ld woman said,--

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

It was just like a story; Maggie liked to be called pretty lady and
treated in this way. She sat down and said,--

"I'm come from home because I'm unhappy, and I mean to be a gypsy. I'll
live with you if you like, and I can teach you a great many things."

"Such a clever little lady," said the woman with the baby, sitting down
by Maggie, and allowing baby to crawl; "and such a pretty bonnet and
frock," she added, taking off Maggie's bonnet and looking at it while
she made an observation to the old woman, in the unknown language. The
tall girl snatched the bonnet and put it on her own head hind-foremost
with a grin; but Maggie was determined not to show any weakness on this
subject, as if she were susceptible about her bonnet.

"I don't want to wear a bonnet," she said; "I'd rather wear a red
handkerchief, like yours" (looking at her friend by her side). "My hair
was quite long till yesterday, when I cut it off; but I dare say it will
grow again very soon," she added apologetically, thinking it probable
the gypsies had a strong prejudice in favor of long hair. And Maggie had
forgotten even her hunger at that moment in the desire to conciliate
gypsy opinion.

"Oh, what a nice little lady!--and rich, I'm sure," said the old woman.
"Didn't you live in a beautiful house at home?"

"Yes, my home is pretty, and I'm very fond of the river, where we go
fishing, but I'm often very unhappy. I should have liked to bring my
books with me, but I came away in a hurry, you know. But I can tell you
almost everything there is in my books, I've read them so many times,
and that will amuse you. And I can tell you something about Geography
too--that's about the world we live in--very useful and interesting. Did
you ever hear about Columbus?"

Maggie's eyes had begun to sparkle and her cheeks to flush--she was
really beginning to instruct the gypsies, and gaining great influence
over them. The gypsies themselves were not without amazement at this
talk, though their attention was divided by the contents of Maggie's
pocket, which the friend at her right hand had by this time emptied
without attracting her notice.

"Is that where you live, my little lady?" said the old woman, at the
mention of Columbus.

"Oh, no!" said Maggie, with some pity; "Columbus was a very wonderful
man, who found out half the world, and they