, Ursula."

"Well, brother, suppose it be?"

"I don't see why a Romany chi should object to enter into the honourable
estate of wedlock with a gorgio."

"You don't, brother; don't you?"

"No," said I, "and, moreover, I am aware, notwithstanding your evasion,
Ursula, that marriages and connections now and then occur between gorgios
and Romany chies; the result of which is the mixed breed, called half-and-
half, which is at present travelling about England, and to which the
Flaming Tinman belongs, otherwise called Anselo Herne."

"As for the half-and-halfs," said Ursula, "they are a bad set; and there
is not a worse blackguard in England than Anselo Herne."

"All what you say may be very true, Ursula, but you admit that there are
half-and-halfs."

"The more's the pity, brother."

"Pity or not, you admit the fact; but how do you account for it?"

"How do I account for it? why, I will tell you, by the break up of a
Roman family, brother,--the father of a small family dies, and perhaps
the mother; and the poor children are left behind; sometimes they are
gathered up by their relations, and sometimes, if they have none, by
charitable Romans, who bring them up in the observance of gypsy law; but
sometimes they are not so lucky, and falls into the company of gorgios,
trampers, and basket-makers, who live in caravans, with whom they take
up, and so . . . I hate to talk of the matter, brother; but so comes this
race of the half-and-halfs."

"Then you mean to say, Ursula, that no Romany chi, unless compelled by
hard necessity, would have anything to do with a gorgio."

"We are not over fond of gorgios, brother, and we hates basket-makers and
folks that live in caravans."

"Well," said I, "suppose a gorgio, who is not a basket-maker, a fine
handsome gorgious gentleman, who lives in a fine house . . ."

"We are not fond of houses, brother. I never slept in a house in my
life."

"But would not plenty of money induce you?"

"I hate houses, brother, and those who live in them."

"Well, suppose such a person were willing to resign his fine house, and,
for love of you, to adopt gypsy law, speak Romany, and live in a tan,
{305} would you have nothing to say to him?"

"Bringing plenty of money with him, brother?"

"Well, bringing plenty of money with him, Ursula."

"Well, brother, suppose you produce your man; where is he?"

"I was merely supposing such a person, Ursula."

"Then you don't know of such a person, b