On a certain occasion, when I learnt that the Lovells were in the
neighbourhood, I sought them out. Sinfi at first was extremely shy,
or distant, or proud, or scared, and it was not till after one or two
interviews that she relaxed. She still was overshadowed by some
mysterious feeling towards me that seemed at one moment anger, at
another dread. However, I succeeded at last. I persuaded Panuel and
his daughters to leave their friends at 'the Place,' and spend a few
days with me at the bungalow. Great was the gaping and wide the
grinning among the tourists to see me inarching along the Capel Curig
road with three Gypsies. But to all human opinion I had become as
indifferent as Wilderspin himself.
As we walked along the road, Sinfi slowly warmed into her old self,
but Videy, as usual, was silent, preoccupied, and meditative. When we
got within sight of the bungalow, however, the lights flashing from
the windows made the long low building look very imposing. Pharaoh,
the bantam cock which Sinfi was carrying, began to crow, but silence
again fell upon Sinfi.
Panuel, when we entered the bungalow, said he was very tired and
would like to go to bed. I had perceived by the glossy appearance of
his skin (which was of the colour of beeswaxed mahogany) and the
benevolent dimple in his check that, although far from being
intoxicated, he was 'market-merry'; and as the two sisters also
seemed tired, I took the party at once to their bedrooms.
'Dordi! what a gran' room,' said Sinfi, in a hushed voice, as I
opened the door of the one allotted to her. 'Don't you mind, Videy,
when you an' me fust slep' like two kairengros?' [Footnote]
[Footnote: House-dwellers.]
'No, I don't,' said Videy sharply.
'It was at Llangollen Fair,' continued Sinfi, her frank face beaming
like a great child's; 'two little chavies we was then. An' don't you
mind, Videy, how we both on us cried when they put us to bed, 'cause
we was afeard the ceilin' would fall down on us?'
Videy made no answer, but tossed up her head and looked around to see
whether there was a grinning servant within earshot.
'Good-night, Sinfi,' I said, shaking her hand; 'and now, Videy, I
will show you your room.'
'Oh, but Videy an' me sleeps togither, don't we?'
'Certainly, if you wish it,' I replied.
'She's afeard o' the "mullos,"' said Videy scornfully, as she went
and stood before an old engraved Venetian mirror I had picked up at
Chester, admiring her own perfect little figure reflected therein.
'Ever since she's know'd you she's bin afeard o' mullos, and keeps
Pharaoh with her o' nights; the mullos never come where there's a
crowin' cock.'
I did not look at Sinfi, but bent my eyes upon the mirror, where,
several inches above the reflex of Videy's sarcastic face, shone the
features of Sinfi, perfectly cut as those of a Greek statue.
'It's the dukkerin' dook [Footnote] as she's afeard on,' said Videy,
smiling in the glass till her face seemed one wicked glitter of
scarlet lips and pearly teeth. 'An' yit there ain't no dukkerin'
dook, an' there ain't no mullos.'
[Footnote: The prophesying ghost.]
Among the elaborately-engraved flowers and stars at the top of the
mirror was the representation of an angel grasping a musical
instrument.
'Look, look!' said Sinfi, 'I never know'd afore that angels played
the crwth. I wonder whether they can draw a livin' mullo up to the
clouds, same as my crwth can draw one to Snowdon?'