The
gipsy went on to say, that her cupidity was so much excited by these
ornaments, that she fixed her eye immediately on the family, and
resolved, if possible, to get possession of the child. She first
inquired respecting the family, and learned, that the house was occupied
by a widow lady, who had with her an only daughter, a married woman;
that the child she had seen belonged to that daughter; and that the
husband was abroad, and was a Jew, supposed to be immensely rich.
"I knew it," said Dymock, turning round and snapping his fingers; "I
hammered it out, Master Shanty, sooner than you did; I knew the
physiognomy of a daughter of Zion at the very first glance; you, too,
must never talk again of your penetration, Aunt Margaret," and the good
man actually danced about the room; but Shanty on one side, and Aunt
Margaret on the other, seized him by an arm, and forced him again upon
his chair, entreating him to be still; whilst Salmon roused himself in
his seat, shook off, or tried to shake off his confusion, and fixed his
eyes stedfastly on the vagrant.
The woman then went on to describe the means by which she had got a sort
of footing in this house; how she first discovered the back-door, and
under what pretences she invited the servants to enter into a sort of
concert with her for their mutual emolument, they bartering hare-skins,
kitchen grease, cold meat, &c.
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