ted considerable
symptoms of exhaustion, little or no ruttling having been heard in the
tube, and scarcely a particle of smoke, drawn through the syphon, having
been emitted from the lips of the tall possessor. He now rose from his
seat, and going to a corner of the room, placed his pipe against the
wall, then striding up and down the room, he cracked his fingers several
times, exclaiming, in a half-musing manner, 'Oh, the deep nation, which,
in order to display its sympathy for Hungary, sends its fool to Vienna,
to drink the sweet wine of Tokay!'

The jockey, having looked for some time at the tall figure with evident
approbation, winked at me with that brilliant eye of his on which there
was no speck, saying, 'Did you ever see a taller fellow?'

'Never,' said I.

'Or a finer?'

'That's another question,' said I, 'which I am not so willing to answer;
however, as I am fond of truth, and scorn to flatter, I will take the
liberty of saying that I think I have seen a finer.'

'A finer! where?' said the jockey; whilst the Hungarian, who appeared to
understand what we said, stood still, and looked full at me.

'Amongst a strange set of people,' said I, 'whom, if I were to name, you
would, I dare say, only laugh at me.'

'Who be they?' said the jockey. 'Come, don't be ashamed. I have
occasionally kept queerish company myself.'

'The people whom we call gypsies,' said I; 'whom the Germans call
Zigeuner, and who call themselves Romany chals.'

'Zigeuner!' said the Hungarian. 'By Isten! I do know these people.'

'Romany chals!' said the jockey; 'whew! I begin to smell a rat.'

'What do you mean by smelling a rat?' said I.

'I'll bet a crown,' said the jockey, 'that you be the young chap what
certain folks call "The Romany Rye."'

'Ah!' said I, 'how came you to know that name?'

'Be not you he?' said the jockey.

'Why, I certainly have been called by that name.'

'I could have sworn it,' said the jockey; then rising from his chair, he
laid his pipe on the table, took a large hand-bell which stood on a
sideboard, and going to the door, opened it, and commenced ringing in a
most tremendous manner on the staircase. The noise presently brought up
a waiter, to whom the jockey vociferated, 'Go to your master, and tell
him to send immediately three bottles of champagne, of the pink kind,
mind you, which is twelve guineas a dozen.' The waiter hurried away, and
the jockey resumed his seat and his pipe. I sat in