Ihavealreadyhadoccasiontomentionthiscastle。ItistheremainsofwhatwasonceaNormanstronghold，andispercheduponaroundmoundormonticle，inthemidstoftheoldcity。Steepisthismoundandscarped，evidentlybythehandofman；adeepgorgeoverwhichisflungabridge，separatesit，onthesouth，fromabroadswellofopengroundcalled’thehill’；ofoldthesceneofmanyatournamentandfeatofNormanchivalry，butnowmuchusedasashow-placeforcattle，wherethosewhobuyandsellbeevesandotherbeastsresortatstatedperiods。
SoitcametopassthatIstooduponthishill，observingafairofhorses。
ThereaderisalreadyawarethatIhadlongsinceconceivedapassionfortheequinerace；apassioninwhichcircumstanceshadoflatenotpermittedmetoindulge。Ihadnohorsestoride，butItookpleasureinlookingatthem；andIhadalreadyattendedmorethanoneofthesefairs：thepresentwaslivelyenough，indeedhorsefairsareseldomdull。Therewasshoutingandwhooping，neighingandbraying；therewasgallopingandtrotting；fellowswithhighlowsandwhitestockings，andwithmanyastringdanglingfromthekneesoftheirtightbreeches，wererunningdesperately，holdinghorsesbythehalter，andinsomecasesdraggingthemalong；therewerelong-tailedsteedsanddock-tailedsteedsofeverydegreeandbreed；thereweredrovesofwildponies，andlongrowsofsobercarthorses；thereweredonkeys，andevenmules：thelastrarethingstobeseenindamp，mistyEngland，forthemulepinesinmudandrain，andthrivesbestwithahotsunaboveandaburningsandbelow。Therewere-oh，thegallantcreatures!I
heartheirneighuponthewind；therewere-goodliestsightofall-certainenormousquadrupedsonlyseentoperfectioninournativeisle，ledaboutbydappergrooms，theirmanesribandedandtheirtailscuriouslyclubbedandballed。Ha!ha!-howdistinctlydotheysay，ha!ha!
Anoldmandrawsnigh，heismountedonaleanpony，andheleadsbythebridleoneoftheseanimals；nothingveryremarkableaboutthatcreature，unlessinbeingsmallerthantherestandgentle，whichtheyarenot；heisnotofthesightliestlook；heisalmostdun，andoveroneeyeathickfilmhasgathered。Butstay!thereISsomethingremarkableaboutthathorse，thereissomethinginhisactioninwhichhediffersfromalltherest：asheadvances，theclamourishushed!alleyesareturneduponhim-whatlooksofinterest-ofrespect-and，whatisthis？peoplearetakingofftheirhats-surelynottothatsteed!Yes，verily!men，especiallyoldmen，aretakingofftheirhatstothatone-eyedsteed，andIhearmorethanonedeep-drawnah!
’Whathorseisthat？’saidItoaveryoldfellow，thecounterpartoftheoldmanonthepony，savethatthelastworeafadedsuitofvelveteen，andthisonewasdressedinawhitefrock。
’ThebestinmotherEngland，’saidtheveryoldman，takingaknobbedstickfromhismouth，andlookingmeintheface，atfirstcarelessly，butpresentlywithsomethinglikeinterest；’heisoldlikemyself，butcanstilltrothistwentymilesanhour。Youwon’tlivelong，myswain；tallandover-grownonesliketheeneverdoes；yet，ifyoushouldchancetoreachmyyears，youmayboasttothygreat-grand-boysthouhastseenMarshlandShales。’
AmainIdidforthehorsewhatIwouldneitherdoforearlnorbaron，doffedmyhat；yes!Idoffedmyhattothewondroushorse，thefasttrotter，thebestinmotherEngland；andItoodrewadeepah!andrepeatedthewordsoftheoldfellowsaround。’Suchahorseasthisweshallneverseeagain；apitythatheissoold。’
NowduringallthistimeIhadakindofconsciousnessthatIhadbeentheobjectofsomeperson’sobservation；thateyeswerefasteneduponmefromsomewhereinthecrowd。SometimesIthoughtmyselfwatchedfrombefore，sometimesfrombehind；andoccasionallymethoughtthat，ifIjustturnedmyheadtotherightorleft，I
shouldmeetapeeringandinquiringglance；andindeedonceortwiceIdidturn，expectingtoseesomebodywhomIknew，yetalwayswithoutsuccess；thoughitappearedtomethatIwasbutamomenttoolate，andthatsomeonehadjustslippedawayfromthedirectiontowhichIturned，likethefigureinamagiclanthorn。
OnceIwasquitesurethattherewereapairofeyesglaringovermyrightshoulder；myattention，however，wassofullyoccupiedwiththeobjectswhichIhaveattemptedtodescribe，thatIthoughtverylittleofthiscomingandgoing，thisflittinganddodgingofIknewnotwhomorwhat。Itwas，afterall，amatterofsheerindifferencetomewhowaslookingatme。Icouldonlywishwhomsoeveritmightbetobemoreprofitablyemployed；soI
continuedenjoyingwhatIsaw；andnowtherewasachangeinthescene，thewondrousoldhorsedepartedwithhisagedguardian；
otherobjectsofinterestareathand；twoorthreemenonhorsebackarehurryingthroughthecrowd，theyarewidelydifferentintheirappearancefromtheotherpeopleofthefair；notsomuchindress，fortheyarecladsomethingafterthefashionofrusticjockeys，butintheirlook-nolight-brownhairhavethey，noruddycheeks，nobluequietglancesbelongtothem；theirfeaturesaredark，theirlockslong，black，andshining，andtheireyesarewild；theyareadmirablehorsemen，buttheydonotsitthesaddleinthemannerofcommonjockeys，theyseemtofloatorhoveruponit，likegullsuponthewaves；twoofthemaremerestriplings，butthethirdisaverytallmanwithacountenanceheroicallybeautiful，butwild，wild，wild。Astheyrushalong，thecrowdgivewayonallsides，andnowakindofringorcircusisformed，withinwhichthestrangemenexhibittheirhorsemanship，rushingpasteachother，inandout，afterthemannerofareel，thetallmanoccasionallybalancinghimselfuponthesaddle，andstandingerectononefoot。Hehadjustregainedhisseatafterthelatterfeat，andwasabouttopushhishorsetoagallop，whenafigurestartedforwardclosefrombesideme，andlayinghishandonhisneck，andpullinghimgentlydownward，appearedtowhispersomethingintohisear；presentlythetallmanraisedhishead，and，scanningthecrowdforamomentinthedirectioninwhichI
wasstanding，fixedhiseyesfulluponme，andanonthecountenanceofthewhispererwasturned，butonlyinpart，andtheside-glanceofanotherpairofwildeyeswasdirectedtowardsmyface，buttheentirevisageofthebigblackman，halfstoopingashewas，wasturnedfulluponmine。
Butnow，withanodtothefigurewhohadstoppedhim，andwithanotherinquiringglanceatmyself，thebigmanoncemoreputhissteedintomotion，and，afterridingroundtheringafewmoretimes，dartedthroughalaneinthecrowd，andfollowedbyhistwocompanionsdisappeared，whereuponthefigurewhohadwhisperedtohim，andhadsubsequentlyremainedinthemiddleofthespace，cametowardsme，and，crackingawhipwhichheheldinhishandsoloudlythatthereportwasnearlyequaltothatofapocketpistol，hecriedinastrangetone：
’What!thesap-engro？Lor!thesap-engrouponthehill!’
’Irememberthatword，’saidI，’andIalmostthinkIrememberyou。
Youcan’tbe-’
’Jasper，yourpal!Truth，andnolie，brother。’
’Itisstrangethatyoushouldhaveknownme，’saidI。’Iamcertain，butforthewordyouused，Ishouldneverhaverecognisedyou。’
’Notsostrangeasyoumaythink，brother；thereissomethinginyourfacewhichwouldpreventpeoplefromforgettingyou，eventhoughtheymightwishit；andyourfaceisnotmuchalteredsincethetimeyouwotof，thoughyouaresomuchgrown。Ithoughtitwasyou，buttomakesureIdodgedabout，inspectingyou。I
believeyoufeltme，thoughInevertouchedyou；asign，brother，thatweareakin，thatweareduipalor-tworelations。Yourbloodbeatwhenminewasnear，asminealwaysdoesatthecomingofabrother；andwebecamebrothersinthatlane。’
’Andwhereareyoustaying？’saidI；’inthistown？’
’Notinthetown；thelikeofusdon’tfinditexactlywholesometostayintowns，wekeepabroad。ButIhavelittletodohere-comewithme，andI’llshowyouwherewestay。’
Wedescendedthehillinthedirectionofthenorth，andpassingalongthesuburbreachedtheoldNormanbridge，whichwecrossed；
thechalkprecipice，withtheruinonitstop，wasnowbeforeus；
butturningtotheleftwewalkedswiftlyalong，andpresentlycametosomerisingground，whichascending，wefoundourselvesuponawildmoororheath。
’Youareoneofthem，’saidI，’whompeoplecall-’
’Justso，’saidJasper；’butnevermindwhatpeoplecallus。’
’Andthattallhandsomemanonthehill，whomyouwhispered？I
supposehe’soneofye。Whatishisname？’
’TawnoChikno，’saidJasper，’whichmeansthesmallone；wecallhimsuchbecauseheisthebiggestmanofallournation。Yousayheishandsome，thatisnottheword，brother；he’sthebeautyoftheworld。WomenrunwildatthesightofTawno。Anearl’sdaughter，nearLondon-afineyoungladywithdiamondsroundherneck-fellinlovewithTawno。Ihaveseenthatlassonaheath，asthismaybe，kneeldowntoTawno，clasphisfeet，beggingtobehiswife-oranythingelse-ifshemightgowithhim。ButTawnowouldhavenothingtodowithher：“Ihaveawifeofmyown，“saidhe，“alawfulrommanywife，whomIlovebetterthanthewholeworld，jealousthoughshesometimesbe。“’
’Andissheverybeautiful？’saidI。
’Why，youknow，brother，beautyisfrequentlyamatteroftaste；
however，asyouaskmyopinion，Ishouldsaynotquitesobeautifulashimself。’
Wehadnowarrivedatasmallvalleybetweentwohills，ordowns，thesidesofwhichwerecoveredwithfurze；inthemidstofthisvalleywerevariouscartsandlowtentsformingarudekindofencampment；severaldarkchildrenwereplayingabout，whotooknomannerofnoticeofus。Aswepassedoneofthetents，however，acanvasscreenwasliftedup，andawomansupporteduponacrutchhobbledout。Shewasaboutthemiddleage，and，besidesbeinglame，wasbitterlyugly；shewasveryslovenlydressed，andonherswarthyfeaturesillnaturewasmostvisiblystamped。Shedidnotdeignmealook，but，addressingJasperinatonguewhichIdidnotunderstand，appearedtoputsomeeagerquestionstohim。
’He’scoming，’saidJasper，andpassedon。’Poorfellow，’saidhetome，’hehasscarcelybeengoneanhour，andshe’sjealousalready。Well，’hecontinued，’whatdoyouthinkofher？youhaveseenhernow，andcanjudgeforyourself-that’erewomanisTawnoChikno’swife!’