’Whattrades？’saidMr。Petulengro。’Why，theonewhichIhavelatelybeenengagedin，ormyoriginalone，whichIconfessI
shouldlikebetter，thatofakaulo-mescro。’’Ah，Ihavefrequentlyheardyoutalkofmakinghorse-shoes，’saidMr。
Petulengro；’I，however，neversawyoumakeone，andnooneelsethatIamaware；Idon’tbelieve-come，brother，don’tbeangry，it’squitepossiblethatyoumayhavedonethingswhichneitherI
noranyoneelsehasseenyoudo，andthatsuchthingsmaysomedayorothercometolight，asyousaynothingcanbekeptsecret。Bethat，however，asitmay，paythereckoningandletusbegoing；I
thinkIcanadviseyoutojustsuchakindofplaceasyouseemtowant。’
’AndhowdoyouknowthatIhavegotwherewithaltopaythereckoning？’Idemanded。’Brother，’saidMr。Petulengro，’Iwasjustnowlookinginyourface，whichexhibitedtheverylookofapersonconsciousofthepossessionofproperty；therewasnothinghungryorsneakinginit。Paythereckoning，brother。’
Andwhenwewereoncemoreupontheroad，Mr。Petulengrobegantotalkoftheplacewhichheconceivedwouldservemeasaretreatunderpresentcircumstances。’Itellyoufrankly，brother，thatitisaqueerkindofplace，andIamnotveryfondofpitchingmytentinit，itissosurprisinglydreary。Itisadeepdingleinthemidstofalargefield，onanestateaboutwhichtherehasbeenalawsuitforsomeyearspast。Idaresayyouwillbequietenough，forthenearesttownisfivemilesdistant，andthereareonlyafewhutsandhedgepublic-housesintheneighbourhood。Brother，I
amfondofsolitudemyself，butnotthatkindofsolitude；Ilikeaquietheath，whereIcanpitchmyhouse，butIalwaysliketohaveagaystirringplacenotfaroff，wherethewomencanpendukkerin，andImyselfcansellorbuyahorse，ifneedful-suchaplaceastheChongGav。Ineverfeelsomerryaswhenthere，brother，orontheheathaboveit，whereItaughtyouRommany。’
Shortlyafterthisdiscoursewereachedamilestone，andafewyardsfromthemilestone，onthelefthand，wasacrossroad。
ThereuponMr。Petulengrosaid，’Brother，mypathliestotheleftifyouchoosetogowithmetomycamp，good；ifnot，ChalDevlehi。’ButIagainrefusedMr。Petulengro’sinvitation，and，shakinghimbythehand，proceededforwardalone；andabouttenmilesfartheronIreachedthetownofwhichhehadspoken，and，followingcertaindirectionswhichhehadgiven，discovered，thoughnotwithoutsomedifficulty，thedinglewhichhehadmentioned。Itwasadeephollowinthemidstofawidefield；theshelvingsideswereovergrownwithtreesandbushes，abeltofsallowssurroundeditonthetop，asteepwindingpathleddownintothedepths，practicable，however，foralightcart，likemine；atthebottomwasanopenspace，andthereIpitchedmytent，andthereI
contrivedtoputupmyforge。’Iwillhereplythetradeofkaulomescro，’saidI。
CHAPTERLXXXIII
Highlypoetical-Volundr-Grecianmythology-Makingapetul-
Tonguesofflame-Hammering-Spiteofdukkerin-Heaviness。
IThasalwaysstruckmethatthereissomethinghighlypoeticalaboutaforge。Iamnotsingularinthisopinion：variousindividualshaveassuredmethattheycanneverpassbyone，eveninthemidstofacrowdedtown，withoutexperiencingsensationswhichtheycanscarcelydefine，butwhicharehighlypleasurable。
Ihaveadecidedpenchantforforges，especiallyruralones，placedinsomequaintquietspot-adingle，forexample，whichisapoeticalplace，oratameetingoffourroads，whichisstillmoreso；forhowmanyasuperstition-andsuperstitionisthesoulofpoetry-isconnectedwiththesecrossroads!Ilovetolightuponsuchaone，especiallyafternightfall，aseverythingaboutaforgetellstomostadvantageatnight；thehammersoundsmoresolemnlyinthestillness；theglowingparticlesscatteredbythestrokessparklewithmoreeffectinthedarkness，whilstthesootyvisageofthesastramescro，halfinshadowandhalfillumedbytheredandpartialblazeoftheforge，looksmoremysteriousandstrange。OnsuchoccasionsIdrawinmyhorse’srein，and，seatedinthesaddle，endeavourtoassociatewiththepicturebeforeme-initselfapictureofromance-whateverofthewildandwonderfulI
havereadofinbooks，orhaveseenwithmyowneyesinconnectionwithforges。
Ibelievethelifeofanyblacksmith，especiallyaruralone，wouldaffordmaterialsforahighlypoeticalhistory。Idonotspeakunadvisedly，havingthehonourtobefreeoftheforge，andthereforefullycompetenttogiveanopinionastowhatmightbemadeoutoftheforgebysomedexteroushand。Certainly，thestrangestandmostentertaininglifeeverwrittenisthatofablacksmithoftheoldennorth，acertainVolundr，orVelint，wholivedinwoodsandthickets，madekeenswords-sokeen，indeed，thatifplacedinarunningstreamtheywouldfairlydivideanobject，howeverslight，whichwasborneagainstthembythewater，andwhoeventuallymarriedaking’sdaughter，bywhomhehadason，whowasasboldaknightashisfatherwasacunningblacksmith。I
neverseeaforgeatnight，whenseatedonthebackofmyhorse，atthebottomofadarklane，butIsomehoworotherassociateitwiththeexploitsofthisextraordinaryfellow，withmanyotherextraordinarythings，amongstwhich，asIhavehintedbefore，areparticularpassagesofmyownlife，oneortwoofwhichIshallperhapsrelatetothereader。
IneverassociateVulcanandhisCyclopswiththeideaofaforge。
Thesegentrywouldbetheverylastpeopleintheworldtoflitacrossmymindwhilstgazingattheforgefromthebottomofthedarklane。Thetruthis，theyarehighlyunpoeticalfellows，aswelltheymaybe，connectedastheyarewiththeGrecianmythology。
Attheverymentionoftheirnamestheforgeburnsdullanddim，asifsnowballshadbeensuddenlyflungintoit；theonlyremedyistoplythebellows，anoperationwhichInowhastentoperform。
Iaminthedinglemakingahorse-shoe。HavingnootherhorsesonwhosehoofsIcouldexercisemyart，Imademyfirstessayonthoseofmyownhorse，ifthatcouldbecalledhorsewhichhorsewasnone，beingonlyapony。Perhaps，ifIhadsoughtallEngland，I
shouldscarcelyhavefoundananimalmoreinneedofthekindofficesofthesmith。Onthreeofhisfeettherewerenoshoesatall，andonthefourthonlyaremnantofone，onwhichaccounthishoofsweresadlybrokenandlaceratedbyhislatejourneysoverthehardandflintyroads。’Youbelongedtoatinkerbefore，’saidI，addressingtheanimal，’butnowyoubelongtoasmith。Itissaidthatthehouseholdoftheshoemakerinvariablygoworseshodthanthatofanyothercraft。Thatmaybethecaseofthosewhomakeshoesofleather，butitshan’tbesaidofthehouseholdofhimwhomakesshoesofiron；atanyrateitshan’tbesaidofmine。Itellyouwhat，mygry，whilstyoucontinuewithme，youshallbothbebettershodandbetterfedthanyouwerewithyourlastmaster。’
Iaminthedinglemakingapetul；andImusthereobservethatwhilstIammakingahorse-shoethereaderneednotbesurprisedifIspeakoccasionallyinthelanguageofthelordofthehorse-shoe-Mr。Petulengro。Ihaveforsometimepastbeenplyingthepeshota，orbellows，endeavouringtoraiseuptheyag，orfire，inmyprimitiveforge。Theangar，orcoals，arenowburningfiercely，castingforthsparksandlongvagescoechipes，ortonguesofflame；
asmallbarofsastra，oriron，islyinginthefire，tothelengthoftenortwelveinches，andsofaritishot，veryhot，exceedinghot，brother。Andnowyouseemeprala，snatchthebarofiron，andplacetheheatedendofituponthecovantza，oranvil，andforthwithIcommencecooringthesastraashardasifIhadbeenjustengagedbyamasterattherateofduicaulor，ortwoshillings，aday，brother；andwhenIhavebeatentheirontillitisnearlycool，andmyarmtired，Iplaceitagainintheangar，andbeginagaintorousethefirewiththepudamengro，whichsignifiestheblowingthing，andisanotherandmorecommonwordforbellows；andwhilstthusemployedIsingagypsysong，thesoundofwhichiswonderfullyinunisonwiththehoarsemoaningofthepudamengro，anderethesongisfinished，theironisagainhotandmalleable。Behold，Iplaceitoncemoreonthecovantza，andrecommencehammering；andnowIamsomewhatatfault；Iaminwantofassistance；Iwantyou，brother，orsomeoneelse，totakethebaroutofmyhandandsupportituponthecovantza，whilstI，applyingachinomescro，orkindofchisel，totheheatediron，cutoffwithalustystrokeortwooftheshukarobaro，orbighammer，asmuchasisrequiredforthepetul。Buthavingnoonetohelpme，IgoonhammeringtillIhavefairlyknockedoffasmuchasI
want，andthenIplacethepieceinthefire，andagainapplythebellows，andtakeupthesongwhereIleftitoff；andwhenIhavefinishedthesong，Itakeouttheiron，butthistimewithmyplaistra，orpincers，andthenIrecommencehammering，turningtheironroundandroundwithmypincers：andnowIbendtheironand，loandbehold!ithasassumedsomethingoftheoutlineofapetul。
Iamnotgoingtoenterintofartherdetailswithrespecttotheprocess-itwasratherawearisomeone。Ihadtocontendwithvariousdisadvantages；myforgewasarudeone，mytoolsmighthavebeenbetter；Iwasinwantofoneortwohighlynecessaryimplements，but，aboveall，manualdexterity。Thoughfreeoftheforge，Ihadnotpractisedthealbeytarianartforverymanyyears，neversince-butstay，itisnotmyintentiontotellthereader，atleastinthisplace，howandwhenIbecameablacksmith。Therewasonething，however，whichstoodmeingoodsteadinmylabour，thesamethingwhichthroughlifehaseverbeenofincalculableutilitytome，andhasnotunfrequentlysuppliedtheplaceoffriends，money，andmanyotherthingsofalmostequalimportance-
ironperseverance，withoutwhichalltheadvantagesoftimeandcircumstanceareofverylittleavailinanyundertaking。Iwasdeterminedtomakeahorse-shoe，andagoodone，inspiteofeveryobstacle-ay，inspiteofdukkerin。Attheendoffourdays，duringwhichIhadfashionedandrefashionedthethingatleastfiftytimes，Ihadmadeapetulsuchasnomasterofthecraftneedhavebeenashamedof；withthesecondshoeIhadlessdifficulty，and，bythetimeIhadmadethefourth，IwouldhavescornedtotakeoffmyhattothebestsmithinCheshire。
ButIhadnotyetshodmylittlegry：thisIproceedednowtodo。
Afterhavingfirstwellparedthehoofswithmychuri，Iappliedeachpetulhot，glowinghot，tothepindro。Oh，howthehoofshissed!and，oh，thepleasantpungentodourwhichdiffuseditselfthroughthedingle!-anodourgoodforanailingspirit。
Ishodthelittlehorsebravely-merelyprickedhimonce，slightly，withacafi，fordoingwhich，Iremember，hekickedmedown；Iwasnotdisconcerted，however，but，gettingup，promisedtobemorecautiousinfuture；andhavingfinishedtheoperation，I
filedthehoofwellwiththerinbaro，thendismissedhimtograzeamongstthetrees，and，puttingmysmallertoolsintothemuchtar，Isatdownonmystone，and，supportingmyarmuponmyknee，leanedmyheaduponmyhand。Heavinesshadcomeoverme。
CHAPTERLXXXIV
Severalcauses-Frogsandeftes-Gloomandtwilight-WhatshouldIdo？-’OurFather’-Fellow-men-Whatamercy!-Almostcalm-
Freshstore-HistoryofSaul-Pitchdark。
HEAVINESShadsuddenlycomeoverme，heavinessofheart，andofbodyalso。IhadaccomplishedthetaskwhichIhadimposeduponmyself，andnowthatnothingmoreremainedtodo，myenergiessuddenlydesertedme，andIfeltwithoutstrength，andwithouthope。Severalcauses，perhaps，co-operatedtobringaboutthestateinwhichIthenfeltmyself。ItisnotimprobablethatmyenergieshadbeenoverstrainedduringtheworktheprogressofwhichIhaveattemptedtodescribe；andeveryoneisawarethattheresultsofoverstrainedenergiesarefeeblenessandlassitude-
wantofnourishmentmightlikewisehavesomethingtodowithit。