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CHAPTER XXIV. 



THE SPANISH GYPSY OF TO-DAY. 



Hitherto we have dealt with the subject of the Spanish 

 gypsy in a past tense and from an historic point of view. 

 It remains to add that the Eommany sect, though de- 

 creasing in numbers and largely divested of their former 

 dangerous character, continues plentiful enough through- 

 out Spain, and especially in the southern provinces, their 

 best known colonies being at the Triana suburb of Seville, 

 and in the rock-caves of the Alpujarras at Granada, 

 where certain tribes form one of the " stock sights " 

 familiar to travellers in Southern Spain. Though the 

 later laws have checked their vagabondism, yet the instinct 

 of Ishmael survives, and, especially in the summer-time, 

 the gypsies wander over the Andalucian ?vy/«.s and flock 

 to rural fairs, where the men drive their ancient trade of 

 dealing in horses — mostly stolen, and all " faked " and 

 got-up for sale, though in these matters the gypsies are 

 perhaps no worse than their gentile rivals. 



At the fairs the wealthier gj-psies also trade in precious 

 stones and jewellery : the poorer in hardware, " tinkery," 

 and the like. The r/itanas, gaudily arrayed in colours of 

 startling hues, and blazing with heavy golden ornaments, 

 deal in divinations and tell the hucna rentura as of old, 

 the younger girls ever ready to engage in their lissom 

 dances and in the wild suggestive singing characteristic 

 of the Piommany race. 



In towns and cities some of the gj'psy women have a 

 large and varied clicnfch' : the}' are admitted to the best 

 houses, and the proudest sehoras deign to inspect the 

 ancient lace, the bric-a-brac and jewellery that they bring 



