ir fortunes, one of them asked if
any of our women could sing; and I told them several could, more
particularly Leviathan--you know Leviathan, she is not here now, but some
miles distant, she is our best singer, Ursula coming next. So the lady
said she should like to hear Leviathan sing, whereupon Leviathan sang the
Gudlo pesham, and Piramus played the tune of the same name, which as you
know, means the honeycomb, the song and the tune being well entitled to
the name, being wonderfully sweet. Well, everybody present seemed mighty
well pleased with the song and music, with the exception of one person, a
carroty-haired Scotch body; how he came there I don't know, but there he
was; and, coming forward, he began in Scotch as broad as a barn-door to
find fault with the music and the song, saying, that he had never heard
viler stuff than either. Well, brother, out of consideration for the
civil gentry with whom the fellow had come, I held my peace for a long
time, and in order to get the subject changed, I said to Mikailia in
Romany, You have told the ladies their fortunes, now tell the gentlemen
theirs, quick, quick,--pen lende dukkerin. Well, brother, the Scotchman,
I suppose, thinking I was speaking ill of him, fell into a greater
passion than before, and catching hold of the word dukkerin--'Dukkerin,'
said he, 'what's dukkerin?' 'Dukkerin,' said I, 'is fortune, a man or
woman's destiny; don't you like the word?' 'Word! d'ye ca' that a word?
a bonnie word,' said he. 'Perhaps, you'll tell us what it is in Scotch,'
said I, 'in order that we may improve our language by a Scotch word; a
pal of mine has told me that we have taken a great many words from
foreign lingos.' 'Why, then, if that be the case, fellow, I will tell
you; it is e'en "spaeing,"' said he, very seriously. 'Well, then,' said
I, 'I'll keep my own word, which is much the prettiest--spaeing! spaeing!
why, I should be ashamed to make use of the word, it sounds so much like
a certain other word;' and then I made a face as if I were unwell.
'Perhaps it's Scotch also for that?' 'What do ye mean by speaking in
that guise to a gentleman?' said he; 'you insolent vagabond, without a
name or a country.' 'There you are mistaken,' said I; 'my country is
Egypt, but we 'Gyptians, like you Scotch, are rather fond of travelling;
and as for name--my name is Jasper Petulengro, perhaps you have a better;
what is it?' 'Sandy Macraw.' At that, brother, the gentlemen burst