to
have their fortunes told; so I bade Mikailia Chikno, who can tell a
fortune when she pleases better than any one else, tell them a fortune,
and she, being in a good mind, told them a fortune which pleased them
very much. So, after they had heard their fortunes, one of them asked if
any of our women could sing; and I told them several could, more
particularly Leviathan--you know Leviathan, she is not here now, but some
miles distant, she is our best singer, Ursula coming next. So the lady
said she should like to hear Leviathan sing, whereupon Leviathan sang the
Gudlo pesham, {269a} and Piramus played the tune of the same name, which,
as you know, means the honeycomb, the song and the tune being well
entitled to the name, being wonderfully sweet. Well, everybody present
seemed mighty well pleased with the song and music, with the exception of
one person, a carroty-haired Scotch body; how he came there I don't know,
but there he was; and, coming forward, he began in Scotch as broad as a
barn-door to find fault with the music and the song, saying that he had
never heard viler stuff than either. Well, brother, out of consideration
for the civil gentry with whom the fellow had come, I held my peace for a
long time, and in order to get the subject changed, I said to Mikailia in
Romany, you have told the ladies their fortunes, now tell the gentlemen
theirs, quick quick,--pen lende dukkerin. {269b} Well, brother, the
Scotchman, I suppose, thinking I was speaking ill of him, fell into a
greater passion than before, and catching hold of the word
dukkerin--'Dukkerin,' said he, 'what's dukkerin?' 'Dukkerin,' said I,
'is fortune, a man or woman's destiny; don't you like the word?' 'Word!
d'ye ca' that a word? a bonnie word,' said he. 'Perhaps you'll tell us
what it is in Scotch,' said I, 'in order that we may improve our language
by a Scotch word; a pal of mine has told me that we have taken a great
many words from foreign lingos.' 'Why, then, if that be the case,
fellow, I will tell you; it is e'en "spaeing,"' said he, very seriously.
'Well, then,' said I, 'I'll keep my own word, which is much the
prettiest--spaeing! spaeing! why, I should be ashamed to make use of the
word, it sounds so much like a certain other word;' and then I made a
face as if I were unwell. 'Perhaps it's Scotch also for that?' 'What do
you mean by speaking in that guise to a gentleman?' said he, 'you
insolent vagabond, without a name or a country.