Part 10 (2/2)
”It won't be you, Esther, with seven of 'em at your tail a'ready.”
”I ain't so sure of that,” said Esther's husband.
”And ain't I n.o.body, to have a say neither?” said the husband of 'Melia.
Zillah, the girl, said, ”An' me? I'm a single girl--and no one but 'im to look after--I ought to have him.”
”Hold your tongue!”
”Shut your mouth!”
”Don't you show me no more of your imperence!”
Everyone was getting very angry. The dark gipsy faces were frowning and anxious-looking. Suddenly a change swept over them, as if some invisible sponge had wiped away these cross and anxious expressions, and left only a blank.
The children saw that the sun really _had_ set. But they were afraid to move. And the gipsies were feeling so muddled because of the invisible sponge that had washed all the feelings of the last few hours out of their hearts, that they could not say a word.
The children hardly dared to breathe. Suppose the gipsies, when they recovered speech, should be furious to think how silly they had been all day?
It was an awkward moment. Suddenly Anthea, greatly daring, held out the Lamb to the red-handkerchief man.
”Here he is!” she said.
The man drew back. ”I shouldn't like to deprive you, miss,” he said hoa.r.s.ely.
”Anyone who likes can have my share of him,” said the other man.
”After all, I've got enough of my own,” said Esther.
”He's a nice little chap, though,” said Amelia. She was the only one who now looked affectionately at the whimpering Lamb.
Zillah said, ”If I don't think I must have had a touch of the sun. _I_ don't want him.”
”Then shall we take him away?” said Anthea.
”Well--suppose you do,” said Pharaoh heartily, ”and we'll say no more about it!”
And with great haste all the gipsies began to be busy about their tents for the night. All but Amelia. She went with the children as far as the bend in the road--and there she said--
”Let me give him a kiss, miss,--I don't know what made us go for to behave so silly. Us gipsies don't steal babies, whatever they may tell you when you're naughty. We've enough of our own, mostly. But I've lost all mine.”
She leaned towards the Lamb; and he, looking in her eyes, unexpectedly put up a grubby soft paw and stroked her face.
”Poor, poor!” said the Lamb. And he let the gipsy woman kiss him, and, what is more, he kissed her brown cheek in return--a very nice kiss, as all his kisses are, and not a wet one like some babies give. The gipsy woman moved her finger about on his forehead as if she had been writing something there, and the same with his chest and his hands and his feet; then she said--
”May he be brave, and have the strong head to think with, and the strong heart to love with, and the strong arms to work with, and the strong feet to travel with, and always come safe home to his own.” Then she said something in a strange language no one could understand, and suddenly added--
”Well, I must be saying 'so long'--and glad to have made your acquaintance.” And she turned and went back to her home--the tent by the gra.s.sy roadside.
The children looked after her till she was out of sight. Then Robert said, ”How silly of her! Even sunset didn't put _her_ right. What rot she talked!”
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