The Broad Highway

"Ye see, bein' by, I 'appened to pass the cottage--and very

pretty that looked too, and nice and neat inside!"

"Yes?" said I.

"And, bein' so near, I 'appened to glance in at the winder, and

there, sure enough, I see--'er--as you might say, Eve in the

gardin. And a fine figure of a Eve she be, and 'andsome wi' it

--'t ain't often as you see a maid the likes o' 'er, so proud

and 'aughty like."

"Well?"

"Well, just as I 'appened to look in at the winder, she 'appened

to be standin' wi' an open book in 'er 'and--a old, leather book

wi' a broken cover."

"Yes?" said I.

"And she was a-laughin'--and a pretty, soft, Eve's laugh it were,

too."

"Yes?" said I.

"And--'e were a-lookin' at the book-over 'er shoulder!" The

irons slipped from my grasp, and fell with a harsh clang.

"Ketches ye, does it?" said the Pedler. I did not speak, but,

meeting my eye, he scrambled hastily to his feet, and, catching

up his pack, retreated some little way down the road.

"Ketches ye, does it, my cove?" he repeated; "turn me away from

your door on a cold, dark night, would ye (not as I bears you any

ill-will for it, bein' of a forgivin' natur')? But I says to

you, I says--look out!--a fine 'andsome lass she be, wi' 'er soft

eyes and red lips, and long, white arms--the eyes and lips and

arms of a Eve; and Eve tricked Adam, didn't she?--and you ain't a

better man nor Adam, are ye?--very well then!" saying which, he

spat once more into the ditch, and, shouldering his pack, strode

away.

And, after some while, I took up my iron bars, and trudged on

towards the cottage. As I went, I repeated to myself, over and

over again, the word "Liar." Yet my step was very slow and heavy,

and my feet dragged in the dust; and, somewhere in my head, a

small hammer had begun to beat, soft and slow and regular, but

beating, beating upon my brain.

Now the upper cover of my Virgil book was broken!