had　the　money　in　my　pocket；　I　turned　back；　and；　making　another　bow；
  said；　〃May　I　be　so　bold　as　to　ask　why　you　gave　me　all　this　money
  for　that　'ere　dirty　book？　　When　I　came　into　the　shop；　I　should　have
  been　glad　to　get　a　shilling　for　it；　but　I　saw　you　wanted　it；　and
  asked　five　guineas。〃　　Then　they　looked　at　one　another；　and　smiled；
  and　shrugged　up　their　shoulders。　　Then　the　first　man；　looking　at
  me；　said；　〃Friend；　you　have　been　a　little　too　sharp　for　us；
  however；　we　can　afford　to　forgive　you；　as　my　friend　here　has　long
  been　in　quest　of　this　particular　book；　there　are　plenty　of
  editions；　as　I　told　you；　and　a　common　copy　is　not　worth　five
  shillings；　but　this　is　a　first　edition；　and　a　copy　of　the　first
  edition　is　worth　its　weight　in　gold。〃'
  'So；　after　all；　they　outwitted　you；'　I　observed。
  'Clearly；'　said　the　man；　'I　might　have　got　double　the　price；　had　I
  known　the　value；　but　I　don't　care；　much　good　may　it　do　them；　it　has
  done　me　plenty。　　By　means　of　it　I　have　got　into　an　honest；
  respectable　trade；　in　which　there's　little　danger　and　plenty　of
  profit；　and　got　out　of　one　which　would　have　got　me　lagged；　sooner
  or　later。'
  'But；'　said　I；　'you　ought　to　remember　that　the　thing　was　not　yours；
  you　took　it　from　me；　who　had　been　requested　by　a　poor　old　apple…
  woman　to　exchange　it　for　a　Bible。'
  'Well；'　said　the　man；　'did　she　ever　get　her　Bible？'
  'Yes；'　said　I；　'she　got　her　Bible。'
  'Then　she　has　no　cause　to　complain；　and；　as　for　you；　chance　or
  something　else　has　sent　you　to　me；　that　I　may　make　you　reasonable
  amends　for　any　loss　you　may　have　had。　　Here　am　I　ready　to　make　you
  my　bonnet；　with　forty　or　fifty　shillings　a　week；　which　you　say
  yourself　are　capital　wages。'
  'I　find　no　fault　with　the　wages；'　said　I；　'but　I　don't　like　the
  employ。'
  'Not　like　bonneting；'　said　the　man；　'ah；　I　see；　you　would　like　to
  be　principal；　well；　a　time　may　come　…　those　long　white　fingers　of
  yours　would　just　serve　for　the　business。'
  'Is　it　a　difficult　one？'　I　demanded。
  'Why；　it　is　not　very　easy：　　two　things　are　needful　…　natural
  talent；　and　constant　practice；　but　I'll　show　you　a　point　or　two
  connected　with　the　game'；　and；　placing　his　table　between　his　knees
  as　he　sat　over　the　side　of　the　pit；　he　produced　three　thimbles；　and
  a　small　brown　pellet；　something　resembling　a　pea。　　He　moved　the
  thimble　and　pellet　about；　now　placing　it　to　all　appearance　under
  one；　and　now　under　another；　'Under　which　is　it　now？'　he　said　at
  last。　　'Under　that；'　said　I；　pointing　to　the　lowermost　of　the
  thimbles；　which；　as　they　stood；　formed　a　kind　of　triangle。　　'No；'
  said　he；　'it　is　not；　but　lift　it　up'；　and；　when　I　lifted　up　the
  thimble；　the　pellet；　in　truth；　was　not　under　it。　　'It　was　under
  none　of　them；'　said　he；　'it　was　pressed　by　my　little　finger　against
  my　palm'；　and　then　he　showed　me　how　he　did　the　trick；　and　asked　me
  if　the　game　was　not　a　funny　one；　and；　on　my　answering　in　the
  affirmative；　he　said；　'I　am　glad　you　like　it；　come　along　and　let　us
  win　some　money。'
  Thereupon；　getting　up；　he　placed　the　table　before　him；　and　was
  moving　away；　observing；　however；　that　I　did　not　stir；　he　asked　me
  what　I　was　staying　for。　　'Merely　for　my　own　pleasure；'　said　I；　'I
  like　sitting　here　very　well。'　　'Then　you　won't　close？'　said　the
  man。　　'By　no　means；'　I　replied；　'your　proposal　does　not　suit　me。'
  'You　may　be　principal　in　time；'　said　the　man。　　'That　makes　no
  difference；'　said　I；　and；　sitting　with　my　legs　over　the　pit；　I
  forthwith　began　to　decline　an　Armenian　noun。　　'That　ain't　cant；'
  said　the　man；　'no；　nor　gypsy　either。　　Well；　if　you　won't　close；
  another　will；　I　can't　lose　any　more　time；'　and　forthwith　he
  departed。
  And　after　I　had　declined　four　Armenian　nouns；　of　different
  declensions；　I　rose　from　the　side　of　the　pit；　and　wandered　about
  amongst　the　various　groups　of　people　scattered　over　the　green。
  Presently　I　came　to　where　the　man　of　the　thimbles　was　standing；
  with　the　table　before　him；　and　many　people　about　him。　　'Them　who
  finds；　wins；　and　them　who　can't　find；　loses；'　he　cried。　　Various
  individuals　tried　to　find　the　pellet；　but　all　were　unsuccessful；
  till　at　last　considerable　dissatisfaction　was　expressed；　and　the
  terms　rogue　and　cheat　were　lavished　upon　him。　　'Never　cheated
  anybody　in　all　my　life；'　he　cried；　and；　observing　me　at　hand；
  'didn't　I　play　fair；　my　lord？'　he　inquired。　　But　I　made　no　answer。
  Presently　some　more　played；　and　he　permitted　one　or　two　to　win；　and
  the　eagerness　to　play　with　him　became　greater。　　After　I　had　looked
  on　for　some　time；　I　was　moving　away：　　just　then　I　perceived　a
  short；　thick　personage；　with　a　staff　in　his　hand；　advancing　in　a
  great　hurry；　whereupon；　with　a　sudden　impulse；　I　exclaimed　…
  Shoon　thimble…engro；
  Avella　gorgio。
  The　man；　who　was　in　the　midst　of　his　pea…and…thimble　process；　no
  sooner　heard　the　last　word　of　the　distich　than　he　turned　an　alarmed
  look　in　the　direction　of　where　I　stood；　then；　glancing　around；　and
  perceiving　the　constable；　he　slipped　forthwith　his　pellet　and
  thimbles　into　his　pocket；　and；　lifting　up　his　table；　he　cried　to
  the　people　about　him；　'Make　way！'　and　with　a　motion　with　his　head
  to　me；　as　if　to　follow　him；　he　darted　off　with　a　swiftness　which
  the　short；　pursy　constable　could　by　no　means　rival；　and　whither　he
  went；　or　what　became　of　him；　I　know　not；　inasmuch　as　I　turned　away
  in　another　direction。
  CHAPTER　LIV
  Mr。　Petulengro　…　Rommany　Rye　…　Lil…writers　…　One's　own　horn　…
  Lawfully…earnt　money　…　The　wooded　hill　…　A　great　favourite　…　The
  shop　window　…　Much　wanted。
  AND；　as　I　wandered　along　the　green；　I　drew　near　to　a　place　where
  several　men；　with　a　cask　beside　them；　sat　carousing　in　the
  neighbourhood　of　a　small　tent。　　'Here　he　comes；'　said　one　of　them；
  as　I　advanced；　and　standing　up　he　raised　his　voice　and　sang：…
  'Here　the　Gypsy　gemman　see；
  With　his　Roman　jib　and　his　rome　and　dree　…
  Rome　and　dree；　rum　and　dry
  Rally　round　the　Rommany　Rye。'
  It　was　Mr。　Petulengro；　who　was　here　diverting　himself　with　several
  of　his　comrades；　they　all　received　me　with　considerable　frankness。
  'Sit　down；　brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'and　take　a　cup　of　good
  ale。'
  I　sat　down。　　'Your　health；　gentlemen；'　said　I；　as　I　took　the　cup
  which　Mr。　Petulengro　handed　to　me。
  'Aukko　tu　pios　adrey　Rommanis。　　Here　is　your　health　in　Rommany；
  brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　who；　having　refilled　the　cup；　now
  emptied　it　at　a　draught。
  'Your　health　in　Rommany；　brother；'　said　Tawno　Chikno；　to　whom　the
  cup　came　next。
  'The　Rommany　Rye；'　said　a　third。
  'The　Gypsy　gentleman；'　exclaimed　a　fourth；　drinking。
  And　then　they　all　sang　in　chorus：…
  'Here　the　Gypsy　gemman　see；
  With　his　Roman　jib　and　his　rome　and　dree　…
  Rome　and　dree；　rum　and　dry
  Rally　round　the　Rommany　Rye。'
  'And　now；　brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'seeing　that　you　have
  drunk　and　been　drunken；　you　will　perhaps　tell　us　where　you　have
  been；　and　what　about？'
  'I　have　been　in　the　Big　City；'　said　I；　'writing　lils。'
  'How　much　money　have　you　got　in　your　pocket；　brother？'　said　Mr。
  Petulengro。
  'Eighteenpence；'　said　I；　'all　I　have　in　the　world。'
  'I　have　been　in　the　Big　City；　too；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'but　I
  have　not　written　lils　…　I　have　fought　in　the　ring　…　I　have　fifty
  pounds　in　my　pocket　…　I　have　much　more　in　the　world。　　Brother；
  there　is　considerable　difference　between　us。
  'I　would　rather　be　the　lil…writer；　after　all；'　said　the　tall；
  handsome；　black　man；　'indeed；　I　would　wish　for　nothing　better。'
  'Why　so？'　said　Mr。　Petulengro。
  'Because　they　have　so　much　to　say　for　themselves；'　said　the　black
  man；　'even　when　dead　and　gone。　　When　they　are　laid　in　the
  churchyard；　it　is　their　own　fault　if　people　ain't　talking　of　them。
  Who　will　know；　after　I　am　dead；　or　bitchadey　pawdel；　that　I　was
  once　the　beauty　of　the　world；　or　that　you　Jasper　were　…　'
  'The　best　man　in　England　of　my　inches。　　That's　true；　Tawno　…
  however；　here's　our　brother　will　perhaps　let　the　world　know
  something　about　us。'
  'Not　he；'　said　the　other；　with　a　sigh；　'he'll　have　quite　enough　to
  do　in　writing　his　own　lils；　and　telling　the　world　how　handsome　and
  clever　he　was；　and　who　can　blame　him？　　Not　I。　　If　I　could　write
  lils；　every　word　should　be　about　myself　and　my　own　tacho　Rommanis　…
  my　own　lawful　wedded　wife；　which　is　the　same　thing。　　I　tell　you
  what；　brother；　I　once　heard　a　wise　man　say　in　Brummagem；　that
  〃there　is　nothing　like　blowing　one's　own　horn；〃　which　I　conceive　to
  be　much　the　same　thing　as　writing　one's　own　lil。'
  After　a　little　more　conversation；　Mr。　Petulengro　arose；　and
  motioned　me　to　follow　him。　　'Only　eighteenpence　in　the　world；
  brother？'　said　he；　as　we　walked　together。
  'Nothing　more；　I　assure　you。　　How　came　you　to　ask　me　how　much　money
  I　had？'