CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE COMMENCEMENT OF A NEW DEAL IN HORSEFLESH 

 WITH CHALVEY THE GIPSY — FURTHER THOUGHTS ON 

 MASONS— ON GIPSIES— MY AUNT'S SUSPICIONS. 



^^^^ R. CHALVEY (at the gate with the Cob in 

 f^j^s-^ ^f question) is, I beheve, professionally, a Gipsy. 

 j^^ji^k^; He is meteoric in his movementSj appearing 

 ^^^^^ 11 suddenly in our neighbourhood for a few 

 hours, and disappearing as suddenly. 



Nobody can tell you precisely whence he comes, or whither 

 he goes. He may be known to the Police, and probably is 

 so, and favourably, too, if I may judge from the few occa- 

 sions when I've seen Mr. Chalvey in the company of one 

 of the native force. Mr. Chalvey and myself have been 

 on nodding terms for some time past. We have never 

 spoken ; but he has invariably touched his fur cap on 

 seeing me, and I have returned his salutation, not only 

 out of politeness, but from a sort of fetish feeling, that 

 I'd better keep on civil terms with Chalvey the Gipsy, or 

 Chalvey the Gipsy will be, somehow or other, one too many 

 for me. In spite of my affable smile and cheery nod to Chal- 

 vey in the village, I should no^ like to meet Chalvey alone in 

 a dark lane at night, with nobody within two miles of us. I 



M 2 



