d kilo? No. I call off the bargain
on the oats. You are the biggest thief this side of the Danube."

"And you, you lowborn Tzigane, are the cheapest swindler on earth."

Quarrelling and shaking hands alternately and drinking wine Marcu and
the Greek went on for hours. The gipsy chief had already bought all the
food for his men and horses and a few extra blankets and had ordered it
all carted to the moored boat where Mehmet Ali was waiting, when
Fanutza reminded her father of the silks and linen he wanted to buy.

"I have not forgotten, daughter, I have not forgotten." Fanutza
approached the counter behind which the Greek stood ready to serve his
customers.

"Show us some silks," she asked.

He emptied a whole shelf on the counter.

The old gipsy stood aside watching his daughter as she fingered the
different pieces of coloured silk, which the shopkeeper praised as he
himself touched the goods with thumb and forefinger in keen appreciation
of the quality he offered. After she had selected all the colours she
wanted and picked out the linen and neckerchiefs and ear-rings and tried
on a pair of beautiful patent leather boots that reached over the knees
and had stripes of red leather sewed on with yellow silk on the soft
vamps, Fanutza declared that she had chosen everything she wanted. The
bargaining between the Greek and the gipsy was about to start anew when
Marcu looked outdoors thoughtfully, stroked his beard and said to the
innkeeper:

"Put away the things my daughter has selected. I shall come again,
alone, to bargain for them."

"If my friend fears he has not enough money--" suavely intervened
Anastasidis, as he placed a friendly hand on the gipsy's arm.

"When Marcu has no money he does not ask his women to select silk,"
haughtily interrupted the gipsy. "It will be as I said it will be. I
come alone in a day if the river has frozen. In a day or a week. I come
alone."

"Shall I, then, not take all these beautiful things along with me, now?"
asked Fanutza in a plaintive yet reproachful tone. "There is Marcia who
waits to see them. I have selected the same silk _basma_ for her. Have
you not promised me, even this morning--?"

"A woman must learn to keep her mouth shut," shouted Marcu as he angrily
stamped his right foot on the floor. He looked at his daughter as he had
never looked at her before. Only a few hours ago she was his little
girl, a child! He was marrying her off so soon to Stan, although it wa