eir majesties shall see you, for you are fit
to be shown to a king."

"They will want me for a court fool," said the gitanilla, "and as I
never shall learn the trade, your pains will be all for nothing. If they
wanted me for my cleverness, they might have me; but in some palaces
fools thrive better than the wise. I am content to be a gitana, and
poor, and let Heaven dispose of me as it pleases."

"Come along, nina," said the old gipsy; "say no more, you have said a
great deal already, and know more than I ever taught you. Don't put too
fine a point to your wit for fear it should get blunted; speak of things
suitable to your years; and don't set yourself on the high ropes, lest
you should chance to have a fall."

"The deuce is in these gitanas," said the delighted lieutenant, as they
were taking their leave. The doncella of the thimble stopped them for a
moment, saying to Preciosa, "Tell me my fortune, or give me back my
thimble, for I have not another to work with."

"Senora doncella," replied Preciosa, "count upon your fortune as if it
were already told, and provide yourself with another; or else sew no
more gussets until I come again on Friday, when I will tell you more
fortunes and adventures than you could read in any book of knight
errantry."

The gipsies went away, and falling in with numerous workwomen returning
from Madrid to their villages as usual at the Ave Maria, they joined
company with them, as they always did for the greater security; for the
old gipsy lived in perpetual terror lest some one should run away with
her granddaughter.

One morning after this as they were returning to Madrid to levy black
mail along with other gitanas, in a little valley about five hundred
yards from the city, they met a handsome young gentleman richly dressed;
his sword and dagger were a blazo of gold; his hat was looped with a
jewelled band, and was adorned with plumes of various colours. The
gitanas stopped on seeing him, and set themselves to observe his
movements at their leisure, wondering much that so fine a cavalier
should be alone and on foot in such a place at that early hour. He came
up to them, and addressing the eldest gitana, said, "On your life,
friend, I entreat you do me the favour to let me say two words in
private to you and Preciosa. It shall be for your good."

"With all my heart," said the old woman, "so you do not take us much out
of our way, or delay us long;" and calling Preciosa, they withdrew