beneath the
hedge?' 'I was,' said I, 'but only upon gypsy matters. Do you know,
Belle, that she has just been married to Sylvester, so you need not think
that she and I--.' 'She and you are quite at liberty to sit where you
please,' said Isopel. 'However, young man,' she continued, dropping her
tone, which she had slightly raised, 'I believe what you said, that you
were merely talking about gypsy matters, and also what you were going to
say, if it was, as I suppose, that she and you had no particular
acquaintance.' Isopel was now silent for some time. 'What are you
thinking of?' said I. 'I was thinking,' said Belle, 'how exceedingly
kind it was of you to get everything in readiness for me, though you did
not know that I should come.' 'I had a presentiment that you would
come,' said I; 'but you forget that I have prepared the kettle for you
before, though it was true I was then certain that you would come.' 'I
had not forgotten your doing so, young man,' said Belle; 'but I was
beginning to think that you were utterly selfish, caring for nothing but
the gratification of your own strange whims.' 'I am very fond of having
my own way,' said I, 'but utterly selfish I am not, as I dare say I shall
frequently prove to you. You will often find the kettle boiling when you
come home.' 'Not heated by you,' said Isopel with a sigh. 'By whom
else?' said I; 'surely you are not thinking of driving me away?' 'You
have as much right here as myself,' said Isopel, 'as I have told you
before; but I must be going myself.' 'Well,' said I, 'we can go
together; to tell you the truth, I am rather tired of this place.' 'Our
paths must be separate,' said Belle. 'Separate,' said I, 'what do you
mean? I shan't let you go alone, I shall go with you; and you know the
road is as free to me as to you; besides, you can't think of parting
company with me, considering how much you would lose by doing so;
remember that you scarcely know anything of the Armenian language; now,
to learn Armenian from me would take you twenty years.'

Belle faintly smiled. 'Come,' said I, 'take another cup of tea.' Belle
took another cup of tea, and yet another; we had some indifferent
conversation, after which I arose and gave her donkey a considerable feed
of corn. Belle thanked me, shook me by the hand, and then went to her
own tabernacle, and I returned to mine.

CHAPTER XIII

VISIT TO THE LANDLORD--HIS MORTIFICATIONS--HUNTER AND HIS
CLAN--R