‘It is not usually drunk cold, and with a lump of sugar,’ said I.

‘And did you know who I was by my calling for it so?’

‘Gypsies have various ways of obtaining information,’ said I.

‘With all your knowledge,’ said the man in black, ’you do not appear to have known that I was coming to visit you?’

‘Gypsies do not pretend to know anything which relates to themselves,’ said I; ‘but I advise you, if you ever come again, to come openly.’

‘Have I your permission to come again?’ said the man in black.

‘Come when you please; this dingle is as free for you as me.’

‘I will visit you again,’ said the man in black—­’till then, addio.’

‘Belle,’ said I, after the man in black had departed, ’we did not treat that man very hospitably; he left us without having eaten or drunk at our expense.’

‘You offered him some tea,’ said Belle, ’which, as it is mine, I should have grudged him, for I like him not.’

’Our liking or disliking him had nothing to do with the matter, he was our visitor, and ought not to have been permitted to depart dry; living as we do in this desert, we ought always to be prepared to administer to the wants of our visitors.  Belle, do you know where to procure any good Hollands?’

‘I think I do,’ said Belle, ‘but—­’

’I will have no buts.  Belle, I expect that with as little delay as possible you procure, at my expense, the best Hollands you can find.’

CHAPTER XCI

Excursions—­Adventurous English—­Opaque forests—­The greatest patience.

Time passed on, and Belle and I lived in the dingle; when I say lived, the reader must not imagine that we were always there.  She went out upon her pursuits, and I went out where inclination led me; but my excursions were very short ones, and hers occasionally occupied whole days and nights.  If I am asked how we passed the time when we were together in the dingle, I would answer that we passed the time very tolerably, all things considered; we conversed together, and when tired of conversing I would sometimes give Belle a lesson in Armenian; her progress was not particularly brilliant, but upon the whole satisfactory; in about a fortnight she had hung up one hundred Haikan numerals upon the hake of her memory.  I found her conversation highly entertaining; she had seen much of England and Wales, and had been acquainted with some of the most remarkable characters who travelled the roads at that period; and let me be permitted to say that many remarkable characters have travelled the roads of England, of whom fame has never said a word.  I loved to hear her anecdotes of these people; some of whom I found had occasionally attempted to lay violent hands either upon her person or effects, and had invariably been humbled by her without the assistance of either justice or constable.  I could clearly