tell me about Mrs. Herne.'

'Somewhat dreary, brother; yet, perhaps, after all, it is a good thing
that she is removed; she carried so much Devil's tinder about with her,
as the man said.'

'I am sorry for her,' said I; 'more especially as I am the cause of her
death--though the innocent one.'

'She could not bide you, brother, that's certain; but that is no
reason'--said Mr. Petulengro, balancing himself upon the saddle--'that is
no reason why she should prepare drow to take away your essence of life;
and, when disappointed, to hang herself upon a tree: if she was
dissatisfied with you, she might have flown at you, and scratched your
face; or, if she did not judge herself your match, she might have put
down five shillings for a turn-up between you and some one she thought
could beat you--myself, for example--and so the matter might have ended
comfortably; but she was always too fond of covert ways, drows, and
brimstones. This is not the first poisoning affair she has been engaged
in.'

'You allude to drabbing bawlor.'

'Bah!' said Mr. Petulengro; 'there's no harm in that. No, no! she has
cast drows in her time for other guess things than bawlor; both Gorgios
and Romans have tasted of them, and died. Did you never hear of the
poisoned plum pudding?'

'Never.'

'Then I will tell you about it. It happened about six years ago, a few
months after she had quitted us--she had gone first amongst her own
people, as she called them; but there was another small party of Romans,
with whom she soon became very intimate. It so happened that this small
party got into trouble; whether it was about a horse or an ass, or
passing bad money, no matter to you and me, who had no hand in the
business; three or four of them were taken and lodged in --- Castle, and
amongst them was a woman; but the sherengro, or principal man of the
party, and who it seems had most hand in the affair, was still at large.
All of a sudden a rumour was spread abroad that the woman was about to
play false, and to 'peach the rest. Said the principal man, when he
heard it, "If she does, I am nashkado." Mrs. Herne was then on a visit
to the party, and when she heard the principal man take on so, she said,
"But I suppose you know what to do?" "I do not," said he. "Then hir mi
devlis," said she, "you are a fool. But leave the matter to me, I know
how to dispose of her in Roman fashion." Why she wanted to interfere in
the matter, brother, I don't kn