The Life of George Borrow [128]
continues, "the verses, and the strange being who was repeating them with so much feeling, to notice the approach of a slight female figure, beautiful in the extreme, but whose tattered garments, raven hair, swarthy complexion and flashing eyes proclaimed to be of the wandering tribe of Gitanos. From an intuitive sense of politeness, she stood with crossed arms and a slight smile on her dark and handsome countenance until my companion had ceased, and then addressed us in the usual whining tone of supplication-- 'Caballeritos, una limosnita! Dios se la pagara a ustedes!'-- 'Gentlemen, a little charity; God will repay it to you!' The gypsy girl was so pretty and her voice so sweet, that I involuntarily put my hand in my pocket.
"'Stop!' said the Unknown. 'Do you remember what I told you about the Eastern origin of these people? You shall see I am correct.'-- 'Come here, my pretty child,' said he in Moultanee, 'and tell me where are the rest of your tribe.'
"The girl looked astounded, replied in the same tongue, but in broken language; when, taking him by the arm, she said in Spanish, 'Come, cabellero--come to one who will be able to answer you'; and she led the way down amongst the ruins, towards one of the dens formerly occupied by the wild beasts, and disclosed to us a set of beings scarcely less savage. The sombre walls of the gloomy abode were illumined by a fire the smoke from which escaped through a deep fissure in the mossy roof; whilst the flickering flames threw a blood-red glare on the bronzed features of a group of children, of two men, and a decrepit old hag, who appeared busily engaged in some culinary preparations.
"On our entrance, the scowling glance of the males of the party, and a quick motion of the hand towards the folds of the 'faja' [a sash in which the Spaniard carries a formidable clasp-knife] caused in me, at least, anything but a comfortable sensation; but their hostile intentions, if ever entertained, were immediately removed by a wave of the hand from our conductress, who, leading my companion towards the sibyl, whispered something in her ear. The old crone appeared incredulous. The 'Unknown' uttered one word; but that word had the effect of magic; she prostrated herself at his feet, and in an instant, from an object of suspicion he became one of worship to the whole family, to whom, on taking leave, he made a handsome present, and departed with their united blessings, to the astonishment of myself and what looked very like terror in our Spanish guide.
"I was, as the phrase goes, dying with curiosity, and as soon as we mounted our horses, exclaimed--'Where, in the name of goodness, did you pick up your acquaintance with the language of those extraordinary people?'
"'Some years ago, in Moultan,' he replied.
"'And by what means do you possess such apparent influence over them?' But the 'Unknown' had already said more than he perhaps wished on the subject. He drily replied that he had more than once owed his life to gypsies, and had reason to know them well; but this was said in a tone which precluded all further queries on my part. The subject was never again broached, and we returned in silence to the fonda . . . This is a most extraordinary character, and the more I see of him the more am I puzzled. He appears acquainted with everybody and everything, but apparently unknown to every one himself. Though his figure bespeaks youth--and by his own account his age does not exceed thirty [he would be thirty-six in the following July]--yet the snows of eighty winters could not have whitened his locks more completely than they are. But in his dark and searching eye there is an almost supernatural penetration and lustre, which, were I inclined to superstition, might induce me to set down its possessor as a second Melmoth." {297a}
CHAPTER XIX: MAY-DECEMBER 1839
Borrow confesses that he was at a loss to know how to commence operations in Seville. He was entirely friendless, even the British Consul being unapproachable on account of his religious beliefs. However,
"'Stop!' said the Unknown. 'Do you remember what I told you about the Eastern origin of these people? You shall see I am correct.'-- 'Come here, my pretty child,' said he in Moultanee, 'and tell me where are the rest of your tribe.'
"The girl looked astounded, replied in the same tongue, but in broken language; when, taking him by the arm, she said in Spanish, 'Come, cabellero--come to one who will be able to answer you'; and she led the way down amongst the ruins, towards one of the dens formerly occupied by the wild beasts, and disclosed to us a set of beings scarcely less savage. The sombre walls of the gloomy abode were illumined by a fire the smoke from which escaped through a deep fissure in the mossy roof; whilst the flickering flames threw a blood-red glare on the bronzed features of a group of children, of two men, and a decrepit old hag, who appeared busily engaged in some culinary preparations.
"On our entrance, the scowling glance of the males of the party, and a quick motion of the hand towards the folds of the 'faja' [a sash in which the Spaniard carries a formidable clasp-knife] caused in me, at least, anything but a comfortable sensation; but their hostile intentions, if ever entertained, were immediately removed by a wave of the hand from our conductress, who, leading my companion towards the sibyl, whispered something in her ear. The old crone appeared incredulous. The 'Unknown' uttered one word; but that word had the effect of magic; she prostrated herself at his feet, and in an instant, from an object of suspicion he became one of worship to the whole family, to whom, on taking leave, he made a handsome present, and departed with their united blessings, to the astonishment of myself and what looked very like terror in our Spanish guide.
"I was, as the phrase goes, dying with curiosity, and as soon as we mounted our horses, exclaimed--'Where, in the name of goodness, did you pick up your acquaintance with the language of those extraordinary people?'
"'Some years ago, in Moultan,' he replied.
"'And by what means do you possess such apparent influence over them?' But the 'Unknown' had already said more than he perhaps wished on the subject. He drily replied that he had more than once owed his life to gypsies, and had reason to know them well; but this was said in a tone which precluded all further queries on my part. The subject was never again broached, and we returned in silence to the fonda . . . This is a most extraordinary character, and the more I see of him the more am I puzzled. He appears acquainted with everybody and everything, but apparently unknown to every one himself. Though his figure bespeaks youth--and by his own account his age does not exceed thirty [he would be thirty-six in the following July]--yet the snows of eighty winters could not have whitened his locks more completely than they are. But in his dark and searching eye there is an almost supernatural penetration and lustre, which, were I inclined to superstition, might induce me to set down its possessor as a second Melmoth." {297a}
CHAPTER XIX: MAY-DECEMBER 1839
Borrow confesses that he was at a loss to know how to commence operations in Seville. He was entirely friendless, even the British Consul being unapproachable on account of his religious beliefs. However,