pal ever rides at a leaping bar? No more than at a windle-straw. Leap
over that meadow wall, Tawno.' Just past the house, in the direction in
which I had been trotting, was a wall about four feet high, beyond which
was a small meadow. Tawno rode the horse gently up to the wall,
permitted him to look over, then backed him for about ten yards, and
pressing his calves against the horse's sides, he loosed the rein, and
the horse launching forward, took the leap in gallant style. 'Well done,
man and horse!' said Mr. Petulengro; 'now come back, Tawno.' The leap
from the side of the meadow was, however, somewhat higher; and the horse,
when pushed at it, at first turned away; whereupon Tawno backed him to a
greater distance, pushed the horse to a full gallop, giving a wild cry;
whereupon the horse again took the wall, slightly grazing one of his legs
against it. 'A near thing,' said the landlord, 'but a good leap. Now,
no more leaping, so long as I have control over the animal.'"

A very different beautiful scene is where Mrs. Petulengro braids Isopel's
fair hair in Gypsy fashion, half against her will, and Lavengro looks on,
showing Isopel at a glance his disapproval of the fashion, while
Petulengro admires it. If it is not too much to quote, I will do so,
because it is the clearest and most detailed picture of more than one
figure in the whole of the autobiography. Mr. and Mrs. Petulengro have
come to visit Isopel, and Lavengro has fetched her to his tent, where
they are awaiting her:

"So Belle and I advanced towards our guests. As we drew nigh Mr.
Petulengro took off his hat and made a profound obeisance to Belle,
whilst Mrs. Petulengro rose from her stool and made a profound curtsey.
Belle, who had flung her hair back over her shoulders, returned their
salutations by bending her head, and after slightly glancing at Mr.
Petulengro, fixed her large blue eyes full upon his wife. Both these