the zincali-第42节

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will　have　little　desire　to　wed　with　her　then。'







MYSELF。　…　'Do　many　Busne　from　the　country　put　up　at　this　house？'







GYPSY　HAG。　…　'Not　so　many　as　formerly；　brother；　the　labourers　from　



the　Campo　say　that　we　are　all　thieves；　and　that　it　is　impossible　



for　any　one　but　a　Calo　to　enter　this　house　without　having　the　shirt　



stripped　from　his　back。　　They　go　to　the　houses　of　their　



acquaintance　in　the　town；　for　they　fear　to　enter　these　doors。　　I　



scarcely　know　why；　for　my　brother　is　the　veriest　fool　in　Tarifa。　　



Were　it　not　for　his　face；　I　should　say　that　he　is　no　Chabo；　for　he　



cannot　speak；　and　permits　every　chance　to　slip　through　his　fingers。　　



Many　a　good　mule　and　borrico　have　gone　out　of　the　stable　below；　



which　he　might　have　secured；　had　he　but　tongue　enough　to　have　



cozened　the　owners。　　But　he　is　a　fool；　as　I　said　before；　he　cannot　



speak；　and　is　no　Chabo。'







How　far　the　person　in　question；　who　sat　all　the　while　smoking　his　



pipe；　with　the　most　unperturbed　tranquillity；　deserved　the　



character　bestowed　upon　him　by　his　sister；　will　presently　appear。　　



It　is　not　my　intention　to　describe　here　all　the　strange　things　I　



both　saw　and　heard　in　this　Gypsy　inn。　　Several　Gypsies　arrived　from　



the　country　during　the　six　days　that　I　spent　within　its　walls；　one　



of　them；　a　man；　from　Moron；　was　received　with　particular　



cordiality；　he　having　a　son；　whom　he　was　thinking　of　betrothing　to　



one　of　the　Gypsy　daughters。　　Some　females　of　quality　likewise　



visited　the　house　to　gossip；　like　true　Andalusians。　　It　was　



singular　to　observe　the　behaviour　of　the　Gypsies　to　these　people；　



especially　that　of　the　remarkable　woman；　some　of　whose　conversation　



I　have　given　above。　　She　whined；　she　canted；　she　blessed；　she　



talked　of　beauty　of　colour；　of　eyes；　of　eyebrows；　and　pestanas　



（eyelids）；　and　of　hearts　which　were　aching　for　such　and　such　a　



lady。　　Amongst　others；　came　a　very　fine　woman；　the　widow　of　a　



colonel　lately　slain　in　battle；　she　brought　with　her　a　beautiful　



innocent　little　girl；　her　daughter；　between　three　and　four　years　of　



age。　　The　Gypsy　appeared　to　adore　her；　she　sobbed；　she　shed　tears；　



she　kissed　the　child；　she　blessed　it；　she　fondled　it。　　I　had　my　eye　



upon　her　countenance；　and　it　brought　to　my　recollection　that　of　a　



she…wolf；　which　I　had　once　seen　in　Russia；　playing　with　her　whelp　



beneath　a　birch…tree。　　'You　seem　to　love　that　child　very　much；　O　my　



mother；'　said　I　to　her；　as　the　lady　was　departing。







GYPSY　HAG。　…　'No　lo　camelo；　hijo！　　I　do　not　love　it；　O　my　son；　I　do　



not　love　it；　I　love　it　so　much；　that　I　wish　it　may　break　its　leg　as　



it　goes　downstairs；　and　its　mother　also。'







On　the　evening　of　the　fourth　day；　I　was　seated　on　the　stone　bench　



at　the　stable　door；　taking　the　fresco；　the　Gypsy　innkeeper　sat　



beside　me；　smoking　his　pipe；　and　silent　as　usual；　presently　a　man　



and　woman　with　a　borrico；　or　donkey；　entered　the　portal。　　I　took　



little　or　no　notice　of　a　circumstance　so　slight；　but　I　was　



presently　aroused　by　hearing　the　Gypsy's　pipe　drop　upon　the　ground。　　



I　looked　at　him；　and　scarcely　recognised　his　face。　　It　was　no　



longer　dull；　black；　and　heavy；　but　was　lighted　up　with　an　



expression　so　extremely　villainous　that　I　felt　uneasy。　　His　eyes　



were　scanning　the　recent　comers；　especially　the　beast　of　burden；　



which　was　a　beautiful　female　donkey。　　He　was　almost　instantly　at　



their　side；　assisting　to　remove　its　housings；　and　the　alforjas；　or　



bags。　　His　tongue　had　become　unloosed；　as　if　by　sorcery；　and　far　



from　being　unable　to　speak；　he　proved　that；　when　it　suited　his　



purpose；　he　could　discourse　with　wonderful　volubility。　　The　donkey　



was　soon　tied　to　the　manger；　and　a　large　measure　of　barley　emptied　



before　it；　the　greatest　part　of　which　the　Gypsy　boy　presently　



removed；　his　father　having　purposely　omitted　to　mix　the　barley　with　



the　straw；　with　which　the　Spanish　mangers　are　always　kept　filled。　　



The　guests　were　hurried　upstairs　as　soon　as　possible。　　I　remained　



below；　and　subsequently　strolled　about　the　town　and　on　the　beach。　　



It　was　about　nine　o'clock　when　I　returned　to　the　inn　to　retire　to　



rest；　strange　things　had　evidently　been　going　on　during　my　absence。　　



As　I　passed　through　the　large　room　on　my　way　to　my　apartment；　lo；　



the　table　was　set　out　with　much　wine；　fruits；　and　viands。　　There　



sat　the　man　from　the　country；　three　parts　intoxicated；　the　Gypsy；　



already　provided　with　another　pipe；　sat　on　his　knee；　with　his　right　



arm　most　affectionately　round　his　neck；　on　one　side　sat　the　



chumajarri　drinking　and　smoking；　on　the　other　the　tanner。　　Behold；　



poor　humanity；　thought　I　to　myself；　in　the　hands　of　devils；　in　this　



manner　are　human　souls　ensnared　to　destruction　by　the　fiends　of　the　



pit。　　The　females　had　already　taken　possession　of　the　woman　at　the　



other　end　of　the　table；　embracing　her；　and　displaying　every　mark　of　



friendship　and　affection。　　I　passed　on；　but　ere　I　reached　my　



apartment　I　heard　the　words　mule　and　donkey。　　'Adios；'　said　I；　for　



I　but　too　well　knew　what　was　on　the　carpet。







In　the　back　stable　the　Gypsy　kept　a　mule；　a　most　extraordinary　



animal；　which　was　employed　in　bringing　water　to　the　house；　a　task　



which　it　effected　with　no　slight　difficulty；　it　was　reported　to　be　



eighteen　years　of　age；　one　of　its　eyes　had　been　removed　by　some　



accident；　it　was　foundered；　and　also　lame；　the　result　of　a　broken　



leg。　　This　animal　was　the　laughing…stock　of　all　Tarifa；　the　Gypsy　



grudged　it　the　very　straw　on　while　alone　he　fed　it；　and　had　



repeatedly　offered　it　for　sale　at　a　dollar；　which　he　could　never　



obtain。　　During　the　night　there　was　much　merriment　going　on；　and　I　



could　frequently　distinguish　the　voice　of　the　Gypsy　raised　to　a　



boisterous　pitch。　　In　the　morning　the　Gypsy　hag　entered　my　



apartment；　bearing　the　breakfast　of　myself　and　Hayim。　　'What　were　



you　about　last　night？'　said　I。







'We　were　bargaining　with　the　Busno；　evil　overtake　him；　and　he　has　



exchanged　us　the　ass；　for　the　mule　and　the　reckoning；'　said　the　



hag；　in　whose　countenance　triumph　was　blended　with　anxiety。







'Was　he　drunk　when　he　saw　the　mule？'　I　demanded。







'He　did　not　see　her　at　all；　O　my　son；　but　we　told　him　we　had　a　



beautiful　mule；　worth　any　money；　which　we　were　anxious　to　dispose　



of；　as　a　donkey　suited　our　purpose　better。　　We　are　afraid　that　when　



he　sees　her　he　will　repent　his　bargain；　and　if　he　calls　off　within　



four…and…twenty　hours；　the　exchange　is　null；　and　the　justicia　will　



cause　us　to　restore　the　ass；　we　have；　however；　already　removed　her　



to　our　huerta　out　of　the　town；　where　we　have　hid　her　below　the　



ground。　　Dios　sabe　（God　knows）　how　it　will　turn　out。'







When　the　man　and　woman　saw　the　lame；　foundered；　one…eyed　creature；　



for　which　and　the　reckoning　they　had　exchanged　their　own　beautiful　



borrico；　they　stood　confounded。　　It　was　about　ten　in　the　morning；　



and　they　had　not　altogether　recovered　from　the　fumes　of　the　wine　of　



the　preceding　night；　at　last　the　man；　with　a　frightful　oath；　



exclaimed　to　the　innkeeper；　'Restore　my　donkey；　you　Gypsy　villain！'







'It　cannot　be；　brother；'　replied　the　latter；　'your　donkey　is　by　



this　time　three　leagues　from　here：　　I　sold　her　this　morning　to　a　



man　I　do　not　know；　and　I　am　afraid　I　shall　have　a　hard　bargain　with　



her；　for　he　only　gave　two　dollars；　as　she　was　unsound。　　O；　you　have　



taken　me　in；　I　am　a　poor　fool　as　they　call　me　here；　and　you　



understand　much；　very　much；　baribu。'　（47）







'Her　value　was　thirty…five　dollars；　thou　demon；'　said　the　



countryman；　'and　the　justicia　will　make　you　pay　that。'







'Come；　come；　brother；'　said　the　Gypsy；　'all　this　is　mere　



conversation；　you　have　a　capital　bargain；　to…day　the　mercado　is　



held；　and　you　shall　sell　the　mule；　I　will　go　with　you　myself。　　O；　



you　understand　baribu；　sister；　bring　the　bottle　of　anise；　the　senor　



and　the　senora　must　drink　a　copita。'　　After　much　persuasion；　and　



many　oaths；　the　man　and　woman　were　weak　enough　to　comply；　when　they　



had　drunk　several　glasses；　they　departed　for　the　market；　the　Gypsy　



leading　the　mule。　　In　about　two　hours　they　returned　with　the　



wretched　beast；　but　not　exactly　as　they　went；　a　numerous　crowd　



followed；　laughing　and　hooting。　　The　man　was　now　frantic；　and　the　



woman　yet　more　so。　　They　forced　their　way　upstairs　to　collect　their　



baggage；　which　they　soon　effected；　and　were　about　to　leave　the　



house；　vowing　revenge。　　Now　ensued　a　truly　terrific　scene；　there　



were　no　more　blandishments；　the　Gypsy　men　and　women　were　in　arms；　



uttering　the　most　frightful　execrations；　as　the　woman　came　



downstairs；　the　females　assailed　her　like　lunatics；　the　cripple　



poked　at　her　with　a　stick；　the　tall　hag　clawed　at　her　hair；　whilst　



the　father　Gyp