Aristocratic Gypsies. 47 



hesitates to put his luck to the test a second time, lest 

 the perfect image of the first be marred. We shall 

 see. 



During the evening we had learned the next day's 

 stage — where we were to stay over night, and, what is 

 almost as important, in what pretty nook we were to 

 rest at midday ; on the banks of what classic stream or 

 wimpling burn, or in what shady, moss-covered dell. 

 Several people of note in the neighborhood dropped 

 into the inn, as a rule, to see the American coaching 

 party, whose arrival in the village had made as great a 

 stir as if it were the advance show-wagon of Barnum's 

 menagerie. From these the best route and objects of 

 interest to be seen could readily be obtained. The 

 ordnance maps which we carried kept us from trouble 

 about the right roads ; not only this, they gave us the 

 name of every estate we passed, and of its owner. 



The horses have to be considered in selecting a 

 luncheon-place, which should be near an inn, where 

 they can be baited. This was rarely inconvenient ; but 

 upon a few occasions, when the choice spot was in some 

 glen or secluded place, we took oats along, and our 

 horses were none the worse off for nibbling the road- 

 side grass and drinking from the brook. Nor did the 

 party look less like the aristocratic Gypsies they felt 

 themselves to be from having their coach standing on 

 the moor or in the glen, and the horses picketed near 

 by, as if we were just the true-born Gypsies. And 



