“Well, ma’am, in round numbers, she’s run away with the soldiers,” said William.
“No; not a steady girl like Fanny!”
“I’ll tell ye all particulars. When I got to Casterbridge Barracks, they said, ‘The Eleventh Dragoon-Guards be gone away, and new troops have come.’ The Eleventh left last week for Melchester and onwards. The Route came from Government like a thief in the night, as is his nature to, and afore the Eleventh knew it almost, they were on the march. They passed near here.”
Gabriel had listened with interest. “I saw them go,” he said.
“Yes,” continued William, “they pranced down the street playing ‘The Girl I Left Behind Me,’ so ’tis said, in glorious notes of triumph. Every looker-on’s inside shook with the blows of the great drum to his deepest vitals, and there was not a dry eye throughout the town among the public-house people and the nameless women!”
“But they’re not gone to any war?”
“No, ma’am; but they be gone to take the places of them who may, which is very close connected. And so I said to myself, Fanny’s young man was one of the regiment, and she’s gone after him. There, ma’am, that’s it in black and white.”
“Did you find out his name?”
“No; nobody knew it. I believe he was higher in rank than a private.”
Gabriel remained musing and said nothing, for he was in doubt.