'There, now I hope you are satisfied, sir?' said the trumpet-major.
'Quite, quite!' said Derriman; and, leaning on his walking-stick, he
pursued his lonely way.
That night Anne lay awake in her bed, musing on the traits of the
new friend who had come to her neighbour's house. She would not be
critical, it was ungenerous and wrong; but she could not help
thinking of what interested her. And were there, she silently
asked, in Miss Johnson's mind and person such rare qualities as
placed that lady altogether beyond comparison with herself? O yes,
there must be; for had not Captain Bob singled out Matilda from
among all other women, herself included? Of course, with his
world-wide experience, he knew best.
When the moon had set, and only the summer stars threw their light
into the great damp garden, she fancied that she heard voices in
that direction. Perhaps they were the voices of Bob and Matilda
taking a lover's walk before retiring. If so, how sleepy they would
be next day, and how absurd it was of Matilda to pretend she was
tired! Ruminating in this way, and saying to herself that she hoped
they would be happy, Anne fell asleep.
XIX. MISS JOHNSON'S BEHAVIOUR CAUSES NO LITTLE SURPRISE
Partly from the excitement of having his Matilda under the paternal
roof, Bob rose next morning as early as his father and the grinder,
and, when the big wheel began to patter and the little ones to
mumble in response, went to sun himself outside the mill-front,
among the fowls of brown and speckled kinds which haunted that spot,
and the ducks that came up from the mill-tail.
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