mind her at all, and she felt quite weak among them. But
the springing tears were checked by new terror, when two men came up,
whose approach had been the cause of the sudden excitement. The elder of
the two carried a bag, which he flung down, addressing the women in a
loud and scolding tone, which they answered by a shower of treble
sauciness; while a black cur ran barking up to Maggie, and threw her
into a tremor that only found a new cause in the curses with which the
younger man called the dog off, and gave him a rap with a great stick he
held in his hand.

Maggie felt that it was impossible she should ever be queen of these
people, or ever communicate to them amusing and useful knowledge.

Both the men now seemed to be inquiring about Maggie, for they looked at
her, and the tone of the conversation became of that pacific kind which
implies curiosity on one side and the power of satisfying it on the
other. At last the younger woman said in her previous deferential,
coaxing tone,--

"This nice little lady's come to live with us; aren't you glad?"

"Ay, very glad," said the younger man, who was looking at Maggie's
silver thimble and other small matters that had been taken from her
pocket. He returned them all except the thimble to the younger woman,
with some observation, and she immediately restored them to Maggie's
pocket, while the men seated themselves, and began to attack the
contents of the kettle,--a stew of meat and potatoes,--which had been
taken off the fire and turned out into a yellow platter.

Maggie began to think that Tom must be right about the gypsies; they
must certainly be thieves, unless the man meant to return her thimble by
and by. She would willingly have given it to him, for she was not at all
attached to her thimble; but the idea that she was among thieves
prevented her from feeling any comfort in the revival of deference and
attention toward her; all thieves, except Robin Hood, were wicked
people. The women saw she was frightened.

"We've got nothing nice for a lady to eat," said the old woman, in her
coaxing tone. "And she's so hungry, sweet little lady."

"Here, my dear, try if you can eat a bit o' this," said the younger
woman, handing some of the stew on a brown dish with an iron spoon to
Maggie, who, remembering that the old woman had seemed angry with her
for not liking the bread and bacon, dared not refuse the stew, though
fear had chased away her appetite. If her father would b