ere?" said I, "but I am sorry
to say I have none."

"Gin and water," said the man in black, "how do you know that I am fond
of gin and water?"

"Did I not see you drinking some at the public-house?"

"You did," said the man in black, "and I remember, that when I called for
some, you repeated my words--permit me to ask, is gin and water an
unusual drink in England?"

"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.

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 u