I finally became so bold that I ventured to speak against their
inveterate practices, thieving and lying, telling fortunes, and
stealing a pastesas; this was touching upon delicate ground, and I
experienced much opposition and much feminine clamour. I
persevered, however, and they finally assented to all I said, not
that I believe that my words made much impression upon their
hearts. In a few months matters were so far advanced that they
would sing a hymn; I wrote one expressly for them in Rommany, in
which their own wild couplets were, to a certain extent, imitated.
The people of the street in which I lived, seeing such numbers of
these strange females continually passing in and out, were struck
with astonishment, and demanded the reason. The answers which they
obtained by no means satisfied them. 'Zeal for the conversion of
souls, - the souls too of Gitanas, - disparate! the fellow is a
scoundrel. Besides he is an Englishman, and is not baptized; what
cares he for souls? They visit him for other purposes. He makes
base ounces, which they carry away and circulate. Madrid is
already stocked with false money.' Others were of opinion that we
met for the purposes of sorcery and abomination.
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