The Romany Rye: a sequel to "Lavengro"Borrow, George
General
The Romany Rye: a sequel to "Lavengro"
Borrow, George
Adventure stories; England -- Fiction; Romanies -- Fiction
They danc'd to the left, and they danc'd to the right,--
Merrily moves the dance along;--
And her troth the fair damsel bestow'd on the knight,
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young.
"Now what shall I fetch you, mademoiselle?"--
Merrily moves the dance along;--
Said she, "Sir, an ice I should like very well,"
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young.
But the ice, when he'd got it, he instantly ate,--
Merrily moves the dance along;--
Although his poor partner was all in a fret,
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young.
He ate up the ice like a prudent young lord,--
Merrily moves the dance along;--
For he saw 'twas the very last ice on the board,
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young.
"Now, when shall we marry?" the gentleman cried;--
Merrily moves the dance along;--
"Sir, get you to Jordan," the damsel replied,
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young.
"I never will wed with the pitiful elf"--
Merrily moves the dance along--
"Who ate up the ice which I wanted myself,"
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young.
"I'd pardon your backing from red Waterloo,"--
Merrily moves the dance along--
"But I never will wed with a coward and screw,"
My Lord-Lieutenant so free and young,
CHAPTER XLIII.
THE CHURCH.
The next morning I began to think of departing; I had sewed up the money
which I had received for the horse in a portion of my clothing, where I
entertained no fears for its safety, with the exception of a small sum in
notes, gold, and silver, which I carried in my pocket. Ere departing,
however, I determined to stroll about and examine the town, and observe
more particularly the humours of the fair than I had hitherto an
opportunity of doing. The town, when I examined it, offered no object
worthy of attention but its church--an edifice of some antiquity; under
the guidance of an old man, who officiated as sexton, I inspected its
interior attentively, occasionally conversing with my guide, who,
however, seemed much more disposed to talk about horses than the church.
"No good horses in the fair this time, measter," said he; "none but one
brought hither by a chap whom nobody knows, and bought by a foreigneering
man, who came here with Jack Dale. The horse fetched a good swinging
price, which is said, however, to be much less than its worth; for the
horse is a regular clipper; not such a one, 'tis said, has been seen in
the fair for several summers. Lord Whitefeather says that he believes
the fellow who brought him to be a highwayman, and talks of having him
taken up; but Lord Whitefeather is only in a rage because he could not
get him for himself. The chap would not sell it to un; Lord Screw wanted
to beat him down, and the chap took huff, said he wouldn't sell it to him
at no price, and accepted the offer of the foreigneering man, or of Jack,
who was his 'terpreter, and who scorned to higgle about such an hanimal,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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