chyard,
dressed of course in their bravery, and a very goodly show they made.
They were the finest Wallacks I had seen anywhere; they were superior
looking in physique, and many of them must really have been well off, if
one may judge a man's wealth by the richness of the wife's dress.

Some of the young girls were very pretty, and wore their silver-coin
decorations with quite a fashionable coquettish air. The Wallack women,
whether walking or standing, never have the spindle out of their hands:
the attitude is very graceful, added to which the thread must be held
daintily in the fingers. They are very industrious, making nearly all
the articles of clothing for the family.

After a great deal of palavering--I think we must have spoken to every
able-bodied man in the churchyard--I at last induced a young Wallachian
to say he would accompany me. He spoke a little German, which was a
great advantage. I told him to procure himself a good horse, and to take
care that all his arrangements were completed before night, as I wished
to start very early the following morning.

To this he replied that it would be quite necessary to start early, and
begged to know if five o'clock would be too soon; adding that as I must
pass through Petrilla, would I meet him at the corner of the churchyard?

To this I agreed, repeating that we were to meet not a moment later than
five o'clock. My friend and I returned to Petroseny, and the afternoon
was occupied in making preparations for two days on the mountains. I
supplied myself with a good amount of _slivovitz_, as a medium of
exchange for milk and cheese with the shepherds, who understand this
kind of barter much better than any money transactions.

The next day, when it came, brought a continuance of good weather, and I
was up betimes, looking forward with pleasure to the mountain ride. I
reached Petrilla a few minutes after five o'clock; but my man was not at
the churchyard corner, whereupon I rode all round the churchyard,
thinking he might by mistake have pitched on some odd corner, and be out
of sight under the trees. However, I looked in vain--a man on horseback
is not hidden like a lizard between two stones! Verily he was not there.

I waited half an hour all to no purpose. I now resolved to try and find
out where he lived. I had understood that he belonged to the village.
After a great deal of trouble and bother, and poking of my nose into
various interiors where the families wer