the zincali-第50章

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For　a　week　he　came　regularly　at　the　usual　hour；　at　the　end　of　which　



time　he　desisted；　the　hostess　was　afraid　of　him；　as　she　said　that　



he　was　a　brujo　or　wizard；　and　only　spoke　to　him　through　the　wicket。







On　the　tenth　day　I　was　cast　into　prison；　where　I　continued　several　



weeks。　　Once；　during　my　confinement；　he　called　at　the　house；　and　



being　informed　of　my　mishap；　drew　his　sword；　and　vowed　with　



horrible　imprecations　to　murder　the　prime　minister　of　Ofalia；　for　



having　dared　to　imprison　his　brother。　　On　my　release；　I　did　not　



revisit　my　lodgings　for　some　days；　but　lived　at　an　hotel。　　I　



returned　late　one　afternoon；　with　my　servant　Francisco；　a　Basque　of　



Hernani；　who　had　served　me　with　the　utmost　fidelity　during　my　



imprisonment；　which　he　had　voluntarily　shared　with　me。　　The　first　



person　I　saw　on　entering　was　the　Gypsy　soldier；　seated　by　the　



table；　whereon　were　several　bottles　of　wine　which　he　had　ordered　



from　the　tavern；　of　course　on　my　account。　　He　was　smoking；　and　



looked　savage　and　sullen；　perhaps　he　was　not　much　pleased　with　the　



reception　he　had　experienced。　　He　had　forced　himself　in；　and　the　



woman　of　the　house　sat　in　a　corner　looking　upon　him　with　dread。　　I　



addressed　him；　but　he　would　scarcely　return　an　answer。　　At　last　he　



commenced　discoursing　with　great　volubility　in　Gypsy　and　Latin。　　I　



did　not　understand　much　of　what　he　said。　　His　words　were　wild　and　



incoherent；　but　he　repeatedly　threatened　some　person。　　The　last　



bottle　was　now　exhausted：　　he　demanded　more。　　I　told　him　in　a　



gentle　manner　that　he　had　drunk　enough。　　He　looked　on　the　ground　



for　some　time；　then　slowly；　and　somewhat　hesitatingly；　drew　his　



sword　and　laid　it　on　the　table。　　It　was　become　dark。　　I　was　not　



afraid　of　the　fellow；　but　I　wished　to　avoid　anything　unpleasant。　　I　



called　to　Francisco　to　bring　lights；　and　obeying　a　sign　which　I　



made　him；　he　sat　down　at　the　table。　　The　Gypsy　glared　fiercely　upon　



him　…　Francisco　laughed；　and　began　with　great　glee　to　talk　in　



Basque；　of　which　the　Gypsy　understood　not　a　word。　　The　Basques；　



like　all　Tartars；　（51）　and　such　they　are；　are　paragons　of　fidelity　



and　good　nature；　they　are　only　dangerous　when　outraged；　when　they　



are　terrible　indeed。　　Francisco；　to　the　strength　of　a　giant　joined　



the　disposition　of　a　lamb。　　He　was　beloved　even　in　the　patio　of　the　



prison；　where　he　used　to　pitch　the　bar　and　wrestle　with　the　



murderers　and　felons；　always　coming　off　victor。　　He　continued　



speaking　Basque。　　The　Gypsy　was　incensed；　and；　forgetting　the　



languages　in　which；　for　the　last　hour；　he　had　been　speaking；　



complained　to　Francisco　of　his　rudeness　in　speaking　any　tongue　but　



Castilian。　　The　Basque　replied　by　a　loud　carcajada；　and　slightly　



touched　the　Gypsy　on　the　knee。　　The　latter　sprang　up　like　a　mine　



discharged；　seized　his　sword；　and；　retreating　a　few　steps；　made　a　



desperate　lunge　at　Francisco。







The　Basques；　next　to　the　Pasiegos；　（52）　are　the　best　cudgel…players　



in　Spain；　and　in　the　world。　　Francisco　held　in　his　hand　part　of　a　



broomstick；　which　he　had　broken　in　the　stable；　whence　he　had　just　



ascended。　　With　the　swiftness　of　lightning　he　foiled　the　stroke　of　



Chaleco；　and；　in　another　moment；　with　a　dexterous　blow；　struck　the　



sword　out　of　his　hand；　sending　it　ringing　against　the　wall。







The　Gypsy　resumed　his　seat　and　his　cigar。　　He　occasionally　looked　



at　the　Basque。　　His　glances　were　at　first　atrocious；　but　presently　



changed　their　expression；　and　appeared　to　me　to　become　prying　and　



eagerly　curious。　　He　at　last　arose；　picked　up　his　sword；　sheathed　



it；　and　walked　slowly　to　the　door；　when　there　he　stopped；　turned　



round；　advanced　close　to　Francisco；　and　looked　him　steadfastly　in　



the　face。　　'My　good　fellow；'　said　he；　'I　am　a　Gypsy；　and　can　read　



baji。　　Do　you　know　where　you　will　be　at　this　time　to…morrow？'　（53）　　



Then；　laughing　like　a　hyena；　he　departed；　and　I　never　saw　him　



again。







At　that　time　on　the　morrow；　Francisco　was　on　his　death…bed。　　He　had　



caught　the　jail　fever；　which　had　long　raged　in　the　Carcel　de　la　



Corte；　where　I　was　imprisoned。　　In　a　few　days　he　was　buried；　a　mass　



of　corruption；　in　the　Campo　Santo　of　Madrid。















CHAPTER　V















THE　Gitanos；　in　their　habits　and　manner　of　life；　are　much　less　



cleanly　than　the　Spaniards。　　The　hovels　in　which　they　reside　



exhibit　none　of　the　neatness　which　is　observable　in　the　habitations　



of　even　the　poorest　of　the　other　race。　　The　floors　are　unswept；　and　



abound　with　filth　and　mud；　and　in　their　persons　they　are　scarcely　



less　vile。　　Inattention　to　cleanliness　is　a　characteristic　of　the　



Gypsies；　in　all　parts　of　the　world。







The　Bishop　of　Forli；　as　far　back　as　1422；　gives　evidence　upon　this　



point；　and　insinuates　that　they　carried　the　plague　with　them；　as　he　



observes　that　it　raged　with　peculiar　violence　the　year　of　their　



appearance　at　Forli。　（54）







At　the　present　day　they　are　almost　equally　disgusting；　in　this　



respect；　in　Hungary；　England；　and　Spain。　　Amongst　the　richer　



Gitanos；　habits　of　greater　cleanliness　of　course　exist　than　amongst　



the　poorer。　　An　air　of　sluttishness；　however；　pervades　their　



dwellings；　which；　to　an　experienced　eye；　would　sufficiently　attest　



that　the　inmates　were　Gitanos；　in　the　event　of　their　absence。







What　can　be　said　of　the　Gypsy　dress；　of　which　such　frequent　mention　



is　made　in　the　Spanish　laws；　and　which　is　prohibited　together　with　



the　Gypsy　language　and　manner　of　life？　　Of　whatever　it　might　



consist　in　former　days；　it　is　so　little　to　be　distinguished　from　



the　dress　of　some　classes　amongst　the　Spaniards；　that　it　is　almost　



impossible　to　describe　the　difference。　　They　generally　wear　a　high…



peaked；　narrow…brimmed　hat；　a　zamarra　of　sheep…skin　in　winter；　and；　



during　summer；　a　jacket　of　brown　cloth；　and　beneath　this　they　are　



fond　of　exhibiting　a　red　plush　waistcoat；　something　after　the　



fashion　of　the　English　jockeys；　with　numerous　buttons　and　clasps。　　



A　faja；　or　girdle　of　crimson　silk；　surrounds　the　waist；　where；　not　



unfrequently；　are　stuck　the　cachas　which　we　have　already　described。　　



Pantaloons　of　coarse　cloth　or　leather　descend　to　the　knee；　the　legs　



are　protected　by　woollen　stockings；　and　sometimes　by　a　species　of　



spatterdash；　either　of　cloth　or　leather；　stout　high…lows　complete　



the　equipment。







Such　is　the　dress　of　the　Gitanos　of　most　parts　of　Spain。　　But　it　is　



necessary　to　remark　that　such　also　is　the　dress　of　the　chalans；　and　



of　the　muleteers；　except　that　the　latter　are　in　the　habit　of　



wearing　broad　sombreros　as　preservatives　from　the　sun。　　This　dress　



appears　to　be　rather　Andalusian　than　Gitano；　and　yet　it　certainly　



beseems　the　Gitano　better　than　the　chalan　or　muleteer。　　He　wears　it　



with　more　easy　negligence　or　jauntiness；　by　which　he　may　be　



recognised　at　some　distance；　even　from　behind。







It　is　still　more　difficult　to　say　what　is　the　peculiar　dress　of　the　



Gitanas；　they　wear　not　the　large　red　cloaks　and　immense　bonnets　of　



coarse　beaver　which　distinguish　their　sisters　of　England；　they　have　



no　other　headgear　than　a　handkerchief；　which　is　occasionally　



resorted　to　as　a　defence　against　the　severity　of　the　weather；　their　



hair　is　sometimes　confined　by　a　comb；　but　more　frequently　is　



permitted　to　stray　dishevelled　down　their　shoulders；　they　are　fond　



of　large　ear…rings；　whether　of　gold；　silver；　or　metal；　resembling　



in　this　respect　the　poissardes　of　France。　　There　is　little　to　



distinguish　them　from　the　Spanish　women　save　the　absence　of　the　



mantilla；　which　they　never　carry。　　Females　of　fashion　not　



unfrequently　take　pleasure　in　dressing　a　la　Gitana；　as　it　is　



called；　but　this　female　Gypsy　fashion；　like　that　of　the　men；　is　



more　properly　the　fashion　of　Andalusia；　the