"Well, then, you had better not loiter; Gutter Vawr is a long way off over the mountain. It will be dark, I am afraid, long before you get to Gutter Vawr. Good evening, David! I am glad to have seen you, for I have long wished to see a man from the north country. Good evening! you will find plenty of good ale at Gutter Vawr."I went on my way. The road led in a south-eastern direction gradually upward to very lofty regions. After walking about half-an-hour I saw a kind of wooden house on wheels drawn by two horses coming down the hill towards me. A short black-looking fellow in brown-top boots, corduroy breeches, jockey coat and jockey cap sat on the box, holding the reins in one hand and a long whip in the other. Beside him was a swarthy woman in a wild flaunting dress.
Behind the box out of the fore part of the caravan peered two or three black children's heads. A pretty little foal about four months old came frisking and gambolling now before now beside the horses, whilst a colt of some sixteen months followed more leisurely behind. When the caravan was about ten yards distant Istopped, and raising my left hand with the little finger pointed aloft, I exclaimed:
"Shoon, Kaulomengro, shoon! In Dibbel's nav, where may tu be jawing to?"Stopping his caravan with considerable difficulty the small black man glared at me for a moment like a wild cat, and then said in a voice partly snappish, partly kind:
"Savo shan tu? Are you one of the Ingrines?""I am the chap what certain folks calls the Romany Rye.""Well, I'll be jiggered if I wasn't thinking so and if I wasn't penning so to my juwa as we were welling down the chong.""It is a long time since we last met, Captain Bosvile, for Isuppose I may call you Captain now?"
"Yes! the old man has been dead and buried this many a year, and his sticks and titles are now mine. Poor soul, I hope he is happy;indeed I know he is, for he lies in Cockleshell churchyard, the place he was always so fond of, and has his Sunday waistcoat on him with the fine gold buttons, which he was always so proud of. Ah, you may well call it a long time since we met - why, it can't be less than thirty year.""Something about that - you were a boy then of about fifteen.""So I was, and you a tall young slip of about twenty; well, how did you come to jin mande?""Why, I knew you by your fighting mug - there ain't such another mug in England.""No more there an't - my old father always used to say it was of no use hitting it for it always broke his knuckles. Well, it was kind of you to jin mande after so many years. The last time I think Isaw you was near Brummagem, when you were travelling about with Jasper Petulengro and - I say, what's become of the young woman you used to keep company with?""I don't know."
"You don't? Well, she was a fine young woman and a vartuous. Iremember her knocking down and giving a black eye to my old mother, who was wonderfully deep in Romany, for ****** a bit of a gillie about you and she. What was the song? Lord, how my memory fails me! Oh, here it is:-"'Ando berkho Rye cano Oteh pivo teh khavo Tu lerasque ando berkho piranee Teh corbatcha por pico.'""Have you seen Jasper Petulengro lately?" said I.
"Yes, I have seen him, but it was at a very considerable distance.
Jasper Petulengro doesn't come near the likes of we now. Lord! you can't think what grand folks he and his wife have become of late years, and all along of a trumpery lil which somebody has written about them. Why, they are hand and glove with the Queen and Prince, and folks say that his wife is going to be made dame of honour, and Jasper Justice of the Peace and Deputy Ranger of Windsor Park.""Only think," said I. "And now tell me, what brought you into Wales?""What brought me into Wales? I'll tell you; my own fool's head. Iwas doing nicely in the Kaulo Gav and the neighbourhood, when Imust needs pack up and come into these parts with bag and baggage, wife and childer. I thought that Wales was what it was some thirty years agone when our foky used to say - for I was never here before - that there was something to be done in it; but I was never more mistaken in my life. The country is overrun with Hindity mescrey, woild Irish, with whom the Romany foky stand no chance. The fellows underwork me at tinkering, and the women outscream my wife at telling fortunes - moreover, they say the country is theirs and not intended for niggers like we, and as they are generally in vast numbers what can a poor little Roman family do but flee away before them? A pretty journey I have made into Wales. Had I not contrived to pass off a poggado bav engro - a broken-winded horse -at a fair, I at this moment should be without a tringoruschee piece in my pocket. I am now ****** the best of my way back to Brummagem, and if ever I come again to this Hindity country may Calcraft nash me.""I wonder you didn't try to serve some of the Irish out," said I.