IN WHICH THE READER IS INTRODUCED TO SEVERAL NEW AQUAINTANCES, AND ALL
CONNECTED WITH THEM, EXCEPT BIRTH AND PARENTAGE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE THE
ONE THING WANTING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF THIS WORK.
By this time we had arrived at the lime-kiln to which we had been
directed, and we sat down on our bundles, chatting for about five
minutes, when our new acquaintance made his appearance, with something
in his hand, tied up in a handkerchief.
"You may as well put your coats into your bundles, and put on these
frocks," said he; "you will appear better among us, and be better
received, for there is a _gathering_ now, and some of them are queer
customers. However, you have nothing to fear; when once you are with my
wife and me, you are quite safe; her little finger would protect you
from five hundred."
"Your wife! who, then, is she?" inquired I, as I put my head through the
smock frock.
"She is a great personage among the gipsies. She is, by descent, one of
the heads of the tribe, and none dare to disobey her."
"And you--are you a gipsy?"
"No, and yes. By birth I am not, but by choice, and marriage, I am
admitted; but I was not born under a hedge, I can assure you, although I
very often pass a night there now--that is, when I am domestic; but do
not think that you are to remain long here; we shall leave in a few
days, and may not meet the tribe again for months, although you may see
my own family occasionally. I did not ask you to join me to pass a
gipsy's life--no, no, we must be stirring and active. Come, we are now
close to them. Do not speak as you pass the huts, until you have
entered mine. Then you may do as you please."
We turned short round, passed through a gap in the hedge, and found
ourselves on a small retired piece of common, which was studded with
about twenty or thirty low gipsy huts. The fires were alight and
provisions apparently cooking. We passed by nine or ten, and obeyed our
guide's injunctions to keep silence. At last we stopped, and perceived
ourselves to be standing by the fool, who was dressed like us, in a
smock frock, and Mr Jumbo, who was very busy making the pot boil,
blowing at the sticks underneath till he was black in the face. Several
of the men passed near us, and examined us with no very pleasant
expression of countenance; and we were not sorry to see our conductor,
who had gone into the hut, return, followed by a woman, to whom he was
speaking in the language of the tribe. "Nattee bids you welcome," said
he, as she approached.
Never in my life will the remembrance of the first appearance of Nattee,
and the effect it had upon me, be erased from my memory. She was tall,
too tall, had it not been for the perfect symmetry of her form. Her
face of a clear olive, and oval in shape; her eyes jetty black; nose
straight, and beautifully formed; mouth small, thin lips, with a slight
curl of disdain, and pearly teeth. I never beheld a woman of so
commanding a presence. Her feet were bare, but very small, as well as
her hands. On her fingers she wore many rings, of a curious old
setting, and a piece of gold hung on her forehead, where the hair was
parted. She looked at us, touched her high forehead with the ends of
her fingers, and waving her hand gracefully, said, in a soft voice, "You
are welcome," and then turned to her husband, speaking to him in her own
language, until by degrees they separated from us in earnest
conversation.
She returned to us after a short time, without her husband, and said, in
a voice, the notes of which were indeed soft, but the delivery of the
words was most determined; "I have said that you are welcome; sit down,
therefore, and share with us--fear nothing, you have no cause to fear.
Be faithful, then, while you serve him; and when you would quit us, say
so, and receive your leave to depart; but if you attempt to desert us
without permission, then we shall suspect that you are our enemies, and
treat you accordingly. There is your lodging while here," continued
she, pointing to another hut. "There is but one child with you, his boy
(pointing to Jumbo), who can lie at your feet. And now join us as
friends. Fleta, where are you?"
A soft voice answered from the tent of Nattee, and soon afterwards came
out a little girl, of about eleven years old. The appearance of this
child was a new source of interest. She was a little fairy figure, with
a skin as white as the driven snow--light auburn hair, and large blue
eyes; her dress was scanty, and showed a large portion of her taper
legs. She hastened to Nattee, and folding her arms across her breast,
stood still, saying meekly, "I am here."
"Know these as friends, Fleta. Send that lazy Num (this was Philotas,
the fool,) for more wood, and see that Jumbo tends the fire."
Nattee smiled, and left us. I observed she went to where forty or fifty
of the tribe were assembled, in earnest discourse. She took her seat
with them, and marked deference was paid to her. In the mean time Jumbo
had blown up a brisk fire; we were employed by Fleta in shredding
vegetables, which she threw into the boiling kettle. Num appeared with
more fuel, and at last there was nothing more to do. Fleta sat down by
us, and parting her long hair, which had fallen over her eyes, looked us
both in the face.
"Who gave you that name, Fleta?" inquired I.
"They gave it me," replied she.
"And who are they?"
"Nattee, and Melchior, her husband."
"But you are not their daughter?"
"No, I am not--that is, I believe not."
The little girl stopped short, as if assured that she had said too much,
cast her eyes down on the ground, and folded her arms, so that her hands
rested on each opposite shoulder.