第14章

’And，bytheordersoftheWarOffice，Iamtoexertoverthem(that’sthegovernmentword)exertoverthemfullauthority；andifanyonebehavestowardsmewiththeleastimpropriety，orneglectsmyorders，heistobeconfinedandreported。’

’Itisreallyadignifiedpost，’shesaid，with，however，areserveofenthusiasmwhichwasnotaltogetherencouraging。

’AndofcoursesomedayIshall，’stammeredthedragoon——’shallbeinratherabetterpositionthanIamatpresent。’

’Iamgladtohearit，Mr。Loveday。’

’Andinshort，MistressAnne，’continuedJohnLovedaybravelyanddesperately，’mayIpaycourttoyouinthehopethat——no，no，don’tgoaway！——youhaven’theardyet——thatyoumaymakemethehappiestofmen；notyet，butwhenpeaceisproclaimedandallissmoothandeasyagain？Ican’tputitanybetter，thoughthere’smoretobeexplained。’

’Thisismostawkward，’saidAnne，evidentlywithpain。’Icannotpossiblyagree；believeme，Mr。Loveday，Icannot。’

’Butthere’smorethanthis。Youwouldbesurprisedtoseewhatsnugroomsthemarriedtrumpet-andsergeant-majorshaveinquarters。’

’Barracksarenotall；considercampandwar。’

’Thatbringsmetomystrongpoint！’exclaimedthesoldierhopefully。’Myfatherisbetteroffthanmostnon-commissionedofficers’fathers；andthere’salwaysahomeforyouathishouseinanyemergency。Icantellyouprivatelythathehasenoughtokeepusboth，andifyouwouldn’thearofbarracks，well，peaceonceestablished，I’dliveathomeasamillerandfarmer——nextdoortoyourownmother。’

’Mymotherwouldbesuretoobject，’expostulatedAnne。

’No；sheleavesitalltoyou。’

’What！youhaveaskedher？’saidAnne，withsurprise。

’Yes。Ithoughtitwouldnotbehonourabletoactotherwise。’

’That’sverygoodofyou，’saidAnne，herfacewarmingwithageneroussenseofhisstraightforwardness。’Butmymotherissoentirelyignorantofasoldier’slife，andthelifeofasoldier’swife——sheissosimpleinallsuchmatters，thatIcannotlistentoyouanymorereadilyforwhatshemaysay。’

’Thenitisalloverforme，’saidthepoortrumpet-major，wipinghisfaceandputtingawayhishandkerchiefwithanairoffinality。

Annewassilent。Anywomanwhohasevertriedwillknowwithoutexplanationwhatanunpalatabletaskitistodismiss，evenwhenshedoesnotlovehim，amanwhohasallthenaturalandmoralqualitiesshewoulddesire，andonlyfailsinthesocial。Would-beloversarenotsonumerous，evenwiththebestwomen，thatthesacrificeofonecanbefeltasotherthanagoodthingwasted，inaworldwheretherearefewgoodthings。

’Youarenotangry，MissGarland？’saidhe，findingthatshedidnotspeak。

’Ono。Don’tletussayanythingmoreaboutthisnow。’Andshemovedon。

Whenshedrewneartothemillerandhermothersheperceivedthattheywereengagedinaconversationofthatpeculiarkindwhichisallthemorefullandcommunicativefromthefactofdefinitivewordsbeingfew。Inshort，herethegamewassucceedingwhichwithherselfhadfailed。Itwasprettyclearfromthesymptoms，marks，tokens，telegraphs，andgeneralbyplaybetweenwidowerandwidow，thatMillerLovedaymusthaveagainsaidtoMrs。Garlandsomesuchthingashehadsaidbefore，withwhatresultthistimeshedidnotknow。

Asthesituationwasdelicate，Annehaltedawhileapartfromthem。

Thetrumpet-major，quiteignorantofhowhiscausewasenteredintobythewhite-coatedmaninthedistance(forhisfatherhadnotyettoldhimofhisdesignsuponMrs。Garland)，didnotadvance，butstoodstillbythegate，asthoughhewereattendingaprincess，waitingtillheshouldbecalledup。Thustheylingered，andthedaybegantobreak。Mrs。Garlandandthemillertooknoheedofthetime，andwhatitwasbringingtoearthandsky，sooccupiedweretheywiththemselves；butAnneinherplaceandthetrumpet-majorinhis，eachinprivatethoughtofnobrightkind，watchedthegradualgloryoftheeastthroughallitstonesandchanges。Theworldofbirdsandinsectsgotlively，theblueandtheyellowandthegoldofLoveday’suniformagainbecamedistinct；thesunboreditswayupward，thefields，thetrees，andthedistantlandscapekindledtoflame，andthetrumpet-major，backedbyalilacshadowastallasasteeple，blazedintherayslikeaverygodofwar。

Itwashalf-pastthreeo’clock。Ashorttimeafter，arattleofhorsesandwheelsreachedtheirearsfromthequarterinwhichtheygazed，andthereappeareduponthewhitelineofroadamovingmass，whichpresentlyascendedthehillanddrewnear。

Thentherearoseahuzzafromthefewknotsofwatchersgatheredthere，andtheycried，’LongliveKingJarge！’Thecortegepassedabreast。Itconsistedofthreetravelling-carriages，escortedbyadetachmentoftheGermanLegion。Annewastoldtolookinthefirstcarriage——apost-chariotdrawnbyfourhorses——fortheKingandQueen，andwasrewardedbyseeingaprofileremindingherofthecurrentcoinoftherealm；butasthepartyhadbeentravellingallnight，andthespectatorsheregatheredwerefew，noneoftheroyalfamilylookedoutofthecarriagewindows。Itwassaidthatthetwoelderprincesseswereinthesamecarriage，buttheyremainedinvisible。Thenextvehicle，acoachandfour，containedmoreprincesses，andthethirdsomeoftheirattendants。

’ThankGod，IhaveseenmyKing！’saidMrs。Garland，whentheyhadallgoneby。

Nobodyelseexpressedanythankfulness，formostofthemhadexpectedamorepompousprocessionthanthebucolictastesoftheKingcaredtoindulgein；andoneoldmansaidgrimlythatthatsightofdustyoldleathercoacheswasnotworthwaitingfor。Annelookedhitherandthitherinthebrightraysoftheday，eachofhereyeshavingalittlesuninit，whichgaveherglanceapeculiargoldenfire，andkindledthebrowncurlsgroupedoverherforeheadtoayellowbrilliancy，andmadesinglehairs，blownastraybythenight，looklikelacqueredwires。ShewaswonderingifFestuswereanywherenear，butshecouldnotseehim。

BeforetheylefttheridgetheyturnedtheirattentiontowardstheRoyalwatering-place，whichwasvisibleatthisplaceonlyasaportionofthesea-shore，fromwhichthenight-mistwasrollingslowlyback。Theseabeyondwasstillwrappedinsummerfog，theshipsintheroadsshowingthroughitasblackspiderssuspendedintheair。WhiletheylookedandwalkedawhitejetofsmokeburstfromaspotwhichthemillerknewtobethebatteryinfrontoftheKing’sresidence，andthenthereportofgunsreachedtheirears。

ThisannouncementwasansweredbyasalutefromtheCastleoftheadjoiningIsle，andtheshipsintheneighbouringanchorage。Allthebellsinthetownbeganringing。TheKingandhisfamilyhadarrived。

Asthedayswenton，echoesofthelifeandbustleofthetownreachedtheearsofthequietpeopleinOvercombehollow——excitingandmovingthoseunimportantnativesasaground-swellmovestheweedsinacave。Travelling-carriagesofallkindsandcoloursclimbedanddescendedtheroadthatledtowardstheseasideborough。

SomecontainedthosepersonagesoftheKing’ssuitewhohadnotkeptpacewithhiminhisjourneyfromWindsor；otherswerethecoachesofaristocracy，bigandlittle，whomnewsoftheKing’sarrivaldrewthitherfortheirownpleasure:sothatthehighway，asseenfromthehillsaboutOvercombe，appearedlikeanant-walk——aconstantsuccessionofdarkspotscreepingalongitssurfaceatnearlyuniformratesofprogress，andallinonedirection。

Thetrafficandintelligencebetweencampandtownpassedinameasureoverthevillagers’heads。Itbeingsummertimethemillerwasmuchoccupiedwithbusiness，andthetrumpet-majorwastooconstantlyengagedinmarchingbetweenthecampandGloucesterLodgewiththerestofthedragoonstobringhisfriendsanynewsforsomedays。

AtlasthesentamessagethattherewastobeareviewonthedownsbytheKing，andthatitwasfixedforthedayfollowing。Thisinformationsoonspreadthroughthevillageandcountryround，andnextmorningthewholepopulationofOvercombe——excepttwoorthreeveryoldmenandwomen，afewbabiesandtheirnurses，acripple，andCorporalTullidge——ascendedtheslopewiththecrowdsfromafar，andawaitedtheeventsoftheday。

Themillerworehisbestcoatonthisoccasion，whichmeantagooddeal。AnOvercombemaninthosedayswouldhaveabestcoat，andkeepitasabestcoathalfhislife。Themiller’shadseenfiveandtwentysummerschieflythroughthechinksofaclothes-box，andwasnotatallshabbyasyet，thoughgettingsingular。Butthatcouldnotbehelped；commoncoatsandbestcoatsweredistinctspecies，andneverinterchangeable。Livingsonearthesceneofthereviewhewalkedupthehill，accompaniedbyMrs。GarlandandAnneasusual。

Itwasaclearday，withlittlewindstirring，andtheviewfromthedowns，oneofthemostextensiveinthecounty，wasunclouded。Theeyeofanyobserverwhocaredforsuchthingssweptoverthewave-washedtown，andthebaybeyond，andtheIsle，withitspebblebank，lyingontheseatotheleftofthese，likeagreatcrouchinganimaltetheredtothemainland。Ontheextremeeastofthemarinehorizon，St。Aldhelm’sHeadclosedthescene，theseatothesouthwardofthatpointglaringlikeamirrorunderthesun。InlandcouldbeseenBadburyRings，whereabeaconhadbeenrecentlyerected；andnearer，Rainbarrow，onEgdonHeath，whereanotherstood:farthertotheleftBulbarrow，wheretherewasyetanother。

NotfarfromthiscameNettlecombeTout；tothewest，DogberryHill，andBlack’onneartotheforeground，thebeaconthereonbeingbuiltoffurzefaggotsthatchedwithstraw，andstandingonthespotwherethemonumentnowraisesitshead。

Atnineo’clockthetroopsmarchedupontheground——somefromthecampsinthevicinity，andsomefromquartersinthedifferenttownsroundabout。Theapproachestothedownwereblockedwithcarriagesofalldescriptions，ages，andcolours，andwithpedestriansofeveryclass。Attentheroyalpersonagesweresaidtobedrawingnear，andsoonaftertheKing，accompaniedbytheDukesofCambridgeandCumberland，andacoupleofgenerals，appearedonhorseback，wearingaroundhatturnedupattheside，withacockadeandmilitaryfeather。(Sensationamongthecrowd。)ThentheQueenandthreeoftheprincessesenteredthefieldinagreatcoachdrawnbysixbeautifulcream-colouredhorses。Anothercoach，withfourhorsesofthesamesort，broughtthetworemainingprincesses。

(Confusedacclamations，’There’sKingJarge！’’That’sQueenSharlett！’’Princess’Lizabeth！’’PrincessesSophiarandMeelyer！’

etc。，fromthesurroundingspectators。)

Anneandherpartywerefortunateenoughtosecureapositiononthetopofoneofthebarrowswhichrosehereandthereonthedown；andthemillerhavinggallantlyconstructedalittlecairnofflints，heplacedthetwowomenthereon，bywhichmeanstheywereenabledtoseeovertheheads，horses，andcoachesofthemultitudesbelowandaround。Atthemarch-pastthemiller’seye，whichhadbeenwanderingaboutforthepurpose，discoveredhissoninhisplacebythetrumpeters，whohadmovedforwardsintworanks，andweresoundingthemarch。

’That’sJohn！’hecriedtothewidow。’Histrumpet-slingisoftwocolours，d’yesee；andtheothersbeplain。’

Mrs。Garlandtoosawhimnow，andenthusiasticallyadmiredhimfromherhandsupwards，andAnnesilentlydidthesame。Butbeforetheyoungwoman’seyeshadquiteleftthetrumpet-majortheyfelluponthefigureofYeomanFestusridingwithhistroop，andkeepinghisfaceatamediumbetweenhaughtinessandmerebravery。Hecertainlylookedassoldierlyasanyofhisowncorps，andfeltmoresoldierlythanhalf-a-dozen，asanybodycouldseebyobservinghim。Annegotbehindthemiller，incaseFestusshoulddiscoverher，and，regardlessofhismonarch，rushuponherinaragewith，’Whythedevildidyourunawayfrommethatnight——hey，madam？’Butsheresolvedtothinknomoreofhimjustnow，andtosticktoLoveday，whowashermother’sfriend。Inthisshewashelpedbythestirringtoneswhichburstfromthelattergentlemanandhissubordinatesfromtimetotime。

’Well，’saidthemillercomplacently，’there’sfewofmoreconsequenceinaregimentthanatrumpeter。He’sthechapthattells’emwhattodo，afterall。Hey，Mrs。Garland？’

’Soheis，miller，’saidshe。

’TheycouldnomoredowithoutJackandhismenthantheycouldwithoutgenerals。’