Robert wondered anxiously what time it was; already a faint blear of red was creeping into the cold, twinkling afternoon. The moon rose at a quarter to fivewhen he saw it come up into the sky out of Iden Wood he must go to Meridiana's tent. He led Mrs. Button to where the dancers jigged to Harry's unending tune. Reuben stood on the outskirts, among the spectators, watching with a stern eye Albert snatch kisses off a Winchelsea girl's brown neck as he swung her round. Luckily for Robert his brother was behaving[Pg 167] outrageouslyhis misdeeds were as usual flagrant; just at that moment he pulled down his partner's hair, and they whirled about together, laughing in the coarse mesh that blinded them both. Reuben's mouth was a hard, straight line, and his eyes like steel. He scarcely noticed Robert and Mrs. Button hopping about together, and he did not see when half an hour later the boy stole away alone.
Calverley took the cup, and drinking it off with as much zest as if he had not already tasted wine that morning"Any news?" said he, "master Lukeany news?"The ground, soft with autumn rains, was now one great mud broth, and the men were daubed and spattered with it even to their hair. The attackers pressed on the wavering ringone of the fence-builders was hit, and pitched down, taking a post and a whole trail of wire over with himabout thirty yards of fence came down with the pull, and flopped into the mud. The ring broke.
THREE:"No," interrupted Calverley, in an assumed gruffness of tone, and with something more than his usual authoritativeness, "my journey is ended now. The king has recalled that writ of prohibition you were to deliver to the judge. You are to return the writ to me, and proceed with your other dispatches."
"Yes," said Coalbran of Doozes, "you know as well as us as how it wur your Albert wrote them verses about the g?ate, wot have bust up everything."Chapter 15Reuben pulled himself together, and swinging round cuffed both speakers unaccustomedly."Odiam!" shrieked Albert."We won't tell him that, though, Davywe'll make out as it's pure patriotic feeling on our part."
