’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。