The Trumpet-Major by Thomas Hardy

Festus Derriman had remained in the Royal watering-place all that day, / his horse being sick at stables; but, wishing to coax or bully from his / uncle a remount for the coming summer, he set off on foot for Oxwell / early in the evening. When he drew near to the village, or rather to the / hall, which was a mile from the village, he overtook a slim, quick-eyed / woman, sauntering along at a leisurely pace. She was fashionably dressed / in a green spencer, with 'Mameluke' sleeves, and wore a velvet Spanish / hat and feather.

'Good afternoon t'ye, ma'am,' said Festus, throwing a sword-and-pistol / air into his greeting. 'You are out for a walk?'

'I _am_ out for a walk, captain,' said the lady, who had criticized him / from the crevice of her eye, without seeming to do much more than / continue her demure look forward, and gave the title as a sop to his / apparent character.

'From the town? -- I'd swear it, ma'am; 'pon my honour I would!'

'Yes, I am from the town, sir,' said she.

'Ah, you are a visitor! I know every one of the regular inhabitants; we / soldiers are in and out there continually. Festus Derriman, Yeomanry / Cavalry, you know. The fact is, the watering-place is under our charge; / the folks will be quite dependent upon us for their deliverance in the / coming struggle. We hold our lives in our hands, and theirs, I may say, / in our pockets. What made you come here, ma'am, at such a critical / time?'

'I don't see that it is such a critical time?'

'But it is, though; and so you'd say if you was as much mixed up with the / military affairs of the nation as some of us.'

The lady smiled. 'The King is coming this year, anyhow,' said she.

'Never! ' said Festus firmly. 'Ah, you are one of the attendants at court / perhaps, come on ahead to get the King's chambers ready, in case Boney / should not land?'

'No,' she said; 'I am connected with the theatre, though not just at the / present moment. I have been out of luck for the last year or two; but I / have fetched up again. I join the company when they arrive for the / season.'

Festus surveyed her with interest. 'Faith! and is it so? Well, ma'am, / what part do you play?'

'I am mostly the leading lady -- the heroine,' she said, drawing herself up / with dignity.

'I'll come and have a look at ye if all's well, and the landing is put / off -- hang me if I don't! -- Hullo, hullo, what do I see?'

His eyes were stretched towards a distant field, which Anne Garland was / at that moment hastily crossing, on her way from the hall to Overcombe.

'I must be off. Good-day to ye, dear creature! ' he exclaimed, hurrying / forward.

The lady said, 'O, you droll monster! ' as she smiled and watched him / stride ahead.

Festus bounded on over the hedge, across the intervening patch of green, / and into the field which Anne was still crossing. In a moment or two she / looked back, and seeing the well-known Herculean figure of the yeoman / behind her felt rather alarmed, though she determined to show no / difference in her outward carriage. But to maintain her natural gait was / beyond her powers. She spasmodically quickened her pace; fruitlessly, / however, for he gained upon her, and when within a few strides of her / exclaimed, 'Well, my darling! ' Anne started off at a run.

Festus was already out of breath, and soon found that he was not likely / to overtake her. On she went, without turning her head, till an unusual / noise behind compelled her to look round. His face was in the act of / falling back; he swerved on one side, and dropped like a log upon a / convenient hedgerow-bank which bordered the path. There he lay quite / still.

Anne was somewhat alarmed; and after standing at gaze for two or three / minutes, drew nearer to him, a step and a half at a time, wondering and / doubting, as a meek ewe draws near to some strolling vagabond who flings / himself on the grass near the flock.