before it which was to be her refuge. She even saw a tall female
figure by the column of smoke--doubtless the gipsy-mother, who provided
the tea and other groceries; it was astonishing to herself that she did
not feel more delighted. But it was startling to find the gipsies in a
lane after all, and not on a common--indeed, it was rather
disappointing; for a mysterious common, where there were sand-pits to
hide in, and one was out of everybody's reach, had always made part of
Maggie's picture of gipsy life.

She went on, however, and before long a tall figure, who proved to be a
young woman with a baby on her arm, walked slowly to meet her. Maggie
looked up in the new face and thought that her Aunt Pullet and the rest
were right when they called her a gipsy; for this face, with the bright
dark eyes and the long hair, was really something like what she used to
see in her own glass before she cut her hair off.

"My little lady, where are you going to?" the gipsy said.

It was delightful, and just what Maggie expected--the gipsy saw at once
that she was a little lady.

"Not any farther," said Maggie. "I'm come to stay with you, please."

"That's pritty; come, then. Why, what a nice little lady you are, to
be sure!" said the gipsy, taking her by the hand. Maggie thought her
very nice, but wished she had not been so dirty.

There was quite a group round the fire when they reached it. An old
gipsy-woman was seated on the ground nursing her knees, and poking a
skewer into the round kettle that sent forth an odorous steam; two
small, shock-headed children were lying down resting on their elbows;
and a donkey was bending his head over a tall girl, who, lying on her
back, was scratching his nose and feeding him with a bite of excellent
stolen hay.

The slanting sunlight fell kindly upon them, and the scene was really
very pretty and comfortable, Maggie thought, only she hoped they would
soon set out the tea-cups. It was a little confusing, though, that the
young woman began to speak to the old one in a language which Maggie
did not understand, while the tall girl who was feeding the donkey sat
up and stared at her. At last the old woman said,--

"What, my pretty lady, are you come to stay with us? Sit ye down, and
tell us where you come from."

[Illustration: "My pretty lady, are you come to stay with us?"]

It was just like a story. Maggie liked to be called pretty lady and
treated in this way. She sat do