Timothy gave me a push, and nodded his head for me to give my consent. I reflected a few seconds, and at last I extended my hand. "I consent," replied I, "with the reservation I have made." "You will not repent," said he; "and I will take your companion, not that I want him particularly, but I do want you. The fact is, I want a lad of gentlemanly address, and handsome appearance--with the very knowledge you possess--and now we will say no more for the present. By-the-by, was that real Latin of yours?" "No," replied I, laughing; "you quoted the grammar, and I replied with medical prescriptions. One was as good as the other." "Quite--nay, better; for the school-boys may find me out, but not you. But now observe, when we come to the next cross-road, we must get down-- at least, I expect so; but we shall know in a minute." In about the time he mentioned, a dark, gipsy-looking man looked into the waggon, and spoke to our acquaintance in an unknown language. He replied in the same, and the man disappeared. We continued our route for about a quarter of an hour, when he got out, asked us to follow him, and speaking a few words to the fool, which I did not hear, left him and the boy in the waggon. We paid our fare, took possession of our bundles, and followed our new companion for a few minutes on the cross-road, when he stopped, and said, "I must now leave you, to prepare for your reception into our fraternity; continue straight on this road until you arrive at a lime-kiln, and wait there till I come." He sprang over a stile, and took a direction verging at an angle from the road, forced his way through a hedge, and disappeared from our sight. "Upon my word, Timothy," said I, "I hardly know what to say to this. Have we done right in trusting to this man, who, I am afraid, is a great rogue? I do not much like mixing with these gipsy people, for such I am sure he belongs to." "I really, do not see how we can do better," replied Timothy. "The world is all before us, and we must force our own way through it. As for his being a quack doctor, I see no great harm in that. People put their faith in nostrums more than they do in regular medicines; and it is well known that quack medicines, as they call them, cure as often as others, merely for that very reason." "Very true, Timothy; the mind once at ease, the body soon recovers, and faith, even in quack medicines, will often make people whole; but do you think that he does no more than impose upon people in that way?" "He may, or he may not; at all events, we need do no more, I suppose." "I am not sure of that; however, we shall see. He says we may be useful to him, and I suppose we shall be, or he would not have engaged us--we shall soon find out." PART ONE, CHAPTER TEN. IN WHICH THE READER IS INTRODUCED TO SEVERAL NEW AQUAINTANCES, AND ALL CONNECTED WITH THEM, EXCEPT BIRTH AND PARENTAGE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE THE ONE THING WANTING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF THIS WORK.