ress, contrived to say in a whisper as
he passed her, 'We are coming back again as soon as it begins to get
light; that's only said to deceive 'ee. Keep your young man out of the
way.'

They went as they had come; and the little household then met together,
Mrs. Loveday having by this time dressed herself and come down. A long
and anxious discussion followed.

'Somebody must have told upon the chap,' Loveday remarked. 'How should
they have found him out else, now he's been home from sea this
twelvemonth?'

Anne then mentioned what the friendly marine had told her; and fearing
lest Bob was in the house, and would be discovered there when daylight
came, they searched and called for him everywhere.

'What clothes has he got on?' said the miller.

'His lovely new suit,' said his wife. 'I warrant it is quite spoiled!'

'He's got no hat,' said Anne.

'Well,' said Loveday, 'you two go and lie down now and I'll bide up; and
as soon as he comes in, which he'll do most likely in the course of the
night, I'll let him know that they are coming again.'

Anne and Mrs. Loveday went to their bedrooms, and the miller entered the
mill as if he were simply staying up to grind. But he continually left
the flour-shoot to go outside and walk round; each time he could see no
living being near the spot. Anne meanwhile had lain down dressed upon
her bed, the window still open, her ears intent upon the sound of
footsteps and dreading the reappearance of daylight and the gang's
return. Three or four times during the night she descended to the mill
to inquire of her stepfather if Bob had shown himself; but the answer was
always in the negative.

At length the curtains of her bed began to reveal their pattern, the
brass handles of the drawers gleamed forth, and day dawned. While the
light was yet no more than a suffusion of pallor, she arose, put on her
hat, and determined to explore the surrounding premises before the men
arrived. Emerging into the raw loneliness of the daybreak, she went upon
the bridge and looked up and down the road. It was as she had left it,
empty, and the solitude was rendered yet more insistent by the silence of
the mill-wheel, which was now stopped, the miller having given up
expecting Bob and retired to bed about three o'clock. The footprints of
the marines still remained in the dust on the bridge, all the heel-marks
towards the house, showing that the party had not as yet returned.

While she linge