第47章

Maggie began to think that Tom might be right about the gypsies - they must certainly be thieves, unless the man meant to return her thimble by and by.She would willingly have given it him, for she was not at all attached to her thimble; but the idea that she was among thieves prevented her from feeling any comfort in the revival of deference and attention towards her - all thieves except Robin Hood were wicked people.The women saw she was frightened.

`We've got nothing nice for a lady to eat,' said the old woman, in her coaxing tone.`And she's so hungry, sweet little lady.'

`Here, my dear, try if you can eat a bit o' this,' said the younger woman, handing some of the stew on a brown dish with an iron spoon to Maggie, who remembering that the old woman had seemed angry with her for not liking the bread and bacon, dared not refuse the stew, though fear had chased away her appetite.If her father would but come by in the gig and take her up! Or even if Jack the Giantkiller or Mr Greatheart or St George who slew the dragon on the half-pennies, would happen to pass that way! But Maggie thought with a sinking heart that these heroes were never seen in the neighbourhood of St Ogg's - nothing very wonderful ever came there.

Maggie Tulliver you perceive was by no means that well-trained, well-informed young person that a small female of eight or nine necessarily is in these days: she had only been to school a year at St Ogg's, and had so few books that she sometimes read the dictionary; so that in travelling over her small mind you would have found the most unexpected ignorance as well as unexpected knowledge.She could have informed you that there was such a word as `polygamy' and being also acquainted with `polysyllable,' she had deduced the conclusion that `poly' meant `many;' but she had had no idea that gypsies were not well supplied with groceries, and her thoughts generally were the oddest mixture of cleareyed acumen and blind dreams.

Her ideas about gypsies had undergone a rapid modification in the last five minutes.From having considered them very respectful companions, amenable to instruction, she had begun to think that they meant perhaps to kill her as soon as it was dark, and cut up her body for gradual cooking: the suspicion crossed her that the fierce-eyed old man was in fact the devil who might drop that transparent disguise at any moment, and turn either into the grinning blacksmith or else a fiery-eyed monster with dragon's wings.It was no use trying to eat the stew, and yet the thing she most dreaded was to offend the gypsies by betraying her extremely unfavourable opinion of them, and she wondered with a keenness of interest that no theologian could have exceeded, whether if the devil were really present he would know her thoughts.

`What, you don't like the smell of it, my dear,' said the young woman, observing that Maggie did not even take a spoonful of the stew.`Try a bit, come.'

`No, thank you,' said Maggie, summoning all her force for a desperate effort, and trying to smile in a friendly way.`I haven't time, I think - it seems getting darker.I think I must go home now, and come again another day, and then I can bring you a basket with some jam tarts and things.'

Maggie rose from her seat as she threw out this illusory prospect, devoutly hoping that Apollyon was gullible; but her hope sank when the old gypsy-woman said, `Stop a bit stop a bit, little lady - we'll take you home, all safe, when we've done supper: you shall ride home, like a lady.'

Maggie sat down again, with little faith in this promise, though she presently saw the tall girl putting a bridle on the donkey and throwing a couple of bags on his back.

`Now then, little missis,' said the Younger man, rising, and leading the donkey forward, `tell us where you live - what's the name o' the place?'

`Dorlcote Mill is my home,' said Maggie, eagerly.`My father is Mr Tulliver - he lives there.'

`What, a big mill a little way this side o' St Ogg's?'

`Yes,' said Maggie.`Is it far off? I think I should like to walk there, if you please.'

`No, no, it'll be getting dark, we must make haste.And the donkey'll carry you as nice as can be - you'll see.'

He lifted Maggie as he spoke and set her on the donkey.She felt relieved that it was not the old man who seemed to be going with her, but she had only a trembling hope that she was really going home.