Chapter 7 - Page 2

I?--say I don't just to provoke me.'

'I am sure you do,' said Anne sweetly. 'If a Frenchman came up to you, Mr. Derriman, would you take him on the hip, or on the thigh?'

'Now you are flattering!' he said, his white teeth uncovering themselves in a smile. 'Well, of course I should draw my sword--no, I mean my sword would be already drawn; and I should put spurs to my horse--charger, as we call it in the army; and I should ride up to him and say--no, I shouldn't say anything, of course--men never waste words in battle; I should take him with the third guard, low point, and then coming back to the second guard--'

'But that would be taking care of yourself--not hitting at him.'

'How can you say that!' he cried, the beams upon his face turning to a lurid cloud in a moment. 'How can you understand military terms who've never had a sword in your life? I shouldn't take him with the sword at all.' He went on with eager sulkiness, 'I should take him with my pistol. I should pull off my right glove, and throw back my goat-skin; then I should open my priming-pan, prime, and cast about--no, I shouldn't, that's wrong; I should draw my right pistol, and as soon as loaded, seize the weapon by the butt; then at the word "Cock your pistol" I should--'

'Then there is plenty of time to give such words of command in the heat of battle?' said Anne innocently.

'No!' said the yeoman, his face again in flames. 'Why, of course I am only telling you what WOULD be the word of command IF--there now! you la--'

'I didn't; 'pon my word I didn't!'

'No, I don't think you did; it was my mistake. Well, then I come smartly to Present, looking well along the barrel--along the barrel- -and fire. Of course I know well enough how to engage the enemy! But I expect my old uncle has been setting you against me.'

'He has not said a word,' replied Anne; 'though I have heard of you, of course.'

'What have you heard? Nothing good, I dare say. It makes my blood boil within me!'

'O, nothing bad,' said she assuringly. 'Just a word now and then.'

'Now, come, tell me, there's a dear. I don't like to be crossed. It shall be a sacred secret between us. Come, now!'

Anne was embarrassed, and her smile was uncomfortable. 'I shall not tell you,' she said at last.

'There it is again!' said the yeoman, throwing himself into a despair. 'I shall soon begin to believe that my name is not worth sixpence about here!'

'I tell you 'twas nothing against you,' repeated Anne.

'That means it might have been for me,' said Festus, in a mollified tone. 'Well, though, to speak the truth, I have a good many faults, some people will praise me, I suppose. 'Twas praise?'

'It was.'

'Well, I am not much at farming, and I am not much in company, and I am not much at figures, but perhaps I must own, since it is forced upon