e kettle boiling against my arrival. Startled at these words, I
inquired at what hour Isopel had left, and whither she was gone, and was
told that she had left the dingle, with her cart, about two hours after I
departed; but where she was gone the girl did not know. I then asked
whether she had left no message, and the girl replied that she had left
none, but had merely given directions about the kettle and fire, putting,
at the same time, sixpence into her hand. "Very strange," thought I;
then dismissing the gypsy girl I sat down by the fire. I had no wish for
tea, but sat looking on the embers, wondering what could be the motive of
the sudden departure of Isopel. "Does she mean to return?" thought I to
myself. "Surely she means to return," Hope replied, "or she would not
have gone away without leaving any message"--"and yet she could scarcely
mean to return," muttered Foreboding, "or she would assuredly have left
some message with the girl." I then thought to myself what a hard thing
it would be, if, after having made up my mind to assume the yoke of
matrimony, I should be disappointed of the woman of my choice. "Well,
after all," thought I, "I can scarcely be disappointed; if such an ugly
scoundrel as Sylvester had no difficulty in getting such a nice wife as
Ursula, surely I, who am not a tenth part so ugly, cannot fail to obtain
the hand of Isopel Berners, uncommonly fine damsel though she be.
Husbands do not grow upon hedge-rows; she is merely gone after a little
business and will return to-morrow."

Comforted in some degree by these hopeful imaginings, I retired to my
tent, and went to sleep.

CHAPTER XXXII.--GLOOMY FOREBODINGS--THE POSTMAN'S MOTHER--A VALEDICTORY
LETTER FROM ISOPEL WITH A LOCK OF HER HAIR--THE END OF A CHAPTER IN THE
LIFE OF THE ROMANY RYE--AND OF THE BOOK OF ISOPEL BERNERS.

Nothing occurred to me of any particular moment during the following day.
Isopel Berners did not return; but Mr. Petulengro and his companions came
home from the fair early in the morning. When I saw him, which was about
mid-day, I found him with his face bruised and swelled. It appeared
that, some time after I had left him, he himself perceived that the
jockeys with whom he was playing cards were cheating him and his
companion; a quarrel ensued, which terminated in a fight between Mr.
Petulengro and one of the jockeys, which lasted some time, and in which
Mr. Petulengro, though he eventually came off vic