’Iwillgoandsee，’saidAnne。’WaittillIreturn。’
　　’No；Icandonomore。WhenyoucomebackIshallbegone。Iaskonethingofyou。Ifallgoeswellwithyouandhim，andhemarriesyou——don’tbealarmed；myplanslieelsewhere——whenyouarehiswifetellhimwhohelpedtocarryhimaway。Butdon’tmentionmynametotherestofyourfamily，eithernoworatanytime。’
　　Anneregardedthespeakerforamoment，andpromised；afterwhichshewadedoutfromthearchway。
　　MatildastoodlookingatBobforamoment，asifpreparingtogo，tillmovedbysomeimpulseshebentandlightlykissedhimonce。
　　’Howcanyou！’criedAnnereproachfully。Whenleavingthemouthofthearchshehadbentbackandseentheact。
　　Matildaflushed。’Youjealousbaby！’shesaidscornfully。
　　Annehesitatedforamoment，thenwentoutfromthewater，andhastenedtowardsthemill。
　　Sheenteredbythegarden，and，seeingnoone，advancedandpeepedinatthewindow。HermotherandMr。Lovedayweresittingwithinasusual。
　　’Aretheyallgone？’saidAnnesoftly。
　　’Yes。Theydidnottroubleusmuch，beyondgoingintoeveryroom，andsearchingaboutthegarden，wheretheysawsteps。Theyhavebeenluckyto-night；theyhavecaughtfifteenortwentymenatplacesfurtheron；sothelossofBobwasnohurttotheirfeelings。
　　Iwonderwhereintheworldthepoorfellowis！’
　　’Iwillshowyou，’saidAnne。Andexplaininginafewwordswhathadhappened，shewaspromptlyfollowedbyDavidandLovedayalongtheroad。SheliftedherdressandenteredthearchwithsomeanxietyonaccountofMatilda；buttheactresswasgone，andBoblayontheseatasshehadlefthim。
　　Bobwasbroughtout，andwaterthrownuponhisface；butthoughhemovedhedidnotrousehimselfuntilsometimeafterhehadbeenborneintothehouse。Hereheopenedhiseyes，andsawthemstandinground，andgatheredalittleconsciousness。
　　’Youareallright，myboy！’saidhisfather。’Whathevhappenedtoye？Wheredidyegetthatterribleblow？’
　　’Ah——Icanmindnow，’murmuredBob，withastupefiedgazearound。
　　’Ifellinslippingdownthetopsailhalyard——therope，thatis，wastooshort——andIfelluponmyhead。AndthenIwentaway。WhenI
　　camebackIthoughtIwouldn’tdisturbye:soIlaydownoutthere，tosleepoutthewatch；butthepaininmyheadwassogreatthatI
　　couldn’tgettosleep；soIpickedsomeofthepoppy-headsintheborder，whichIonceheardwasagoodthingforsendingfolkstosleepwhentheyareinpain。SoImunchedupallIcouldfind，anddroppedoffquitenicely。’
　　’Iwonderedwhohadpicked’em！’saidMolly。’Inoticedtheyweregone。’
　　’Why，youmightneverhavewokeagain！’saidMrs。Loveday，holdingupherhands。’Howisyourheadnow？’
　　’Ihardlyknow，’repliedtheyoungman，puttinghishandtohisforeheadandbeginningtodozeagain。’Wherebethosefellowsthatboardedus？Withthis——smoothwaterand——finebreezeweoughttogetawayfrom’em。Haulin——thelarboardbraces，and——bringhertothewind。’
　　’Youareathome，dearBob，’saidAnne，bendingoverhim，’andthemenaregone。’
　　’Comealongupstairs:th’beesthardlyawakenow，’saidhisfatherandBobwasassistedtobed。
　　Infour-and-twentyhoursBobhadrecovered。Butthoughphysicallyhimselfagain，hewasnotatallsureofhispositionasapatriot。
　　Hehadthatpracticalknowledgeofseamanshipofwhichthecountrystoodmuchinneed，anditwashumiliatingtofindthatimpressmentseemedtobenecessarytoteachhimtouseitforheradvantage。
　　Manyneighbouringyoungmen，lessfortunatethanhimself，hadbeenpressedandtaken；andtheirabsenceseemedareproachtohim。Hewentawaybyhimselfintothemill-roof，and，surroundedbythecorn-heaps，gaveventtoself-condemnation。
　　’Certainly，Iamnomantolieheresolongforthepleasureofsightingthatyounggirlfortytimesaday，andlettinghersightme——blesshereyes！——tillImustneedswantapress-gangtoteachmewhatI’veforgot。AndisitthenalloverwithmeasaBritishsailor？We’llsee。’
　　WhenhewasthrownundertheinfluenceofAnne’seyesagain，whichweremoretantalizinglybeautifulthaneverjustnowsoitseemedtohim，hisintentionofofferinghisservicestotheGovernmentwouldwaxweaker，andhewouldputoffhisfinaldecisiontillthenextday。Annesawthesefluctuationsofhismindbetweenloveandpatriotism，andbeingterrifiedbywhatshehadheardofsea-fights，usedtheutmostartofwhichshewascapabletoseducehimfromhisformingpurpose。Shecametohiminthemill，wearingtheveryprettiestofhermorningjackets——theonethatonlyjustpassedthewaist，andwaslacedsotastefullyroundthecollarandbosom。Thenshewouldappearinhernewhat，withabouquetofprimrosesononeside；andonthefollowingSundayshewalkedbeforehiminlemon-colouredboots，sothatherfeetlookedlikeapairofyellow-hammersflittingunderherdress。
　　Butdresswastheleastofthemeanssheadoptedforchaininghimdown。Shetalkedmoretenderlythanever；askedhimtobeginsmallundertakingsinthegardenonheraccount；shesangaboutthehouse，thattheplacemightseemcheerfulwhenhecamein。Thissingingforapurposerequiredgreateffortonherpart，leavingherafterwardsverysad。WhenBobaskedherwhatwasthematter，shewouldsay，’Nothing；onlyIamthinkinghowyouwillgrieveyourfather，andcrosshispurposes，ifyoucarryoutyourunkindnotionofgoingtosea，andforsakingyourplaceinthemill。’
　　’Yes，’Bobwouldsayuneasily。’Itwilltroublehim，Iknow。’
　　Beingalsoquiteawarehowitwouldtroubleher，hewouldagainpostpone，andthusanotherweekpassedaway。
　　AllthistimeJohnhadnotcomeoncetothemill。ItappearedasifMissJohnsonabsorbedallhistimeandthoughts。Bobwasoftenseenchucklingoverthecircumstance。’Aslyrascal！’hesaid。
　　’Pretendingonthedayshecametobemarriedthatshewasnotgoodenoughforme，whenitwasonlythathewantedherforhimself。Howhecouldhavepersuadedhertogoawayisbeyondmetosay！’
　　Annecouldnotcontestthisbeliefofherlover’s，andremainedsilent；buttherehadmorethanonceoccurredtohermindadoubtofitsprobability。YetshehadonlyabandonedheropinionthatJohnhadschemedforMatilda，toembracetheoppositeerror；that，findinghehadwrongedtheyounglady，hehadpitiedandgrowntoloveher。
　　’AndyetJack，whenhewasaboy，wasthesimplestfellowalive，’
　　resumedBob。’ByGeorge，though，Ishouldhavebeenhotagainsthimforsuchatrick，ifinlosingherIhadn’tfoundabetter！Butshe’llnevercomedowntohimintheworld:shehashighnotionsnow。Iamafraidhe’sdoomedtosighinvain！’
　　ThoughBobregrettedthispossibility，thefeelingwasnotreciprocatedbyAnne。ItwastruethatsheknewnothingofMatilda’stemporarytreachery，andthatshedisbelievedthestoryofherlackofvirtue；butshedidnotlikethewoman。’Perhapsitwillnotmatterifheisdoomedtosighinvain，’shesaid。’ButI
　　owehimnoill-will。Ihaveprofitedbyhisdoings，incomprehensibleastheyare。’AndshebentherfaireyesonBobandsmiled。
　　Boblookeddubious。’Hethinkshehasaffrontedme，nowIhaveseenthroughhim，andthatIshallbeagainstmeetinghim。But，ofcourse，Iamnotsotouchy。Icanstandapracticaljoke，ascananymanwhohasbeenafloat。I’llcallandseehim，andtellhimso。’
　　Beforehestarted，BobbethoughthimofsomethingwhichwouldstillfurtherprovetothemisapprehendingJohnthathewasentirelyforgiven。Hewenttohisroom，andtookfromhischestapacketcontainingalockofMissJohnson’shair，whichshehadgivenhimduringtheirbriefacquaintance，andwhichtillnowhehadquiteforgotten。When，atstarting，hewishedAnnegoodbye，itwasaccompaniedbysuchabeamingface，thatsheknewhewasfullofanidea，andaskedwhatitmightbethatpleasedhimso。
　　’Why，this，’hesaid，smackinghisbreast-pocket。’AlockofhairthatMatildagaveme。’
　　Annesankbackwithpartedlips。
　　’IamgoingtogiveittoJack——he’lljumpforjoytogetit！AnditwillshowhimhowwillingIamtogiveheruptohim，finepieceassheis。’
　　’Willyouseeherto-day，Bob？’Anneaskedwithanuncertainsmile。
　　’Ono——unlessitisbyaccident。’
　　Onreachingtheoutskirtsofthetownhewentstraighttothebarracks，andwasluckyenoughtofindJohninhisroom，attheleft-handcornerofthequadrangle。Johnwasgladtoseehim；buttoBob’ssurpriseheshowednoimmediatecontrition，andthusaffordednoroomforthebrotherlyspeechofforgivenesswhichBobhadbeengoingtodeliver。Asthetrumpet-majordidnotopenthesubject，Bobfeltitdesirabletobeginhimself。
　　’Ihavebroughtyesomethingthatyouwillvalue，Jack，’hesaid，astheysatatthewindow，overlookingthelargesquarebarrack-yard。
　　’Ihavegotnofurtheruseforit，andyoushouldhavehaditbeforeifithadenteredmyhead。’
　　’Thankyou，Bob；whatisit？’saidJohn，lookingabsentlyatanawkwardsquadofyoungmenwhoweredrillingintheenclosure。
　　’’Tisayoungwoman’slockofhair。’
　　’Ah！’saidJohn，quiterecoveringfromhisabstraction，andslightlyflushing。CouldBobandAnnehavequarrelled？Bobdrewthepaperfromhispocket，andopenedit。
　　’Black！’saidJohn。
　　’Yes——blackenough。’
　　’Whose？’
　　’Why，Matilda’s。’
　　’O，Matilda’s！’
　　’Whosedidyouthinkthen？’
　　Insteadofreplying，thetrumpet-major’sfacebecameasredassunset，andheturnedtothewindowtohidehisconfusion。
　　Bobwassilent，andthenhe，too，lookedintothecourt。Atlengthhearose，walkedtohisbrother，andlaidhishanduponhisshoulder。’Jack，’hesaid，inanalteredvoice，’youareagoodfellow。NowIseeitall。’
　　’Ono——that’snothing，’saidJohnhastily。
　　’You’vebeenpretendingthatyoucareforthiswomanthatImightn’tblamemyselfforheavingyououtfromtheother——whichiswhatI’vedonewithoutknowingit。’
　　’Whatdoesitmatter？’
　　’Butitdoesmatter！I’vebeenmakingyouunhappyalltheseweeksandweeksthroughmythoughtlessness。Theyseemedtothinkathome，youknow，John，thatyouhadgrownnottocareforher；orI
　　wouldn’thavedoneitforalltheworld！’
　　’Yousticktoher，Bob，andnevermindme。Shebelongstoyou。Shelovesyou。Ihavenoclaimuponher，andshethinksnothingaboutme。’
　　’Shelikesyou，John，thoroughlywell；sodoeseverybody；andifI
　　hadn’tcomehome，puttingmyfootinit——Thatcominghomeofminehasbeenaregularblightuponthefamily！Ioughtnevertohavestayed。Theseaismyhome，andwhycouldn’tIbidethere？’
　　Thetrumpet-majordrewBob’sdiscourseoffthesubjectassoonashecould，andBob，aftersomeunconsideredrepliesandremarks，seemedwillingtoavoiditforthepresent。HedidnotaskJohntoaccompanyhimhome，ashehadintended；andonleavingthebarracksturnedsouthwardandenteredthetowntowanderabouttillhecoulddecidewhattodo。
　　Itwasthe3rdofSeptember，buttheKing’swatering-placestillretaineditssummeraspect。Theroyalbathing-machinehadbeendrawnoutjustasBobreachedGloucesterBuildings，andhewaitedaminute，inthelackofotherdistraction，tolookon。ImmediatelythattheKing’smachinehadenteredthewateragroupoffloridmenwithfiddles，violoncellos，atrombone，andadrum，cameforward，packedthemselvesintoanothermachinethatwasinwaiting，andweredrawnoutintothewavesintheKing’srear。Allthatwastobeheardforafewminutesweretheslowpulsationsofthesea；andthenadeafeningnoiseburstfromtheinteriorofthesecondmachinewithpowerenoughtosplittheboardsasunder；itwasthecondensedmassofmusiciansinside，strikingupthestrainsof’GodsavetheKing，’ashisMajesty’sheadrosefromthewater。Bobtookoffhishatandwaitedtilltheendoftheperformance，which，intendedasapleasantsurprisetoGeorgeIII。bytheloyalburghers，waspossiblyinthewaterycircumstancestoleratedratherthandesiredbythatdrippingmonarch。*
　　*VidePreface。