BEHIND THE GIPSIES' TENT.
"Soon after Zillah left me, a servant came to announce that the carriage
was ready. I found the whole party assembled in the salon, Zillah
waiting outside the door. I never remember to have seen Mrs. Harrington
in such spirits as she was that morning; she looked so young and pretty,
too, that it seemed impossible that she could be the mother of that
handsome, proud-looking man. We drove through the streets, away out of
the town, to the place where the fair was held. It was an odd,
picturesque sight, with the gaily decorated booths, the crowds of
quaintly dressed men and women, the noise and laughter.
"There was a throng gathered about a puppet-show, somewhat like the
English Punch and Judy, shrieking with laughter like so many children; a
group of girls consulting an old fortune-teller; pretty peasant girls
from the hills slily listening to compliments from the town gallants,
evidently to the great indignation of their country swains; in short,
every way we turned, some picture that would have been a treasure to any
great artist, met the eye, and all so strange and picturesque, that I
became more interested than I had thought possible.
"The Gipsies were grouped in a green lane just on the outskirts of the
fair. I had seen persons in my own country who claimed to be these
people, but they were as unlike the pure Rommany gipsies as races of men
could be. These people were thin, wiry and keen; their features, in most
instances, finely cut, and the expression of their countenances full of
sharp intelligence. They had pitched a double line of tents, where the
elder women were busy selling drinks, and frying cakes, which they sold
hot from an iron cauldron full of simmering fat, out of which the
smoking cakes were lifted with a skimmer, as customers wanted them. The
young girls of the tribe hovered around the doors of the tents, or were
grouped in a larger tent, dancing for money, at the behest of any
stranger who cared to amuse himself by their wild and eccentric
movements.
"We were told that these dances were not always such as ladies would
care to witness, and so avoided the great tent, and gave ourselves up to
the swarms of women who were eager to tell our fortunes, or steal our
purses, as the case might be. In the midst of this confusion, Mrs.
Harrington took hold of my arms in a wild, agitated way, whispering that
she was tired, and would like to go home.
"I looked around for Zillah, but she had disappeared, and the gentlemen,
just at the moment, were out of sight.
"'Sit here,' I said, leading Mrs. Harrington into one of the tents,
'while I go in search of some one who can tell me where the carriage
is.'
"Mrs. Harrington sat down, white and faint, both Mrs. Eaton and her
daughter came to her and offered help. I left Lucy fanning the gentle
lady, and went into the lane in search of Zillah, though her mistress,
made a faint effort to prevent it. As I turned a corner of the lane, two
women who stood a little apart from the road, near the back of one of
the tents, struck me as familiar. They stood upon the turf, and were
talking earnestly. One held something in her hand, which she looked down
upon, now and then, as she talked. After a moment, I became sure that
one of these persons was Zillah, and went toward her. The turf on which
I walked gave forth no sound, and I moved close to the girl before she
could be aware of my presence. That moment a small phial passed from the
hand of that old gipsy woman to that of Zillah, who held the little
flask up to the light, and examined it curiously, speaking in a quick,
abrupt way, in Spanish.
"I could not distinguish the meaning, she spoke so rapidly. When the
gipsy answered, I caught the word _Droa_, uttered under the breath two
or three times. The woman seemed to be giving some directions; she spoke
almost in a whisper, and I saw the long bony hand clutch Zillah's arm,
as if to impress what she was saying more forcibly upon the girl's
attention. Then I saw Zillah hand the piece of gold I had given her that
morning, to the woman, while she asked other questions in a whisper.
"'Zillah!'
"The girl fairly leaped from the ground, and uttered a sharp scream, as
if I had struck her to the heart.
"'Zillah, what is this? Why are you so terrified?' She had drawn back
towards the tent, grasping the phial close in her hands; then with her
wild eyes on my face, and her features locked in gray whiteness, she
stood a full minute staring at me in dumb terror. At last, she faltered
out, 'Miss, Miss Crawford, how--how you frightened me. I--I am so
nervous.'
"'But there is nothing to make you nervous, Zillah. I only came to say
that your mistress wishes to go home.'
"'Oh! I am ready--I am ready, but--but when did you get here? We--we
were talking--'
"'About something you had in your hand. What is it, Zillah?'
"I saw the girl's slender fingers close spasmodically on the phial, and
the dead whiteness returned to her face.
"'Oh! it is--'
"Then the gipsy broke in. 'It is a love philter--something that will
make her sweetheart tender and faithful--would the senorita like to buy
one?'
"I turned my eyes on Zillah; she was still pale, and trembled visibly.
With her magnificent eyes cast down, and her whole figure bowed as if by
some invisible power, she seemed to deprecate my scorn or anger. I was
angry. What did she want with the philter in her hand--to whom was it
applicable?
"'Foolish, ignorant girl,' I said. 'So it was for this poor fraud you
wanted money. Zillah, I thought you had more sense?'
"The girl stood up more firmly. It seemed as if a load had dropped from
her shoulders. She gave a sharp laugh, and said 'I know it, young
mistress. It is a folly--but I could not help it--the gipsies have such
power--and I may never see them again. Don't tell of me, they will laugh
so?'"