Doyouthinktheyreallycan？’
　　’Well，maister，IamafraidIdo，’saidthecheeringCripplestraw。
　　’AndIknowagreatwarriorlikeyouisonlytooglado’thechance。
　　’Twillbeagreatthingforye，deathandglory！Inshort，Ihopefrommyheartyouwillbe，andIsaysoveryoftentofolk——infact，Iprayatnightfor’t。’
　　’O！cussyou！youneedn’tprayaboutit。’
　　’No，MaisterDerriman，Iwon’t。’
　　’Ofcoursemyswordwilldoitsduty。That’senough。Andnowbeoffwithye。’
　　Festusgloomilyreturnedtohisuncle’sroomandfoundthatAnnewasjustleaving。Hewasinclinedtofollowheratonce，butasshegavehimnoopportunityfordoingthishewenttothewindow，andremainedtappinghisfingersagainsttheshutterwhileshecrossedtheyard。
　　’Well，nephy，youarenotgoneyet？’saidthefarmer，lookingdubiouslyatFestusfromunderoneeyelid。’YouseehowIam。Notbyanymeansbetter，yousee；soIcan’tentertain’eeaswellasI
　　would。’
　　’Youcan’t，nunc，youcan’t。Idon’tthinkyouareworse——ifIdo，dashmywig。Butyou’llhaveplentyofopportunitiestomakemewelcomewhenyouarebetter。Ifyouarenotsobriskinwardlyasyouwas，whynottrychangeofair？Thisisadull，damphole。’
　　’’Tis，Festus；andIamthinkingofmoving。’
　　’Ah，whereto？’saidFestus，withsurpriseandinterest。
　　’Upintothegarretinthenorthcorner。Thereisnofireplaceintheroom；butIshan’twantthat，poorsoulo’me。’
　　’’Tisnotmovingfar。’
　　’’Tisnot。ButIhavenotasoulbelongingtomewithintenmile；
　　andyouknowverywellthatIcouldn’taffordtogotolodgingsthatIhadtopayfor。’
　　’Iknowit——Iknowit，UncleBenjy！Well，don’tbedisturbed。I’llcomeandmanageforyouassoonaseverthisBoneyalarmisover；
　　butwhenaman’scountrycallshemustobey，ifheisaman。’
　　’Asplendidspirit！’saidUncleBenjy，withmuchadmirationonthesurfaceofhiscountenance。’Ineverhadit。Howcouldithavegotintotheboy？’
　　’Frommymother’sside，perhaps。’
　　’Perhapsso。Well，takecareofyourself，nephy，’saidthefarmer，wavinghishandimpressively。’Takecare！Inthesewarliketimesyourspiritmaycarryyeintothearmsoftheenemy；andyouarethelastofthefamily。Youshouldthinkofthis，andnotletyourbraverycarryyeaway。’
　　’Don’tbedisturbed，uncle；I’llcontrolmyself，’saidFestus，betrayedintoself-complacencyagainsthiswill。’AtleastI’lldowhatIcan，butnaturewilloutsometimes。Well，I’moff。’Hebeganhumming’BrightonCamp，’and，promisingtocomeagainsoon，retiredwithassurance，eachyardofhisretreataddingprivatejoyousnesstohisuncle’sform。
　　Whenthebulkyyoungmanhaddisappearedthroughtheporter’slodge，UncleBenjyshowedpreternaturalactivityforoneinhisinvalidstate，jumpingupquicklywithouthisstick，atthesametimeopeningandshuttinghismouthquitesilentlylikeathirstyfrog，whichwashiswayofexpressingmirth。Heranupstairsasquickasanoldsquirrel，andwenttoadormerwindowwhichcommandedaviewofthegroundsbeyondthegate，andthefootpaththatstretchedacrossthemtothevillage。
　　’Yes，yes！’hesaidinasuppressedscream，dancingupanddown，’he’safterher:she’vehiten！’ForthereappeareduponthepaththefigureofAnneGarland，and，hasteningonatsomelittledistancebehindher，theswaggeringshapeofFestus。Shebecameconsciousofhisapproach，andmovedmorequickly。Hemovedmorequicklystill，andovertookher。Sheturnedasifinanswertoacallfromhim，andhewalkedonbesideher，tilltheywereoutofsight。Theoldmanthenplayeduponanimaginaryfiddleforabouthalfaminute；and，suddenlydiscontinuingthesesignsofpleasure，wentdownstairsagain。
　　’Youoftencomethisway？’saidFestustoAnneratherbeforehehadovertakenher。
　　’Icomeforthenewspaperandotherthings，’shesaid，perplexedbyadoubtwhetherheweretherebyaccidentordesign。
　　Theymovedoninsilence，Festusbeatingthegrasswithhisswitchinamasterfulway。’Didyouspeak，Mis’essAnne？’heasked。
　　’No，’saidAnne。
　　’Tenthousandpardons。Ithoughtyoudid。Nowdon’tletmedriveyououtofthepath。Icanwalkamongthehighgrassandgiltycups——
　　theywillnotyellowmystockingsastheywillyours。Well，whatdoyouthinkofalotofsoldierscomingtotheneighbourhoodinthisway？’
　　’Ithinkitisverylively，andagreatchange，’shesaidwithdemureseriousness。
　　’Perhapsyoudon’tlikeuswarriorsasabody？’
　　Annesmiledwithoutreplying。
　　’Why，youarelaughing！’saidtheyeoman，lookingsearchinglyatherandblushinglikealittlefire。’Whatdoyouseetolaughat？’
　　’DidIlaugh？’saidAnne，alittlescaredathissuddenmortification。
　　’Why，yes；youknowyoudid，youyoungsneerer，’hesaidlikeacrossbaby。’Youarelaughingatme——that’swhoyouarelaughingat！IshouldliketoknowwhatyouwoulddowithoutsuchasmeiftheFrenchweretodropinuponyeanynight？’
　　’Wouldyouhelptobeatthemoff？’saidshe。
　　’Canyouasksuchaquestion？Whatarewefor？Butyoudon’tthinkanythingofsoldiers。’
　　Oyes，shelikedsoldiers，shesaid，especiallywhentheycamehomefromthewars，coveredwithglory；thoughwhenshethoughtwhatdoingshadwonthemthatgloryshedidnotlikethemquitesowell。
　　Thegallantandappeasedyeomansaidhesupposedhertomeanchoppingoffheads，blowingoutbrains，andthatkindofbusiness，andthoughtitquiterightthatatender-heartedthinglikehershouldfeelalittlehorrified。Butasforhim，heshouldnotmindsuchanotherBlenheimthissummerasthearmyhadfoughtahundredyearsago，orwheneveritwas——dashhiswigifheshouldminditatall。’Hullo！nowyouarelaughingagain；yes，Isawyou！’AndthecholericFestusturnedhisblueeyesandflushedfaceuponherasthoughhewouldreadherthrough。Annestrovevaliantlytolookcalmlyback；buthereyescouldnotfacehis，andtheyfell。’Youdidlaugh！’herepeated。
　　’Itwasonlyatinylittleone，’shemurmured。
　　’Ah——Iknewyoudid！’thunderedhe。’Nowwhatwasityoulaughedat？’
　　’Ionly——thoughtthatyouwere——merelyintheyeomanry，’shemurmuredslily。
　　’Andwhatofthat？’
　　’Andtheyeomanryonlyseemfarmersthathavelosttheirsenses。’
　　’Yes，yes！Iknewyoumeantsomejeeringo’thatsort，MistressAnne。ButIsuppose’tisthewayofwomen，andItakenonotice。
　　I’llconfessthatsomeofusarenogreatthings:butIknowhowtodrawasword，don’tI？——sayIdon’tjusttoprovokeme。’
　　’Iamsureyoudo，’saidAnnesweetly。’IfaFrenchmancameuptoyou，Mr。Derriman，wouldyoutakehimonthehip，oronthethigh？’
　　’Nowyouareflattering！’hesaid，hiswhiteteethuncoveringthemselvesinasmile。’Well，ofcourseIshoulddrawmysword——no，Imeanmyswordwouldbealreadydrawn；andIshouldputspurstomyhorse——charger，aswecallitinthearmy；andIshouldrideuptohimandsay——no，Ishouldn’tsayanything，ofcourse——menneverwastewordsinbattle；Ishouldtakehimwiththethirdguard，lowpoint，andthencomingbacktothesecondguard——’
　　’Butthatwouldbetakingcareofyourself——nothittingathim。’
　　’Howcanyousaythat！’hecried，thebeamsuponhisfaceturningtoaluridcloudinamoment。’Howcanyouunderstandmilitarytermswho’veneverhadaswordinyourlife？Ishouldn’ttakehimwiththeswordatall。’Hewentonwitheagersulkiness，’Ishouldtakehimwithmypistol。Ishouldpulloffmyrightglove，andthrowbackmygoat-skin；thenIshouldopenmypriming-pan，prime，andcastabout——no，Ishouldn’t，that’swrong；Ishoulddrawmyrightpistol，andassoonasloaded，seizetheweaponbythebutt；thenattheword“Cockyourpistol“Ishould——’
　　’Thenthereisplentyoftimetogivesuchwordsofcommandintheheatofbattle？’saidAnneinnocently。
　　’No！’saidtheyeoman，hisfaceagaininflames。’Why，ofcourseI
　　amonlytellingyouwhatWOULDbethewordofcommandIF——therenow！
　　youla——’
　　’Ididn’t；’ponmywordIdidn’t！’
　　’No，Idon’tthinkyoudid；itwasmymistake。Well，thenIcomesmartlytoPresent，lookingwellalongthebarrel——alongthebarrel——
　　andfire。OfcourseIknowwellenoughhowtoengagetheenemy！
　　ButIexpectmyoldunclehasbeensettingyouagainstme。’
　　’Hehasnotsaidaword，’repliedAnne；’thoughIhaveheardofyou，ofcourse。’
　　’Whathaveyouheard？Nothinggood，Idaresay。Itmakesmybloodboilwithinme！’
　　’O，nothingbad，’saidsheassuringly。’Justawordnowandthen。’
　　’Now，come，tellme，there’sadear。Idon’tliketobecrossed。
　　Itshallbeasacredsecretbetweenus。Come，now！’
　　Annewasembarrassed，andhersmilewasuncomfortable。’Ishallnottellyou，’shesaidatlast。
　　’Thereitisagain！’saidtheyeoman，throwinghimselfintoadespair。’Ishallsoonbegintobelievethatmynameisnotworthsixpenceabouthere！’
　　’Itellyou’twasnothingagainstyou，’repeatedAnne。
　　’Thatmeansitmighthavebeenforme，’saidFestus，inamollifiedtone。’Well，though，tospeakthetruth，Ihaveagoodmanyfaults，somepeoplewillpraiseme，Isuppose。’Twaspraise？’
　　’Itwas。’
　　’Well，Iamnotmuchatfarming，andIamnotmuchincompany，andI
　　amnotmuchatfigures，butperhapsImustown，sinceitisforceduponme，thatIcanshowasfineasoldier’sfigureontheEsplanadeasanymanofthecavalry。’
　　’Youcan，’saidAnne；forthoughherfleshcreptinmortalterrorofhisirascibility，shecouldnotresistthefearfulpleasureofleadinghimon。’Youlookverywell；andsomesay，youare——’
　　’What？Well，theysayIamgood-looking。Idon’tmakemyself，so’tisnopraise。Hullo！whatareyoulookingacrosstherefor？’
　　’OnlyatabirdthatIsawflyoutofthattree，’saidAnne。
　　’What？Onlyatabird，doyousay？’heheavedoutinavoiceofthunder。’Iseeyourshouldersa-shaking，youngmadam。Nowdon’tyouprovokemewiththatlaughing！ByGod，itwon’tdo！’
　　’Thengoaway！’saidAnne，changedfrommirthfulnesstoirritationbyhisroughmanner。’Idon’twantyourcompany，yougreatbraggingthing！Youaresotouchythere’snobearingwithyou。Goaway！’
　　’No，no，Anne；Iamwrongtospeaktoyouso。Igiveyoufreelibertytosaywhatyouwilltome。SayIamnotabitofasoldier，oranything！Abuseme——donow，there’sadear。I’mscum，I’mfroth，I’mdirtbeforethebesom——yes！’
　　’Ihavenothingtosay，sir。StaywhereyouaretillIamoutofthisfield。’
　　’Well，there’ssuchcommandinyourlooksthatIha’n’thearttogoagainstyou。Youwillcomethiswayto-morrowatthesametime？
　　Now，don’tbeuncivil。’
　　Shewastoogenerousnottoforgivehim，buttheshortlittlelipmurmuredthatshedidnotthinkitatalllikelysheshouldcomethatwayto-morrow。
　　’ThenSunday？’hesaid。
　　’NotSunday，’saidshe。
　　’ThenMonday——Tuesday——Wednesday，surely？’hewentonexperimentally。
　　Sheansweredthatsheshouldprobablynotseehimoneitherday，and，cuttingshorttheargument，wentthroughthewicketintotheotherfield。Festuspaused，lookingafterher；andwhenhecouldnolongerseeherslightfigurehesweptawayhisdeliberations，begansinging，andturnedoffintheotherdirection。