CHAPTER XIX. A SUMMER NIGHT.

o.Howcouldyouimagineit?Itisashabbylittlefigureofaprivatesoldiertheyhadpostedhimassentinel.Heissafeinthemillnow.Isawthedooropenandadmithim.Mymindgrowseasier.Robertisprepared.OurwarningwouldhavebeensuperfluousandnowIamthankfulwecametoolatetogiveit.Ithassavedusthetroubleofascene.Howfinetohaveenteredthecounting-housetouteéperdue,andtohavefoundoneselfinpresenceofMessrs.ArmitageandRamsdensmoking,Maloneswaggering,yourunclesneering,Mr.Sykessippingacordial,andMoorehimselfinhiscoldman-of-businessvein!Iamgladwemisseditall." "Iwonderiftherearemanyinthemill,Shirley!" "Plentytodefendit.Thesoldierswehavetwiceseento-dayweregoingthere,nodoubt,andthegroupwenoticedsurroundingyourcousininthefieldswillbewithhim." "Whataretheydoingnow,Shirley?Whatisthatnoise?" "Hatchetsandcrowbarsagainsttheyardgates.Theyareforcingthem.Areyouafraid?" "Nobutmyheartthrobsfast.Ihaveadifficultyinstanding.Iwillsitdown.Doyoufeelunmoved?" "HardlythatbutIamgladIcame.Weshallseewhattranspireswithourowneyes.Wearehereonthespot,andnoneknowit.Insteadofamazingthecurate,theclothier,andthecorn-dealerwitharomanticrushonthestage,westandalonewiththefriendlynight,itsmutestars,andthesewhisperingtrees,whosereportourfriendswillnotcometogather." "Shirley,Shirley,thegatesaredown!Thatcrashwaslikethefellingofgreattrees.Nowtheyarepouringthrough.Theywillbreakdownthemilldoorsastheyhavebrokenthegate.WhatcanRobertdoagainstsomany?WouldtoGodIwerealittlenearerhim—couldhearhimspeak—couldspeaktohim!Withmywill—mylongingtoservehim—IcouldnotbeauselessburdeninhiswayIcouldbeturnedtosomeaccount." "Theycomeon!"criedShirley."Howsteadilytheymarchin!Thereisdisciplineintheirranks.Iwillnotsaythereiscourage—hundredsagainsttensarenoproofofthatquality—but"(shedroppedhervoice)"thereissufferinganddesperationenoughamongstthem.Thesegoadswillurgethemforwards." "ForwardsagainstRobertandtheyhatehim.Shirley,istheremuchdangertheywillwintheday?" "Weshallsee.MooreandHelstoneareof'earth'sfirstblood'—nobunglers—nocravens——" Acrash—smash—shiver—stoppedtheirwhispers.Asimultaneouslyhurledvolleyofstoneshadsalutedthebroadfrontofthemill,withallitswindowsandnoweverypaneofeverylatticelayinshatteredandpoundedfragments.Ayellfollowedthisdemonstration—arioters'yell—anorth-of-England,aYorkshire,aWest-Riding,aWest-Riding-clothing-district-of-Yorkshirerioters'yell. Youneverheardthatsound,perhaps,reader?Somuchthebetterforyourears—perhapsforyourheart,since,ifitrendstheairinhatetoyourself,ortothemenorprinciplesyouapprove,theintereststowhichyouwishwell,wrathwakenstothecryofhatethelionshakeshismane,andrisestothehowlofthehyenacastestandsup,irefulagainstcasteandtheindignant,wrongedspiritofthemiddlerankbearsdowninzealandscornonthefamishedandfuriousmassoftheoperativeclass.Itisdifficulttobetolerant,difficulttobejust,insuchmoments. CarolineroseShirleyputherarmroundher:theystoodtogetherasstillasthestraightstemsoftwotrees.Thatyellwasalongone,andwhenitceasedthenightwasyetfulloftheswayingandmurmuringofacrowd. "Whatnext?"wasthequestionofthelisteners.Nothingcameyet.Themillremainedmuteasamausoleum. "Hecannotbealone!"whisperedCaroline. "IwouldstakeallIhavethatheisaslittlealoneasheisalarmed,"respondedShirley. Shotsweredischargedbytherioters.Hadthedefenderswaitedforthissignal?Itseemedso.Thehithertoinertandpassivemillwokefireflashedfromitsemptywindow-framesavolleyofmusketrypealedsharpthroughtheHollow. "Moorespeaksatlast!"saidShirley,"andheseemstohavethegiftoftongues.Thatwasnotasinglevoice." "Hehasbeenforbearing.Noonecanaccusehimofrashness,"allegedCaroline."Theirdischargeprecededhis.Theybrokehisgatesandhiswindows.Theyfiredathisgarrisonbeforeherepelledthem." Whatwasgoingonnow?Itseemeddifficult,inthedarkness,todistinguishbutsomethingterrible,astill-renewingtumult,wasobvious—fierceattacks,desperaterepulses.Themill-yard,themillitself,wasfullofbattlemovement.Therewasscarcelyanycessationnowofthedischargeoffirearmsandtherewasstruggling,rushing,trampling,andshoutingbetween.Theaimoftheassailantsseemedtobetoenterthemill,thatofthedefenderstobeatthemoff.Theyheardtherebelleadercry,"Totheback,lads!"Theyheardavoiceretort,"Comeroundwewillmeetyou." "Tothecounting-house!"wastheorderagain. "Welcome!weshallhaveyouthere!"wastheresponse.Andaccordinglythefiercestblazethathadyetglowed,theloudestrattlethathadyetbeenheard,burstfromthecounting-housefrontwhenthemassofriotersrusheduptoit. ThevoicethathadspokenwasMoore'sownvoice.Theycouldtellbyitstonesthathissoulwasnowwarmwiththeconflicttheycouldguessthatthefightinganimalwasrousedineveryoneofthosementherestrugglingtogether,andwasforthetimequiteparamountabovetherationalhumanbeing. Boththegirlsfelttheirfacesglowandtheirpulsesthrobbothknewtheywoulddonogoodbyrushingdownintothemêlée.Theydesiredneithertodealnortoreceiveblowsbuttheycouldnothaverunaway—CarolinenomorethanShirleytheycouldnothavefaintedtheycouldnothavetakentheireyesfromthedim,terriblescene—fromthemassofcloud,ofsmoke,themusket-lightning—fortheworld. "Howandwhenwoulditend?"wasthedemandthrobbingintheirthrobbingpulses."Wouldajunctureariseinwhichtheycouldbeuseful?"waswhattheywaitedtoseeforthoughShirleyputofftheirtoo-latearrivalwithajest,andwaseverreadytosatirizeherownoranyotherperson'senthusiasm,shewouldhavegivenafarmofherbestlandforachanceofrenderinggoodservice. Thechancewasnotvouchsafedherthelooked-forjuncturenevercame.Itwasnotlikely.Moorehadexpectedthisattackfordays,perhapsweekshewaspreparedforitateverypoint.Hehadfortifiedandgarrisonedhismill,whichinitselfwasastrongbuilding.Hewasacool