingstoneofthewindow-sill。
’Howgoodyouhavebecomelately，’saidJohn，standingoverherandsmilinginthesunlightwhichblazedagainstthewall。’Ifancyyouhavestayedathomethisafternoononmyaccount。’
’PerhapsIhave，’shesaidgaily——
’“Dowhateverwemayforhim，dame，wecannotdotoomuch！
Forhe’sonethathasguardedourland。“
’Andhehasdonemorethanthat:hehassavedmefromadreadfulscalding。Thebackofyourhandwillnotbewellforalongtime，John，willit？’
Heheldouthishandtoregarditscondition，andthenextnaturalthingwastotakehers。Therewasaglowuponhisfacewhenhedidit:hisstarwasatlastonafairwaytowardsthezenithafteritslongandwearydeclination。TheleastpenetratingeyecouldhaveperceivedthatAnnehadresolvedtolethimwoo，possiblyinhertemeritytolethimwin。Whateversilentsorrowmightbelockedupinher，itwasbythistimethrustalongwaydownfromthelight。
’Iwantyoutogosomewherewithmeifyouwill，’hesaid，stillholdingherhand。
’Yes？Whereisit？’
Hepointedtoadistanthill-sidewhich，hithertogreen，hadwithinthelastfewdaysbeguntoshowscratchesofwhiteonitsface。’Upthere，’hesaid。
’Iseelittlefiguresofmenmovingabout。Whataretheydoing？’
’Cuttingoutahugepictureofthekingonhorsebackintheearthofthehill。Theking’sheadistobeasbigasourmill-pondandhisbodyasbigasthisgarden；heandthehorsewillcovermorethananacre。Whenshallwego？’
’Wheneveryouplease，’saidshe。
’John！’criedMrs。Lovedayfromthefrontdoor。’Here’safriendcomeforyou。’
Johnwentround，andfoundhistrustylieutenant，TrumpeterBuck，waitingforhim。AletterhadcometothebarracksforJohninhisabsence，andthetrumpeter，whowasgoingforawalk，hadbroughtitalongwithhim。Buckthenenteredthemilltodiscuss，ifpossible，amugoflastyear’smeadwiththemiller；andJohnproceededtoreadhisletter，Annebeingstillroundthecornerwherehehadlefther。Whenhehadreadafewwordsheturnedaspaleasasheet，buthedidnotmove，andperusedthewritingtotheend。
Afterwardshelaidhiselbowagainstthewall，andputhispalmtohishead，thinkingwithpainfulintentness。Thenhetookhimselfvigorouslyinhand，asitwere，andgraduallybecamenaturalagain。
WhenhepartedfromAnnetogohomewithBuckshenoticednothingdifferentinhim。
Inbarracksthateveninghereadtheletteragain。ItwasfromBob；
andtheagitatingcontentswerethese:——
’DEARJOHN，——IhavedriftedofffromwritingtillthepresenttimebecauseIhavenotbeenclearaboutmyfeelings；butIhavediscoveredthematlast，andcansaybeyonddoubtthatImeantobefaithfultomydearestAnneafterall。Thefactis，John，I’vegotintoabitofascrape，andI’veasecrettotellyouaboutitwhichmustgonofurtheronanyaccount。OnlandinglastautumnI
fellinwithayoungwoman，andwegotratherwarmasfolksdo；inshort，welikedoneanotherwellenoughforawhile。ButIhavegotintoshoalwaterwithher，andhavefoundhertobeaterribletake-in。Nothinginheratall——nosense，noniceness，alltantrumsandemptynoise，John，thoughsheseemedmonstrouscleveratfirst。
Somyheartcomesbacktoitsoldanchorage。Ihopemyreturntofaithfulnesswillmakenodifferencetoyou。Butasyoushowedbyyourlooksatourpartingthatyoushouldnotacceptmyoffertogiveherup——madeintoomuchhaste，asIhavesincefound——Ifeelthatyouwon’tmindthatIhavereturnedtothepathofhonour。I
darenotwritetoAnneasyet，andpleasedonotletherknowawordabouttheotheryoungwoman，ortherewillbethedeviltopay。I
shallcomehomeandmakeallthingsright，pleaseGod。InthemeantimeIshouldtakeitasakindness，John，ifyouwouldkeepabrotherlyeyeuponAnne，andguidehermindbacktome。Ishalldieofsorrowifanybodysetsheragainstme，formyhopesaregettingboundupinheragainquitestrong。Hopingyouarejovial，astimesgo，Iam，——Youraffectionatebrother，ROBERT。’
WhenthecolddaylightfelluponJohn’sface，ashedressedhimselfnextmorning，theincipientyesterday’swrinkleinhisforeheadhadbecomepermanentlygraventhere。Hehadresolved，forthesakeofthatonlybrotherwhomhehadnursedasababy，instructedasachild，andprotectedandlovedalways，topauseinhisprocedureforthepresent，andatleastdonothingtohinderBob’srestorationtofavour，ifagenuine，eventhoughtemporarilysmothered，loveforAnneshouldstillholdpossessionofhim。Buthavingarrangedtotakehertoseetheexcavatedfigureoftheking，hestartedforOvercombeduringtheday，asifnothinghadoccurredtocheckthesmoothcourseofhislove。