“Goodwoman，“sayshe，“what’sthatyouaretalking？Isitbrokenlanguage？““Ofcourse，yourreverence，“saysI，“wearebrokenpeople；giveashilling，yourreverence，tothepoorbrokenwoman。“
Oh，thesegorgios!theygrudgeusourverylanguage!’
’Shecalledyouherson，Jasper？’
’Iamherson，brother。’
’Ithoughtyousaidyourparentswere-’
’Bitchadeypawdel；youthoughtright，brother。Thisismywife’smother。’
’Thenyouaremarried，Jasper？’
’Ay，truly；Iamhusbandandfather。Youwillseewifeandchaboanon。’
’Wherearetheynow？’
’Inthegav，penningdukkerin。’
’Weweretalkingoflanguage，Jasper？’
’True，brother。’
’Yoursmustbearumone？’
’’TiscalledRommany。’
’Iwouldgladlyknowit。’
’Youneeditsorely。’
’Wouldyouteachitme？’
’Nonesooner。’
’Supposewebeginnow？’
’Supposewedo，brother。’
’NotwhilstIamhere，’saidthewoman，flingingherknittingdown，andstartinguponherfeet；’notwhilstIamhereshallthisgorgiolearnRommany。Aprettymanoeuvre，truly；andwhatwouldbetheendofit？Igoestothefarmingkerwithmysister，totellafortune，andearnafewsixpencesforthechabes。Iseesajollypigintheyard，andIsaystomysister，speakingRommany，“Dosoandso，“saysI；whichthefarmingmanhearing，askswhatwearetalkingabout。“Nothingatall，master，“saysI；“somethingabouttheweather“；whenwhoshouldstartupfrombehindapale，wherehehasbeenlistening，butthisuglygorgio，cryingout，“Theyareafterpoisoningyourpigs，neighbour!“sothatwearegladtorun，Iandmysister，withperhapsthefarm-engroshoutingafterus。
Saysmysistertome，whenwehavegotfairlyoff，“Howcamethatuglyonetoknowwhatyousaidtome？“WhereuponIanswers，“ItallcomesofmysonJasper，whobringsthegorgiotoourfire，andmustneedsbeteachinghim。““Whowasfoolthere？“saysmysister。
“Who，indeed，butmysonJasper，“Ianswers。AndhereshouldIbeagreaterfooltositstillandsufferit；whichIwillnotdo。I
donotlikethelookofhim；helooksover-gorgeous。AnilldaytotheRomanswhenhemastersRommany；and，whenIsaysthat，Ipensatruedukkerin。’
’WhatdoyoucallGod，Jasper？’
’Youhadbetterbejawing，’saidthewoman，raisinghervoicetoaterriblescream；’youhadbetterbemovingoff，mygorgio；hangyouforakeenone，sittingtherebythefire，andstealingmylanguagebeforemyface。Doyouknowwhomyouhavetodealwith？DoyouknowthatIamdangerous？MynameisHerne，andIcomesofthehairyones!’
Andahairyoneshelooked!Sheworeherhairclubbeduponherhead，fastenedwithmanystringsandligatures；butnow，tearingtheseoff，herlocks，originallyjetblack，butnowpartiallygrizzledwithage，felldownoneverysideofher，coveringherfaceandbackasfardownasherknees。Noshe-bearofLaplandeverlookedmorefierceandhairythandidthatwoman，asstandingintheopenpartofthetent，withherheadbentdown，andhershouldersdrawnup，seeminglyabouttoprecipitateherselfuponme，sherepeated，againandagain，-
’MynameisHerne，andIcomesofthehairyones!-’
’IcallGodDuvel，brother。’
’ItsoundsverylikeDevil。’
’Itdoth，brother，itdoth。’
’Andwhatdoyoucalldivine，Imeangodly？’
’Oh!Icallthatduvelskoe。’
’Iamthinkingofsomething，Jasper。’
’Whatareyouthinkingof，brother？’
’Woulditnotbearumthingifdivineanddevilishwereoriginallyoneandthesameword？’
’Itwould，brother，itwould-’……
FromthistimeIhadfrequentinterviewswithJasper，sometimesinhistent，sometimesontheheath，aboutwhichwewouldroamforhours，discoursingonvariousmatters。Sometimes，mountedononeofhishorses，ofwhichhehadseveral，Iwouldaccompanyhimtovariousfairsandmarketsintheneighbourhood，towhichhewentonhisownaffairs，orthoseofhistribe。IsoonfoundthatIhadbecomeacquaintedwithamostsingularpeople，whosehabitsandpursuitsawakenedwithinmethehighestinterest。Ofallconnectedwiththem，however，theirlanguagewasdoubtlessthatwhichexercisedthegreatestinfluenceovermyimagination。Ihadatfirstsomesuspicionthatitwouldproveameremade-upgibberish；
butIwassoonundeceived。Broken，corrupted，andhalfinruinsasitwas，itwasnotlongbeforeIfoundthatitwasanoriginalspeech，farmoreso，indeed，thanoneortwoothersofhighnameandcelebrity，which，uptothattime，Ihadbeeninthehabitofregardingwithrespectandveneration。Indeedmanyobscurepointsconnectedwiththevocabularyoftheselanguages，andtowhichneitherclassicnormodernloreaffordedanyclue，IthoughtI
couldnowclearupbymeansofthisstrangebrokentongue，spokenbypeoplewhodweltamongstthicketsandfurzebushes，intentsastawnyastheirfaces，andwhomthegeneralityofmankinddesignated，andwithmuchsemblanceofjustice，asthievesandvagabonds。Butwheredidthisspeechcomefrom，andwhoweretheywhospokeit？ThesewerequestionswhichIcouldnotsolve，andwhichJasperhimself，whenpressed，confessedhisinabilitytoanswer。’But，whoeverwebe，brother，’saidhe，’weareanoldpeople，andnotwhatfolksingeneralimagine，brokengorgios；and，ifwearenotEgyptians，weareatanyrateRommanyChals!’
’RommanyChals!Ishouldnotwonderafterall，’saidI，’thatthesepeoplehadsomethingtodowiththefoundingofRome。Rome，itissaid，wasbuiltbyvagabonds，whoknowsbutthatsometribeofthekindsettleddownthereabouts，andcalledthetownwhichtheybuiltaftertheirname；butwhencedidtheycomeoriginally？
ah!thereisthedifficulty。’
Butabandoningthesequestions，whichatthattimewerefartooprofoundforme，Iwentonstudyingthelanguage，andatthesametimethecharactersandmannersofthesestrangepeople。Myrapidprogressintheformerastonished，whileitdelighted，Jasper。
’We’llnolongercallyouSap-engro，brother，’saidhe；butratherLav-engro，whichinthelanguageofthegorgiosmeanethWord-
master。’’Nay，brother，’saidTawnoChikno，withwhomIhadbecomeveryintimate，’youhadbettercallhimCooro-mengro，IhaveputonTHEGLOVESwithhim，andfindhimapurefist-master；Ilikehimforthat，forIamaCooro-mengromyself，andwasbornatBrummagem。’
’Ilikeshimforhismodesty，’saidMrs。Chikno；’Ineverhearsanyillwordscomefromhismouth，but，onthecontrary，muchsweetlanguage。Histalkisgolden，andhehastaughtmyeldesttosayhisprayersinRommany，whichmyroverhadneverthegracetodo。’
’Heisthepalofmyrom，’saidMrs。Petulengro，whowasaveryhandsomewoman，’andthereforeIlikeshim，andnotthelessforhisbeingarye；folkscallsmehigh-minded，andperhapsIhavereasontobeso；beforeImarriedPharaohIhadanofferfromalord-Ilikestheyoungrye，and，ifhechoosestofollowus，heshallhavemysister。Whatsayyou，mother？shouldnottheyoungryehavemysisterUrsula？’
’Iamgoingtomypeople，’saidMrs。Herne，placingabundleuponadonkey，whichwasherownpeculiarproperty；’IamgoingtoYorkshire，forIcanstandthisnolonger。Yousayyoulikehim：
inthatwediffers；Ihatesthegorgio，andwouldlike，speakingRomanly，tomixalittlepoisonwithhiswaters。AndnowgotoLundra，mychildren，IgoestoYorkshire。Takemyblessingwithye，andalittlebitofagillietocheeryourheartswithwhenyeareweary。Inallkindsofweatherhavewelivedtogether；butnowweareparted。Igoesbroken-hearted-Ican’tkeepyoucompany；
yearenolongerRommany。Togainabadbrother，yehavelostagoodmother。’
CHAPTERXVIII
Whatprofession？-NotfittedforaChurchman-Erraticcourse-
Thebitterdraught-Principleofwoe-Thouwouldstbejoyous-
Whatailsyou？-Poorchildofclay。