The woman looked less like an angel. She was middle-aged,
and not much of a beauty, but in her torn clothes she looked very
attractive to Tom. They stood in silence until the man on the
ground began to move. Looking at his face, Tom was greatly
surprised to see that it was Mr Northerton.
Tom took Northerton's belt and tied his hands behind him.
Then he helped him to his feet, saying, 'Northerton, do you
remember me? You insulted me and nearly killed me. Fortune
has brought us together again for me to punish you.'
Tom asked the woman where she could get some clothes, but
she said she was a stranger in that part of the country. Tom then
told them both to wait while he looked for help.
When he returned, unsuccessful, the woman was alone.
Though Northerton's hands were tied, his feet were free, and he
had walked off through the wood.
'Do not spend time looking for him,' begged the woman.
'Please take me to the nearest town.'
Jones offered her his coat to cover herself with, but for some
reason she absolutely refused it. 'Then I will walk in front of you,
and will not offend you by looking back,' said Tom. And though
he did try to keep looking ahead, the lady often asked him to
turn around to help her. And so our hero brought his companion
safely into the town of Upton.
•
When they arrived, Tom took the lady to the best inn in the
street, and asked for a room upstairs. As they followed a servant
up to the room, the landlord shouted, 'Hey, where is that beggar
woman going? Come downstairs!'
'Leave the lady alone,' cried Tom from above. Then, leaving his
companion in her room, he returned downstairs to ask the
landlady to send her up some clothes.
Now the inn at which our travellers had arrived was very