e
credits himself with. Perhaps" (and here his wink was diabolical)--
"_perhaps monsieur knows the entire tongue_!"

Spa is full not only of gamblers, but of numbers of well-dressed Parisian
sharpers who certainly know "the entire tongue." I hastened to pay my
tinker, and went my way homewards. Ross Browne was accused in Syria of
having "burgled" onions, and the pursuit of philology has twice subjected
me to be suspected by tinkers as a flourishing member of the "dangerous
classes."

But to return to my rat-catcher. As I quoted a verse of German Gipsy
song, he manifested an interest in it, and put me several questions with
regard to the race in other lands.

"I wish I was a rich gentleman. I would like to travel like you, sir,
and have nothing to do but go about from land to land, looking after our
Rummany people as you do, and learnin' everything Rummany. Is it true,
sir, we come from Egypt?"

"No. I think not. There are Gipsies in Egypt, but there is less Rommany
in their _jib_ (language) than in any other Gipsy tribe in the world. The
Gipsies came from India."

"And don't you think, sir, that we're of the children of the lost Ten
Tribes?"

"I am quite sure that you never had a drop of blood in common with them.
Tell me, do you know any Gipsy _gilis_--any songs?"

"Only a bit of a one, sir; most of it isn't fit to sing, but it begins--"

And here he sang:

"Jal 'dree the ker my honey,
And you shall be my rom."

And chanting this, after thanking me, he departed, gratified with his
gratuity, rejoiced at his reception, and most undoubtedly benefited by
the beer with which I had encouraged his palaver--a word, by the way,
which is not inappropriate, since it contains in itself the very word of
words, the _lav_, which means a word, and is most antiquely and
excellently Gipsy. Pehlevi is old Persian, and to _pen lavi_ is Rommany
all the world over "to speak words."

CHAPTER IV. GIPSY RESPECT FOR THE DEAD.

Gipsies and Comteists identical as to "Religion"--Singular Manner of
Mourning for the Dead, as practised by Gipsies--Illustrations from
Life--Gipsy Job and the Cigars--Oaths by the Dead--Universal Gipsy Custom
of never Mentioning the Names of the Dead--Burying valuable Objects with
the Dead--Gipsies, Comteists, Hegelians, and Jews--The Rev. James Crabbe.

Comte, the author of the Positivist philosophy, never felt the need of a
religion until he had fallen in love; and at the prese