a routine of happiness here, where the dear sun rises to us
every day: then how sad and moping must life be in mighty Jupiter, on
which no sun ever shines, and which is never lighted save by pale moon-
beams! The thought that there is more sadness and melancholy in Jupiter
than in this world of ours, where, alas! there is but too much, has
always made me take a melancholy interest in that huge distant star.

Two or three days passed by in much the same manner as the first. During
the morning I worked upon my kettles, and employed the remaining part of
the day as I best could. The whole of this time I only saw two
individuals, rustics, who passed by my encampment without vouchsafing me
a glance; they probably considered themselves my superiors, as perhaps
they were.

One very brilliant morning, as I sat at work in very good spirits, for by
this time I had actually mended in a very creditable way, as I imagined,
two kettles and a frying pan, I heard a voice which seemed to proceed
from the path leading to the rivulet; at first it sounded from a
considerable distance, but drew nearer by degrees. I soon remarked that
the tones were exceedingly sharp and shrill, with yet something of
childhood in them. Once or twice I distinguished certain words in the
song which the voice was singing; the words were--but no, I thought again
I was probably mistaken--and then the voice ceased for a time; presently
I heard it again, close to the entrance of the footpath; in another
moment I heard it in the lane or glade in which stood my tent, where it
abruptly stopped, but not before I had heard the very words which I at
first thought I had distinguished.

I turned my head; at the entrance of the footpath, which might be about
thirty yards from the place where I was sitting, I perceived the figure
of a young girl; her face was turned towards me, and she appeared to be
scanning me and my encampment; after a little time she looked in the
other direction, only for a moment, however; probably observing nothing
in that quarter, she again looked towards me, and almost immediately
stepped forward; and, as she advanced, sang the song which I had heard in
the wood, the first words of which were those which I have already
alluded to.

"The Rommany chi
And the Rommany chal
Shall jaw tasaulor
To drab the bawlor
And dook the gry
Of the farming rye." {156}

A very pretty song, thought I, falling again hard to work upon my ke