VII. HOW THEY TALKED IN THE PASTURES
'You often come this way?' said Festus to Anne rather before he hadovertaken her.
'I come for the newspaper and other things,' she said, perplexed by adoubt whether he were there by accident or design.
They moved on in silence, Festus beating the grass with his switch in amasterful way. 'Did you speak, Mis'ess Anne?' he asked.
'No,' said Anne.
'Ten thousand pardons. I thought you did. Now don't let me drive youout of the path. I can walk among the high grass and giltycups--theywill not yellow my stockings as they will yours. Well, what do you thinkof a lot of soldiers coming to the neighbourhood in this way?'
'I think it is very lively, and a great change,' she said with demureseriousness.
'Perhaps you don't like us warriors as a body?'
Anne smiled without replying.
'Why, you are laughing!' said the yeoman, looking searchingly at her andblushing like a little fire. 'What do you see to laugh at?'
'Did I laugh?' said Anne, a little scared at his sudden mortification.
'Why, yes; you know you did, you young sneerer,' he said like a crossbaby. 'You are laughing at me--that's who you are laughing at! I shouldlike to know what you would do without such as me if the French were todrop in upon ye any night?'
'Would you help to beat them off?' said she.
'Can you ask such a question? What are we for? But you don't thinkanything of soldiers.'
O yes, she liked soldiers, she said, especially when they came home fromthe wars, covered with glory; though when she thought what doings had wonthem that glory she did not like them quite so well. The gallant andappeased yeoman said he supposed her to mean chopping off heads, blowingout brains, and that kind of business, and thought it quite right that atender-hearted thing like her should feel a little horrified. But as forhim, he should not mind such another Blenheim this summer as the army hadfought a hundred years ago, or whenever it was--dash his wig if he shouldmind it at all. 'Hullo! now you are laughing again; yes, I saw you!' Andthe choleric Festus turned his blue eyes and flushed face upon her asthough he would read her through. Anne strove valiantly to look calmlyback; but her eyes could not face his, and they fell. 'You did laugh!'he repeated.
'It was only a tiny little one,' she murmured.
'Ah--I knew you did!' thundered he. 'Now what was it you laughed at?'
'I only--thought that you were--merely in the yeomanry,' she murmuredslily.
'And what of that?'
'And the yeomanry only seem farmers that have lost their senses.'
'Yes, yes! I knew you meant some jeering o' that sort, Mistress Anne.But I suppose 'tis the way of women, and I take no notice. I'll confessthat some of us are no great things: but I know how to draw a sword,don't I?--say I don't just to provoke me.'
'I am sure you do,' said Anne sweetly. 'If a Frenchman came up to you,Mr. Derriman, would you take him on the hip, or on the thigh?'
'Now you are flattering!' he said, his white teeth uncovering themselvesin a smile. 'Well, of course I should draw my sword--no, I mean my swordwould be already drawn; and I should put spurs to my horse--charger, aswe call it in the army; and I should ride up to him and say--no, Ishouldn't say anything, of course--men never waste words in battle; Ishould take him with the third guard, low point, and then coming back tothe second guard--'
'But that would be taking care of yourself--not hitting at him.'
'How can you say that!' he cried, the beams upon his face turning to alurid cloud in a moment. 'How can you understand military terms who'venever had a sword in your life? I shouldn't take him with the sword atall.' He went on with eager sulkiness, 'I should take him with mypistol. I should pull off my right glove, and throw back my goat-skin;then I should open my priming-pan, prime, and cast about--no, Ishouldn't, that's wrong; I should draw my right pistol, and as soon asloaded, seize the weapon by the butt; then at the word "Cock your pistol"I should--'
'Then there is plenty of time to give such words of command in the heatof battle?' said Anne innocently.
'No!' said the yeoman, his face again in flames. 'Why, of course I amonly telling you what _would_ be the word of command _if_--there now! youla--'
'I didn't; 'pon my word I didn't!'
'No, I don't think you did; it was my mistake. Well, then I come smartlyto Present, looking well along the barrel--along the barrel--and fire. Ofcourse I know well enough how to engage the enemy! But I expect my olduncle has been setting you against me.'
'He has not said a word,' replied Anne; 'though I have heard of you, ofcourse.'
'What have you heard? Nothing good, I dare say. It makes my blood boilwithin me!'
'O, nothing bad,' said she assuringly. 'Just a word now and then.'
'Now, come, tell me, there's a dear. I don't like to be crossed. Itshall be a sacred secret between us. Come, now!'
Anne was embarrassed, and her smile was uncomfortable. 'I shall not tellyou,' she said at last.
'There it is again!' said the yeoman, throwing himself into a despair. 'Ishall soon begin to believe that my name is not worth sixpence abouthere!'
'I tell you 'twas nothing against you,' repeated Anne.
'That means it might have been for me,' said Festus, in a mollified tone.'Well, though, to speak the truth, I have a good many faults, some peoplewill praise me, I suppose. 'Twas praise?'
'It was.'
'Well, I am not much at farming, and I am not much in company, and I amnot much at figures, but perhaps I must own, since it is forced upon me,that I can show as fine a soldier's figure on the Esplanade as any man ofthe cavalry.'
'You can,' said Anne; for though her flesh crept in mortal terror of hisirascibility, she could not resist the fearful pleasure of leading himon. 'You look very well; and some say, you are--'
'What? Well, they say I am good-looking. I don't make myself, so 'tisno praise. Hullo! what are you looking across there for?'
'Only at a bird that I saw fly out of that tree,' said Anne.
'What? Only at a bird, do you say?' he heaved out in a voice of thunder.'I see your shoulders a-shaking, young madam. Now don't you provoke mewith that laughing! By God, it won't do!'
'Then go away!' said Anne, changed from mirthfulness to irritation by hisrough manner. 'I don't want your company, you great bragging thing! Youare so touchy there's no bearing with you. Go away!'
'No, no, Anne; I am wrong to speak to you so. I give you free liberty tosay what you will to me. Say I am not a bit of a soldier, or anything!Abuse me--do now, there's a dear. I'm scum, I'm froth, I'm dirt beforethe besom--yes!'
'I have nothing to say, sir. Stay where you are till I am out of thisfield.'
'Well, there's such command in your looks that I ha'n't heart to goagainst you. You will come this way to-morrow at the same time? Now,don't be uncivil.'
She was too generous not to forgive him, but the short little lipmurmured that she did not think it at all likely she should come that wayto-morrow.
'Then Sunday?' he said.
'Not Sunday,' said she.
'Then Monday--Tuesday--Wednesday, surely?' he went on experimentally.
She answered that she should probably not see him on either day, and,cutting short the argument, went through the wicket into the other field.Festus paused, looking after her; and when he could no longer see herslight figure he swept away his deliberations, began singing, and turnedoff in the other direction.