If they follows me, I
tries to baffle them, by means of jests and laughter; and if they
persist, I uses bad and terrible language, of which I have plenty
in store."
"But if your terrible language has no effect?"
"Then I screams for the constable, and if he comes not, I uses my
teeth and nails."
"And are they always sufficient?"
"I have only had to use them twice, brother; but then I found them
sufficient."
"But suppose the person who followed you was highly agreeable,
Ursula? A handsome young officer of local militia, for example,
all dressed in Lincoln green, would you still refuse him the
choomer?"
"We makes no difference, brother; the daughters of the gypsy-father
makes no difference; and what's more, sees none."
"Well, Ursula, the world will hardly give you credit for such
indifference."
"What cares we for the world, brother! we are not of the world."
"But your fathers, brothers, and uncles, give you credit, I
suppose, Ursula."
"Ay, ay, brother, our fathers, brothers, and cokos gives us all
manner of credit; for example, I am telling lies and dukkerin in a
public-house where my batu or coko--perhaps both--are playing on
the fiddle; well, my batu and my coko beholds me amongst the
public-house crew, talking nonsense and hearing nonsense; but they
are under no apprehension; and presently they sees the good-looking
officer of militia, in his greens and Lincolns, get up and give me
a wink, and I go out with him abroad, into the dark night perhaps;
well, my batu and my coko goes on fiddling just as if I were six
miles off asleep in the tent, and not out in the dark street with
the local officer, with his Lincolns and his greens.
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