, I trow, but her father. And, dear
heart, why take notice to put her to the blush?"

Richart. "So I say."

"And he derided me. 'Why, that is a "biltreger,"' said he, 'and you
waste your bowels on a pillow, or so forth.' I told him he lied. 'Time
would show,' said he, 'wait till they camp.' And rising after meat and
meditation, and travelling forward, we found them camped between two
great trees on a common by the wayside; and they had lighted a great
fire, and on it was their caldron; and one of the trees slanting o'er
the fire, a kid hung down by a chain from the tree-fork to the fire,
and in the fork was wedged an urchin turning still the chain to keep the
meat from burning, and a gay spark with a feather in his cap cut up
a sheep; and another had spitted a leg of it on a wooden stake; and a
woman ended chanticleer's pride with wringing of his neck. And under
the other tree four rufflers played at cards and quarrelled, and no word
sans oath; and of these lewd gamblers one had cockles in his hat and was
my reverend pilgrim. And a female, young and comely, and dressed like a
butterfly, sat and mended a heap of dirty rags. And Cul de Jatte said,
'Yon is the "vopper,"' and I looked incredulous and looked again, and it
was so, and at her feet sat he that had so late lashed her; but I ween
he had wist where to strike, or woe betide him; and she did now oppress
him sore, and made him thread her very needle, the which he did with
all humility; so was their comedy turned seamy side without; and Cul de
Jatte told me 'twas still so with 'voppers' and their men in camp; they
would don their bravery though but for an hour, and with their tinsel,
empire, and the man durst not the least gainsay the 'vopper,' or she
would turn him off at these times, as I my master, and take another
tyrant more submissive. And my master chuckled over me. Natheless we
soon espied a wife set with her back against the tree, and her hair
down, and her face white, and by her side a wench held up to her eye a
newborn babe, with words of cheer, and the rough fellow, her husband,
did bring her hot wine in a cup, and bade her take courage. And just
o'er the place she sat, they had pinned from bough to bough of those
neighbouring trees two shawls, and blankets two, together, to keep the
drizzle off her. And so had another poor little rogue come into the
world; and by her own particular folk tended gipsywise, but of the
roasters, and boilers, and voppers, and