下载辰思小说免费APP
Oneafternoonitwasrainingintorrents。Suchleavesastherewereontreesatthistimeofyear——thoseofthelaurelandotherevergreens——staggeredbeneaththehardblowsofthedropswhichfelluponthem，andafterwardscouldbeseentricklingdownthestemsbeneathandsilentlyenteringtheground。Thesurfaceofthemill-pondleaptupinathousandspirtsunderthesamedownfall，andcluckedlikeahenintherat-holesalongthebanksasitundulatedunderthewind。Theonlydryspotvisiblefromthefrontwindowsofthemill-housewastheinsideofasmallshed，ontheoppositesideofthecourtyard。WhileMrs。Lovedaywasnoticingthethreadsofraindescendingacrossitsinteriorshade，FestusDerrimanwalkedupandentereditforshelter，which，owingtothelumberwithin，itbutscantilyaffordedtoamanwhowouldhavebeenamatchforoneofFrederickWilliam’sPatagonians。
Itwasanexcellentopportunityforhelpingonherscheme。Annewasinthebackroom，andbyaskinghimintilltherainwasovershewouldbringhimfacetofacewithherdaughter，whom，asthedayswenton，sheincreasinglywishedtomarryotherthanaLoveday，nowthattheromanceofherownalliancewiththemillethadinsomerespectswornoff。Shewasbetterprovidedforthanbefore；shewasnotunhappy；buttheplainfactwasthatshehadmarriedbeneathher。ShebeckonedtoFestusthroughthewindow-pane；heinstantlycompliedwithhersignal，havinginfactplacedhimselfthereonpurposetobenoticed；forheknewthatMissGarlandwouldnotbeout-of-doorsonsuchaday。
’Goodafternoon，Mrs。Loveday，’saidFestusonentering。’Therenow——ifIdidn’tthinkthat’showitwouldbe！’Hisvoicehadsuddenlywarmedtoanger，forhehadseenadoorcloseinthebackpartoftheroom，alithefigurehavingpreviouslyslippedthrough。
Mrs。Lovedayturned，observedthatAnnewasgone，andsaid，’Whatisit？’asifshedidnotknow。
’O，nothing，nothing！’saidFestuscrossly。’Youknowwellenoughwhatitis，ma’am；onlyyoumakepretenceotherwise。ButI’llbringhertobookyet。Youshalldropyourhaughtyairs，mycharmer！ShelittlethinksIhavekeptanaccountof’emall。’
’Butyoumusttreatherpolitely，sir，’saidMrs。Loveday，secretlypleasedatthesesignsofuncontrollableaffection。
’Don’ttellmeofpolitenessorgenerosity，ma’am！Sheismorethanamatchforme。Sheregularlygetsoverme。Ihavepassedbythishousefive-and-fiftytimessincelastMartinmas，andthisisallmyrewardfor’t！’
’Butyouwillstaytilltherainisover，sir？’
’No。Idon’tmindrain。I’moffagain。She’sgotsomebodyelseinhereye！’Andtheyeomanwentout，slammingthedoor。
Meanwhiletheslipperyobjectofhishopeshadgonealongthedarkpassage，passedthetrapwhichopenedonthewheel，andthroughthedoorintothemill，whereshewasmetbyBob，wholookedupfromtheflour-shootinquiringlyandsaid，’Youwantme，MissGarland？’
’Ono，’saidshe。’Ionlywanttobeallowedtostandhereafewminutes。’
Helookedathertoknowifshemeantit，andfindingthatshedid，returnedtohispost。Whenthemillhadrumbledonalittlelongerhecameback。
’Bob，’shesaid，whenshesawhimmove，’rememberthatyouareatwork，andhavenotimetostandclosetome。’
Hebowedandwenttohisoriginalpostagain，AnnewatchingfromthewindowtillFestusshouldleave。Themillrumbledonasbefore，andatlastBobcametoherforthethirdtime。’Now，Bob——’shebegan。
’Onmyhonour，’tisonlytoaskaquestion。WillyouwalkwithmetochurchnextSundayafternoon？’
’PerhapsIwill，’shesaid。Butatthismomenttheyeomanleftthehouse，andAnne，toescapefurtherparley，returnedtothedwellingbythewayshehadcome。
Sundayafternoonarrived，andthefamilywasstandingatthedoorwaitingforthechurchbellstobegin。Fromthatsideofthehousetheycouldseesouthwardacrossapaddocktotherisinggroundfurtherahead，wheretheregrewalargeelm-tree，beneathwhoseboughsfootpathscrossedindifferentdirections，likemeridiansatthepole。Thetreewasold，andinsummerthegrassbeneathitwasquitetroddenawaybythefeetofthemanytrystersandidlerswhohauntedthespot。Thetreeformedaconspicuousobjectinthesurroundinglandscape。
Whiletheylooked，afootsoldierinreduniformandwhitebreechescamealongoneofthepath
