counts for the whole affair
and the whole confusion.

'My Mother was a Widow at this time and remained so for some time
after--consequently all transactions took place with her and not with
Mr. Borrow--she being afterwards married to Mr. Borrow without a
settlement.

'After this, in 1844, the place was again put up by public auction and
bought in by Mr. Borrow and my Mother.'

[141] Knapp's _Life_, vol. i. pp. 330, 331.

[142] The following suggestion has, however, been made to me by a friend
of Henrietta MacOubrey _nee_ Clarke:

'I think Borrow intended "Carreta" for "dearest," It is impossible to
think that he would call his wife a "cart." Perhaps he intended
"Carreta" for "Querida." Probably their pronunciation was not
Castillian, and they spelled the word as they pronounced it. In speaking
of her to "Hen." Borrow always called her "Mamma." Mrs. MacOubrey took a
great fancy to me because she said I was like "Mamma." She meant in
character, not in person.'

[143] Dr. Knapp: _Life_, vol. ii p. 39.

CHAPTER XXI

'THE CHILDREN OF THE OPEN AIR'

Behold George Borrow, then, in a comfortable home on the banks of Oulton
Broad--a family man. His mother--sensible woman--declines her son's
invitation to live with the newly-married pair. She remains in the
cottage at Norwich where her husband died. The Borrows were married in
April 1840, by May they had settled at Oulton. It was a pleasantly
secluded estate, and Borrow's wife had L450 a year. He had, a month
before his marriage, written to Mr. Brandram to say that he had a work
nearly ready for publication, and 'two others in a state of
forwardness.' The title of the first of these books he enclosed in his
letter. It was _The Zincali: Or an Account of the Gypsies of Spain_. Mr.
Samuel Smiles, in his history of the House of Murray--_A Publisher and
his Friends_--thus relates the circumstances of its publication:--

In November 1840 a tall, athletic gentleman in black called
upon Mr. Murray offering a MS. for perusal and publication....
Mr. Murray could not fail to be taken at first sight with this
extraordinary man. He had a splendid physique, standing six
feet two in his stockings, and he had brains as well as
muscles, as his works sufficiently show. The book now submitted
was of a very uncommon character, and neither the author nor
the publisher were very sanguine about its success. Mr. Murray
agreed, after peru