And a serviceable one enough it was, since it took the fear out of me and gave me back my speech.

And when a man can speak he can fight.

Contrariwise, it is when a woman will not fight that she can talk best, as one may see in any congress of two angry vixens.

So long as they rail there is but threatening and safe recriminations, but when one waxes silent, then 'ware nails and teeth! And I am _not_ in my dotage to use such illustrations--as not unnaturally sayeth the first to read my history.
"Good man," cried I, to Sir Red Cap in the wall, "I know not why you stick your ugly head out of the mud, but retract it, I pray you! For do you not see that it alarms the lady and affrights her beast ?" The man nodded intelligently, but went on coolly chewing his straw.
Then I went up to him, and, as civilly as I could, took him by the chin and thrust his head back into the hole.

And as I did so I saw for the first time that the wall of the clay cliff, tough and gritty with its alloy of lime, had been cut and hewn into houses and huts having doors of wood of exactly the same color, and in some cases even windows with bars--very marvellous to see, and such as I have never witnessed elsewhere.