To my surprise Fardi encouraged the boys not only to choose the most expensive Russian cigarettes, but also to demand meerschaum holders. That very afternoon, to distinguish him above his brethren and mark my approval of the admirable Fardi who never begged, I had given him as parting present a splendid guinea pipe; and now he must needs demonstrate that he had gulled me, that though he had played a long and cunning game of respectability he was no whit less a Gypsy than the others, and could, when he chose, beg with the best. My paragon produced three leather purses which, he said most falsely, contained all the money he possessed. Two were empty, and in the third a half-sovereign lurked among some coppers. He begged for a loan, and, when I refused to entertain the idea, entreated me to buy a dress for his wife. In the window of a shop which was preparing to close he saw a gloriously green silk underskirt marked “six and eleven” which was exactly what she would like; and I was the more ready to surrender to his unexpected attack because I had given Lotka nothing. But when we entered the shop he saw and preferred a long silk scarf which was attractively festooned upon a rail. I bought it, congratulating myself secretly that Fardi, being illiterate, would not notice that its cost was two shillings less than that of the petticoat. But Fardi’s sharp eyes discerned the price I paid, and immediately he claimed the dress as well, becoming almost abusive, and telling me plainly that I ought to be ashamed to refuse so small a favour. It was the revelation of a new and unsuspected Fardi—a much less comfortable character than the Fardi who never begged. He begged desperately and without a moment’s pause until the train left Liverpool, ably abetted by every member of his family. Had I yielded Fardi would have won a barren victory, because the shop was closed and the dress beyond our reach: but higher principles were at stake—it was a trial of strength, and the respect in which the Gypsies held me was threatened. There were flank attacks by Yishwan, who wanted my watch, and rear attacks from battalions of boys, whose demands a universal provider would have been hard pushed to satisfy: but Lotka’s skirt was the main objective, and, meeting all arguments, talking with marvellous if ungrammatical fluency, and shouting as loudly as anybody, I held my position without budging a hair’s-breadth. Even when, with their samovars and eiderdown beds, the whole party had been packed in the carriages, Fardi stood at a door and mischievously continued his persecution. But he and the others bade me a warm farewell, wishing me brilliantly overwhelming blessings, all except Yono, who angrily rejected my proffered hand; and as the train steamed out of the station an impudent little boy waved from a window a grubby fist, on one finger of which shone my stolen silver ring. 10. AN UNWRITTEN TONGUE.