lavengro-第107章

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gravity　which　became　one　of　my　profession。　　I　allowed　at　least　half　

a　minute　to　elapse　before　I　even　lifted　up　my　eyes。



A　girl　of　about　thirteen　was　standing　before　me；　her　features　were　

very　pretty；　but　with　a　peculiar　expression；　her　complexion　was　a　

clear　olive；　and　her　jet　black　hair　hung　back　upon　her　shoulders。　　

She　was　rather　scantily　dressed；　and　her　arms　and　feet　were　bare；　

round　her　neck；　however；　was　a　handsome　string　of　corals；　with　

ornaments　of　gold；　in　her　hand　she　held　a　bulrush。



'All　alone　here；　brother？'　said　the　girl；　as　I　looked　up；　'all　

alone　here；　in　the　lane；　where　are　your　wife　and　children？'



'Why　do　you　call　me　brother？'　said　I；　'am　no　brother　of　yours。　　Do　

you　take　me　for　one　of　your　people？　　I　am　no　gypsy；　not　I；　indeed！'



'Don't　be　afraid；　brother；　you　are　no　Roman　…　Roman　indeed；　you　are　

not　handsome　enough　to　be　a　Roman；　not　black　enough；　tinker　though　

you　be。　　If　I　called　you　brother；　it　was　because　I　didn't　know　what　

else　to　call　you。　　Marry；　come　up；　brother；　I　should　be　sorry　to　

have　you　for　a　brother。'



'Then　you　don't　like　me？'



'Neither　like　you　nor　dislike　you；　brother；　what　will　you　have　for　

that　kekaubi？'



'What's　the　use　of　talking　to　me　in　that　unchristian　way；　what　do　

you　mean；　young　gentlewoman？'



'Lord；　brother；　what　a　fool　you　are；　every　tinker　knows　what　a　

kekaubi　is。　　I　was　asking　you　what　you　would　have　for　that　kettle。'



'Three…and…sixpence；　young　gentlewoman；　isn't　it　well　mended？'



'Well　mended！　　I　could　have　done　it　better　myself；　three…and…

sixpence！　it's　only　fit　to　be　played　at　football　with。'



'I　will　take　no　less　for　it；　young　gentlewoman；　it　has　caused　me　a　

world　of　trouble。'



'I　never　saw　a　worse　mended　kettle。　　I　say；　brother；　your　hair　is　

white。'



〃Tis　nature；　your　hair　is　black；　nature；　nothing　but　nature。'



'I　am　young；　brother；　my　hair　is　black　…　that's　nature：　　you　are　

young；　brother；　your　hair　is　white　…　that's　not　nature。'



'I　can't　help　it　if　it　be　not；　but　it　is　nature　after　all；　did　you　

never　see　gray　hair　on　the　young？'



'Never！　　I　have　heard　it　is　true　of　a　gray　lad；　and　a　bad　one　he　

was。　　Oh；　so　bad。'



'Sit　down　on　the　grass；　and　tell　me　all　about　it；　sister；　do；　to　

oblige　me；　pretty　sister。'



'Hey；　brother；　you　don't　speak　as　you　did　…　you　don't　speak　like　a　

gorgio；　you　speak　like　one　of　us；　you　call　me　sister。'



'As　you　call　me　brother；　I　am　not　an　uncivil　person　after　all；　

sister。'



'I　say；　brother；　tell　me　one　thing；　and　look　me　in　the　face　…　there　

…　do　you　speak　Rommany？'



'Rommany！　　Rommany！　what　is　Rommany？'



'What　is　Rommany？　our　language　to　be　sure；　tell　me；　brother；　only　

one　thing；　you　don't　speak　Rommany？'



'You　say　it。'



'I　don't　say　it；　I　wish　to　know。　　Do　you　speak　Rommany？'



'Do　you　mean　thieves'　slang　…　cant？　no；　I　don't　speak　cant；　don't　

like　it；　I　only　know　a　few　words；　they　call　a　sixpence　a　tanner；　

don't　they？'



'I　don't　know；'　said　the　girl；　sitting　down　on　the　ground；　'I　was　

almost　thinking　…　well；　never　mind；　you　don't　know　Rommany。　　I　say；　

brother；　I　think　I　should　like　to　have　the　kekaubi。'



'I　thought　you　said　it　was　badly　mended？'



'Yes；　yes；　brother；　but　…　'



'I　thought　you　said　it　was　only　fit　to　be　played　at　football　with？'



'Yes；　yes；　brother；　but　…　'



'What　will　you　give　for　it？'



'Brother；　I　am　the　poor　person's　child；　I　will　give　you　sixpence　

for　the　kekaubi。'



'Poor　person's　child；　how　came　you　by　that　necklace？'



'Be　civil；　brother；　am　I　to　have　the　kekaubi？'



'Not　for　sixpence；　isn't　the　kettle　nicely　mended？'



'I　never　saw　a　nicer　mended　kettle；　brother；　am　I　to　have　the　

kekaubi；　brother？'



'You　like　me　then？'



'I　don't　dislike　you　…　I　dislike　no　one；　there's　only　one；　and　him　

I　don't　dislike；　him　I　hate。'



'Who　is　he？'



'I　scarcely　know；　I　never　saw　him；　but　'tis　no　affair　of　yours；　you　

don't　speak　Rommany；　you　will　let　me　have　the　kekaubi；　pretty　

brother？'



'You　may　have　it；　but　not　for　sixpence；　I'll　give　it　to　you。'



'Parraco　tute；　that　is；　I　thank　you；　brother；　the　rikkeni　kekaubi　

is　now　mine。　　O；　rare！　　I　thank　you　kindly；　brother。'



Starting　up；　she　flung　the　bulrush　aside　which　she　had　hitherto　

held　in　her　hand；　and；　seizing　the　kettle；　she　looked　at　it　for　a　

moment；　and　then　began　a　kind　of　dance；　flourishing　the　kettle　over　

her　head　the　while；　and　singing　…





'The　Rommany　chi

And　the　Rommany　chal

Shall　jaw　tasaulor

To　drab　the　bawlor；

And　dook　the　gry

Of　the　farming　rye。





Good…bye；　brother；　I　must　be　going。'



'Good…bye；　sister；　why　do　you　sing　that　wicked　song？'



'Wicked　song；　hey；　brother！　you　don't　understand　the　song！'



'Ha；　ha！　gypsy　daughter；'　said　I；　starting　up　and　clapping　my　

hands；　'I　don't　understand　Rommany；　don't　I？　　You　shall　see；　here's　

the　answer　to　your　gillie　…





'The　Rommany　chi

And　the　Rommany　chal；

Love　Luripen

And　dukkeripen；

And　hokkeripen；

And　every　pen

But　Lachipen

And　tatchipen。'





The　girl；　who　had　given　a　slight　start　when　I　began；　remained　for　

some　time　after　I　had　concluded　the　song　standing　motionless　as　a　

statue；　with　the　kettle　in　her　hand。　　At　length　she　came　towards　

me；　and　stared　me　full　in　the　face。　　'Gray；　tall；　and　talks　

Rommany；'　said　she　to　herself。　　In　her　countenance　there　was　an　

expression　which　I　had　not　seen　before　…　an　expression　which　struck　

me　as　being　composed　of　fear；　curiosity；　and　the　deepest　hate。　　It　

was　momentary；　however；　and　was　succeeded　by　one　smiling；　frank；　

and　open。　　'Ha；　ha；　brother；'　said　she；　'well；　I　like　you　all　the　

better　for　talking　Rommany；　it　is　a　sweet　language；　isn't　it？　

especially　as　you　sing　it。　　How　did　you　pick　it　up？　　But　you　picked　

it　up　upon　the　roads；　no　doubt？　　Ha；　it　was　funny　in　you　to　pretend　

not　to　know　it；　and　you　so　flush　with　it　all　the　time；　it　was　not　

kind　in　you；　however；　to　frighten　the　poor　person's　child　so　by　

screaming　out；　but　it　was　kind　in　you　to　give　the　rikkeni　kekaubi　

to　the　child　of　the　poor　person。　　She　will　be　grateful　to　you；　she　

will　bring　you　her　little　dog　to　show　you；　her　pretty　juggal；　the　

poor　person's　child　will　come　and　see　you　again；　you　are　not　going　

away　to…day；　I　hope；　or　to…morrow；　pretty　brother；　gray…haired　

brother　…　you　are　not　going　away　to…morrow；　I　hope？'



'Nor　the　next　day；'　said　I；　'only　to　take　a　stroll　to　see　if　I　can　

sell　a　kettle；　good…bye；　little　sister；　Rommany　sister；　dingy　

sister。'



'Good…bye；　tall　brother；'　said　the　girl；　as　she　departed；　singing





'The　Rommany　chi；'　etc。





'There's　something　about　that　girl　that　I　don't　understand；'　said　I　

to　myself；　'something　mysterious。　　However；　it　is　nothing　to　me；　

she　knows　not　who　I　am；　and　if　she　did；　what　then？'



Late　that　evening　as　I　sat　on　the　shaft　of　my　cart　in　deep　

meditation；　with　my　arms　folded；　I　thought　I　heard　a　rustling　in　

the　bushes　over　against　me。　　I　turned　my　eyes　in　that　direction；　

but　saw　nothing。　　'Some　bird；'　said　I；　'an　owl；　perhaps'；　and　once　

more　I　fell　into　meditation；　my　mind　wandered　from　one　thing　to　

another　…　musing　now　on　the　structure　of　the　Roman　tongue　…　now　on　

the　rise　and　fall　of　the　Persian　power　…　and　now　on　the　powers　

vested　in　recorders　at　quarter…sessions。　　I　was　thinking　what　a　

fine　thing　it　must　be　to　be　a　recorder　of　the　peace；　when；　lifting　

up　my　eyes；　I　saw　right　opposite；　not　a　culprit　at　the　bar；　but；　

staring　at　me　through　a　gap　in　the　bush；　a　face　wild　and　strange；　

half　covered　with　gray　hair；　I　only　saw　it　a　moment；　the　next　it　

had　disappeared。







CHAPTER　LXXI







Friend　of　Slingsby　…　All　quiet　…　Danger　…　The　two　cakes　…　Children　

in　the　wood　…　Don't　be　angry　…　In　deep　thought　…　Temples　throbbing　

…　Deadly　sick　…　Another　blow　…　No　answer　…　How　old　are　you？　…　Play　

and　sacrament　…　H