r bebee, and,
becoming alarmed, went in search of her, and at last found her hanging
from a branch; and when the child had got so far, she took on violently,
and I could not get another word from her; so I left her, and here I am."

"And I am glad to see you, Mr. Petulengro; but this is sad news which you
tell me about Mrs. Hearne."

"Somewhat dreary, brother; yet, perhaps, after all, it is a good thing
that she is removed; she carried so much Devil's tinder about with her,
as the man said."

"I am sorry for her," said I; "more especially as I am the cause of her
death--though the innocent one."

"She could not bide you, brother, that's certain; but that is no
reason"--said Mr. Petulengro, balancing himself upon the saddle--"that is
no reason why she should prepare drow to take away your essence of life,
and, when disappointed, to hang herself upon a tree: if she was
dissatisfied with you, she might have flown at you, and scratched your
face; or, if she did not judge herself your match, she might have put
down five shillings for a turn-up between you and some one she thought
could beat you--myself, for example, and so the matter might have ended
comfortably; but she was always too fond of covert ways, drows and
brimstones. This is not the first poisoning affair she has been engaged
in."

"You allude to drabbing bawlor."

"Bah!" said Mr. Petulengro; "there's no harm in that. No, no! she has
cast drows in her time for other guess things than bawlor; both Gorgios
and Romans have tasted of them, and died. Did you never hear of the
poisoned plum pudding?"

"Never."

"Then I will tell you about it. It happened about six years ago, a few
months after she had quitted us--she had gone first among her own people,
as she called them; but there was another small party of Romans, with
whom she soon became very intimate. It so happened that this small party
got into trouble; whether it was about a horse or an ass, or passing bad
money, no matter to you and me, who had no hand in the business; three or
four of them were taken and lodged in --- Castle, and amongst them was a
woman; but the sherengro, or principal man of the party, and who it seems
had most hand in the affair, was still at large. All of a sudden a
rumour was spread abroad that the woman was about to play false, and to
peach the rest. Said the principal man, when he heard it, 'If she does,
I am nashkado'. Mrs. Hearne was then on a visit to the party, an