"And didst thou follow this sage advice?" said Tressilian.
"Worshipful sir, no," replied the smith; "for, being by nature cautious,
and suspicious from knowing with whom I had to do, I made so many
perquisitions before I ventured even to light a fire, that I at length
discovered a small barrel of gunpowder, carefully hid beneath the
furnace, with the purpose, no doubt, that as soon as I should commence
the grand work of the transmutation of metals, the explosion should
transmute the vault and all in it into a heap of ruins, which might
serve at once for my slaughter-house and my grave. This cured me of
alchemy, and fain would I have returned to the honest hammer and anvil;
but who would bring a horse to be shod by the Devil's post? Meantime, I
had won the regard of my honest Flibbertigibbet here, he being then at
Farringdon with his master, the sage Erasmus Holiday, by teaching him
a few secrets, such as please youth at his age; and after much counsel
together, we agreed that, since I could get no practice in the ordinary
way, I should try how I could work out business among these
ignorant boors, by practising upon their silly fears; and, thanks to
Flibbertigibbet, who hath spread my renown, I have not wanted custom.
But it is won at too great risk, and I fear I shall be at length taken
up for a wizard; so that I seek but an opportunity to leave this vault,
when I can have the protection of some worshipful person against the
fury of the populace, in case they chance to recognize me."
"And art thou," said Tressilian, "perfectly acquainted with the roads in
this country?"
"I could ride them every inch by midnight," answered Wayland Smith,
which was the name this adept had assumed.
"Thou hast no horse to ride upon," said Tressilian.
"Pardon me," replied Wayland; "I have as good a tit as ever yeoman
bestrode; and I forgot to say it was the best part of the mediciner's
legacy to me, excepting one or two of the choicest of his medical
secrets, which I picked up without his knowledge and against his will."
"Get thyself washed and shaved, then," said Tressilian; "reform thy
dress as well as thou canst, and fling away these grotesque trappings;
and, so thou wilt be secret and faithful, thou shalt follow me for a
short time, till thy pranks here are forgotten. Thou hast, I think, both
address and courage, and I have matter to do that may require both."