第82章

remainedquitesilentandmotionless，andinanothermomentthevoicecontinued，’What，noanswer？whatcanthegentlemanofthehousebeaboutthathemakesnoanswer？perhapsthegentlemanofthehousemaybedarninghisstockings？’Thereuponafacepeeredintothedoorofthetent，atthefartherextremityofwhichIwasstretched。Itwasthatofawoman，butowingtothepostureinwhichshestood，withherbacktothelight，andpartlyowingtoalargestrawbonnet，Icoulddistinguishbutverylittleofthefeaturesofhercountenance。Ihad，however，recognisedhervoice；

itwasthatofmyoldacquaintance，Mrs。Herne。’Ho，ho，sir!’

saidshe，’hereyouare。Comehere，Leonora，’saidshetothegypsygirl，whopressedinattheothersideofthedoor；’hereisthegentleman，notasleep，butonlystretchedoutafterdinner。

Sitdownonyourham，child，atthedoor，Ishalldothesame。

There-youhaveseenmebefore，sir，haveyounot？’

’Thegentlemanmakesnoanswer，bebee；perhapshedoesnotknowyou。’

’Ihaveknownhimofold，Leonora，’saidMrs。Herne；’and，totellyouthetruth，thoughIspoketohimjustnow，Iexpectednoanswer。’

’It’sawayhehas，bebee，Isuppose？’

’Yes，child，it’sawayhehas。’

’Takeoffyourbonnet，bebee，perhapshecannotseeyourface。’

’Idonotthinkthatwillbeofmuchuse，child；however，Iwilltakeoffmybonnet-there-andshakeoutmyhair-there-youhaveseenthishairbefore，sir，andthisface-’

’Noanswer，bebee。’

’Thoughtheonewasnotquitesogray，northeothersowrinkled。’

’Howcametheyso，bebee？’

’Allalongofthisgorgio，child。’

’Thegentlemaninthehouse，youmean，bebee？’

’Yes，child，thegentlemaninthehouse。GodgrantthatImaypreservemytemper。Doyouknow，sir，myname？MynameisHerne，whichsignifiesahairyindividual，thoughneithergray-hairednorwrinkled。ItisnotthenatureoftheHernestobegrayorwrinkled，evenwhentheyareold，andIamnotold。’

’Howoldareyou，bebee？’

’Sixty-fiveyears，child-aninconsiderablenumber。Mymotherwasahundredandone-aconsiderableage-whenshedied，yetshehadnotonegrayhair，andnotmorethansixwrinkles-aninconsiderablenumber。’

’Shehadnogriefs，bebee？’

’Plenty，child，butnotlikemine。’

’Notquitesohardtobear，bebee？’

’No，child；myheadwanderswhenIthinkofthem。Afterthedeathofmyhusband，whocametohisenduntimeously，Iwenttolivewithadaughterofmine，marriedoutamongcertainRomanswhowalkabouttheeasterncounties，andwithwhomforsometimeIfoundahomeandpleasantsociety，fortheylivedrightRomanly，whichgavemyheartconsiderablesatisfaction，whoamaRomanborn，andhopetodieso。WhenIsayrightRomanly，Imeanthattheykepttothemselves，andwerenotmuchgiventoblabbingabouttheirprivatemattersinpromiscuouscompany。Well，thingswentoninthiswayforsometime，whenonedaymyson-in-lawbringshomeayounggorgioofsingularandoutrageousugliness，and，withoutmuchpreamble，saystomeandmine，“Thisismypal，ain’theabeauty？

falldownandworshiphim。““Hold，“saidI，“Iforonewillneverconsenttosuchfoolishness。“’

’