下载辰思小说免费APP
’Well，no，’sheanswered，withasuddencarelessnessoftone。Itwasindispensablethatheshouldbeundeceived，andtobegintheprocessbytakinganaffectedlylightviewofhispersonalriskswasperhapsasgoodawaytodoitasany。Wherefriendlinesswasconstruedaslove，anassumedindifferencewasthenecessaryexpressionforfriendliness。
Soshelethimgo；and，biddinghimhastenbackassoonashecould，wentdownthehill，whileJohn’sfeetretracedtheupland。
Thetrumpet-majorspentthewholeafternoonandeveninginthatlonganddifficultsearchforFestusDerriman。CrossingthedownattheendofthesecondhourhemetMollyandMrs。Loveday。Thegighadbeenrepaired，theyhadlearntthegroundlessnessofthealarm，andtheywouldhavebeenproceedinghappilyenoughbutfortheiranxietyaboutAnne。Johntoldthemshortlythatshehadgotalifthome，andproceededonhisway。
Theworthyobjectofhissearchhadinthemeantimebeenploddinghomewardonfoot，sulkyatthelossofhischarger，encumberedwithhissword，belts，highboots，anduniform，andinhisowndiscomfiturecarelesswhetherAnneGarland’slifehadbeenendangeredornot。
AtlengthDerrimanreachedaplacewheretheroadranbetweenhighbanks，oneofwhichhemountedandpacedalongasachangefromthehardtrackway。Aheadofhimhesawanoldmansittingdown，witheyesfixedonthedustoftheroad，asifrestingandmeditatingatoneandthesametime。Beingprettysurethatherecognizedhisuncleinthatvenerablefigure，Festuscameforwardstealthily，tillhewasimmediatelyabovetheoldman’sback。Thelatterwasclothedinfadednankeenbreeches，speckledstockings，adrabhat，andacoatwhichhadoncebeenlightblue，butfromexposureasascarecrowhadassumedthecomplexionandfibreofadriedpudding-cloth。Thefarmerwas，infact，returningtothehall，whichhehadleftinthemorningsometimelaterthanhisnephew，toseekanasyluminahollowtreeabouttwomilesoff。Thetreewassosituatedastocommandaviewofthebuilding，andUncleBenjyhadmanagedtoclamberupinsidethisnaturalfortificationhighenoughtowatchhisresidencethroughaholeinthebark，till，gatheringfromthewordsofoccasionalpassers-bythatthealarmwasatleastpremature，hehadventuredintodaylightagain。
Hewasnowengagedinabstractedlytracingadiagraminthedustwithhiswalking-stick，andmutteredwordstohimselfaloud。
Presentlyhearoseandwentonhiswaywithoutturninground。
Festuswascuriousenoughtodescendandlookatthemarks。Theyrepresentedanoblong，withtwosemi-diagonals，andalittlesquareinthemiddle。Uponthediagonalswerethefigures20and17，andoneachsideoftheparallelogramstoodalettersignifyingthepointofthecompass。
’Whatcrazythingisrunninginhisheadnow？’saidFestustohimself，withsuperciliouspity，recollectingthatthefarmerhadbeensingingthoseverynumbersearlierinthemorning。Beingabletomakenothingofit，helengthenedhisstrides，andtreadingontiptoeovertookhisrelative，salutinghimbyscratchinghisbacklikeahen。Thestartledoldfarmerdancedroundlikeatop，andgasping，said，asheperceivedhisnephew，’What，Festy！notthrownfromyourhorseandkilled，then，afterall！’
’No，nunc。Whatmadeyethinkthat？’
’Championpassedmeaboutanhourago，whenIwasinhiding——poortimidsoulofme，forIhadnothingtolosebytheFrenchcoming——
andhelookedawfulwiththestirrupsdanglingandthesaddleempty。
’Tisagloomysight，Festy，toseeahorsecanteringwithoutarider，andIthoughtyouhadbeen——fearedyouhadbeenthrownoffandkilledasdeadasanit。’
’Blessyourdearoldheartforbeingsoanxious！Andwhatprettypicturewereyoudrawingjustnowwithyourwalking-stick！’
’O，that！ThatisonlyawayIhaveofamusingmyself。ItshowedhowtheFrenchmighthaveadvancedtotheattack，youknow。Suchtriflesfilltheheadofaweakoldmanlikeme。’
’Orthepla
