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Oh； these gorgios！ they grudge us our very language！'
'She called you her son； Jasper？'
'I am her son； brother。'
'I thought you said your parents were … '
'Bitchadey pawdel； you thought right； brother。 This is my wife's
mother。'
'Then you are married； Jasper？'
'Ay； truly； I am husband and father。 You will see wife and chabo
anon。'
'Where are they now？'
'In the gav； penning dukkerin。'
'We were talking of language； Jasper？'
'True； brother。'
'Yours must be a rum one？'
''Tis called Rommany。'
'I would gladly know it。'
'You need it sorely。'
'Would you teach it me？'
'None sooner。'
'Suppose we begin now？'
'Suppose we do； brother。'
'Not whilst I am here；' said the woman； flinging her knitting down；
and starting upon her feet； 'not whilst I am here shall this gorgio
learn Rommany。 A pretty manoeuvre； truly； and what would be the
end of it？ I goes to the farming ker with my sister； to tell a
fortune； and earn a few sixpences for the chabes。 I sees a jolly
pig in the yard； and I says to my sister； speaking Rommany； 〃Do so
and so；〃 says I； which the farming man hearing； asks what we are
talking about。 〃Nothing at all； master；〃 says I； 〃something about
the weather〃； when who should start up from behind a pale； where he
has been listening； but this ugly gorgio； crying out； 〃They are
after poisoning your pigs； neighbour！〃 so that we are glad to run；
I and my sister； with perhaps the farm…engro shouting after us。
Says my sister to me； when we have got fairly off； 〃How came that
ugly one to know what you said to me？〃 Whereupon I answers； 〃It
all comes of my son Jasper； who brings the gorgio to our fire； and
must needs be teaching him。〃 〃Who was fool there？〃 says my sister。
〃Who； indeed； but my son Jasper；〃 I answers。 And here should I be
a greater fool to sit still and suffer it； which I will not do。 I
do not like the look of him； he looks over…gorgeous。 An ill day to
the Romans when he masters Rommany； and； when I says that； I pens a
true dukkerin。'
'What do you call God； Jasper？'
'You had better be jawing；' said the woman； raising her voice to a
terrible scream； 'you had better be moving off； my gorgio； hang you
for a keen one； sitting there by the fire； and stealing my language
before my face。 Do you know whom you have to deal with？ Do you
know that I am dangerous？ My name is Herne； and I comes of the
hairy ones！'
And a hairy one she looked！ She wore her hair clubbed upon her
head； fastened with many strings and ligatures； but now； tearing
these off； her locks； originally jet black； but now partially
grizzled with age； fell down on every side of her； covering her
face and back as far down as her knees。 No she…bear of Lapland
ever looked more fierce and hairy than did that woman； as standing
in the open part of the tent； with her head bent down； and her
shoulders drawn up； seemingly about to precipitate herself upon me；
she repeated； again and again； …
'My name is Herne； and I comes of the hairy ones！ … '
'I call God Duvel； brother。'
'It sounds very like Devil。'
'It doth； brother； it doth。'
'And what do you call divine； I mean godly？'
'Oh！ I call that duvelskoe。'
'I am thinking of something； Jasper。'
'What are you thinking of； brother？'
'Would it not be a rum thing if divine and devilish were originally
one and the same word？'
'It would； brother； it would … '
。 。 。
From this time I had frequent interviews with Jasper； sometimes in
his tent； sometimes on the heath； about which we would roam for
hours； discoursing on various matters。 Sometimes； mounted on one
of his horses； of which he had several； I would accompany him to
various fairs and markets in the neighbourhood； to which he went on
his own affairs； or those of his tribe。 I soon found that I had
become acquainted with a most singular people； whose habits and
pursuits awakened within me the highest interest。 Of all connected
with them； however； their language was doubtless that which
exercised the greatest influence over my imagination。 I had at
first some suspicion that it would prove a mere made…up gibberish；
but I was soon undeceived。 Broken； corrupted； and half in ruins as
it was； it was not long before I found that it was an original
speech； far more so； indeed； than one or two others of high name
and celebrity； which； up to that time； I had been in the habit of
regarding with respect and veneration。 Indeed many obscure points
connected with the vocabulary of these languages； and to which
neither classic nor modern lore afforded any clue； I thought I
could now clear up by means of this strange broken tongue； spoken
by people who dwelt amongst thickets and furze bushes； in tents as
tawny as their faces； and whom the generality of mankind
designated； and with much semblance of justice； as thieves and
vagabonds。 But where did this speech come from； and who were they
who spoke it？ These were questions which I could not solve； and
which Jasper himself； when pressed； confessed his inability to
answer。 'But； whoever we be； brother；' said he； 'we are an old
people； and not what folks in general imagine； broken gorgios； and；
if we are not Egyptians； we are at any rate Rommany Chals！'
'Rommany Chals！ I should not wonder after all；' said I； 'that
these people had something to do with the founding of Rome。 Rome；
it is said； was built by vagabonds； who knows but that some tribe
of the kind settled down thereabouts； and called the town which
they built after their name； but whence did they come originally？
ah！ there is the difficulty。'
But abandoning these questions； which at that time were far too
profound for me； I went on studying the language； and at the same
time the characters and manners of these strange people。 My rapid
progress in the former astonished； while it delighted； Jasper。
'We'll no longer call you Sap…engro； brother；' said he； but rather
Lav…engro； which in the language of the gorgios meaneth Word…
master。' 'Nay； brother；' said Tawno Chikno； with whom I had become
very intimate； 'you had better call him Cooro…mengro； I have put on
THE GLOVES with him； and find him a pure fist…master； I like him
for that； for I am a Cooro…mengro myself； and was born at
Brummagem。'
'I likes him for his modesty；' said Mrs。 Chikno； 'I never hears any
ill words come from his mouth； but； on the contrary； much sweet
language。 His talk is golden； and he has taught my eldest to say
his prayers in Rommany； which my rover had never the grace to do。'
'He is the pal of my rom；' said Mrs。 Petulengro； who was a very
handsome woman； 'and therefore I likes him； and not the less for
his being a rye； folks calls me high…minded； and perhaps I have
reason to be so； before I married Pharaoh I had an offer from a
lord … I likes the young rye； and； if he chooses to follow us； he
shall have my sister。 What say you； mother？ should not the young
rye have my sister Ursula？'
'I am going to my people；' said Mrs。 Herne； placing a bundle upon a
donkey； which was her own peculiar property； 'I am going to
Yorkshire； for I can stand this no longer。 You say you like him：
in that we differs； I hates the gorgio； and would like； speaking
Romanly； to mix a little poison with his waters。 And now go to
Lundra； my children； I goes to Yorkshire。 Take my blessing with
ye； and a little bit of a gillie to cheer your hearts with when ye
are weary。 In all kinds of weather have we lived together； but now
we are parted。 I goes broken…hearted … I can't keep you company；
ye are no longer Rommany。 To gain a bad brother； ye have lost a
good mother。'
CHAPTER XVIII
What profession？ … Not fitted for a Churchman … Erratic course …
The bitter draught … Principle of woe … Thou wouldst be joyous …
What ails you？ … Poor child of clay。
SO the gypsies departed； Mrs。 Herne to Yorkshire； and the rest to
London： as for myself； I continued in the house of my parents；
passing my time in much the same manner as I have already
described； principally in philological pursuits； but I was now
sixteen； and it was highly necessary that I should adopt some
profession； unless I intended to fritter away my existence； and to
be a useless burden to those who had given me birth； but what
profession was I to choose？ there being none in the wide world
perhaps for which I was suited； nor was there any one for which I
felt any decided inclination； though perhaps there existed within
me a lurking penchant for the profession of arms； which was natural
enough； as； from my earliest infancy； I had been accustomed to
military sights and sounds； but this profession was then closed； as
I have already hinted； and； as I