ived in the
morning. 'Is it not from Miss Berners, brother?' said he. I told him it
was. 'Is she coming back, brother?' 'Never,' said I; 'she is gone to
America, and has deserted me.' 'I always knew that you two were never
destined for each other,' said he. 'How did you know that?' I inquired.
'The dook told me so, brother; you are born to be a great traveller.'
'Well,' said I, 'if I had gone with her to America, as I was thinking of
doing, I should have been a great traveller.' 'You are to travel in
another direction, brother,' said he. 'I wish you would tell me all
about my future wanderings,' said I. 'I can't, brother,' said Mr.
Petulengro, 'there's a power of clouds before my eye.' 'You are a poor
seer, after all,' said I, and getting up, I retired to my dingle and my
tent, where I betook myself to my bed, and there, knowing the worst, and
being no longer agitated by apprehension, nor agonized by expectation, I
was soon buried in a deep slumber, the first which I had fallen into for
several nights.

CHAPTER XVII

THE PUBLIC-HOUSE--LANDLORD ON HIS LEGS AGAIN--A BLOW IN SEASON--THE WAY
OF THE WORLD--THE GRATEFUL MIND--THE HORSE'S NEIGH

It was rather late on the following morning when I awoke. At first I was
almost unconscious of what had occurred on the preceding day;
recollection, however, by degrees returned, and I felt a deep melancholy
coming over me, but perfectly aware that no advantage could be derived
from the indulgence of such a feeling, I sprang up, prepared my
breakfast, which I ate with a tolerable appetite, and then left the
dingle, and betook myself to the gypsy encampment, where I entered into
discourse with various Romanies, both male and female. After some time,
feeling myself in better spirits, I determined to pay another visit to
the landlord of the public-house. From the position of his affairs when
I had last visited him, I entertained rather gloomy ideas with respect to
his present circumstances. I imagined that I should either find him
alone in his kitchen smoking a wretched pipe, or in company with some
surly bailiff or his follower, whom his friend the brewer had sent into
the house in order to take possession of his effects.

Nothing more entirely differing from either of these anticipations could
have presented itself to my view than what I saw about one o'clock in the
afternoon, when I entered the house. I had come, though somewhat in want
of consolation myself,