第93章

’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，halfinshadowandhalfillumedbytheredand