e designated), I lay for many minutes revolving
various circumstances in my mind. I resolved, if by any means my
bodily powers were thereunto sufficient, to depart on the morrow, and
borrow one of Mr Waller's horses to convey me on my way, for I was
uneasy to be thought an intruder; but when I had settled upon this in
my mind, a new incident occurred which altered the current of my
thoughts, for I perceived a slight noise at the door of my chamber as
of one stealthily turning the handle, and I lay, without making any
motion, to watch whereunto this proceeding would tend. The door was
put gently open, and a figure did enter the room, so disguised with
fantastical apparel that I was much put to it to guess what the issue
would be. It was of a woman, tall and majestical, with a red turbaund
round her head, and over her shoulders a shawl much bedizened with
needlework. Her gown was of green cloth, and I was made aware by the
sound, as she passed along the floor, that the heels of her shoes were
more than commonly high. With this apparition, of which I took only a
very rapid observation through my half-closed eyelids, I was greatly
astonished; for she was an exact resemblance to those bold Egyptian
queans who were at first called Bohemians, but are nothing better
than thieves and vagabonds, if indeed they be not the chosen people of
the prince of darkness himself. She looked carefully all round the
room, and after opening one of the drawers of mahogany wood, and
taking something therefrom which I could not discern, she approached
to the side of my bed, and looked earnestly upon me as I lay. I could
not keep up the delusion any longer, and opened my eyes. She continued
gazing steadfastly upon me without alteration of her countenance or
uttering any word, whether of apology or explanation; and I was so
held in by the lustre of her large eyes, and the fixed rigidity of her
features, that for some time I was unable to give utterance to my
thoughts.

"Woman," I said at last, "what want you with me?"

"Your help, if you will be gracious to poor mourners such as we."

I interrogated her much and curiously as to what service she required
at my hands; for I had a scrupulosity to promise anything to one whose
external made me think her a disciple of Mahomet, as those gypsies are
said to be. After much hesitating, she could not conceal from me that
she was in this disguise for some special and extraordinary purpose;
nevertheless, sh