下载辰思小说免费APP
’Itisdreadful！’saidAnne。’Idon’tliketoseeit。’
Shehadrecoveredfromheremotion，andwalkedalongbesidehimwithagrave，subduedface。Bobdidnotliketoassumetheprivilegesofanacceptedloveranddrawherhandthroughhisarm；for，consciousthatshenaturallybelongedtoapolitergradethanhisown，hefearedlestherexhibitionoftendernesswereanimpulsewhichcoolermomentsmightregret。AperfectPaul-and-Virginialifehadnotabsolutelysetinforhimasyet，anditwasnottobehastenedbyforce。Whentheyhadpassedoverthebridgeintothemill-fronttheysawthemillerstandingatthedoorwithafaceofconcern。
’Sinceyouhavebeengone，’hesaid，’aGovernmentmanhasbeenhere，andtoallthehouses，takingdownthenumbersofthewomenandchildren，andtheiragesandthenumberofhorsesandwaggonsthatcanbemustered，incasetheyhavetoretreatinland，outofthewayoftheinvadingarmy。’
Thelittlefamilygatheredthemselvestogether，allfeelingthecrisismoreseriouslythantheylikedtoexpress。Mrs。Lovedaythoughthowridiculousathingsocialambitionwasinsuchaconjunctureasthis，andvowedthatshewouldleaveAnnetolovewhereshewould。Anne，too，forgotthelittlepeculiaritiesofspeechandmannerinBobandhisfather，whichsometimesjarredforamomentuponhermorerefinedsense，andwasthankfulfortheirloveandprotectioninthisloomingtrouble。
OngoingupstairssherememberedthepaperwhichFarmerDerrimanhadgivenher，andsearchedinherbosomforit。Shecouldnotfinditthere。’Imusthaveleftitonthetable，’shesaidtoherself。Itdidnotmatter；sherememberedeveryword。Shetookapenandwroteaduplicate，whichsheputsafelyaway。
ButAnnewaswrong。Shehad，afterall，placedthepaperwhereshesupposed，andthereitoughttohavebeen。ButinescapingfromFestus，whenhefeignedapoplexy，ithadfallenoutuponthegrass。
Fiveminutesafterthatevent，whenpursuerandpursuedweretwoorthreefieldsahead，thegaily-dressedwomanwhomtheyeomanhadovertaken，peepedcautiouslythroughthestileintothecornerofthefieldwhichhadbeenthesceneofthescramble；andseeingthepapersheclimbedover，securedit，loosenedthewaferwithouttearingthesheet，andreadthememorandumwithin。Unabletomakeanythingofitsmeaning，thesauntererputitinherpocket，and，dismissingthematterfromhermind，wentonbytheby-pathwhichledtothebackofthemill。Here，behindthehedge，shestoodandsurveyedtheoldbuildingforsometime，afterwhichshemeditativelyturned，andretracedherstepstowardstheRoyalwatering-place。
Thenightwhichfollowedwashistoricandmemorable。Mrs。Lovedaywasawakenedbytheboomofadistantgun:shetoldthemiller，andtheylistenedawhile。Thesoundwasnotrepeated，butsuchwasthestateoftheirfeelingsthatMr。LovedaywenttoBob’sroomandaskedifhehadheardit。Bobwaswideawake，lookingoutofthewindow；hehadheardtheominoussound，andwasinclinedtoinvestigatethematter。Whilethefatherandsonweredressingtheyfanciedthataglareseemedtoberisingintheskyinthedirectionofthebeaconhill。NotwishingtoalarmAnneandhermother，themillerassuredthemthatBobandhimselfweremerelygoingoutofdoorstoinquireintothecauseofthereport，afterwhichtheyplungedintothegloomtogether。Afewsteps’progressopenedupmoreofthesky，which，astheyhadthought，wasindeedirradiatedbyaluridlight；butwhetheritcamefromthebeaconorfromamoredistantpointtheywereunabletoclearlytell。Theypushedonrapidlytowardshigherground。
Theirexcitementwasmerelyofapiecewiththatofallmenatthiscriticaljuncture。Everywhereexpectationwasatfeverheat。Forthelastyearortwoonlyfive-and-twentymilesofshallowwaterhaddividedquietEnglishhomesteadsfromanenemy’sarmyofahundredandfiftythousandmen。Wehadtakenthematterlightlyenough，eatinganddrinkingasinthedaysofNoe，andsingingsatireswithoutend。WepunnedonBuonaparteandhisgunboats，chalkedhiseffigyonstage-coaches，andpublishedthesameinprints。Still，betweenthe
