if not, I claim her;
and if she consents, will resist your interference."

"Japhet," replied Melchior after a pause, "we must not quarrel now that
we are about to part. I will give you an answer in half an hour."

Melchior returned to Nattee, and recommenced a conversation with her,
while I hastened to Fleta.

"Fleta, do you know that the camp is to be broken up, and Melchior and
Nattee leave it together?"

"Indeed!" replied she with surprise. "Then what is to become of you and
Timothy?"

"We must of course seek our fortunes where we can."

"And of me?" continued she, looking me earnestly in the face with her
large blue eyes. "Am I to stay here?" continued she--with alarm in her
countenance.

"Not if you do not wish it, Fleta: as long as I can support you I will--
that is, if you would like to live with me in preference to Melchior."

"If I would like, Japhet! you must know I would like,--who has been so
kind to me as you? Don't leave me, Japhet."

"I will not, Fleta; but on condition that you promise to be guided by
me, and to do all I wish."

"To do what you wish is the greatest pleasure that I have, Japhet--so I
may safely promise that. What has happened?"

"That I do not know more than yourself: but Melchior tells me that he
and Nattee quit the gipsy tents for ever."

Fleta looked round to ascertain if anyone was near us, and then in a low
tone said, "I understand their language, Japhet, that is, a great deal
of it, although they do not think so, and I overheard what the gipsy
said in part, although he was at some distance. He asked for Melchior;
and when Nattee wanted to know what he wanted, he answered that he was
dead; then Nattee covered up her face. I could not hear all the rest,
but there was something about a _horse_."

_He was dead_. Had then Melchior committed murder, and was obliged to
fly the country? This appeared to me to be the most probable, when I
collected the facts in my possession; and yet I could not believe it:
for except that system of deceit necessary to carry on his various
professions, I never found anything in Melchior's conduct which could be
considered as criminal. On the contrary, he was kind, generous, and
upright in his private dealings, and in many points proved that he had a
good heart. He was a riddle of inconsistency, it was certain;
professionally he would cheat anybody, and disregard all truth and
honesty but in his private character he was scrupulously