"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 w