Margery duly followed up her intention by arraying herself the next morning in her loveliest guise, and keeping watch for Mr.Vine's appearance upon the high road, feeling certain that his would form one in the procession of carts and carriages which set in towards Exonbury that day.Jim had gone by at a very early hour, and she did not see him pass.Her anticipation was verified by the advent of Mr.
Vine about eleven o'clock, dressed to his highest effort; but Margery was surprised to find that, instead of her having to stop him, he pulled in towards the gate of his own accord.The invitation planned between Jim and the old man on the previous night was now promptly given, and, as may be supposed, as promptly accepted.Such a strange coincidence she had never before known.She was quite ready, and they drove onward at once.
The Review was held on some high ground a little way out of the city, and her conductor suggested that they should put up the horse at the inn, and walk to the field--a plan which pleased her well, for it was more easy to take preliminary observations on foot without being seen herself than when sitting elevated in a vehicle.
They were just in time to secure a good place near the front, and in a few minutes after their arrival the reviewing officer came on the ground.Margery's eye had rapidly run over the troop in which Jim was enrolled, and she discerned him in one of the ranks, looking remarkably new and bright, both as to uniform and countenance.
Indeed, if she had not worked herself into such a desperate state of mind she would have felt proud of him then and there.His shapely upright figure was quite noteworthy in the row of rotund yeomen on his right and left; while his charger Tony expressed by his bearing, even more than Jim, that he knew nothing about lime-carts whatever, and everything about trumpets and glory.How Jim could have scrubbed Tony to such shining blackness she could not tell, for the horse in his natural state was ingrained with lime-dust, that burnt the colour out of his coat as it did out of Jim's hair.Now he pranced martially, and was a war-horse every inch of him.
Having discovered Jim her next search was for Mrs.Peach, and, by dint of some oblique glancing Margery indignantly discovered the widow in the most forward place of all, her head and bright face conspicuously advanced; and, what was more shocking, she had abandoned her mourning for a violet drawn-bonnet and a gay spencer, together with a parasol luxuriously fringed in a way Margery had never before seen.'Where did she get the money?' said Margery, under her breath.'And to forget that poor sailor so soon!'
These general reflections were precipitately postponed by her discovering that Jim and the widow were perfectly alive to each other's whereabouts, and in the interchange of telegraphic signs of affection, which on the latter's part took the form of a playful fluttering of her handkerchief or waving of her parasol.Richard Vine had placed Margery in front of him, to protect her from the crowd, as he said, he himself surveying the scene over her bonnet.
Margery would have been even more surprised than she was if she had known that Jim was not only aware of Mrs.Peach's presence, but also of her own, the treacherous Mr.Vine having drawn out his flame-coloured handkerchief and waved it to Jim over the young woman's head as soon as they had taken up their position.
'My partner makes a tidy soldier, eh--Miss Tucker?' said the senior lime-burner.'It is my belief as a Christian that he's got a party here that he's making signs to--that handsome figure o' fun straight over-right him.'
'Perhaps so,' she said.
'And it's growing warm between 'em if I don't mistake,' continued the merciless Vine.
Margery was silent, biting her lip; and the troops being now set in motion, all signalling ceased for the present between soldier Hayward and his pretended sweetheart.
'Have you a piece of paper that I could make a memorandum on, Mr.
Vine?' asked Margery.
Vine took out his pocket-book and tore a leaf from it, which he handed her with a pencil.
'Don't move from here--I'll return in a minute,' she continued, with the innocence of a woman who means mischief.And, withdrawing herself to the back, where the grass was clear, she pencilled down the words 'JIM'S MARRIED.'
Armed with this document she crept into the throng behind the unsuspecting Mrs.Peach, slipped the paper into her pocket on the top of her handkerchief; and withdrew unobserved, rejoining Mr.Vine with a bearing of nonchalance.
By-and-by the troops were in different order, Jim taking a left-hand position almost close to Mrs.Peach.He bent down and said a few words to her.From her manner of nodding assent it was surely some arrangement about a meeting by-and-by when Jim's drill was over, and Margery was more certain of the fact when, the Review having ended, and the people having strolled off to another part of the field where sports were to take place, Mrs.Peach tripped away in the direction of the city.
'I'll just say a word to my partner afore he goes off the ground, if you'll spare me a minute,' said the old lime-burner.'Please stay here till I'm back again.' He edged along the front till he reached Jim.
'How is she?' said the latter.
'In a trimming sweat,' said Mr.Vine.'And my counsel to 'ee is to carry this larry no further.'Twill do no good.She's as ready to make friends with 'ee as any wife can be; and more showing off can only do harm.'
'But I must finish off with a spurt,' said Jim.'And this is how Iam going to do it.I have arranged with Mrs.Peach that, as soon as we soldiers have entered the town and been dismissed, I'll meet her there.It is really to say good-bye, but she don't know that; and Iwanted it to look like a lopement to Margery's eyes.When I'm clear of Mrs.Peach I'll come back here and make it up with Margery on the spot.But don't say I'm coming, or she may be inclined to throw off again.Just hint to her that I may be meaning to be off to London with the widow.'
