第83章

’Getup!-getupyourself；whereareyou？whereisyour-Here，there，bebee，here’sthedoor；there，makehaste，theyarecoming。’

’He’llgetupyet，’saidMrs。Herne，recoveringherbreath；’thedocktellsmeso。’

’Nevermindhimorthedook；heisdrabbed；comeaway，orweshallbegrabbed-bothofus。’

’Onemoreblow，Iknowwherehisheadlies。’

’Youaremad，bebee；leavethefellow-gorgioavella。’

Andthereuponthefemaleshurriedaway。

Avehicleofsomekindwasevidentlydrawingnigh；inalittletimeitcamealongsideoftheplacewherelaythefallentent，andstoppedsuddenly。Therewasasilenceforamoment，andthenaparleyensuedbetweentwovoices，oneofwhichwasthatofawoman。

ItwasnotinEnglish，butinadeepgutturaltongue。

’Pethywhonosyddyngorweddynaaryddaear？’saidamasculinevoice。

’Ynwirionedd-Idonotknowwhatitcanbe，’saidthefemalevoice，inthesametongue。

’Hereisacart，andtherearetools；butwhatisthatontheground？’

’Somethingmovesbeneathit；andwhatwasthat-agroan？’

’ShallIgetdown？’

’Ofcourse，Peter，someonemaywantyourhelp？

’ThenIwillgetdown，thoughIdonotlikethisplace；itisfrequentedbyEgyptians，andIdonotliketheiryellowfaces，northeirclibbertyclabber，asMasterEllisWynsays。NowIamdown。

Itisatent，Winifred，andsee，hereisaboybeneathit。

Mercifulfather!whataface。’

Amiddle-agedman，withastronglymarkedandseriouscountenance，dressedinsober-colouredhabiliments，hadliftedupthestiflingfoldsofthetent，andwasbendingoverme。’Canyouspeak，mylad？’saidheinEnglish；’whatisthematterwithyou？ifyoucouldbuttellme，Icouldperhapshelpyou-’’Whatisthatyousay？Ican’thearyou。Iwillkneeldown’；andheflunghimselfontheground，andplacedhisearclosetomymouth。’Nowspeakifyoucan。Hey!what!no，sure，Godforbid!’thenstartingup，hecriedtoafemalewhosatinthecart，anxiouslylookingon-

’Gwenwyn!gwenwyn!ywygwaswedieigwenwynaw。Theoil!

Winifred，theoil!’

CHAPTERLXXII

Desiredeffect-Thethreeoaks-Winifred-Thingsoftime-WithGod’swill-Thepreacher-Creaturecomforts-Croesaw-WelshandEnglish-MayorofChester。

THEOIL，whichthestrangerscompelledmetotake，producedthedesiredeffect，though，duringatleasttwohours，itwasverydoubtfulwhetherornotmylifewouldbesaved。AttheendofthatperiodthemansaidthatwiththeblessingofGodhewouldanswerformylife。HethendemandedwhetherIthoughtIcouldbeartoberemovedfromtheplaceinwhichwewere；’forIlikeitnot，’hecontinued，’assomethingwithinmetellsmethatitisnotgoodforanyofustobehere。’Itoldhim，aswellasIwasable，thatI，too，shouldbegladtoleavetheplace；whereupon，aftercollectingmythings，heharnessedmypony，and，withtheassistanceofthewoman，hecontrivedtoplacemeinthecart；hethengavemeadraughtoutofasmallphial，andwesetforwardataslowpace，themanwalkingbythesideofthecartinwhichIlay。Itisprobablethatthedraughtconsistedofastrongopiate，forafterswallowingitIfellintoadeepslumber；onmyawaking，Ifoundthattheshadowsofnighthadenvelopedtheearth-wewerestillmovingon。Shortly，however，afterdescendingadeclivity，weturnedintoalane，attheentranceofwhichwasagate。Thislaneconductedtoameadow，throughthemiddleofwhichranasmallbrook；itstoodbetweentworisinggrounds；thatontheleft，whichwasonthefarthersideofthewater，wascoveredwithwood，whilsttheoneontheright，whichwasnotsohigh，wascrownedwiththewhitewallsofwhatappearedtobeafarmhouse。

Advancingalongthemeadow，wepresentlycametoaplacewheregrewthreeimmenseoaks，almostonthesideofthebrook，overwhichtheyflungtheirarms，soastoshadeitaswithacanopy；thegroundbeneathwasbareofgrass，andnearlyashardandsmoothasthefloorofabarn。Havingledhisowncartononesideofthemidmosttree，andmyownontheother，thestrangersaidtome，’Thisisthespotwheremywifeandmyselfgenerallytarryinthesummerseason，whenwecomeintotheseparts。Weareabouttopassthenighthere。Isupposeyouwillhavenoobjectiontodothesame？Indeed，Idonotseewhatelseyoucoulddounderpresentcircumstanc