1826.] [ 129 ] 



THE YOUNG OIPSY: A VILLAGE SKETCH. 

 No. II. 



The weather continuing fine and dry, I did not fail to revisit my 

 gipsy encampment, wliich became more picturesque every day in tlie 

 bright sungleams and lengtiiening siiadow s of a most brilliant autumn. 

 A slight frost had strewed the green lane with the light yellow leaves 

 of the elm — those leaves on whose yielding crispness it is so pleasant to 

 tread, and which it is so much pleasanter to watch whistling along, 

 " thin dancers upon air," in the fresh October breeze ; whilst the red- 

 dened beech, and spotted sycamore, and the rich oaks dropping with 

 acorns, tlieir foliage just edging into its deep orange brown, added all 

 the magic of colour to the original beauty of the scenery. It was un- 

 doubtedly the prettiest walk in the neighbourhood, and the one which 1 

 frequented the most. 



Ever since the adventure of May, the old fortune-teller and I un- 

 derstood each other perfectly. She knew that I was no client, no 

 patient, no customer (which is the fittest name lor a goosecap who goes 

 to a gipsy to ask what is to befall her) : but she also knew that I was 

 no enemy either to her or her profession ; for, after all, if jK-ople choose 

 to amuse themselves by being simpletons, it is no part of their neigh- 

 bours' business to hinder them. I, on my side, liked the old gipsy 

 exceedingly ; I liked both her and her good-humour, and had a real 

 respect for her cleverness. We always interchanged a smile and a nod, 

 meet where we might. May, too, had become accustomed to the 

 whole party. The gift of a bone from the cauldron — a bare bone — your 

 well-fed dog likes nothing so well as such a windfall, and if stolen, the 

 relish is higher — a bare bone brought about that reconciliation. I am 

 sorry to accuse May of accepting a bribe, but such was the fact. She 

 now looked at the fortune-teller with great complacency, would let the 

 boys stroke her long neck, and in her turn would condescend to frolic 

 with their shabby curs, who, trained to a cat-like caution and mistrust 

 of their superiors, were as much alarmed at her advances as if a lioness 

 had offered herself as their play-fellow. There wa.s no escaping her 

 civility, however, so they submitted to their fate, and really seemed 

 astonished to find themselves alive when the gambol was over. One of 

 them, who, from a tail turned over his back like a squirrel, and an 

 amazingly squab nose, had certainl}' some mixture of the pug in his 

 composition, took a great fancy to her when his fright was past : which 

 she repaid hy the sort of scornful kindness, the despotic protection pro- 

 per to her as a beauty, and a favourite, and a high-blooded greyhound 

 — always a most proud and stately creature. The poor little mongrel 

 used regularly to come jumping to meet her, and she as regularly turned 

 him over and over and over, and round and round and round, like a 

 tetotum. He liked it, apparently, for he never failed to come and 

 court the tossing whenever she went near him. 



The person most interesting to me of tlie whole party was the young 

 girl. She vras remai'kably pretty, and of the peculiar prettiness %vhich 

 is so frequently found amongst that singular people. Her face re- 

 sembled those which Sir Joshua has often painted — rosy, round, 

 and bright, set in such a profusion of dark curls, lighted by such eyes, 

 and such a smile ! and she smiled whenever you looked at her — she 

 could not help it. Her figure was light and small, of low stature, and 

 M. .M. Nciv Series.— Xo l . I. No. 2. S 



