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had called Isaac List, and his gruff companion. One of the low, arched
gipsy-tents, common to that people, was pitched hard by, but it either
was, or appeared to be, empty.
'
Well, are you going?' said the stout man, looking up from the ground
where he was lying at his ease, into her grandfather's face. 'You were
in a mighty hurry a minute ago. Go, if you like. You're your own
master, I hope?'
'
Don't vex him,' returned Isaac List, who was squatting like a frog on
the other side of the fire, and had so screwed himself up that he
seemed to be squinting all over; 'he didn't mean any offence.'
'
You keep me poor, and plunder me, and make a sport and jest of me
besides,' said the old man, turning from one to the other. 'Ye'll drive
me mad among ye.'
The utter irresolution and feebleness of the grey-haired child,
contrasted with the keen and cunning looks of those in whose hands
he was, smote upon the little listener's heart. But she constrained
herself to attend to all that passed, and to note each look and word.
'Confound you, what do you mean?' said the stout man rising a little,
and supporting himself on his elbow. 'Keep you poor! You'd keep us
poor if you could, wouldn't you? That's the way with you whining,
puny, pitiful players. When you lose, you're martyrs; but I don't find
that when you win, you look upon the other losers in that light. As to
plunder!' cried the fellow, raising his voice - 'Damme, what do you
mean by such ungentlemanly language as plunder, eh?'
The speaker laid himself down again at full length, and gave one or
two short, angry kicks, as if in further expression of his unbounded
indignation. It was quite plain that he acted the bully, and his friend
the peacemaker, for some particular purpose; or rather, it would have
been to any one but the weak old man; for they exchanged glances
quite openly, both with each other and with the gipsy, who grinned his
approval of the jest until his white teeth shone again.
The old man stood helplessly among them for a little time, and then
said, turning to his assailant:
'You yourself were speaking of plunder just now, you know. Don't be
so violent with me. You were, were you not?'
'Not of plundering among present company! Honour among - among
gentlemen, Sir,' returned the other, who seemed to have been very
near giving an awkward termination to the sentence.
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