the zincali-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




whence　you　come；　I　have　heard　that　you　have　just　arrived　from　



Laloro；　but　I　am　sure　you　are　no　Portuguese；　the　Portuguese　are　



very　different　from　you；　I　know　it；　for　I　have　been　in　Laloro；　I　



rather　take　you　to　be　one　of　the　Corahai；　for　I　have　heard　say　that　



there　is　much　of　our　blood　there。　　You　are　a　Corahano；　are　you　



not？'







MYSELF。　…　'I　am　no　Moor；　though　I　have　been　in　the　country。　　I　was　



born　in　an　island　in　the　West　Sea；　called　England；　which　I　suppose　



you　have　heard　spoken　of。'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'Yes；　yes；　I　have　a　right　to　know　something　of　the　



English。　　I　was　born　in　this　foros；　and　remember　the　day　when　the　



English　hundunares　clambered　over　the　walls；　and　took　the　town　from　



the　Gabine：　　well　do　I　remember　that　day；　though　I　was　but　a　child；　



the　streets　ran　red　with　blood　and　wine！　　Are　there　Gitanos　then　



amongst　the　English？'







MYSELF。　…　'There　are　numbers；　and　so　there　are　amongst　most　nations　



of　the　world。'







SECOND　GYPSY。　…　'Vaya！　　And　do　the　English　Calore　gain　their　bread　



in　the　same　way　as　those　of　Spain？　　Do　they　shear　and　trim？　　Do　



they　buy　and　change　beasts；　and　（lowering　his　voice）　do　they　now　



and　then　chore　a　gras？'　（42）







MYSELF。　…　'They　do　most　of　these　things：　　the　men　frequent　fairs　



and　markets　with　horses；　many　of　which　they　steal；　and　the　women　



tell　fortunes　and　perform　all　kinds　of　tricks；　by　which　they　gain　



more　money　than　their　husbands。'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'They　would　not　be　callees　if　they　did　not：　　I　have　



known　a　Gitana　gain　twenty　ounces　of　gold；　by　means　of　the　hokkano　



baro；　in　a　few　hours；　whilst　the　silly　Gypsy；　her　husband；　would　be　



toiling　with　his　shears　for　a　fortnight；　trimming　the　horses　of　the　



Busne；　and　yet　not　be　a　dollar　richer　at　the　end　of　the　time。'







MYSELF。　…　'You　seem　wretchedly　poor。　　Are　you　married？'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'I　am；　and　to　the　best…looking　and　cleverest　callee　



in　Badajoz；　nevertheless　we　have　never　thriven　since　the　day　of　our　



marriage；　and　a　curse　seems　to　rest　upon　us　both。　　Perhaps　I　have　



only　to　thank　myself；　I　was　once　rich；　and　had　never　less　than　six　



borricos　to　sell　or　exchange；　but　the　day　before　my　marriage　I　sold　



all　I　possessed；　in　order　to　have　a　grand　fiesta。　　For　three　days　



we　were　merry　enough；　I　entertained　every　one　who　chose　to　come　in；　



and　flung　away　my　money　by　handfuls；　so　that　when　the　affair　was　



over　I　had　not　a　cuarto　in　the　world；　and　the　very　people　who　had　



feasted　at　my　expense　refused　me　a　dollar　to　begin　again；　so　we　



were　soon　reduced　to　the　greatest　misery。　　True　it　is；　that　I　now　



and　then　shear　a　mule；　and　my　wife　tells　the　bahi　（fortune）　to　the　



servant…girls；　but　these　things　stand　us　in　little　stead：　　the　



people　are　now　very　much　on　the　alert；　and　my　wife；　with　all　her　



knowledge；　has　been　unable　to　perform　any　grand　trick　which　would　



set　us　up　at　once。　　She　wished　to　come　to　see　you；　brother；　this　



night；　but　was　ashamed；　as　she　has　no　more　clothes　than　myself。　　



Last　summer　our　distress　was　so　great　that　we　crossed　the　frontier　



into　Portugal：　　my　wife　sung；　and　I　played　the　guitar；　for　though　I　



have　but　one　arm；　and　that　a　left　one；　I　have　never　felt　the　want　



of　the　other。　　At　Estremoz　I　was　cast　into　prison　as　a　thief　and　



vagabond；　and　there　I　might　have　remained　till　I　starved　with　



hunger。　　My　wife；　however；　soon　got　me　out：　　she　went　to　the　lady　



of　the　corregidor；　to　whom　she　told　a　most　wonderful　bahi；　



promising　treasures　and　titles；　and　I　wot　not　what；　so　I　was　set　at　



liberty；　and　returned　to　Spain　as　quick　as　I　could。'







MYSELF。　…　'Is　it　not　the　custom　of　the　Gypsies　of　Spain　to　relieve　



each　other　in　distress？　…　it　is　the　rule　in　other　countries。'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'El　krallis　ha　nicobado　la　liri　de　los　Cales　…　（The　



king　has　destroyed　the　law　of　the　Gypsies）；　we　are　no　longer　the　



people　we　were　once；　when　we　lived　amongst　the　sierras　and　deserts；　



and　kept　aloof　from　the　Busne；　we　have　lived　amongst　the　Busne　till　



we　are　become　almost　like　them；　and　we　are　no　longer　united；　ready　



to　assist　each　other　at　all　times　and　seasons；　and　very　frequently　



the　Gitano　is　the　worst　enemy　of　his　brother。'







MYSELF。　…　'The　Gitanos；　then；　no　longer　wander　about；　but　have　



fixed　residences　in　the　towns　and　villages？'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'In　the　summer　time　a　few　of　us　assemble　together；　



and　live　about　amongst　the　plains　and　hills；　and　by　doing　so　we　



frequently　contrive　to　pick　up　a　horse　or　a　mule　for　nothing；　and　



sometimes　we　knock　down　a　Busne；　and　strip　him；　but　it　is　seldom　we　



venture　so　far。　　We　are　much　looked　after　by　the　Busne；　who　hold　us　



in　great　dread；　and　abhor　us。　　Sometimes；　when　wandering　about；　we　



are　attacked　by　the　labourers；　and　then　we　defend　ourselves　as　well　



as　we　can。　　There　is　no　better　weapon　in　the　hands　of　a　Gitano　than　



his　〃cachas；〃　or　shears；　with　which　he　trims　the　mules。　　I　once　



snipped　off　the　nose　of　a　Busne；　and　opened　the　greater　part　of　his　



cheek　in　an　affray　up　the　country　near　Trujillo。'







MYSELF。　…　'Have　you　travelled　much　about　Spain？'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'Very　little；　I　have　never　been　out　of　this　province　



of　Estremadura；　except　last　year；　as　I　told　you；　into　Portugal。　　



When　we　wander　we　do　not　go　far；　and　it　is　very　rare　that　we　are　



visited　by　our　brethren　of　other　parts。　　I　have　never　been　in　



Andalusia；　but　I　have　heard　say　that　the　Gitanos　are　many　in　



Andalusia；　and　are　more　wealthy　than　those　here；　and　that　they　



follow　better　the　Gypsy　law。'







MYSELF。　…　'What　do　you　mean　by　the　Gypsy　law？'







FIRST　GYPSY。　…　'Wherefore　do　you　ask；　brother？　　You　know　what　is　



meant　by　the　law　of　the　Cales　better　even　than　ourselves。'







MYSELF。　…　'I　know　what　it　is　in　England　and　in　Hungary；　but　I　can　



only　give　a　guess　as　to　what　it　is　in　Spain。'







BOTH　GYPSIES。　…　'What　do　you　consider　it　to　be　in　Spain？'







MYSELF。　…　'Cheating　and　choring　the　Busne　on　all　occasions；　and　



being　true　to　the　errate　in　life　and　in　death。'







At　these　words　both　the　Gitanos　sprang　simultaneously　from　their　



seats；　and　exclaimed　with　a　boisterous　shout　…　'Chachipe。'







This　meeting　with　the　Gitanos　was　the　occasion　of　my　remaining　at　



Badajoz　a　much　longer　time　than　I　originally　intended。　　I　wished　to　



become　better　acquainted　with　their　condition　and　manners；　and　



above　all　to　speak　to　them　of　Christ　and　His　Word；　for　I　was　



convinced；　that　should　I　travel　to　the　end　of　the　universe；　I　



should　meet　with　no　people　more　in　need　of　a　little　Christian　



exhortation；　and　I　accordingly　continued　at　Badajoz　for　nearly　



three　weeks。







During　this　time　I　was　almost　constantly　amongst　them；　and　as　I　



spoke　their　language；　and　was　considered　by　them　as　one　of　



themselves；　I　had　better　opportunity　of　arriving　at　a　fair　



conclusion　respecting　their　character　than　any　other　person　could　



have　had；　whether　Spanish　or　foreigner；　without　such　an　advantage。　　



I　found　that　their　ways　and　pursuits　were　in　almost　every　respect　



similar　to　those　of　their　brethren　in　other　countries。　　By　cheating　



and　swindling　they　gained　their　daily　bread；　the　men　principally　by　



the　arts　of　the　jockey；　…　by　buying；　selling；　and　exchanging　



animals；　at　which　they　are　wonderfully　expert；　and　the　women　by　



telling　fortunes；　selling　goods　smuggled　from　Portugal；　and　dealing　



in　love…draughts　and　diablerie。　　The　most　innocent　occupation　which　



I　observed　amongst　them　was　trimming　and　shearing　horses　and　mules；　



which　in　their　language　is　called　'monrabar；'　and　in　Spanish　



'esquilar'；　and　even　whilst　exercising　this　art；　they　not　



unfrequently　have　recourse　to　foul　play；　doing　the　animal　some　



covert　injury；　in　hope　that　the　proprietor　will　dispose　o