le from the village, he overtook a slim, quick-eyed
woman, sauntering along at a leisurely pace. She was fashionably dressed
in a green spencer, with 'Mameluke' sleeves, and wore a velvet Spanish
hat and feather.

'Good afternoon t'ye, ma'am,' said Festus, throwing a sword-and-pistol
air into his greeting. 'You are out for a walk?'

'I _am_ out for a walk, captain,' said the lady, who had criticized him
from the crevice of her eye, without seeming to do much more than
continue her demure look forward, and gave the title as a sop to his
apparent character.

'From the town?--I'd swear it, ma'am; 'pon my honour I would!'

'Yes, I am from the town, sir,' said she.

'Ah, you are a visitor! I know every one of the regular inhabitants; we
soldiers are in and out there continually. Festus Derriman, Yeomanry
Cavalry, you know. The fact is, the watering-place is under our charge;
the folks will be quite dependent upon us for their deliverance in the
coming struggle. We hold our lives in our hands, and theirs, I may say,
in our pockets. What made you come here, ma'am, at such a critical
time?'

'I don't see that it is such a critical time?'

'But it is, though; and so you'd say if you was as much mixed up with the
military affairs of the nation as some of us.'

The lady smiled. 'The King is coming this year, anyhow,' said she.

'Never!' said Festus firmly. 'Ah, you are one of the attendants at court
perhaps, come on ahead to get the King's chambers ready, in case Boney
should not land?'

'No,' she said; 'I am connected with the theatre, though not just at the
present moment. I have been out of luck for the last year or two; but I
have fetched up again. I join the company when they arrive for the
season.'

Festus surveyed her with interest. 'Faith! and is it so? Well, ma'am,
what part do you play?'

'I am mostly the leading lady--the heroine,' she said, drawing herself up
with dignity.

'I'll come and have a look at ye if all's well, and the landing is put
off--hang me if I don't!--Hullo, hullo, what do I see?'

His eyes were stretched towards a distant field, which Anne Garland was
at that moment hastily crossing, on her way from the hall to Overcombe.

'I must be off. Good-day to ye, dear creature!' he exclaimed, hurrying
forward.

The lady said, 'O, you droll monster!' as she smiled and watched him
stride ahead.

Festus bounded on over the hedge, across the intervening patch of green,
and int