stom, they seldom committed depredations
near their quarters. She said, that, one day being on the common, she
came in front of an old, black and white house, (which was taken down
not many years afterwards;) in the front thereof was a garden, and a
green lawn carefully trimmed, and in that garden on a seat sat an old
lady, a tall and comely dame, she said, and she was playing with a
little child, who might have been a year and-a-half old. The gipsy, it
seems, had asked charity through the open iron railing of the garden;
and the lady had risen and approached the railing, bringing the child
with her, and putting the money into the infant's hand to pass it
through the railing. The vagrant had then observed the dress and
ornaments of the child, that she had a necklace of coral, clasped with
some sparkling stone, golden clasps in her shoes, much rich lace about
her cap, and above all, golden bracelets of curious workmanship on
her wrists.

"She had not," said Rebecca; "she never wore those ornaments excepting
on festival days."

The vagrant took no notice of this remark of Rebecca's; but Shanty gave
the old servant a piercing look, whilst all others present, with the
exception of Salmon, felt almost fainting with impatience; but Salmon's
mind seemed for the moment in such a state of obtuseness, as disabled
him from catching hold of the link which was leading to that which was
to interest him as much as, or even more than, any one present. The
gipsy went on to say, that her cupidity was so much excited by these
ornaments, that she fixed her eye immediately on the family, and
resolved, if possible, to get possession of the child. She first
inquired respecting the family, and learned, that the house was occupied
by a widow lady, who had with her an only daughter, a married woman;
that the child she had seen belonged to that daughter; and that the
husband was abroad, and was a Jew, supposed to be immensely rich.

"I knew it," said Dymock, turning round and snapping his fingers; "I
hammered it out, Master Shanty, sooner than you did; I knew the
physiognomy of a daughter of Zion at the very first glance; you, too,
must never talk again of your penetration, Aunt Margaret," and the good
man actually danced about the room; but Shanty on one side, and Aunt
Margaret on the other, seized him by an arm, and forced him again upon
his chair, entreating him to be still; whilst Salmon roused himself in
his seat, shook off, or tried to s