The Widow Buckland was a wild strange woman who lived on a heath a few miles away from Bagwood; so he went over one very hot day to the Widow and found her cottage in the corner of the heath. There was a caravan beside the cottage—it was a red caravan with yellow wheels. A blackbird hung in a wicker cage at the door, and on the side of the roof board was painted
FEATS & GALIAS ATENDED
AGLAURA BUCKLAND
There was nobody in the caravan so he knocked at the cottage door; the Widow Buckland led him into her dim little parlour.
“It ’ull cost you half a James!” says she when Mr. Piffingcap had given her his requirements.
“Half a what?” cried he.
“You are not,” said the gipsy, “a man of a mean heart, are you?” She said it very persuasively, and he felt he could not annoy her for she was a very large woman with sharp glances.
“No,” said Piffingcap.
“And you’ll believe what I’m telling you, won’t you?”
“Yes,” said Piffingcap.
“It ’ull maybe some time before my words come true, but come true they will, I can take my oath.”