第42章

The Gypsy's Granddaughter - Proposed Marriage - The Algnazil -The Assault - Speedy Trot - Arrival at Trujillo - Night and Rain -The Forest - The Bivouac - Mount and Away! - Jaraicejo - The National -The Cavalier Balmerson - Among the Thicket - Serious Discourse -What is Truth? - Unexpected Intelligence.

We remained three days at the Gypsies' house, Antonio departing early every morning, on his mule, and returning late at night.The house was large and ruinous, the only habitable part of it, with the exception of the stable, being the hall, where we had supped, and there the Gypsy females slept at night, on some mats and mattresses in a corner.

"A strange house is this," said I to Antonio, one morning as he was on the point of saddling his mule and departing, as Isupposed, on the affairs of Egypt; "a strange house and strange people; that Gypsy grandmother has all the appearance of a sowanee (SORCERESS).""All the appearance of one!" said Antonio; "and is she not really one? She knows more crabbed things and crabbed words than all the Errate betwixt here and Catalonia.She has been amongst the wild Moors, and can make more drows, poisons, and philtres than any one alive.She once made a kind of paste, and persuaded me to taste, and shortly after I had done so my soul departed from my body, and wandered through horrid forests and mountains, amidst monsters and duendes, during one entire night.She learned many things amidst the Corahai which I should be glad to know.""Have you been long acquainted with her?" said I; "you appear to be quite at home in this house.""Acquainted with her!" said Antonio."Did not my own brother marry the black Calli, her daughter, who bore him the chabi, sixteen years ago, just before he was hanged by the Busne?"In the afternoon I was seated with the Gypsy mother in the hall, the two Callees were absent telling fortunes about the town and neighbourhood, which was their principal occupation."Are you married, my London Caloro?" said the old woman to me."Are you a ro?"MYSELF.- Wherefore do you ask, O Dai de los Cales?

GYPSY MOTHER.- It is high time that the lacha of the chabi were taken from her, and that she had a ro.You can do no better than take her for romi, my London Caloro.

MYSELF.- I am a stranger in this land, O mother of the Gypsies, and scarcely know how to provide for myself, much less for a romi.

GYPSY MOTHER.- She wants no one to provide for her, my London Caloro, she can at any time provide for herself and her ro.She can hokkawar, tell baji, and there are few to equal her at stealing a pastesas.Were she once at Madrilati, where they tell me you are going, she would make much treasure;therefore take her thither, for in this foros she is nahi (LOST), as it were, for there is nothing to be gained; but in the foros baro it would be another matter; she would go dressed in lachipi and sonacai (SILK AND GOLD), whilst you would ride about on your black-tailed gra; and when you had got much treasure, you might return hither and live like a Crallis, and all the Errate of the Chim del Manro should bow down their heads to you.What, say you, my London Caloro, what say you to my plan?

Myself.- Your plan is a plausible one, mother, or at least some people would think so; but I am, as you are aware, of another chim, and have no inclination to pass my life in this country.

GYPSY MOTHER.- Then return to your own country, my Caloro, the chabi can cross the pani.Would she not do business in London with the rest of the Calore? Or why not go to the land of the Corahai? In which case I would accompany you; I and my daughter, the mother of the chabi.

MYSELF.- And what should we do in the land of the Corahai? It is a poor and wild country, I believe.

GYPSY MOTHER.- The London Caloro asks me what we could do in the land of the Corahai! Aromali! I almost think that Iam speaking to a lilipendi (SIMPLETON).Are there not horses to chore? Yes, I trow there are, and better ones than in this land, and asses and mules.In the land of the Corahai you must hokkawar and chore even as you must here, or in your own country, or else you are no Caloro.Can you not join yourselves with the black people who live in the despoblados?

Yes, surely; and glad they would be to have among them the Errate from Spain and London.I am seventy years of age, but Iwish not to die in this chim, but yonder, far away, where both my roms are sleeping.Take the chabi, therefore, and go to Madrilati to win the parne, and when you have got it, return, and we will give a banquet to all the Busne in Merida, and in their food I will mix drow, and they shall eat and burst like poisoned sheep....And when they have eaten we will leave them, and away to the land of the Moor, my London Caloro.

During the whole time that I remained at Merida I stirred not once from the house; following the advice of Antonio, who informed me that it would not be convenient.My time lay rather heavily on my hands, my only source of amusement consisting in the conversation of the women, and in that of Antonio when he made his appearance at night.In these tertulias the grandmother was the principal spokeswoman, and astonished my ears with wonderful tales of the Land of the Moors, prison escapes, thievish feats, and one or two poisoning adventures, in which she had been engaged, as she informed me, in her early youth.

There was occasionally something very wild in her gestures and demeanour; more than once I observed her, in the midst of much declamation, to stop short, stare in vacancy, and thrust out her palms as if endeavouring to push away some invisible substance; she goggled frightfully with her eyes, and once sank back in convulsions, of which her children took no farther notice than observing that she was only lili, and would soon come to herself.