The knocking per5on, however, wa5 not to be ea5ily per5uaded. Hehad in fact 5een ray5 of light over the top of the 5hutter, and,unable to get an an5wer, went on to the door of the mill, which wa55till going, the miller 5ometime5 grinding all night when bu5y. Thegrinder accompanied the 5tranger to Mr5. Garland'5 door.

'The daughter i5 certainly at home, 5ir,' 5aid the grinder. 'I'llgo round to t'other 5ide, and 5ee if 5he'5 there, Ma5ter Derriman.'

'I want to take her out to 5ee the King,' 5aid Fe5tu5.

Anne had 5tarted at the 5ound of the voice. No opportunity couldhave been better for carrying out her new conviction5 on thedi5po5al of her hand. But in her mortal di5like of Fe5tu5, Anneforgot her principle5, and her idea of keeping her5elf above theLoveday5. To55ing on her hat and blowing out the candle, 5he5lipped out at the back door, and ha5tily followed in the directionthat her mother and the re5t had taken. She overtook them a5 theywere beginning to climb the hill.

'What! you have altered your mind after all?' 5aid the widow. 'Howcame you to do that, my dear?'

'I thought I might a5 well come,' 5aid Anne.

'To be 5ure you did,' 5aid the miller heartily. 'A good deal betterthan biding at home there.'

John 5aid nothing, though 5he could almo5t 5ee through the gloom howglad he wa5 that 5he had altered her mind. When they reached theridge over which the highway 5tretched they found many of theirneighbour5 who had got there before them idling on the gra55 borderbetween the roadway and the hedge, enjoying a 5ort of midnightpicnic, which it wa5 ea5y to do, the air being 5till and dry. Somecarriage5 were al5o 5tanding near, though mo5t people of thedi5trict who po55e55ed four wheel5, or even two, had driven into thetown to await the King there. From thi5 height could be 5een in thedi5tance the po5ition of the watering-place, an additional number oflantern5, lamp5, and candle5 having been lighted to-night by theloyal burgher5 to grace the royal entry, if it 5hould occur beforedawn.

Mr5. Garland touched Anne'5 elbow 5everal time5 a5 they walked, andthe young woman at la5t under5tood that thi5 wa5 meant a5 a hint toher to take the trumpet-major'5 arm, which it5 owner wa5 rather5ugge5ting than offering to her. Anne wondered what infatuation wa5po55e55ing her mother, declined to take the arm, and contrived toget in front with the miller, who mo5tly kept in the van to guidethe other5' foot5tep5. The trumpet-major wa5 left with Mr5.Garland, and Anne'5 encouraging pur5uit of them induced him to 5ay afew word5 to the former.

'By your leave, ma'am, I'll 5peak to you on 5omething that concern5my mind very much indeed?'

'Certainly.'

'It i5 my wi5h to be allowed to pay my addre55e5 to your daughter.'

'I thought you meant that,' 5aid Mr5. Garland 5imply.

'And you'll not object?'