The result of the explanation upon Anne was bitter self-reproach. She
was so sorry at having wronged the kindly soldier that next morning she
went by herself to the down, and stood exactly where his tent had covered
the sod on which he had lain so many nights, thinking what sadness he
must have suffered because of her at the time of packing up and going
away. After that she wiped from her eyes the tears of pity which had
come there, descended to the house, and wrote an impulsive letter to him,
in which occurred the following passages, indiscreet enough under the
circumstances:--
'I find all justice, all rectitude, on your side, John; and all
impertinence, all inconsiderateness, on mine. I am so much convinced
of your honour in the whole transaction, that I shall for the future
mistrust myself in everything. And if it be possible, whenever I
differ from you on any point I shall take an hour's time for
consideration before I say that I differ. If I have lost your
friendship, I have only myself to thank for it; but I sincerely hope
that you can forgive.'
After writing this she went to the garden, where Bob was shearing the
spring grass from the paths. 'What is John's direction?' she said,
holding the sealed letter in her hand.
'Exonbury Barracks,' Bob faltered, his countenance sinking.
She thanked him and went indoors. When he came in, later in the day, he
passed the door of her empty sitting-room and saw the letter on the
mantelpiece. He disliked the sight of it. Hearing voices in the other
room, he entered and found Anne and her mother there, talking to
Cripplestraw, who had just come in with a message from Squire Derriman,
requesting Miss Garland, as she valued the peace of mind of an old and
troubled man, to go at once and see him.
'I cannot go,' she said, not liking the risk that such a visit involved.
An hour later Cripplestraw shambled again into the passage, on the same
errand.
'Maister's very poorly, and he hopes that you'll come, Mis'ess Anne. He
wants to see 'ee very particular about the French.'
Anne would have gone in a moment, but for the fear that some one besides
the farmer might encounter her, and she answered as before.
Another hour passed, and the wheels of a vehicle were heard. Cripplestraw
had come for the third time, with a horse and gig; he was dressed in his
best clothes, and brought with him on this occasion a basket containing
raisins, almonds, oranges, and sweet cakes. Offering them to her as a
gift from the old farmer, he repeated his request for her to accompany
him, the gig and best mare having been sent as an additional inducement.
'I believe the old gentleman is in love with you, Anne,' said her mother.
'Why couldn't he drive down himself to see me?' Anne inquired of
Cripplestraw.
'He wants you at the house, please.'
'Is Mr. Festus with him?'
'No; he's away to Budmouth.'
'I'll go,' said she.
'And I may come and meet you?' said Bob.
'There's my letter--what shall I do about that?' she said, instead of
answering him. 'Take my letter to the post-office, and you may come,'
she added.
He said yes and went out, Cripplestraw retreating to the door till she
should be ready.
'What letter is it?' said her mother.
'Only one to John,' said Anne. 'I have asked him to forgive my
suspicions. I could do no less.'
'Do you want to marry _him_?' asked Mrs. Loveday bluntly.
'Mother!'
'Well; he will take that letter as an encouragement. Can't you see that
he will, you foolish girl?'
Anne did see instantly. 'Of course!' she said. 'Tell Robert that he
need not go.'
She went to her room to secure the letter. It was gone from the
mantelpiece, and on inquiry it was found that the miller, seeing it
there, had sent David with it to Budmouth hours ago. Anne said nothing,
and set out for Oxwell Hall with Cripplestraw.
'William,' said Mrs. Loveday to the miller when Anne was gone and Bob had
resumed his work in the garden, 'did you get that letter sent off on
purpose?'
'Well, I did. I wanted to make sure of it. John likes her, and now
'twill be made up; and why shouldn't he marry her? I'll start him in
business, if so be she'll have him.'
'But she is likely to marry Festus Derriman.'
'I don't want her to marry anybody but John,' said the miller doggedly.
'Not if she is in love with Bob, and has been for years, and he with
her?' asked his wife triumphantly.
'In love with Bob, and he with her?' repeated Loveday.
'Certainly,' said she, going off and leaving him to his reflections.
When Anne reached the hall she found old Mr. Derriman in his customary
chair. His complexion was more ashen, but his movement in rising at her
entrance, putting a chair and shutting the door behind her, were much the
same as usual.
'Thank God you've come, my dear girl,' he said earnestly. 'Ah, you don't
trip across to read to me now! Why did ye cost me so much to fetch you?
Fie! A horse and gig, and a man's time in going three times. And what I
sent ye cost a good deal in Budmouth market, now everything is so dear
there, and 'twould have cost more if I hadn't bought the raisins and
oranges some months ago, when they were cheaper. I tell you this because
we are old friends, and I have nobody else to tell my troubles to. But I
don't begrudge anything to ye since you've come.'
'I am not much pleased to come, even now,' said she. 'What can make you
so seriously anxious to see me?'
'Well, you be a good girl and true; and I've been thinking that of all
people of the next generation that I can trust, you are the best. 'Tis
my bonds and my title-deeds, such as they be, and the leases, you know,
and a few guineas in packets, and more than these, my will, that I have
to speak about. Now do ye come this way.'
'O, such things as those!' she returned, with surprise. 'I don't
understand those things at all.'
'There's nothing to understand. 'Tis just this. The French will be here
within two months; that's certain. I have it on the best authority, that
the army at Boulogne is ready, the boats equipped, the plans laid, and
the First Consul only waits for a tide. Heaven knows what will become o'
the men o' these parts! But most likely the women will he spared. Now
I'll show 'ee.'
He led her across the hall to a stone staircase of semi-circular plan,
which conducted to the cellars.
'Down here?' she said.
'Yes; I must trouble ye to come down here. I have thought and thought
who is the woman that can best keep a secret for six months, and I say,
"Anne Garland." You won't be married before then?'
'O no!' murmured the young woman.
'I wouldn't expect ye to keep a close tongue after such a thing as that.
But it will not be necessary.'
When they reached the bottom of the steps he struck a light from a tinder-
box, and unlocked the middle one of three doors which appeared in the
whitewashed wall opposite. The rays of the candle fell upon the vault
and sides of a long low cellar, littered with decayed woodwork from other
parts of the hall, among the rest stair-balusters, carved finials,
tracery panels, and wainscoting. But what most attracted her eye was a
small flagstone turned up in the middle of the floor, a heap of earth
beside it, and a measuring-tape. Derriman went to the corner of the
cellar, and pulled out a clamped box from under the straw. 'You be
rather heavy, my dear, eh?' he said, affectionately addressing the box as
he lifted it. 'But you are going to be put in a safe place, you know, or
that rascal will get hold of ye, and carry ye off and ruin me.' He then
with some difficulty lowered the box into the hole, raked in the earth
upon it, and lowered the flagstone, which he was a long time in fixing to
his satisfaction. Miss Garland, who was romantically interested, helped
him to brush away the fragments of loose earth; and when he had scattered
over the floor a little of the straw that lay about, they again ascended
to upper air.
'Is this all, sir?' said Anne.
'Just a moment longer, honey. Will you come into the great parlour?'
She followed him thither.
'If anything happens to me while the fighting is going on--it may be on
these very fields--you will know what to do,' he resumed. 'But first
please sit down again, there's a dear, whilst I write what's in my head.
See, there's the best paper, and a new quill that I've afforded myself
for't.'
'What a strange business! I don't think I much like it, Mr. Derriman,'
she said, seating herself.