ds, because they were too heavy for the women to move.'

'Sure I didn't know I had the flock bed,' murmured Bob. 'I slept on,
little thinking what I was going to wake to. Well, well, she's gone; and
search as I will I shall never find another like her! She was too good
for me. She must have carried her box with her own hands, poor girl. As
far as that goes, I could overtake her even now, I dare say; but I won't
entreat her against her will--not I.'

Miller Loveday and David, feeling themselves to be rather a desecration
in the presence of Bob's sacred emotions, managed to edge off by degrees,
the former burying himself in the most floury recesses of the mill, his
invariable resource when perturbed, the rumbling having a soothing effect
upon the nerves of those properly trained to its music.

Bob was so impatient that, after going up to her room to assure himself
once more that she had not undressed, but had only lain down on the
outside of the bed, he went out of the house to meet John, and waited on
the sunny slope of the down till his brother appeared. John looked so
brave and shapely and warlike that, even in Bob's present distress, he
could not but feel an honest and affectionate pride at owning such a
relative. Yet he fancied that John did not come along with the same
swinging step he had shown yesterday; and when the trumpet-major got
nearer he looked anxiously at the mate and waited for him to speak first.

'You know our great trouble, John?' said Robert, gazing stoically into
his brother's eyes.

'Come and sit down, and tell me all about it,' answered the
trumpet-major, showing no surprise.

They went towards a slight ravine, where it was easier to sit down than
on the flat ground, and here John reclined among the grasshoppers,
pointing to his brother to do the same.

'But do you know what it is?' said Robert. 'Has anybody told ye?'

'I do know,' said John. 'She's gone; and I am thankful!'

'What!' said Bob, rising to his knees in amazement.

'I'm at the bottom of it,' said the trumpet-major slowly.

'You, John?'

'Yes; and if you will listen I'll tell you all. Do you remember what
happened when I came into the room last night? Why, she turned colour
and nearly fainted away. That was because she knew me.'

Bob stared at his brother with a face of pain and distrust.

'For once, Bob, I must say something that will hurt thee a good deal,'
continued John. 'She was not a woman who could po