The Gitana now pushes
the money to him, uplifts her voice, and talks of the justicia.
Should the merchant become frightened, and, emptying a bag of
dollars, tell her to pay herself, as has sometimes been the case,
she will have a fine opportunity to exercise her powers, and whilst
taking the change will contrive to convey secretly into her sleeves
five or six dollars at least; after which she will depart with much
vociferation, declaring that she will never again enter the shop of
so cheating a picaro.
Of all the Gitanas at Madrid, Aurora the fat was, by their own
confession, the most dexterous at this species of robbery; she
having been known in many instances, whilst receiving change for an
ounce, to steal the whole value, which amounts to sixteen dollars.
It was not without reason that merchants in ancient times were,
according to Martin Del Rio, advised to sell nothing out of their
shops to Gitanas, as they possessed an infallible secret for
attracting to their own purses from the coffers of the former the
money with which they paid for the articles they purchased. This
secret consisted in stealing a pastesas, which they still practise.
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