Ashout-Afireball-Seetothehorses-Passingaway-Gapinthehedge-Onthreewheels-Whydoyoustop？-Nocravenheart-
Thecordial-Acrossthecountry-Smallbags。
ILISTENEDattentively，butIcouldhearnothingbuttheloudclashingofbranches，thepatteringofrain，andthemutteredgrowlofthunder。IwasabouttotellBellethatshemusthavebeenmistaken，whenIheardashout-indistinct，itistrue，owingtothenoisesaforesaid-fromsomepartofthefieldabovethedingle。’Iwillsoonseewhat’sthematter，’saidItoBelle，startingup。’Iwillgotoo；’saidthegirl。’Staywhereyouare，’saidI；’ifIneedyou，Iwillcall’；and，withoutwaitingforanyanswer，Ihurriedtothemouthofthedingle。Iwasaboutafewyardsonlyfromthetopoftheascent，whenIbeheldablazeoflight，fromwhenceIknewnot；thenextmomenttherewasaloudcrash，andIappearedinvolvedinacloudofsulphuroussmoke。
’Lordhavemercyuponus!’Iheardavoicesay，andmethoughtI
heardtheplungingandstrugglingofhorses。Ihadstoppedshortonhearingthecrash，forIwashalfstunned；butInowhurriedforward，andinamomentstoodupontheplain。HereIwasinstantlyawareofthecauseofthecrashandthesmoke。Oneofthoseballs，generallycalledfireballs，hadfallenfromtheclouds，andwasburningontheplainatashortdistance；andthevoicewhichIhadheard，andtheplunging，wereaseasilyaccountedfor。Neartheleft-handcornerofthegrovewhichsurroundedthedingle，andabouttenyardsfromthefireball，Iperceivedachaise，withapostiliononthebox，whowasmakingefforts，apparentlyuseless，tocontrolhishorses，whichwerekickingandplunginginthehighestdegreeofexcitement。Iinstantlyrantowardsthechaise，inordertoofferwhathelpwasinmypower。
’Helpme，’saidthepoorfellow，asIdrewnigh；butbeforeIcouldreachthehorses，theyhadturnedrapidlyround，oneofthefore-
wheelsflewfromitsaxle-tree，thechaisewasoverset，andthepostilionflungviolentlyfromhisseatuponthefield。Thehorsesnowbecamemorefuriousthanbefore，kickingdesperately，andendeavouringtodisengagethemselvesfromthefallenchaise。AsI
washesitatingwhethertoruntotheassistanceofthepostilionorendeavourtodisengagetheanimals，IheardthevoiceofBelleexclaiming，’Seetothehorses，Iwilllookaftertheman。’Shehad，itseems，beenalarmedbythecrashwhichaccompaniedthefirebolt，andhadhurrieduptolearnthecause。Iforthwithseizedthehorsesbytheheads，andusedallthemeansIpossessedtosootheandpacifythem，employingeverygentlemodulationofwhichmyvoicewascapable。Belle，inthemeantime，hadraiseduptheman，whowasmuchstunnedbyhisfall；but，presentlyrecoveringhisrecollectiontoacertaindegree，hecamelimpingtome，holdinghishandtohisrightthigh。’Thefirstthingthatmustnowbedone，’saidI，’istofreethesehorsesfromthetraces；canyouundertaketodoso？’’IthinkIcan，’saidtheman，lookingatmesomewhatstupidly。’Iwillhelp，’saidBelle，andwithoutlossoftimelaidholdofoneofthetraces。Theman，afterashortpause，alsosettowork，andinafewminutesthehorseswereextricated。’Now，’saidItotheman，’whatisnexttobedone？’’Idon’tknow，’saidhe；’indeed，Iscarcelyknowanything；Ihavebeensofrightenedbythishorriblestorm，andsoshakenbymyfall。’’Ithink，’saidI，’thatthestormispassingaway，socastyourfearsawaytoo；andasforyourfall，youmustbearitaslightlyasyoucan。Iwilltiethehorsesamongstthosetrees，andthenwewillallbetakeustothehollowbelow。’’Andwhat’stobecomeofmychaise？’saidthepostilion，lookingruefullyonthefallenvehicle。’Letusleavethechaiseforthepresent，’saidI；’wecanbeofnousetoit。’’Idon’tliketoleavemychaiselyingonthegroundinthisweather，’saidtheman；
’Ilovemychaise，andhimwhomitbelongsto。’’Youarequiterighttobefondofyourself，’saidI，’onwhichaccountIadviseyoutoseekshelterfromtherainassoonaspossible。’’Iwasnottalkingofmyself，’saidtheman，’butmymaster，towhomthechaisebelongs。’’Ithoughtyoucalledthechaiseyours，’saidI。
’That’smywayofspeaking，’saidtheman；’butthechaiseismymaster’s，andabettermasterdoesnotlive。Don’tyouthinkwecouldmanagetoraiseupthechaise？’’Andwhatistobecomeofthehorses？’saidI。’Ilovemyhorseswellenough，’saidtheman；
’buttheywilltakelessharmthanthechaise。Wetwocanneverliftupthatchaise。’’Butwethreecan，’saidBelle；’atleast，I
thinkso；andIknowwheretofindtwopoleswhichwillassistus。’
’Youhadbettergotothetent，’saidI，’youwillbewetthrough。’
’Icarenotforalittlewetting，’saidBelle；’moreover，Ihavemoregownsthanone-seeyouafterthehorses。’Thereupon，Iledthehorsespastthemouthofthedingle，toaplacewhereagapinthehedgeaffordedadmissiontothecopseorplantationonthesouthernside。Forcingthemthroughthegap，IledthemtoaspotamidstthetreeswhichIdeemedwouldaffordthemthemostconvenientplaceforstanding；then，dartingdownintothedingle，Ibroughtuparope，andalsothehalterofmyownnag，andwiththesefastenedthemeachtoaseparatetreeinthebestmannerI
could。Thisdone，Ireturnedtothechaiseandthepostilion。InaminuteortwoBellearrivedwithtwopoleswhich，itseems，hadlongbeenlying，overgrownwithbrushwood，inaditchorhollowbehindtheplantation。WiththesebothsheandIsettoworkinendeavouringtoraisethefallenchaisefromtheground。
Weexperiencedconsiderabledifficultyinthisundertaking；atlength，withtheassistanceofthepostilion，wesawoureffortscrownedwithsuccess-thechaisewasliftedup，andstooduprightonthreewheels。
’Wemayleaveithereinsafety，’saidI，’foritwillhardlymoveawayonthreewheels，evensupposingitcouldrunbyitself；Iamafraidthereisworkhereforawheelwright，inwhichcaseIcannotassistyou；ifyouwereinneedofablacksmithitwouldbeotherwise。’’Idon’tthinkeitherthewheelortheaxleishurt，’
saidthepostilion，whohadbeenhandlingboth；’itisonlythelinch-pinhavingdroppedoutthatcausedthewheeltoflyoff；ifI
couldbutfindthelinch-pin!-though，perhaps，itfelloutamileaway。’’Verylikely，’saidI；’butnevermindthelinch-pin，Icanmakeyouone，orsomethingthatwillserve：butIcan’tstayhereanylonger，Iamgoingtomyplacebelowwiththisyounggentlewoman，andyouhadbetterfollowus。’’Iamready，’saidtheman；andafterliftingupthewheelandproppingitagainstthechaise，hewentwithus，slightlylimping，andwithhishandpressedtohisthigh。
Asweweredescendingthenarrowpath，Belleleadingtheway，andmyselfthelastoftheparty，thepostilionsuddenlystoppedshort，andlookedabouthim。’Whydoyoustop？’saidI。’Idon’twishtooffendyou，’saidtheman，’butthisseemstobeastrangeplaceyouareleadingmeinto；Ihopeyouandtheyounggentlewoman，asyoucallher，don’tmeanmeanyharm-youseemedinagreathurrytobringmehere。’’Wewishedtogetyououtoftherain，’saidI，’andourselvestoo；thatis，ifwecan，whichIratherdoubt，forthecanvasofatentisslightshelterinsucharain；butwhatharmshouldwewishtodoyou？’’YoumaythinkIhavemoney，’saidtheman，’andIhavesome，butonlythirtyshillings，andforasumlikethatitwouldbehardlyworthwhileto-’’Woulditnot？’
saidI；’thirtyshillings，afterall，arethirtyshillings，andforwhatIknow，halfadozenthroatsmayhavebeencutinthisplaceforthatsumattherateoffiveshillingseach；moreover，therearethehorses，whichwouldservetoestablishthisyounggentlewomanandmyselfinhousekeeping，providedwewerethinkingofsuchathing。’’ThenIsupposeIhavefallenintoprettyhands，’saidtheman，puttinghimselfinapostureofdefence；’butI’llshownocravenheart；andifyouattempttolayhandsonme，I’lltrytopayyouinyourowncoin。I’mratherlamedintheleg，butIcanstillusemyfists；socomeon，bothofyou，manandwoman，ifwomanthisbe，thoughshelooksmorelikeagrenadier。’
’Letmehearnomoreofthisnonsense，’saidBelle；’ifyouareafraid，youcangobacktoyourchaise-weonlyseektodoyouakindness。’
’Why，hewasjustnowtalkingofcuttingthroats，’saidtheman。
’Youbroughtitonyourself，’saidBelle；’yoususpectedus，andhewishedtopassajokeuponyou；hewouldnothurtahairofyourhead，wereyourcoachladenwithgold，norwouldI。’’Well，’saidtheman，’Iwaswrong-here’smyhandtobothofyou，’shakingusbythehands；’I’llgowithyouwhereyouplease，butIthoughtthisastrangelonesomeplace，thoughIoughtnotmuchtomindstrangelonesomeplaces，havingbeeninplentyofsuchwhenIwasaservantinItaly，withoutcomingtoanyharm-come，letusmoveon，for’tisashametokeepyoutwointherain。’
Sowedescendedthepathwhichledintothedepthsofthedingle；
atthebottomIconductedthepostiliontomytent，which，thoughtheraindrippedandtrickledthroughit，affordedsomeshelter；
thereIbadehimsitdownonthelogofwood，whilstIplacedmyselfasusualonmystone。Belleinthemeantimehadrepairedtoherownplaceofabode。Afteralittletime，IproducedabottleofthecordialofwhichIhavepreviouslyhadoccasiontospeak，andmademyguesttakeaconsiderabledraught。Ithenofferedhimsome，breadandcheese，whichheacceptedwiththanks。Inaboutanhourtherainhadmuchabated：’Whatdoyounowproposetodo？’
saidI。’Iscarcelyknow，’saidtheman；’IsupposeImustendeavourtoputonthewheelwithyourhelp。’’Howfarareyoufromyourhome？’Idemanded。’Upwardsofthirtymiles，’saidtheman；’mymasterkeepsaninnonthegreatnorthroad，andfromthenceIstartedearlythismorningwithafamily，whichIconveyedacrossthecountrytoahallatsomedistancefromhere。OnmyreturnIwasbesetbythethunderstorm，whichfrightenedthehorses，whodraggedthechaiseofftheroadtothefieldabove，andoversetitasyousaw。Ihadproposedtopassthenightataninnabouttwelvemilesfromhereonmywayback，thoughhowIamtogetthereto-nightIscarcelyknow，evenifwecanputonthewheel，for，totellyouthetruth，Iamshakenbymyfall，andthesmoulderandsmokeofthatfireballhaveratherbewilderedmyhead；
Iam，moreover，notmuchacquaintedwiththeway。
’Thebestthingyoucando，’saidI，’istopassthenighthere；I
willpresentlylightafire，andendeavourtomakeyoucomfortable-inthemorningwewillseetoyourwheel。’’Well，’saidtheman，’Ishallbegladtopassthenighthere，providedIdonotintrude，butImustseetothehorses。’ThereuponIconductedthemantotheplacewherethehorsesweretied。’Thetreesdripverymuchuponthem，’saidtheman，’anditwillnotdoforthemtoremainhereallnight；theywillbebetteroutonthefieldpickingthegrass；butfirstofalltheymusthaveagoodfeedofcorn。’
Thereuponhewenttohischaise，fromwhichhepresentlybroughttwosmallbags，partlyfilledwithcorn-intothemheinsertedthemouthsofthehorses，tyingthemovertheirheads。’Herewewillleavethemforatime，’saidtheman；’whenIthinktheyhavehadenough，Iwillcomeback，tietheirfore-legs，andletthempickabout。’
CHAPTERXCVII
Fireofcharcoal-Thenew-comer-Nowonder!-Notablacksmith-
Aloveaffair-GretnaGreen-Acoolthousand-Familyestates-
Boroughinterest-Grandeducation-Letushear-Alreadyquarrelling-Honourableparents-Mostheroically-Notcommonpeople-Freshcharcoal。
ITmightbeaboutteno’clockatnight。Belle，thepostilion，andmyself，satjustwithinthetent，byafireofcharcoalwhichIhadkindledinthechafing-pan。Themanhadremovedtheharnessfromhishorses，and，aftertetheringtheirlegs，hadleftthemforthenightinthefieldabovetoregalethemselvesonwhatgrasstheycouldfind。Therainhadlongsinceentirelyceased，andthemoonandstarsshonebrightinthefirmament，uptowhich，puttingasidethecanvas，Ioccasionallylookedfromthedepthsofthedingle。
Largedropsofwater，however，fallingnowandthenuponthetentfromtheneighbouringtrees，wouldhaveserved，couldwehaveforgottenit，toremindusoftherecentstorm，andalsoacertainchillinessintheatmosphere，unusualtotheseason，proceedingfromthemoisturewithwhichthegroundwassaturated；yetthesecircumstancesonlyservedtomakeourpartyenjoythecharcoalfirethemore。Therewesatbendingoverit：Belle，withherlongbeautifulhairstreamingoverhermagnificentshoulders；thepostilionsmokinghispipe，inhisshirt-sleevesandwaistcoat，havingflungasidehisgreatcoat，whichhadsustainedathoroughwetting；andIwithoutmywagoner’sslop，ofwhich，itbeinginthesameplight，Ihadalsodivestedmyself。