the trumpet-major-第3节

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barracks　a　few　years　ago。'

'They　did。　　I　remember　it；'　said　Mrs。　Garland。

'And　lots　of　the　chaps　about　here　'listed　at　the　time；'　said　Simon。
'I　can　call　to　mind　that　there　wasah；　'tis　gone　from　me　again！
However；　all　that's　of　little　account　now。'

The　dragoons　passed　in　front　of　the　lookers…on　as　the　others　had
done；　and　their　gay　plumes；　which　had　hung　lazily　during　the　ascent；
swung　to　northward　as　they　reached　the　top；　showing　that　on　the
summit　a　fresh　breeze　blew。　　'But　look　across　there；'　said　Anne。
There　had　entered　upon　the　down　from　another　direction　several
battalions　of　foot；　in　white　kerseymere　breeches　and　cloth　gaiters。
They　seemed　to　be　weary　from　a　long　march；　the　original　black　of
their　gaiters　and　boots　being　whity…brown　with　dust。　　Presently　came
regimental　waggons；　and　the　private　canteen　carts　which　followed　at
the　end　of　a　convoy。

The　space　in　front　of　the　mill…pond　was　now　occupied　by　nearly　all
the　inhabitants　of　the　village；　who　had　turned　out　in　alarm；　and
remained　for　pleasure；　their　eyes　lighted　up　with　interest　in　what
they　saw；　for　trappings　and　regimentals；　war　horses　and　men；　in
towns　an　attraction；　were　here　almost　a　sublimity。

The　troops　filed　to　their　lines；　dismounted；　and　in　quick　time　took
off　their　accoutrements；　rolled　up　their　sheep…skins；　picketed　and
unbitted　their　horses；　and　made　ready　to　erect　the　tents　as　soon　as
they　could　be　taken　from　the　waggons　and　brought　forward。　　When　this
was　done；　at　a　given　signal　the　canvases　flew　up　from　the　sod；　and
thenceforth　every　man　had　a　place　in　which　to　lay　his　head。

Though　nobody　seemed　to　be　looking　on　but　the　few　at　the　window　and
in　the　village　street；　there　were；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　many　eyes
converging　upon　that　military　arrival　in　its　high　and　conspicuous
position；　not　to　mention　the　glances　of　birds　and　other　wild
creatures。　　Men　in　distant　gardens；　women　in　orchards　and　at
cottage…doors；　shepherds　on　remote　hills；　turnip…hoers　in　blue…green
enclosures　miles　away；　captains　with　spy…glasses　out　at　sea；　were
regarding　the　picture　keenly。　　Those　three　or　four　thousand　men　of
one　machine…like　movement；　some　of　them　swashbucklers　by　nature；
others；　doubtless；　of　a　quiet　shop…keeping　disposition　who　had
inadvertently　got　into　uniformall　of　them　had　arrived　from　nobody
knew　where；　and　hence　were　matter　of　great　curiosity。　　They　seemed
to　the　mere　eye　to　belong　to　a　different　order　of　beings　from　those
who　inhabited　the　valleys　below。　　Apparently　unconscious　and
careless　of　what　all　the　world　was　doing　elsewhere；　they　remained
picturesquely　engrossed　in　the　business　of　making　themselves　a
habitation　on　the　isolated　spot　which　they　had　chosen。

Mrs。　Garland　was　of　a　festive　and　sanguine　turn　of　mind；　a　woman
soon　set　up　and　soon　set　down；　and　the　coming　of　the　regiments　quite
excited　her。　　She　thought　there　was　reason　for　putting　on　her　best
cap；　thought　that　perhaps　there　was　not；　that　she　would　hurry　on　the
dinner　and　go　out　in　the　afternoon；　then　that　she　would；　after　all；
do　nothing　unusual；　nor　show　any　silly　excitements　whatever；　since
they　were　unbecoming　in　a　mother　and　a　widow。　　Thus　circumscribing
her　intentions　till　she　was　toned　down　to　an　ordinary　person　of
forty；　Mrs。　Garland　accompanied　her　daughter　downstairs　to　dine；
saying；　'Presently　we　will　call　on　Miller　Loveday；　and　hear　what　he
thinks　of　it　all。'



II。　　SOMEBODY　KNOCKS　AND　COMES　IN

Miller　Loveday　was　the　representative　of　an　ancient　family　of
corn…grinders　whose　history　is　lost　in　the　mists　of　antiquity。　　His
ancestral　line　was　contemporaneous　with　that　of　De　Ros；　Howard；　and
De　La　Zouche；　but；　owing　to　some　trifling　deficiency　in　the
possessions　of　the　house　of　Loveday；　the　individual　names　and
intermarriages　of　its　members　were　not　recorded　during　the　Middle
Ages；　and　thus　their　private　lives　in　any　given　century　were
uncertain。　　But　it　was　known　that　the　family　had　formed　matrimonial
alliances　with　farmers　not　so　very　small；　and　once　with　a　gentleman…
tanner；　who　had　for　many　years　purchased　after　their　death　the
horses　of　the　most　aristocratic　persons　in　the　countyfiery　steeds
that　earlier　in　their　career　had　been　valued　at　many　hundred
guineas。

It　was　also　ascertained　that　Mr。　Loveday's　great…grandparents　had
been　eight　in　number；　and　his　great…great…grandparents　sixteen；
every　one　of　whom　reached　to　years　of　discretion：　　at　every　stage
backwards　his　sires　and　gammers　thus　doubled　and　doubled　till　they
became　a　vast　body　of　Gothic　ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the　rank　known
as　ceorls　or　villeins；　full　of　importance　to　the　country　at　large；
and　ramifying　throughout　the　unwritten　history　of　England。　　His
immediate　father　had　greatly　improved　the　value　of　their　residence
by　building　a　new　chimney；　and　setting　up　an　additional　pair　of
millstones。

Overcombe　Mill　presented　at　one　end　the　appearance　of　a　hard…worked
house　slipping　into　the　river；　and　at　the　other　of　an　idle；　genteel
place；　half…cloaked　with　creepers　at　this　time　of　the　year；　and
having　no　visible　connexion　with　flour。　　It　had　hips　instead　of
gables；　giving　it　a　round…shouldered　look；　four　chimneys　with　no
smoke　coming　out　of　them；　two　zigzag　cracks　in　the　wall；　several
open　windows；　with　a　looking…glass　here　and　there　inside；　showing
its　warped　back　to　the　passer…by；　snowy　dimity　curtains　waving　in
the　draught；　two　mill　doors；　one　above　the　other；　the　upper　enabling
a　person　to　step　out　upon　nothing　at　a　height　of　ten　feet　from　the
ground；　a　gaping　arch　vomiting　the　river；　and　a　lean；　long…nosed
fellow　looking　out　from　the　mill　doorway；　who　was　the　hired　grinder；
except　when　a　bulging　fifteen　stone　man　occupied　the　same　place；
namely；　the　miller　himself。

Behind　the　mill　door；　and　invisible　to　the　mere　wayfarer　who　did　not
visit　the　family；　were　chalked　addition　and　subtraction　sums；　many
of　them　originally　done　wrong；　and　the　figures　half　rubbed　out　and
corrected；　noughts　being　turned　into　nines；　and　ones　into　twos。
These　were　the　miller's　private　calculations。　　There　were　also
chalked　in　the　same　place　rows　and　rows　of　strokes　like　open
palings；　representing　the　calculations　of　the　grinder；　who　in　his
youthful　ciphering　studies　had　not　gone　so　far　as　Arabic　figures。

In　the　court　in　front　were　two　worn…out　millstones；　made　useful
again　by　being　let　in　level　with　the　ground。　　Here　people　stood　to
smoke　and　consider　things　in　muddy　weather；　and　cats　slept　on　the
clean　surfaces　when　it　was　hot。　　In　the　large　stubbard…tree　at　the
corner　of　the　garden　was　erected　a　pole　of　larch　fir；　which　the
miller　had　bought　with　others　at　a　sale　of　small　timber　in　Damer's
Wood　one　Christmas　week。　　It　rose　from　the　upper　boughs　of　the　tree
to　about　the　height　of　a　fisherman's　mast；　and　on　the　top　was　a　vane
in　the　form　of　a　sailor　with　his　arm　stretched　out。　　When　the　sun
shone　upon　this　figure　it　could　be　seen　that　the　greater　part　of　his
countenance　was　gone；　and　the　paint　washed　from　his　body　so　far　as
to　reveal　that　he　had　been　a　soldier　in　red　before　he　became　a
sailor　in　blue。　　The　image　had；　in　fact；　been　John；　one　of　our
coming　characters；　and　was　then　turned　into　Robert；　another　of　them。
This　revolving　piece　of　statuary　could　not；　however；　be　relied　on　as
a　vane；　owing　to　the　neighbouring　hill；　which　formed　variable
currents　in　the　wind。

The　leafy　and　quieter　wing　of　the　mill…house　was　the　part　occupied
by　Mrs。　Garland　and　her　daughter；　who　made　up　in　summer…time　for　the
narrowness　of　their　quarters　by　overflowing　into　the　garden　on
stools　and　chairs。　　The　parlour　or　dining…room　had　a　stone　floora
fact　which　the　widow　sought　to　disguise　by　double　carpeting；　lest
the　standing　of　Anne　and　herself　should　be　lowered　in　the　public
eye。　　Here　now　the　mid…day　meal　went　lightly　and　mincingly　on；　as　it
does　where　there　is　no　greedy　carnivorous　man　to　keep　the　dishes
about；　and　was　hanging　on　the　close　when　somebody　entered　the
passage　as　far　as　the　chink　of　the　parlour　door；　and　tapped。　　This
proceeding　was　probably　adopted　to　kindly　avoid　giving　trouble　to
Susan；　the　neighbour's　pink　daughter；　who　helped　at　Mrs。　Garland's
in　the　mornings；　but　was　at　that　moment　particularly　occupied　in
standing　on　the　water…butt　and　gazing　at　the　soldiers；　with　an
inhaling　position　of　the　mouth　and　circular　eyes。

There　was　a　flutter　in　the　little　dining…roomthe　sensitiveness　of
habitual　solitude　makes　hearts　beat　for　preternaturally　small
reasonsand　a　guessing　as　to　who　the　visitor　might　be。　　It　was　some
military　gentleman　from　the　camp　perhaps？　　No；　that　was　impossible。
It　was　the　parson？　　No；　he　would　not　come　at　dinner…time。　　It　was
the　well…informed　man　who　travelled　with　drapery　and　the　best
Birmingham　earrings？　　Not　at　all；　his　time　was　not　till　Thursday　at
three。　　Before　they　could　think　further　the　visitor　moved　forward
another　step；　and　the　diners　got　a　glimpse　of　him　through　the　same
friendly　chink　that　had　afforded　him　a　view　of　the　Garland
dinner…table。

'O！　　It　is　only　Loveday。'

This　approximation　to　nobody　was　the　miller　above　mentioned；　a　hale
man　of　fifty…five　or　sixtyhale　all　through；　as　many　were　in　those
days；　and　not　merely　veneered　with　purple　by　exhilaratin