Anne was now in the westernmost branches of the bush, and Bob had leant across into the eastern branches of his. In gathering he swayed towards her, back again, forward again.
'I beg pardon,' he said, when a further swing than usual had taken him almost in contact with her.
'Then why do you do it?'
'The wind rocks the bough, and the bough rocks me.. She expressed by a look her opinion of this statement in the face of the gentlest breeze; and Bob pursued. 'I am afraid the berries will stain your pretty hands.'
'I wear gloves.'
'Ah, that's a plan I should never have thought of. Can I help you?'
'Not at all.'
'You are offended. that's what that means.'
'No,' she said.
'Then will you shake hands?'
Anne hesitated; then slowly stretched out her hand, which he took at once. 'That will do,' she said, finding that he did not relinquish it immediately. But as he still held it, she pulled, the effect of which was to draw Bob's swaying person, bough and all, towards her, and herself towards him.
'I am afraid to let go your hand,' said that officer, 'for if I do your spar will fly back, and you will be thrown upon the deck with great violence.'
'I wish you to let me go!'
He accordingly did, and she flew back, but did not by any means fall.
'It reminds me of the times when I used to be aloft clinging to a yard not much bigger than this tree-stem, in the mid-Atlantic, and thinking about you. I could see you in my fancy as plain as I see you now.'
'Me, or some other woman!' retorted Anne haughtily.
'No!' declared Bob, shaking the bush for emphasis, 'I'll protest that I did not think of anybody but you all the time we were dropping down channel, all the time we were off Cadiz, all the time through battles and bombardments. I seemed to see you in the smoke, and, thinks I, if I go to Davy's locker, what will she do?'
'You didn't think that when you landed after Trafalgar.'
'Well, now,' said the lieutenant in a reasoning tone; 'that was a curious thing. You'll hardly believe it, maybe; but when a man is away from the woman he loves best in the port--world, I mean--he can have a sort of temporary feeling for another without disturbing the old one, which flows along under the same as ever.'
'I can't believe it, and won't,' said Anne firmly.
Molly now appeared with the empty basket, and when it had been filled from the heap on the grass, Anne went home with her, bidding Loveday a frigid adieu.
The same evening, when Bob was absent, the miller proposed that they should all three go to an upper window of the house, to get a distant view of some rockets and illuminations which were to be exhibited in the town and harbour in honour of the King, who had returned this year as usual. They accordingly went upstairs to an empty attic, placed chairs against the window, and put out the light; Anne sitting in the middle, her mother close by, and the miller behind, smoking. No sign of any pyrotechnic display was visible over the port as yet, and Mrs. Loveday passed the time by talking to the miller, who replied in monosyllables. While this was going on Anne fancied that she heard some one approach, and presently felt sure that Bob was drawing near her in the surrounding darkness; but as the other two had noticed nothing she said not a word.
All at once the swarthy expanse of southward sky was broken by the blaze of several rockets simultaneously ascending from different ships in the roads. At the very same moment a warm mysterious hand slipped round her own, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
'O dear!' said Anne, with a sudden start away.
'How nervous you are, child, to be startled by fireworks so far off,' said Mrs. Loveday.
'I never saw rockets before,' murmured Anne, recovering from her surprise.
Mrs. Loveday presently spoke again. 'I wonder what has become of Bob?'
Anne did not reply, being much exercised in trying to get her hand away from the one that imprisoned it; and whatever the miller thought he kept to himself, because it disturbed his smoking to speak.
