Lady Evelyn — page 232: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘In the Tents of the Gypsies. 225 ruddy firelight—the whole like a picture of Salvator Rosa or Rembrandt. | Around one tent a little group was gathered, and a donkey-cart stood. near, the driver perched on his seat as though waiting for a load. As Drummond stood gaz- ing, he saw two gypsy men come forth from the tent, bearing between them, stretched on a rude hurdle, the body of aman. The soldier watched in wonder. “Is he dead?” he thought, “and are they going to bury ~ him? By Jove, I'll see!” He strode forward at once into their midst. The men and women paused in their work to stare at the gentle- man who came amongst them like an apparition, leading his horse. . “What is all this?” he demanded. “Whom have you here, my good fellows ?”’ He looked authoritatively into the donkey-cart. Two eyes, dulled with great pain, gleamed up at him from an unshaven, ghastly face—a face full of infinite misery. “Poor wretch!” the soldier said, involuntarily. “He is not dead, then. What’s the matter?” ‘“Met with an accident to-day on the race-course,’ a young woman said, rapidly, coming forward. It was the dark-eyed Redempta, the queen of the wandering tribes. “He is of your people, not ours, though he has dwelt in our tents and broken our bread. He will not live four- -and-twenty hours, and he must not die here with us. Your people in the town yonder would think little of accusing the vacabond gypsies of murder. So we send him thither to breathe his last. He can speak for himself still and acauit us of blame.” Drummond bowed his head gravely. There was a stately dignity about this Zingara queen that impressed him. “How did it happen?” he asked. “He was drunk—he is always drunk; a carriage-pole struck him and knocked him down. The wheels passed over him and broke both legs; but the wound in the left side from the pole is the worst. They drove on—gay young gentlemen—what was the beggar-tramp to them? We brought him here. I have looked at his wounds. He oe will not live to see another night.”’ 66 oor wretch! . And where are you taking him?” aa oe ae amelt comicbooks.co ° 4 t ‘ " ots - / we 7 ee _ : AD oma) 9 —. ee ts ae : : : ~- « - a * | ‘ss . ‘es e . ‘ 7 7 ta “4 a * ~ 7 4 . : ° igh 2} - * oF a! * : A "ty . : . 7 ‘ ~ i; ‘ve yg whey — ry Tey Tris i Uy HarES - Ut =f toes Oy ed SAMs i ar 7 yw <a a a> ae » ol’ = ' ‘ : x - rtd ag . * ans a», * ft et ed AF oe ET ae” TT a oe >. ee ee ae Eg ee #4 Mes po f ‘ *» b+ * - md 4 oe is é a aol «+ ee” abe