call from him, and he walked on beside her, till they were out of
sight. The old man then played upon an imaginary fiddle for about
half a minute; and, suddenly discontinuing these signs of pleasure,
went downstairs again.



VII. HOW THEY TALKED IN THE PASTURES

'You often come this way?' said Festus to Anne rather before he had
overtaken her.

'I come for the newspaper and other things,' she said, perplexed by
a doubt whether he were there by accident or design.

They moved on in silence, Festus beating the grass with his switch
in a masterful 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
you out of the path. I can walk among the high grass and giltycups-
-they will not yellow my stockings as they will yours. Well, what
do you think of a lot of soldiers coming to the neighbourhood in
this way?'

'I think it is very lively, and a great change,' she said with
demure seriousness.

'Perhaps you don't like us warriors as a body?'