第102章

’Noapologyisnecessary，’saidI；’willyoupleasetotakeanythingbeforeyougo？Ithinkthisyounglady，atmyrequest，wouldcontrivetomakeyouacupoftea。’

’Tea!’saidthemaninblack；’he!he!Idon’tdrinktea；Idon’tlikeit-if，indeed，youhad，’andherehestopped。

’There’snothinglikeginandwater，isthere？’saidI，’butIamsorrytosayIhavenone。’

’Ginandwater，’saidthemaninblack，’howdoyouknowthatIamfondofginandwater？’

’DidInotseeyoudrinkingsomeatthepublic-house？’

’Youdid，’saidthemaninblack，’andIrememberthat，whenI

calledforsomeyourepeatedmywords-permitmetoask，isginandwateranunusualdrinkinEngland？’

’Itisnotusuallydrunkcold，andwithalumpofsugar，’saidI。

’AnddidyouknowwhoIwasbymycallingforitso？’

’Gypsieshavevariouswaysofobtaininginformation，’saidI。

’Withallyourknowledge，’saidthemaninblack，’youdonotappeartohaveknownthatIwascomingtovisityou？’

’Gypsiesdonotpretendtoknowanythingwhichrelatestothemselves，’saidI；’butIadviseyou，ifyouevercomeagain，tocomeopenly。’

’HaveIyourpermissiontocomeagain？’saidthemaninblack。

’Comewhenyouplease；thisdingleisasfreeforyouasme。’

’Iwillvisityouagain，’saidthemaninblack-’tillthen，addio。’

’Belle，’saidI，afterthemaninblackhaddeparted，’wedidnottreatthatmanveryhospitably；heleftuswithouthavingeatenordrunkatourexpense。’

’Youofferedhimsometea，’saidBelle，’which，asitismine，I

shouldhavegrudgedhim，forIlikehimnot。’

’Ourlikingordislikinghimhadnothingtodowiththematter，hewasourvisitor，andoughtnottohavebeenpermittedtodepartdry；livingaswedointhisdesert，weoughtalwaystobepreparedtoadministertothewantsofourvisitors。Belle，doyouknowwheretoprocureanygoodHollands？’

’IthinkIdo，’saidBelle，’but-’

’Iwillhavenobuts。Belle，Iexpectthatwithaslittledelayaspossibleyouprocure，atmyexpense，thebestHollandsyoucanfind。’

CHAPTERXCI

Excursions-AdventurousEnglish-Opaqueforests-Thegreatestpatience。

TIMEpassedon，andBelleandIlivedinthedingle；whenIsaylived，thereadermustnotimaginethatwewerealwaysthere。Shewentoutuponherpursuits，andIwentoutwhereinclinationledme；butmyexcursionswereveryshortones，andhersoccasionallyoccupiedwholedaysandnights。IfIamaskedhowwepassedthetimewhenweweretogetherinthedingle，Iwouldanswerthatwepassedthetimeverytolerably，allthingsconsidered；weconversedtogether，andwhentiredofconversingIwouldsometimesgiveBellealessoninArmenian；herprogresswasnotparticularlybrilliant，butuponthewholesatisfactory；inaboutafortnightshehadhunguponehundredHaikannumeralsuponthehakeofhermemory。I

foundherconversationhighlyentertaining；shehadseenmuchofEnglandandWales，andhadbeenacquaintedwithsomeofthemostremarkablecharacterswhotravelledtheroadsatthatperiod；andletmebepermittedtosaythatmanyremarkablecharactershavetravelledtheroadsofEngland，ofwhomfamehasneversaidaword。

Ilovedtohearheranecdotesofthesepeople；someofwhomIfoundhadoccasionallyattemptedtolayviolenthandseitheruponherpersonoreffects，andhadinvariablybeenhumbledbyherwithouttheassistanceofeitherjusticeorconstable。Icouldclearlysee，however，thatshewasrathertiredofEngland，andwishedforachangeofscene；shewasparticularlyfondoftalkingofAmerica，towhichcountryheraspirationschieflytended。ShehadheardmuchofAmerica，whichhadexcitedherimagination；foratthattimeAmericawasmuchtalkedof，onroadsandinhomesteads-atleast，sosaidBelle，whohadgoodopportunitiesofknowing-andmostpeopleallowedthatitwasagoodcountryforadventurousEnglish。Thepeoplewhochieflyspokeagainstit，assheinformedme，weresoldiersdisbandeduponpensions，thesextonsofvillagechurches，andexcisemen。Bellehadacravingdesiretovisitthatcountry，andtowanderwithcartandlittleanimalamongstitsforests；whenIwouldoccasionallyobjectthatshewouldbeexposedtodangerfromstrangeandperversecustomers，shesaidthatshehadnotwanderedtheroadsofEnglandsolongandalone，tobeafraidofanythingwhichmight