anditsohappenedthattheblowwhichIstrucktheTinkerbeneaththeearwasaright-handedblow。
’HurrahforLongMelford!’IheardBelleexclaim；’thereisnothinglikeLongMelfordforshortness，alltheworldover。’AtthesewordsIturnedroundmyheadasIlay，andperceivedtheFlamingTinmanstretcheduponthegroundapparentlysenseless。’Heisdead，’saidthevulgarwoman，asshevainlyendeavouredtoraisehimup；’heisdead；thebestmaninallthenorthcountry，killedinthisfashion，byaboy!’Alarmedatthesewords，Imadeshifttogetonmyfeet；and，withtheassistanceofthewoman，placedmyfallenadversaryinasittingposture。Iputmyhandtohisheart，andfeltaslightpulsation-’He’snotdead，’saidI，’onlystunned；ifhewereletblood，hewouldrecoverpresently。’I
producedapenknifewhichIhadinmypocket，and，baringthearmoftheTinman，wasabouttomakethenecessaryincision，whenthewomangavemeaviolentblow，and，pushingmeaside，exclaimed，’I’llteartheeyesoutofyourheadifyouoffertotouchhim。Doyouwanttocompleteyourwork，andmurderhimoutright，nowhe’sasleep？youhavehadenoughofhisbloodalready。’’Youaremad，’
saidI，’Ionlyseektodohimservice。Well，ifyouwon’tlethimbeblooded，fetchsomewaterandflingitinhisface，youknowwherethepitis。’
’Aprettymanoeuvre!’saidthewoman；’leavemyhusbandinthehandsofyouandthatlimmer，whohasneverbeentruetous-I
shouldfindhimstrangledorhisthroatcutwhenIcameback。’’Doyougo，’saidItothetallgirl；’takethecanandfetchsomewaterfromthepit。’’Youhadbettergoyourself，’saidthegirl，wipingatearasshelookedontheyetsenselessformoftheTinker；’youhadbettergoyourself，ifyouthinkwaterwilldohimgood。’Ihadbythistimesomewhatrecoveredmyexhaustedpowers，and，takingthecan，IbentmystepsasfastasIcouldtothepit；
arrivingthere，Ilaydownonthebrink，tookalongdraught，andthenplungedmyheadintothewater；afterwhichIfilledthecan，andbentmywaybacktothedingle。BeforeIcouldreachthepathwhichleddownintoitsdepths，Ihadtopasssomewayalongitsside；Ihadarrivedatapartimmediatelyoverthesceneofthelastencounter，wherethebank，overgrownwithtrees，slopedprecipitouslydown。HereIheardaloudsoundofvoicesinthedingle；Istopped，andlayingholdofatree，leanedoverthebankandlistened。Thetwowomenappearedtobeinhotdisputeinthedingle。’Itwasallowingtoyou，youlimmer，’saidthevulgarwomantotheother；’hadyounotinterfered，theoldmanwouldsoonhavesettledtheboy。’
’I’mforfairplayandLongMelford，’saidtheother。’Ifyouroldman，asyoucallhim，couldhavesettledtheboyfairly，hemightforallIshouldhavecared，butnofoulworkforme，andasforstickingtheboywithourgulleyswhenhecomesback，asyouproposed，IamnotsofondofyouroldmanoryouthatIshouldobligeyouinit，tomysoul’sdestruction。’’Holdyourtongue，orI’ll-’Ilistenednofarther，buthastenedasfastasIcouldtothedingle。Myadversaryhadjustbeguntoshowsignsofanimation；thevulgarwomanwasstillsupportinghim，andoccasionallycastglancesofangeratthetallgirl，whowaswalkingslowlyupanddown。IlostnotimeindashingthegreaterpartofthewaterintotheTinman’sface，whereuponhesneezed，movedhishands，andpresentlylookedroundhim。Atfirsthislooksweredullandheavy，andwithoutanyintelligenceatall；hesoon，however，begantorecollecthimself，andtobeconsciousofhissituation；hecastascowlingglanceatme，thenoneofthedeepestmalignityatthetallgirl，whowasstillwalkingaboutwithouttakingmuchnoticeofwhatwasgoingforward。Atlasthelookedathisrighthand，whichhadevidentlysufferedfromtheblowagainstthetree，andahalf-stifledcurseescapedhislips。
Thevulgarwomannowsaidsomethingtohiminalowtone，whereuponhelookedatherforamoment，andthengotuponhislegs。Againthevulgarwomansaidsomethingtohim；herlookswerefurious，andsheappearedtobeurginghimontoattemptsomething。Iobservedthatshehadaclaspedknifeinherhand。Thefellowremainedstandingforsometimeasifhesitatingwhattodo；atlasthelookedathishand，and，shakinghishead，saidsomethingtothewomanwhichIdidnotunderstand。Thetallgirl，however，appearedtooverhearhim，and，probablyrepeatinghiswords，said，’No，itwon’tdo；youarerightthere；andnowhearwhatIhavetosay，-
letbygonesbebygones，andletusallshakehands，andcamphere，astheyoungmanwassayingjustnow。’Themanlookedather，andthen，withoutanyreply，wenttohishorse，whichwaslyingdownamongthetrees，andkickingitup，ledittothecart，towhichheforthwithbegantoharnessit。TheothercartandhorsehadremainedstandingmotionlessduringthewholeaffairwhichIhavebeenrecounting，atthebottomofthepass。Thewomannowtookthehorsebythehead，andleadingitwiththecartintotheopenpartofthedingle，turnedbothround，andthenledthemback，tillthehorseandcarthadmountedalittlewayuptheascent；shethenstoodstillandappearedtobeexpectingtheman。DuringthisproceedingBellehadstoodlookingonwithoutsayinganything；atlast，perceivingthatthemanhadharnessedhishorsetotheothercart，andthatbothheandthewomanwereabouttotaketheirdeparture，shesaid，’Youarenotgoing，areyou？’Receivingnoanswer，shecontinued：’Itellyouwhat，bothofyou，BlackJohn，andyouMoll，hismort，thisisnottreatingmeovercivilly，-
however，Iamreadytoputupwithit，andtogowithyouifyoulike，forIbearnomalice。I’msorryforwhathashappened，butyouhaveonlyyourselvestothankforit。Now，shallIgowithyou，onlytellme？’Themanmadenomannerofreply，butfloggedhishorse。Thewoman，however，whosepassionswereprobablyunderlesscontrol，replied，withascreechingtone，’Staywhereyouare，youjade，andmaythecurseofJudasclingtoyou，-staywiththebitofamullowhomyouhelped，andmyonlyhopeisthathemaygulleyyoubeforehecomestobe……Haveyouwithus，indeed!
afterwhat’spast!no，nornothingbelongingtoyou。Fetchdownyourmailiago-cartandliveherewithyourchabo。’Shethenwhippedonthehorse，andascendedthepass，followedbytheman。
Thecartswerelight，andtheywerenotlonginascendingthewindingpath。Ifollowedtoseethattheytooktheirdeparture。
Arrivingatthetop，Ifoundneartheentranceasmalldonkey-cart，whichIconcludedbelongedtothegirl。Thetinkerandhismortwerealreadyatsomedistance；Istoodlookingafterthemforalittletime，thentakingthedonkeybythereinsIleditwiththecarttothebottomofthedingle。Arrivedthere，IfoundBelleseatedonthestonebythefireplace。Herhairwasalldishevelled，andshewasintears。
’Theywerebadpeople，’saidshe，’andIdidnotlikethem，buttheyweremyonlyacquaintanceinthewideworld。’
CHAPTERLXXXVI
Attea-Vapours-IsopelBerners-Softlyandkindly-Sweetprettycreature-Breadandwater-Twosailors-Truthandconstancy-Verystrangely。
INtheeveningofthatsamedaythetallgirlandIsatatteabythefire，atthebottomofthedingle；thegirlonasmallstool，andmyself，asusual，uponmystone。
Thewaterwhichservedfortheteahadbeentakenfromaspringofpellucidwaterintheneighbourhood，whichIhadnothadthegoodfortunetodiscover，thoughitwaswellknowntomycompanion，andtothewanderingpeoplewhofrequentedthedingle。
’Thisteaisverygood，’saidI，’butIcannotenjoyitasmuchasifIwerewell：Ifeelverysadly。’
’Howelseshouldyoufeel，’saidthegirl，’afterfightingwiththeFlamingTinman？AllIwonderatisthatyoucanfeelatall!Asforthetea，itoughttobegood，seeingthatitcostmetenshillingsapound。’
’That’sagreatdealforapersoninyourstationtopay。’
’Inmystation!I’dhaveyoutoknow，youngman-however，I
haven’tthehearttoquarrelwithyou，youlooksoill；andafterall，itisagoodsumforonetopaywhotravelstheroads；butifImusthavetea，Iliketohavethebest；andteaImusthave，forIamusedtoit，thoughIcan’thelpthinkingthatitsometimesfillsmyheadwithstrangefancies-whatsomefolkscallvapours，makingmeweepandcry。’
’Dearme，’saidI，’Ishouldneverhavethoughtthatoneofyoursizeandfiercenesswouldweepandcry!’
’Mysizeandfierceness!Itellyouwhat，youngman，youarenotovercivilthisevening；butyouareill，asIsaidbefore，andI
shan’ttakemuchnoticeofyourlanguage，atleastforthepresent；
asformysize，Iamnotsomuchbiggerthanyourself；andasforbeingfierce，youshouldbethelastonetoflingthatatme。ItiswellforyouthatIcanbefiercesometimes。IfIhadn’ttakenyourpartagainstBlazingBosville，youwouldn’tbenowtakingteawithme。’
’Itistruethatyoustruckmeinthefacefirst；butwe’llletthatpass。Sothatman’snameisBosville；what’syourown？’
’IsopelBerners。’
’Howdidyougetthatname？’
’Isay，youngman，youseemfondofaskingquestions：willyouhaveanothercupoftea？’
’Iwasjustgoingtoaskforanother。’
’Well，then，hereitis，andmuchgoodmayitdoyou；asformyname，Igotitfrommymother。’
’Yourmother’sname，then，wasIsopel!’
’IsopelBerners。’
’Buthadyouneverafather？’
’Yes，Ihadafather，’saidthegirl，sighing，’butIdon’tbearhisname。’
’Isitthefashion，then，inyourcountryforchildrentobeartheirmother’sname？’
’Ifyouasksuchquestions，youngman，Ishallbeangrywithyou。
Ihavetoldyoumyname，and，whethermyfather’sormother’s，Iamnotashamedofit。’
’Itisanoblename。’
’Thereyouareright，youngman。ThechaplaininthegreathousewhereIwasborntoldmeitwasanoblename；itwasoddenough，hesaid，thattheonlythreenoblenamesinthecountyweretobefoundinthegreathouse；minewasone；theothertwowereDevereuxandBohun。’
’Whatdoyoumeanbythegreathouse？’
’Theworkhouse。’
’Isitpossiblethatyouwerebornthere？’