wear, towards the dwelling of the wizard. About
noon they passed the gate which opened on to the large common, and old
Dobbin toiled slowly up the hill, while Benjy pointed out a little deep
dingle on the left, out of which welled a tiny stream. As they crept up
the hill the tops of a few birch-trees came in sight, and blue smoke
curling up through their delicate light boughs; and then the little
white thatched home and patch of enclosed ground of farmer Ives, lying
cradled in the dingle, with the gay gorse common rising behind and on
both sides; while in front, after traversing a gentle slope, the eye
might travel for miles and miles over the rich vale. They now left the
main road and struck into a green tract over the common marked lightly
with wheel and horse-shoe, which led down into the dingle and stopped at
the rough gate of farmer Ives. Here they found the farmer, an iron-grey
old man, with a bushy eyebrow and strong aquiline nose, busied in one of
his vocations. He was a horse and cow doctor, and was tending a sick
beast which had been sent up to be cured. Benjy hailed him as an old
friend, and he returned the greeting cordially enough, looking however
hard for a moment both at Benjy and Tom, to see whether there was more
in their visit than appeared at first sight. It was a work of some
difficulty and danger for Benjy to reach the ground, which however he
managed to do without mishap; and then he devoted himself to
unharnessing Dobbin, and turning him out for a graze ("a run" one could
not say of that virtuous steed) on the common. This done, he extricated
the cold provisions from the cart, and they entered the farmer's wicket;
and he, shutting up the knife with which he was taking maggots out of
the cow's back and sides, accompanied them towards the cottage. A big
old lurcher got up slowly from the door-stone, stretching first one hind
leg and then the other, and taking Tom's caresses and the presence of
Toby, who kept however at a respectful distance, with equal
indifference.

"Us be cum to pay'e a visit. I've a been long minded to do't for old
sake's sake, only I vinds I dwont get about now as I'd use to't. I be so
plaguy bad wi' th' rumatiz in my back." Benjy paused, in hopes of
drawing the farmer at once on the subject of his ailment without further
direct application.

"Ah, I see as you bean't quite so lissom as you was," replied the farmer
with a grim smile, as he lifted the latch of his door; "we bean'