CHAPTER XXIV. "For the dance, no music can be better than that of a gipsy band; BONER'S Transylvania. THE INVALID- RESTIVE DONKEYS - SUPREMELY happy in our wandering existence, we contrasted, in our semi-consciousness of mind, our absence from a thousand anxious cares, which crowd upon the social position, of those who take active part, in an overwrought state of extreme civilization. How long we * What is meant by a czardas, or csárdás, as it is usually spelt in the Hungarian language? It is a celebrated Hungarian dance. The Magyar peasant seldom dances anything else. The csárdás is a national dance of Hungary, as much as the sailors' hornpipe is of England. We give the following description of the csárdás, from the interesting work of Arthur J. Patterson, "The Magyars; their Country and Institutions," vol. i., p. 194, published by Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. in 1859 :-"Its name is the adjective form from "csárdá," which designates a solitary public house; an institution which plays a considerable part in all romantic poems or romantic novels whose scene is laid in Hungary, as a fitting haunt for brigands, horse-thieves, gipsies, Jews, political refugees, strolling players, vagabond poets, and other melodramatic personages. The music of the csárdás is at first slow, solemn, and, I may say, melancholy. After a few bars, it becomes livelier, which character it then keeps up, occasionally T should have continued our half-dormant reflections, which might have added a few more notes upon the philosophy of life, we know not, but we were roused by the rumble of a stolkjærre along the road; it was quite time we moved on towards Veblungsnoes, and the gipsies began to get our things together. The stolkjærre stopped. A tall pale invalid man descended; he struggled through the bushes to where we were, though the exertion evidently cost him much, but he conquered; he came, and he saw the donkeys. A faint smile lighted up a countenance, expressive in its deep-lined features, of a once firm and determined will, but now marked with the last stage of consumption. Enveloped and wrapped up in dark clothes, wearing gloves, long boots nearly to his knees, although in the height of summer, he surveyed with a quiet smile our donkeys, ourselves, our gipsies, and our baggage. He had a female with him whose countenance was the exact expression of anxious care, and a young man who seemed astonished at the weight of the baggage. What was to be done to show our hospitality. Lucky thought; out came the quinine, a small tumbler filled with water, and the white powder was mixed in it; we intimated that it might be of benefit. Poor fellow! he becoming very fast indeed, and at last ends in a delirious whirl of confusion. The movements, of course, correspond. The dance opens with a stately promenade; then, as the music quickens, each couple take a twirl or two, and breaking away brusquely from one another, continue a series of pantomimic movements, now approaching coquettishly like parted lovers desiring reconciliation; then, as if the lady thought she had given sufficient encouragement, she retreats with rapid but measured steps, while her partner pursues, and, gradually gaining on her, again seizes her waist; they whirl swiftly round two or three times, and then, breaking away, continue the pantomime as before. What makes the csárdás unrivalled is its variety. One seldom sees the couples perform exactly the same figure at the same time." wanted a strength-giving potent draught; it could do him no harm, it might do him some good. Taking a sip ourselves, and handing it to him, he drank it every spot. How did he know that, like Rip Van Winkle, he might not have fallen in with another Hudson and his band, and would sleep for twenty years beneath the shadow of the Magician's peaks. The tall, careworn-looking man handed me back the glass, and seemed much pleased. We gave him the tin cannister which had contained our potted tongue, with all the wonderful hieroglyphics generally scrolled outside: it was a parting souvenir of the nomads. Just as he had turned to go, the tarno-rye made a dash through the bushes, with Zachariah and Esmeralda dragging, fighting and struggling with him; crash, crash went the bushes close by us; the invalid was nearly frightened out of his boots. What did he know about these animals, and what habits of ferocity they might possess? The contention was fierce between the tarno-rye and our gipsies, until he was brought to the baggage for loading. The invalid struggled, with unsteady gait, through the bushes, and, with the aid of his female attendant, ascended with difficulty into his stolkjærre, which was immediately driven away. He escaped the fate of Rip Van Winkle; may the draught he took under the Magician's peaks give him health for twenty years. Some young woodcutters, with axes in their hands, came up as we were starting; they accompanied us along the road. On our left across the Rauma, we noticed a large pleasant residence called "Fiva." The woodcutters said. it was the property and residence of Mr. Bromley Davenport and a Mr. Ingram. They must have a splendid view from the house toward the Romsdalshorn; we were informed that three farms had been purchased by the owner along the banks of the Rauma, which made the fishing very complete. The salmon in the Rauma do not ascend above Ormein. The situation of "Fiva" is admirable; the various bends and windings of the river round the estate are full of rapids and pools, that would have delighted the English father of all anglers, Isaac Walton. The valley now became more fertile. We passed through pleasant grassy meads. Our woodcutters went to some houses on the roadside. We met several stolkjærrers, whose horses were rather shy in passing our donkeys. The peasants manifested the same curiosity about them. Now the valley assumed a more smiling aspect, and we came in sight of Aak "Lehnsmond, Andreas Landmark's House. The Hotel Aak is seven miles from Horgheim, and three from Veblungsnoes. As we saw the comfortable wooden house standing on a rise of ground above the road, with a diversity of green slopes and shady woods about it, we knew it to be the spot mentioned by Lady Diana Beauclerk in such high terms of commendation. In contrast with the wild valleys we had left, it seemed a sort of oasis in the desert. When we passed Aak, some ladies who saw our party ran down from the house to see us; but a turn of the road soon hid us from them. Crossing two bridges, and passing a large comfortable house, we ascended the steep hill to a rise of ground above Veblungsnoes. Then passing through a gate upon the road, we saw a quiet lane through some waste ground covered with bushes, where we told Esmeralda and Zachariah to stay with the donkeys. Taking Noah, we went to reconnoitre for a camp ing ground. Very soon Very soon we came to the edge of the descent to Veblungsnoes. Pausing a moment to look at the wooden church and town below, we went to the left, across a large space of open ground used as a drill-ground for the Militia; and, after looking at a large wooden building erected for military stores, we went down a lane to a gate, through which we saw several men and women. raking up new-mown hay. This quiet spot formed a sort of knoll, above a small dingle, at the back of the bondegaard. A green slope, and wooded mountain, rose abruptly from the other side of the stream. This seemed a haven of rest, as Veblungsnoes was to be our farthest point of travel north, our Ultima Thule. At once we entered, and going up to the farmer's son, as we rightly took him to be, we proposed to come there and camp. Very much astonished he seemed. When he recovered his breath, he said something about his father, and went with us towards the bondegaard. The farmer's house was of the better class, and substantially built of wood. We entered a kind of family room, where the master and his wife were seated at table, taking milk, and raw dried salmon cut in slices on their fladbröd. The bonde was dressed in dark clothes, being upwards of sixty; of respectable appearance, weather-worn countenance, with sharp angular features, at once expressive of shrewdness and cupidity. In social relations of life, he was a very respectable man. Of generosity he had none in his composition-one who would drive a hard bargain to the uttermost farthing. The farmer came with us to the gate in a sort of bewildered state. It was a fine scene as he came along |