The Trumpet-Major

  XI. OUR PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY THE PRESENCE OF ROYALTY

  To explain the miller's sudden proposal it is only necessary to go backto that moment when Anne, Festus, and Mrs. Garland were talking togetheron the down. John Loveday had fallen behind so as not to interfere witha meeting in which he was decidedly superfluous; and his father, whoguessed the trumpet-major's secret, watched his face as he stood. John'sface was sad, and his eyes followed Mrs. Garland's encouraging manner toFestus in a way which plainly said that every parting of her lips wastribulation to him. The miller loved his son as much as any miller orprivate gentleman could do, and he was pained to see John's gloom at sucha trivial circumstance. So what did he resolve but to help John thereand then by precipitating a matter which, had he himself been the onlyperson concerned, he would have delayed for another six months.

  He had long liked the society of his impulsive, tractable neighbour, Mrs.Garland; had mentally taken her up and pondered her in connexion with thequestion whether it would not be for the happiness of both if she were toshare his home, even though she was a little his superior in antecedentsand knowledge. In fact he loved her; not tragically, but to a verycreditable extent for his years; that is, next to his sons, Bob and John,though he knew very well of that ploughed-ground appearance near thecorners of her once handsome eyes, and that the little depression in herright cheek was not the lingering dimple it was poetically assumed to be,but a result of the abstraction of some worn-out nether millstones withinthe cheek by Rootle, the Budmouth man, who lived by such practices on theheads of the elderly. But what of that, when he had lost two to each oneof hers, and exceeded her in age by some eight years! To do John aservice, then, he quickened his designs, and put the question to herwhile they were standing under the eyes of the younger pair.

  Mrs. Garland, though she had been interested in the miller for a longtime, and had for a moment now and then thought on this question as faras, 'Suppose he should, 'If he were to,' and so on, had never thoughtmuch further; and she was really taken by surprise when the questioncame. She answered without affectation that she would think over theproposal; and thus they parted.

  Her mother's infirmity of purpose set Anne thinking, and she was suddenlyfilled with a conviction that in such a case she ought to have somepurpose herself. Mrs. Garland's complacency at the miller's offer had,in truth, amazed her. While her mother had held up her head, andrecommended Festus, it had seemed a very pretty thing to rebel; but thepressure being removed an awful sense of her own responsibility tookpossession of her mind. As there was no longer anybody to be wise orambitious for her, surely she should be wise and ambitious for herself,discountenance her mother's attachment, and encourage Festus in hisaddresses, for her own and her mother's good. There had been a time whena Loveday thrilled her own heart; but that was long ago, before she hadthought of position or differences. To wake into cold daylight likethis, when and because her mother had gone into the land of romance, wasdreadful and new to her, and like an increase of years without livingthem.

  But it was easier to think that she ought to marry the yeoman than totake steps for doing it; and she went on living just as before, only witha little more thoughtfulness in her eyes.

  Two days after the visit to the camp, when she was again in the garden,Soldier Loveday said to her, at a distance of five rows of beans and aparsley-bed--

  'You have heard the news, Miss Garland?'

  'No,' said Anne, without looking up from a book she was reading.

  'The King is coming to-morrow.'

  'The King?' She looked up then.

  'Yes; to Gloucester Lodge; and he will pass this way. He can't arrivetill long past the middle of the night, if what they say is true, that heis timed to change horses at Woodyates Inn--between Mid and SouthWessex--at twelve o'clock,' continued Loveday, encouraged by her interestto cut off the parsley-bed from the distance between them.

  Miller Loveday came round the corner of the house.

  'Have ye heard about the King coming, Miss Maidy Anne?' he said.

  Anne said that she had just heard of it; and the trumpet-major, whohardly welcomed his father at such a moment, explained what he knew ofthe matter.

  'And you will go with your regiment to meet 'en, I suppose?' said oldLoveday.

  Young Loveday said that the men of the German Legion were to perform thatduty. And turning half from his father, and half towards Anne, he added,in a tentative tone, that he thought he might get leave for the night, ifanybody would like to be taken to the top of the Ridgeway over which theroyal party must pass.

  Anne, knowing by this time of the budding hope in the gallant dragoon'smind, and not wishing to encourage it, said, 'I don't want to go.'

  The miller looked disappointed as well as John.

  'Your mother might like to?'

  'Yes, I am going indoors, and I'll ask her if you wish me to,' said she.

  She went indoors and rather coldly told her mother of the proposal. Mrs.Garland, though she had determined not to answer the miller's question onmatrimony just yet, was quite ready for this jaunt, and in spite of Anneshe sailed off at once to the garden to hear more about it. When she re-entered, she said--

  'Anne, I have not seen the King or the King's horses for these manyyears; and I am going.'

  'Ah, it is well to be you, mother,' said Anne, in an elderly tone.

  'Then you won't come with us?' said Mrs. Garland, rather rebuffed.

  'I have very different things to think of,' said her daughter withvirtuous emphasis, 'than going to see sights at that time of night.'

  Mrs. Garland was sorry, but resolved to adhere to the arrangement. Thenight came on; and it having gone abroad that the King would pass by theroad, many of the villagers went out to see the procession. When the twoLovedays and Mrs. Garland were gone, Anne bolted the door for security,and sat down to think again on her grave responsibilities in the choiceof a husband, now that her natural guardian could no longer be trusted.

  A knock came to the door.

  Anne's instinct was at once to be silent, that the comer might think thefamily had retired.

  The knocking person, however, was not to be easily persuaded. He had infact seen rays of light over the top of the shutter, and, unable to getan answer, went on to the door of the mill, which was still going, themiller sometimes grinding all night when busy. The grinder accompaniedthe stranger to Mrs. Garland's door.

  'The daughter is certainly at home, sir,' said the grinder. 'I'll goround to t'other side, and see if she's there, Master Derriman.'

  'I want to take her out to see the King,' said Festus.

  Anne had started at the sound of the voice. No opportunity could havebeen better for carrying out her new convictions on the disposal of herhand. But in her mortal dislike of Festus, Anne forgot her principles,and her idea of keeping herself above the Lovedays. Tossing on her hatand blowing out the candle, she slipped out at the back door, and hastilyfollowed in the direction that her mother and the rest had taken. Sheovertook them as they were beginning to climb the hill.

  'What! you have altered your mind after all?' said the widow. 'How cameyou to do that, my dear?'

  'I thought I might as well come,' said Anne.

  'To be sure you did,' said the miller heartily. 'A good deal better thanbiding at home there.'

  John said nothing, though she could almost see through the gloom how gladhe was that she had altered her mind. When they reached the ridge overwhich the highway stretched they found many of their neighbours who hadgot there before them idling on the grass border between the roadway andthe hedge, enjoying a sort of midnight picnic, which it was easy to do,the air being still and dry. Some carriages were also standing near,though most people of the district who possessed four wheels, or eventwo, had driven into the town to await the King there. From this heightcould be seen in the distance the position of the watering-place, anadditional number of lanterns, lamps, and candles having been lighted to-night by the loyal burghe
rs to grace the royal entry, if it should occurbefore dawn.

  Mrs. Garland touched Anne's elbow several times as they walked, and theyoung woman at last understood that this was meant as a hint to her totake the trumpet-major's arm, which its owner was rather suggesting thanoffering to her. Anne wondered what infatuation was possessing hermother, declined to take the arm, and contrived to get in front with themiller, who mostly kept in the van to guide the others' footsteps. Thetrumpet-major was left with Mrs. Garland, and Anne's encouraging pursuitof them induced him to say a few words to the former.

  'By your leave, ma'am, I'll speak to you on something that concerns mymind very much indeed?'

  'Certainly.'

  'It is my wish to be allowed to pay my addresses to your daughter.'

  'I thought you meant that,' said Mrs. Garland simply.

  'And you'll not object?'

  'I shall leave it to her. I don't think she will agree, even if I do.'

  The soldier sighed, and seemed helpless. 'Well, I can but ask her,' hesaid.

  The spot on which they had finally chosen to wait for the King was by afield gate, whence the white road could be seen for a long distancenorthwards by day, and some little distance now. They lingered andlingered, but no King came to break the silence of that beautiful summernight. As half-hour after half-hour glided by, and nobody came, Annebegan to get weary; she knew why her mother did not propose to go back,and regretted the reason. She would have proposed it herself, but thatMrs. Garland seemed so cheerful, and as wide awake as at noonday, so thatit was almost a cruelty to disturb her.

  The trumpet-major at last made up his mind, and tried to draw Anne into aprivate conversation. The feeling which a week ago had been a vague andpiquant aspiration, was to-day altogether too lively for the reasoning ofthis warm-hearted soldier to regulate. So he persevered in his intentionto catch her alone, and at last, in spite of her manoeuvres to thecontrary, he succeeded. The miller and Mrs. Garland had walked aboutfifty yards further on, and Anne and himself were left standing by thegate.

  But the gallant musician's soul was so much disturbed by tendervibrations and by the sense of his presumption that he could not begin;and it may be questioned if he would ever have broached the subject atall, had not a distant church clock opportunely assisted him by strikingthe hour of three. The trumpet-major heaved a breath of relief.

  'That clock strikes in G sharp,' he said.

  'Indeed--G sharp?' said Anne civilly.

  'Yes. 'Tis a fine-toned bell. I used to notice that note when I was aboy.'

  'Did you--the very same?'

  'Yes; and since then I had a wager about that bell with the bandmaster ofthe North Wessex Militia. He said the note was G; I said it wasn't. Whenwe found it G sharp we didn't know how to settle it.'

  'It is not a deep note for a clock.'

  'O no! The finest tenor bell about here is the bell of Peter's,Casterbridge--in E flat. Tum-m-m-m--that's the note--tum-m-m-m.' Thetrumpet-major sounded from far down his throat what he considered to be Eflat, with a parenthetic sense of luxury unquenchable even by his presentdistraction.

  'Shall we go on to where my mother is?' said Anne, less impressed by thebeauty of the note than the trumpet-major himself was.

  'In one minute,' he said tremulously. 'Talking of music--I fear youdon't think the rank of a trumpet-major much to compare with your own?'

  'I do. I think a trumpet-major a very respectable man.'

  'I am glad to hear you say that. It is given out by the King's commandthat trumpet-majors are to be considered respectable.'

  'Indeed! Then I am, by chance, more loyal than I thought for.'

  'I get a good deal a year extra to the trumpeters, because of myposition.'

  'That's very nice.'

  'And I am not supposed ever to drink with the trumpeters who servebeneath me.'

  'Naturally.'

  'And, by the orders of the War Office, I am to exert over them (that'sthe government word) exert over them full authority; and if any onebehaves towards me with the least impropriety, or neglects my orders, heis to be confined and reported.'

  'It is really a dignified post,' she said, with, however, a reserve ofenthusiasm which was not altogether encouraging.

  'And of course some day I shall,' stammered the dragoon--'shall be inrather a better position than I am at present.'

  'I am glad to hear it, Mr. Loveday.'

  'And in short, Mistress Anne,' continued John Loveday bravely anddesperately, 'may I pay court to you in the hope that--no, no, don't goaway!--you haven't heard yet--that you may make me the happiest of men;not yet, but when peace is proclaimed and all is smooth and easy again? Ican't put it any better, though there's more to be explained.'

  'This is most awkward,' said Anne, evidently with pain. 'I cannotpossibly agree; believe me, Mr. Loveday, I cannot.'

  'But there's more than this. You would be surprised to see what snugrooms the married trumpet- and sergeant-majors have in quarters.'

  'Barracks are not all; consider camp and war.'

  'That brings me to my strong point!' exclaimed the soldier hopefully. 'Myfather is better off than most non-commissioned officers' fathers; andthere's always a home for you at his house in any emergency. I can tellyou privately that he has enough to keep us both, and if you wouldn'thear of barracks, well, peace once established, I'd live at home as amiller and farmer--next door to your own mother.'

  'My mother would be sure to object,' expostulated Anne.

  'No; she leaves it all to you.'

  'What! you have asked her?' said Anne, with surprise.

  'Yes. I thought it would not be honourable to act otherwise.'

  'That's very good of you,' said Anne, her face warming with a generoussense of his straightforwardness. 'But my mother is so entirely ignorantof a soldier's life, and the life of a soldier's wife--she is so simplein all such matters, that I cannot listen to you any more readily forwhat she may say.'

  'Then it is all over for me,' said the poor trumpet-major, wiping hisface and putting away his handkerchief with an air of finality.

  Anne was silent. Any woman who has ever tried will know withoutexplanation what an unpalatable task it is to dismiss, even when she doesnot love him, a man who has all the natural and moral qualities she woulddesire, and only fails in the social. Would-be lovers are not sonumerous, even with the best women, that the sacrifice of one can be feltas other than a good thing wasted, in a world where there are few goodthings.

  'You are not angry, Miss Garland?' said he, finding that she did notspeak.

  'O no. Don't let us say anything more about this now.' And she movedon.

  When she drew near to the miller and her mother she perceived that theywere engaged in a conversation of that peculiar kind which is all themore full and communicative from the fact of definitive words being few.In short, here the game was succeeding which with herself had failed. Itwas pretty clear from the symptoms, marks, tokens, telegraphs, andgeneral byplay between widower and widow, that Miller Loveday must haveagain said to Mrs. Garland some such thing as he had said before, withwhat result this time she did not know.

  As the situation was delicate, Anne halted awhile apart from them. Thetrumpet-major, quite ignorant of how his cause was entered into by thewhite-coated man in the distance (for his father had not yet told him ofhis designs upon Mrs. Garland), did not advance, but stood still by thegate, as though he were attending a princess, waiting till he should becalled up. Thus they lingered, and the day began to break. Mrs. Garlandand the miller took no heed of the time, and what it was bringing toearth and sky, so occupied were they with themselves; but Anne in herplace and the trumpet-major in his, each in private thought of no brightkind, watched the gradual glory of the east through all its tones andchanges. The world of birds and insects got lively, the blue and theyellow and the gold of Loveday's uniform again became distinct; the sunbored its way upward, the fields, the trees, and the distant landscapekindled to
flame, and the trumpet-major, backed by a lilac shadow as tallas a steeple, blazed in the rays like a very god of war.

  It was half-past three o'clock. A short time after, a rattle of horsesand wheels reached their ears from the quarter in which they gazed, andthere appeared upon the white line of road a moving mass, which presentlyascended the hill and drew near.

  Then there arose a huzza from the few knots of watchers gathered there,and they cried, 'Long live King Jarge!' The cortege passed abreast. Itconsisted of three travelling-carriages, escorted by a detachment of theGerman Legion. Anne was told to look in the first carriage--apost-chariot drawn by four horses--for the King and Queen, and wasrewarded by seeing a profile reminding her of the current coin of therealm; but as the party had been travelling all night, and the spectatorshere gathered were few, none of the royal family looked out of thecarriage windows. It was said that the two elder princesses were in thesame carriage, but they remained invisible. The next vehicle, a coachand four, contained more princesses, and the third some of theirattendants.

  'Thank God, I have seen my King!' said Mrs. Garland, when they had allgone by.

  Nobody else expressed any thankfulness, for most of them had expected amore pompous procession than the bucolic tastes of the King cared toindulge in; and one old man said grimly that that sight of dusty oldleather coaches was not worth waiting for. Anne looked hither andthither in the bright rays of the day, each of her eyes having a littlesun in it, which gave her glance a peculiar golden fire, and kindled thebrown curls grouped over her forehead to a yellow brilliancy, and madesingle hairs, blown astray by the night, look like lacquered wires. Shewas wondering if Festus were anywhere near, but she could not see him.

  Before they left the ridge they turned their attention towards the Royalwatering-place, which was visible at this place only as a portion of thesea-shore, from which the night-mist was rolling slowly back. The seabeyond was still wrapped in summer fog, the ships in the roads showingthrough it as black spiders suspended in the air. While they looked andwalked a white jet of smoke burst from a spot which the miller knew to bethe battery in front of the King's residence, and then the report of gunsreached their ears. This announcement was answered by a salute from theCastle of the adjoining Isle, and the ships in the neighbouringanchorage. All the bells in the town began ringing. The King and hisfamily had arrived.