The Trumpet-Major by Thomas Hardy

Meanwhile Sailor Cornick had gone on his way as far as the forking roads, / where he met Festus Derriman on foot. The latter, attracted by the / seaman's dress, and by seeing him come from the mill, at once accosted / him. Jim, with the greatest readiness, fell into conversation, and told / the same story as that he had related at the mill.

'Bob Loveday going to be married? ' repeated Festus.

'You all seem struck of a heap wi' that.'

'No; I never heard news that pleased me more.'

When Cornick was gone, Festus, instead of passing straight on, halted on / the little bridge and meditated. Bob, being now interested elsewhere, / would probably not resent the siege of Anne's heart by another; there / could, at any rate, be no further possibility of that looming duel which / had troubled the yeoman's mind ever since his horse-play on Anne at the / house on the down. To march into the mill and propose to Mrs. Loveday / for Anne before John's interest could revive in her was, to this hero's / thinking, excellent discretion.

The day had already begun to darken when he entered, and the cheerful / fire shone red upon the floor and walls. Mrs. Loveday received him / alone, and asked him to take a seat by the chimney-corner, a little of / the old hankering for him as a son-in-law having permanently remained / with her.

'Your servant, Mrs. Loveday,' he said, 'and I will tell you at once what / I come for. You will say that I take time by the forelock when I inform / you that it is to push on my long-wished-for alliance wi' your daughter, / as I believe she is now a free woman again.'

'Thank you, Mr. Derriman,' said the mother placably. 'But she is ill at / present. I'll mention it to her when she is better.'

'Ask her to alter her cruel, cruel resolves against me, on the score / of -- of my consuming passion for her. In short,' continued Festus, / dropping his parlour language in his warmth, 'I'll tell thee what, Dame / Loveday, I want the maid, and must have her.'

Mrs. Loveday replied that that was very plain speaking.

'Well, 'tis. But Bob has given her up. He never meant to marry her. / I'll tell you, Mrs. Loveday, what I have never told a soul before. I was / standing upon Budmouth Quay on that very day in last September that Bob / set sail, and I heard him say to his brother John that he gave your / daughter up.'

'Then it was very unmannerly of him to trifle with her so,' said Mrs. / Loveday warmly. 'Who did he give her up to?'

Festus replied with hesitation, 'He gave her up to John.'

'To John? How could he give her up to a man already over head and ears / in love with that actress woman?'

'O? You surprise me. Which actress is it?'

'That Miss Johnson. Anne tells me that he loves her hopelessly.'

Festus arose. Miss Johnson seemed suddenly to acquire high value as a / sweetheart at this announcement. He had himself felt a nameless / attractiveness in her, and John had done likewise. John crossed his path / in all possible ways.

Before the yeoman had replied somebody opened the door, and the firelight / shone upon the uniform of the person they discussed. Festus nodded on / recognizing him, wished Mrs. Loveday good evening, and went out / precipitately.

'So Bob told you he meant to break off with my Anne when he went away? ' / Mrs. Loveday remarked to the trumpet-major. 'I wish I had known of it / before.'

John appeared disturbed at the sudden charge. He murmured that he could / not deny it, and then hastily turned from her and followed Derriman, whom / he saw before him on the bridge.