'You are mad,'said I,'I only seek to do him service.Well,if you won't let him be blooded,fetch some water and fling it in his face,you know where the pit is.'
'A pretty manoeuvre!'said the woman;'leave my husband in the hands of you and that limmer,who has never been true to us-I should find him strangled or his throat cut when I came back.''Do you go,'said I to the tall girl;'take the can and fetch some water from the pit.''You had better go yourself,'said the girl,wiping a tear as she looked on the yet senseless form of the Tinker;'you had better go yourself,if you think water will do him good.'I had by this time somewhat recovered my exhausted powers,and,taking the can,I bent my steps as fast as I could to the pit;arriving there,I lay down on the brink,took a long draught,and then plunged my head into the water;after which I filled the can,and bent my way back to the dingle.Before I could reach the path which led down into its depths,I had to pass some way along its side;I had arrived at a part immediately over the scene of the last encounter,where the bank,overgrown with trees,sloped precipitously down.Here I heard a loud sound of voices in the dingle;I stopped,and laying hold of a tree,leaned over the bank and listened.The two women appeared to be in hot dispute in the dingle.'It was all owing to you,you limmer,'said the vulgar woman to the other;'had you not interfered,the old man would soon have settled the boy.'
'I'm for fair play and Long Melford,'said the other.'If your old man,as you call him,could have settled the boy fairly,he might for all I should have cared,but no foul work for me,and as for sticking the boy with our gulleys when he comes back,as you proposed,I am not so fond of your old man or you that I should oblige you in it,to my soul's destruction.''Hold your tongue,or I'll-'I listened no farther,but hastened as fast as I could to the dingle.My adversary had just begun to show signs of animation;the vulgar woman was still supporting him,and occasionally cast glances of anger at the tall girl,who was walking slowly up and down.I lost no time in dashing the greater part of the water into the Tinman's face,whereupon he sneezed,moved his hands,and presently looked round him.At first his looks were dull and heavy,and without any intelligence at all;he soon,however,began to recollect himself,and to be conscious of his situation;he cast a scowling glance at me,then one of the deepest malignity at the tall girl,who was still walking about without taking much notice of what was going forward.At last he looked at his right hand,which had evidently suffered from the blow against the tree,and a half-stifled curse escaped his lips.
The vulgar woman now said something to him in a low tone,whereupon he looked at her for a moment,and then got upon his legs.Again the vulgar woman said something to him;her looks were furious,and she appeared to be urging him on to attempt something.I observed that she had a clasped knife in her hand.The fellow remained standing for some time as if hesitating what to do;at last he looked at his hand,and,shaking his head,said something to the woman which I did not understand.The tall girl,however,appeared to overhear him,and,probably repeating his words,said,'No,it won't do;you are right there;and now hear what I have to say,-let bygones be bygones,and let us all shake hands,and camp here,as the young man was saying just now.'The man looked at her,and then,without any reply,went to his horse,which was lying down among the trees,and kicking it up,led it to the cart,to which he forthwith began to harness it.The other cart and horse had remained standing motionless during the whole affair which I have been recounting,at the bottom of the pass.The woman now took the horse by the head,and leading it with the cart into the open part of the dingle,turned both round,and then led them back,till the horse and cart had mounted a little way up the ascent;she then stood still and appeared to be expecting the man.During this proceeding Belle had stood looking on without saying anything;at last,perceiving that the man had harnessed his horse to the other cart,and that both he and the woman were about to take their departure,she said,'You are not going,are you?'Receiving no answer,she continued:'I tell you what,both of you,Black John,and you Moll,his mort,this is not treating me over civilly,-however,I am ready to put up with it,and to go with you if you like,for I bear no malice.I'm sorry for what has happened,but you have only yourselves to thank for it.Now,shall I go with you,only tell me?'The man made no manner of reply,but flogged his horse.The woman,however,whose passions were probably under less control,replied,with a screeching tone,'Stay where you are,you jade,and may the curse of Judas cling to you,-stay with the bit of a mullo whom you helped,and my only hope is that he may gulley you before he comes to be ....Have you with us,indeed!
after what's past!no,nor nothing belonging to you.Fetch down your mailia go-cart and live here with your chabo.'She then whipped on the horse,and ascended the pass,followed by the man.
The carts were light,and they were not long in ascending the winding path.I followed to see that they took their departure.
Arriving at the top,I found near the entrance a small donkey-cart,which I concluded belonged to the girl.The tinker and his mort were already at some distance;I stood looking after them for a little time,then taking the donkey by the reins I led it with the cart to the bottom of the dingle.Arrived there,I found Belle seated on the stone by the fireplace.Her hair was all dishevelled,and she was in tears.
'They were bad people,'said she,'and I did not like them,but they were my only acquaintance in the wide world.'
