, "why do you
not purchase it?" "We low gyptians never buy animals of that
description; if we did we could never sell them, and most likely should
be had up as horse-stealers." "Then why did you say just now, 'It were a
fine thing if it were but yours'?" said I. "We gyptians always say so
when we see anything that we admire. An animal like that is not intended
for a little hare like me, but for some grand gentleman like yourself. I
say, brother, do you buy that horse!" "How should I buy the horse, you
foolish person?" said I. "Buy the horse, brother," said Mr. Petulengro;
"if you have not the money I can lend it you, though I be of lower
Egypt." "You talk nonsense," said I; "however, I wish you would ask the
man the price of it." Mr. Petulengro, going up to the jockey, inquired
the price of the horse--the man, looking at him scornfully, made no
reply. "Young man," said I, going up to the jockey, "do me the favour to
tell me the price of that horse, as I suppose it is to sell." The
jockey, who was a surly-looking man of about fifty, looked at me for a
moment, then, after some hesitation, said laconically, "Seventy." "Thank
you," said I, and turned away. "Buy that horse," said Mr. Petulengro,
coming after me; "the dook tells me that in less than three months he
will be sold for twice seventy." "I will have nothing to do with him,"
said I; "besides, Jasper, I don't like his tail. Did you observe what a
mean scrubby tail he has?" "What a fool you are, brother!" said Mr.
Petulengro; "that very tail of his shows his breeding. No good bred
horse ever yet carried a fine tail--'tis your scrubby-tailed horses that
are your out-and-outers. Did you ever hear of Syntax, brother? That
tail of his puts me in mind of Syntax. Well, I say nothing more, have
your own way--all I wonder at is, that a horse like him was ever brought
to such a fair of dog cattle as this."

We then made the best of our way to a public-house, where we had some
refreshment. I then proposed returning to the encampment, but Mr.
Petulengro declined, and remained drinking with his companions till about
six o'clock in the evening, when various jockeys from the fair came in.
After some conversation a jockey proposed a game of cards; and in a
little time, Mr. Petulengro and another gypsy sat down to play a game of
cards with two of the jockeys.

Though not much acquainted with cards, I soon conceived a suspicion that
the jockeys were cheating Mr.