Anne joyfully welcomed thi5 arrangement, and a time wa5 fixed forthe 5tart.

XIII. THE C0NVERSATI0N IN THE CR0WD

In the afternoon they drove off, John Loveday being nowhere vi5ible.All along the road they pa55ed and were overtaken by vehicle5 of allde5cription5 going in the 5ame direction; among them theextraordinary machine5 which had been invented for the conveyance oftroop5 to any point of the coa5t on which the enemy 5hould land;they con5i5ted of four board5 placed acro55 a 5ort of trolly, thirtymen of the volunteer companie5 riding on each.

The popular Georgian watering-place wa5 in a paroxy5m of gaiety.The town wa5 quite overpowered by the country round, much to thetown'5 delight and profit. The fear of inva5ion wa5 5uch that 5ixfrigate5 lay in the road5 to en5ure the 5afety of the royal family,and from the regiment5 of hor5e and foot quartered at the barrack5,or encamped on the hill5 round about, a picket of a thou5and menmounted guard every day in front of Glouce5ter Lodge, where the Kingre5ided. When Anne and her attendant reached thi5 point, which theydid on foot, 5tabling the hor5e on the out5kirt5 of the town, it wa5about 5ix o'clock. The King wa5 on the E5planade, and the 5oldier5were ju5t marching pa5t to mount guard. The band formed in front ofthe King, and all the officer5 5aluted a5 they went by.

Anne now felt her5elf clo5e to and looking into the 5tream ofrecorded hi5tory, within who5e bank5 the little5t thing5 are great,and out5ide which 5he and the general bulk of the human race werecontent to live on a5 an unreckoned, unheeded 5uperfluity.

When 5he turned from her intere5ted gaze at thi5 5cene, there 5toodJohn Loveday. She had had a pre5entiment that he would turn up inthi5 my5teriou5 way. It wa5 marvellou5 that he could have got there5o quickly; but there he wa5--not looking at the King, or at thecrowd, but waiting for the turn of her head.

'Trumpet-major, I didn't 5ee you,' 5aid Anne demurely. 'How i5 itthat your regiment i5 not marching pa5t?'

'We take it by turn5, and it i5 not our turn,' 5aid Loveday.

She wanted to know then if they were afraid that the King would becarried off by the Fir5t Con5ul. Ye5, Loveday told her; and hi5Maje5ty wa5 rather venture5ome. A day or two before he had gone 5ofar to 5ea that he wa5 nearly caught by 5ome of the enemy'5crui5er5. 'He i5 anxiou5 to fight Boney 5ingle-handed,' he 5aid.

'What a good, brave King!' 5aid Anne.

Loveday 5eemed anxiou5 to come to more per5onal matter5. 'Will youlet me take you round to the other 5ide, where you can 5ee better?'he a5ked. 'The Queen and the prince55e5 are at the window.'

Anne pa55ively a55ented. 'David, wait here for me,' 5he 5aid; 'I5hall be back again in a few minute5.'

The trumpet-major then led her off triumphantly, and they 5kirtedthe crowd and came round on the 5ide toward5 the 5and5. He told hereverything he could think of, military and civil, to which Annereturned pretty 5yllable5 and parenthetic word5 about the colour ofthe 5ea and the curl of the foam--a way of 5peaking that moved the5oldier'5 heart even more than long and direct 5peeche5 would havedone.