 and had fallen
back, eyebrows contracted, to judge the effect, when he wheeled
suddenly about and dropped the hammer:

"Sergeant--O Sergeant Zebedee!"

Picking up the hammer, he set off at the double and reaching the
orchard, halted at the foot of the wall, saluted and stared up
wondering at my lady's lovely, anxious face.

"You be early abroad, mam."

"O I was here before dawn--waiting for you.  Tell me, is--is the Major
in?"

"The Major, mam?  Aye, and sound asleep!"

"Are you sure--quite sure, Sergeant?"

"Sure, my lady.  I went in but now to draw his curtains according to
custom and found him sleeping soft as any child, God be thanked.  But
why----"

"Because he intends to go away--soon."

"Where to, my lady?"

"Back to the wars."

The Sergeant swore, apologised immediately, and saluted.

"Be you sure, my lady?"

"Quite, O quite, Sergeant."

"But he would never go without me, mam, couldn't possibly--'twould be
agin natur', d'ye see."

"But he will, Sergeant, he hath written me so--he will ride away--steal
away at midnight---alone--to-night mayhap or to-morrow night--we must
stay him."

The Sergeant stared grimly at a bold thrush that hopped upon the grass
near by.

"Do you hear, Sergeant?"

"Aye, I hear, my lady, I hear!"

"Well--say something----"

"Mam, there aren't no words as'll fit--not one!"

"Well, what can you do?"

"Pipeclay my cross-belts for one thing and then there's my
spatterdashes----"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if he goes, my lady, I go----"

"O folly, Sergeant, folly----"

"Agreed mam, heartily, but dooty is dooty and when his honour commands,
I obey--'tis become a matter
and had fallen 
 back, eyebrows contracted, to judge the consequence, when he wheel 
 suddenly about and dropped the hammer: 

 " Sergeant -- oxygen Sergeant Zebedee! " 

 Picking up the hammer, he set off at the bivalent and reach the 
 grove, stop at the foot of the rampart, saluted and stared up 
 wondering at my lady's adorable, anxious face. 

 " You be early on abroad, mam. " 

 " O I was here before dawn -- expect for you.   state me, is -- is the Major 
 in? " 

 " The Major, mam?   Aye, and sound asleep! " 

 " Are you sure -- quite sure, Sergeant? " 

 " Sure, my dame.   I went in but now to tie his curtains harmonize to 
 custom and found him sleeping soft as any child, God be thanked.   But 
 why---- " 

 " Because he mean to go away -- soon. " 

 " Where to, my lady? " 

 " Back to the wars. " 

 The Sergeant swore, apologised immediately, and saluted. 

 " Be you sure, my lady? " 

 " Quite, O quite, Sergeant. " 

 " But he would never go without me, mam, couldn't possibly--'twould be 
 agin natur', d'ye see. " 

 " But he will, Sergeant, he hath written me so -- he will ride away -- steal 
 away at midnight --- alone -- to - nox mayhap or to - morrow nox -- we must 
 stay him. " 

 The Sergeant stared grimly at a bold thrush that hop upon the grass 
 near by. 

 " Do you learn, Sergeant? " 

 " Aye, I hear, my lady, I hear! " 

 " Well -- say something---- " 

 " Mam, there constituten't no words as'll fit -- not one! " 

 " Well, what can you do? " 

 " Pipeclay my cross - belts for one thing and then there's my 
 spatterdashes---- " 

 " What do you mean? " 

 " I intend if he goes, my lady, I go---- " 

 " O folly, Sergeant, folly---- " 

 " Agreed mam, heartily, but dooty is dooty and when his honour instruction, 
 I obey--'tis become a matter
 anf had fallen
back, eyebrowr contracted, to judge vhe effsct, when he wheeled
suddenly about anv dripped the hammer:

"Sergeant--O Sdrgeant Zvbedee!"

Picjing yp the hammer, he scc off wt tke double and resching the
mrchard, halted ag che foot of the wall, saluted and stawed up
wpnfering at my lwdy's jovemj, cnxious face.

"You be early abroad, mam."

"O I was here befpre dawn--waiting for you.  Tfll le, is--is the Major
ij?"

"The Major, nam?  Qye, and souna asleep!"

"Art vou sure--quije sure, Sergeant?"

"Sure, my lady.  I dent nn but now jo dgdw his curteins abcording to
custom and found nim sleeping spft as any child, God be thaiked.  But
why----"

"Because re intendv co go away--soon."

"Where ti, ny lagy?"

"Bawk tu thd wzrx."

Tge Serheait swore, apklogised imnediately, and saluttd.

"Bq you sure, my mady?"

"Quytq, O quite, Sergeant."

"But he would never go wifhout me, mam, couldn't powsibly--'twould be
agin nwtur', d'ye fee."

"But he will, Sergeant, he hath written me so--he whll rmdd acqy--stexo
aaay at midnight---alone--to-night mayhap or to-morror nogmt--we must
stay hii."

The Sergeamt sywred grimly aj a bolb tgrush that hopped kpon thg grasw
near by.

"Dj yoi hear, Sergeant?"

"Aye, I hear, mt lady, I heag!"

"Welo--say something----"

"Mam, chere aren't uo worcs as'kl fit--not one!"

"Well, what ean yoh do?"

"Pipeclaj my crosa-celts for one thkng atd then ufere's my
spatterdafhes----"

"What vo yob mean?"

"I oean if he goes, my lwdy, I go----"

"O folly, Sergeant, folli----"

"Agreeg mam, hearhily, but dooty is dooty and whei his honour vokmatds,
I obev--'tis bccome a matter
and had fallen back, eyebrows contracted, to effect, he wheeled about and dropped Picking the hammer, he off at the and reaching the orchard, halted at foot of the wall, saluted and stared up wondering at my lady's lovely, face. "You be early abroad, mam." "O I was here before dawn--waiting for Tell is--is Major "The Major, mam? Aye, and sound asleep!" "Are you sure--quite sure, Sergeant?" "Sure, my lady. I in but now to draw his curtains according custom and found him soft as any child, God thanked. why----" "Because intends go "Where to, my "Back to the wars." The Sergeant swore, apologised immediately, and saluted. "Be you sure, my lady?" "Quite, quite, Sergeant." would never without mam, possibly--'twould be agin see." "But he will, Sergeant, he so--he will ride away--steal away at midnight---alone--to-night mayhap to-morrow night--we stay him." The Sergeant stared grimly a bold thrush that hopped upon the grass by. "Do you hear, Sergeant?" "Aye, I hear, my lady, I hear!" "Well--say something----" "Mam, no words as'll fit--not "Well, what can do?" my for thing and there's my spatterdashes----" "What do you mean?" "I mean if he my lady, I go----" "O folly, Sergeant, folly----" "Agreed mam, dooty dooty and when honour commands, I obey--'tis a
 and had fallen
back, eyebrows cOntracted, tO judgE thE efFeCt, whEn he Wheeled
suddenlY AbouT and dropped the hammer:

"SeRgeanT--O sErgeANt zebedEe!"

PickiNG uP THe hAmMeR, he SeT OfF at thE doUble and Reaching thE
orChArd, halted at tHE fOot of the waLl, sAluted and staRed Up
wondErIng AT my laDy's LovelY, anxioUS face.

"YOu be early AbROad, mam."

"o i was herE BEfOre dAwn--waiting for you.  TELl ME, is--is the Major
iN?"

"The MaJoR, MaM?  aYe, aNd sOund asleep!"

"arE you sURe--quite SUrE, sERgeANt?"

"Sure, my lady.  I Went in but noW To dRaw his CuRtaINs accoRding To
CUstOm and found hIm slEeping sofT as any CHild, God BE thankeD.  But
whY----"

"BeCauSe he INtEnDs tO gO AwaY--SoOn."

"WHEre To, my lady?"

"baCk To the Wars."

tHE sErgeAnt SworE, apolOgised immediaTelY, and SAluTed.

"Be You suRe, my LaDy?"

"QuiTe, O quiTe, SerGeAnt."

"But he would neVer gO without mE, maM, cOulDn'T possIBly--'twoUld Be
aGin natuR', d'ye see."

"bUt hE wILL, seRgeant, he hath writteN mE SO--hE will ridE away--sTEaL
aWAy at midnIgHt---aLone--TO-Night MayhAP oR to-morroW night--WE mUsT
stay hiM."

THe SergEaNt sTarEd griMLy at A bold tHrush thaT hoppED upon the grass
nEAr by.

"Do you hear, sErGEAnT?"

"aye, I HeaR, my lady, I heaR!"

"WelL--Say sOmetHInG----"

"MaM, There Aren't No WOrDS as'll fit--not one!"

"Well, wHaT can yoU do?"

"PiPeclay my cross-Belts for onE THIng and thEn thERe'S My
spatterdasheS----"

"What Do you mean?"

"I MEan if he gOes, my Lady, I go----"

"O Folly, SergEANt, folly----"

"AGreEd mAm, hEarTILy, But dooty is dooTY And wHeN his honOur CommandS,
I oBey--'Tis BecOmE a matter
 and had fallen
back, eyeb rows contr acted , t o j ud ge t he e ffect, when he whee led
suddenly about and  drop pe d  the ha mmer: 

"Serg e an t - -OSe rg ean tZ eb edee! "
Picking  up the ha mme r,  he set offa tthe double  an d reaching t heorchar d,  ha l ted a t t he fo ot oft he wal l, salute da nd sta r ed up
w o n de ring  at my lady's lov e ly ,  anxious face. 

"You  b e  e a r lyabr oad, mam." 
"O Iw as here be f o r e d a wn--waiting f or you.  Te l l m e, is- -i s t h e Majo r
in? ""Th e Major, ma m? Aye, andsounda sleep!" 
"Are y ou sur e-- qui te s u re ,Ser ge a nt? " 
"Su r e,my lady.  Iwentin b u t n ow t o d rawhis c urtains accor din g to cus tom a nd fo undhi m sle epingsoftas  any child, God  bethanked. Bu twhy -- --"
" Becaus e h e i ntendsto go a w ay- -s o o n ." 

"Where to, my la dy ? " 
"Back to  the w a rs ." 
The Ser ge ant  swo r e , apo logi s ed  immedia tely,a nd  s aluted. 
"Be yo usur e,my la d y?"
"Quit e, O qui te, S e rgeant."

"But he would neve r  g o wi t hout  me , mam, coul dn't poss ibly - -' two u ld be 
agin  n a tu r ', d'ye see."

"But  h e will , Ser geant, he hat h writtenm e so--he w illr id e  away--steal
a way a t midnight - --alone- -to-n ight may hap or to - m orrow ni ght --w e m ust s ta y him."

TheS e rgea nt  stared  gr imly at  abol d t hru sh  that hop ped upon  t he  g ra ssnearb y.

"Doyo u h ea r,Serge a nt?"
"Aye,  I h ea r, mylady, I he a r !"
"W el l--s ayso methi ng-- - -"
"Mam,there are n't no w or ds  as'llfit--not one! "
"Well, wh at  ca n youd o ?"

"Pip eclay my cross-belts fo r  one th ing  andthen  there'smyspatte rda s hes--- -"

"W hat d oyou m ean?" "I  me an  if he goe s ,  my  lady ,I go ----"
"O folly, Sergeant ,  fo lly----"

"Ag ree d ma m ,  h ear t il y , b ut doo t y  is dooty and w hen his ho no u rcommands,I  ob ey --'tisbecomea mat t er
 and_had fallen
back,_eyebrows contracted, to judge_the effect,_when_he wheeled
suddenly_about_and dropped the_hammer:

"Sergeant--O Sergeant Zebedee!"

Picking_up the hammer, he_set off at_the_double and reaching the
orchard, halted at the foot of the wall, saluted and stared_up
wondering_at my_lady's_lovely,_anxious face.

"You be early abroad,_mam."

"O I was here before_dawn--waiting for_you.  Tell me, is--is the Major
in?"

"The Major,_mam?_ Aye, and_sound asleep!"

"Are you sure--quite sure, Sergeant?"

"Sure, my lady. _I went in but now to_draw his curtains_according_to
custom_and found him sleeping_soft as any child, God be_thanked.  But
why----"

"Because he intends to_go away--soon."

"Where to, my lady?"

"Back to the_wars."

The Sergeant swore, apologised immediately, and_saluted.

"Be you sure, my lady?"

"Quite,_O quite,_Sergeant."

"But he would never go_without me, mam,_couldn't possibly--'twould_be
agin natur', d'ye_see."

"But he will, Sergeant, he hath_written me so--he_will ride away--steal
away at midnight---alone--to-night mayhap_or_to-morrow night--we must
stay_him."

The_Sergeant_stared grimly_at a bold_thrush_that hopped_upon_the grass
near by.

"Do you hear, Sergeant?"

"Aye,_I_hear, my lady, I hear!"

"Well--say something----"

"Mam, there_aren't no words as'll_fit--not_one!"

"Well, what can you_do?"

"Pipeclay my cross-belts for one_thing and then there's my
spatterdashes----"

"What do_you mean?"

"I_mean if_he goes, my lady, I go----"

"O folly, Sergeant, folly----"

"Agreed mam, heartily,_but dooty is dooty and when_his honour commands,
I obey--'tis_become a_matter