The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 399: what you’re looking at

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LL LLLLLLBL LL I THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 384 into one of the tents, where bedding was stretched everything as comfortable as, considering the upon the ground; and there the two women who | limited and rude nature of the arrangements, I . spoke French, desired me to repose myself. This | could have expected. When I had given a suitable invitation I gratefully accepted. Hot coffee, eggs, | response, declaring my gratitude for the treatment biscuits, and butter, together with some cold meat, | I had received, he intimated that if I thought fit-to was speedily served up; and I made a copious meal. | give any explanation relative to the circumstances TJ,.e women then bade me rest myself as long as I | which had brought me into those wilds, he was pre. thought fit,—promising that I should not be dis- | turbed, for that the encampment would remain in that spot for some days. I thanked them for their kindness; and they left me, closing the canvass of the tent over the entrance. “TI slept soundly for several hours. Indeed, it was not till late in the afternoon that I awoke; and then I was completely refreshed. Presently the handsome countenance of one of the women peeped into the tent; and pefceiving that I was awake, she pointed to certain arrangements which she had made for my comfort while I had been steeped in slumber. On a rudely constructed table all the mecessary materials for ablutions and the toilet were spread; and as these details are not without | main for a few days in the present neighbourhood, but that afterwards he and his band would be push- their interest, I may add that I found a hair- brush, a comb, nail and tooth brushes, all completely new, together with dragrant Barcelonese soap, and perfumed oil for the hair. There was likewise a change of linen; and, in short, every care had been taken to minister to my wants aud comforts. All this was cheering enough; and I could not help feeling rejoiced at having fallen into such comfort- | able quarters, The young woman, whose name was Isabella, assisted me in my toilet ; and when it was completed, she invited me to join the rest in partak- ing of the afternoon meal. the grass—the whole arrangements having the air of an English pic-nic. There were roast capons, masses of smoked ham, piles of sausages, huge pieces of cheese, vegetables, bread, biscuits, and quantities of grapes and other fruits. The cauldron was again simmering over the fire; and this huge iron vessel contained the favourite Spanish comes- tible, called pochero—a sort of soup with quantities of various kinds of meat, poultry, and game. Plates, dishes, and all the requisite articles of crockery and cutlery were likewise at hand; and there was no deficiency of wine and spirits. The men and women of the band were already seated at the banquet, which they had not however com- menced, courteously waiting for my appearance. Don Diego Christoval, rising up from the grass, doffed his cap in graceful salutation; and taking me by the hand, invited me to place myself next to him. We accordingly sat down—and the fes- tival commenced. But little conversation took place during the repast, every one having an appe- tite so keen as to cause ample justice to be done to the good things above enumerated. When it was over, the men lighted their pipes, and lounging upon the grass, smoked and drank at their ease: but Don Diego, who, it appeared, was not addicted to the use of tobacco, proposed to me, if I were not still too much fatigued, to walk with him along the bank of the streamlet. Supposing that he wished to speak to me relative to my circumstances, I ac- cepted the invitation, and we rambled away from the encampment. ‘At first he expressed a hope that I was satisfied Pyrenean boundary into France. offer at once, and for several reasons. On issuing forth from | the tent, I found a complete banquet spread upon | pared to listen: but he at the same time, with much mingled frankness and delicacy, assured me that if I preferred remaining silent upon the subject, he would not press me, nor should my treatment undergo any change so long as I might choose to remain with the band. I did not think fit to enter into full particulars relative to the jewels; but I gave him to understand that I had fled precipitately from Barcelona in order to escape a cruel persecu- tion at the hands of the son of a lady in whose family I had occupied the position of a governess. Don Diego was perfectly satisfied with this expla- nation; and he asked what he could do to serve me? I replied that my object was to return to France. He said that it was his intention to re- ing their way towards the Pyrenees; and that if I thought fit to remain with them during this short interval, he would himself conduct me across the I accepted this In the first place, I had not sufficient money to travel by any public conveyance; and I did not like to expose my _necessitous position to Don Diego, or receive pecu- niary assistance from him. In the second place, even if | had possessed ample funds, [should not have liked to trust myself to a public conveyance : for 1 knew not to what extent James Knight’s malignity might have reached, and I thought it quite probable that he would give such publicity to the incident of the jewels that should lead to my arrest, if from a personal descrip- tion I chanced to be recognized. Moreover, it would be impossible to travel without a passport ; and mine would betray me to the authorities as the fugitive governess from Barcelona, supposing that James Knight had really made the matter public. In the third place, I was sufficiently interested sm my new companions to entertain the wish of be. holding somewhat more of their mode of life, in which there was a certain romantic charm for such a disposition as mine. These were the principal motives that at once prompted me to accept Chris- toval’s proposal that I should remain for a few days with his band. “ A week thus passed. Every morning at day- break the men of the band, headed by Don Diego, set out from the encampment, and did not return until late in the afternoon,—when they found the banquet ready prepared for them by the women These women were the wives, or perhaps the mis- tresses, of certain members of the band: but neither of them pertained to Don Diego. Their conduct was unexceptionably correct; and if they were not really wives, they at all events behaved with the discretion and decency of married women. When the men returned of a day, they were invariably laden with provisions of all kinds; and I noticed that of an evening, they all assembled in Don Diego’s own tent, where they r mained for about half-an-hour, either in consultation or else in with the attention shown me, and that I had found | dividing other things which ther bad obtained CORMICOOOKS EO)