"Do you really think so, Reuben? Of course, it's nothing to do with me, but aren't you afraid that people might think you really have got something to do with it if you go away?... I mean everyone who knows you realizes that you couldn't have anything to do with it..."

Reuben looked across at David and smiled slowly.

"What you say makes sense, but it is not so. Always it is the gipsies who are blamed for everything bad."

"I don't believe it," Tom said stoutly, "and we all hope you'll come back while we're at Clun. Don't we, Jenny?"

Jenny nodded and then turned to Miranda and said breathlessly:

"I s'pose you wouldn't tell my fortune, would you? I've never had it done, and I'd never really dare, but now you're here and if you wouldn't mind!..."

Miranda laughed, took Jenny's hand and pulled her down beside her. Then she turned the grubby little palm upwards, while Jenny stared at the gipsy with wide eyes.

"Is it awful?" she whispered. "Am I going to have an awful fate?"

Miranda closed her fingers over Jenny's and said, "Lots of good luck will come to you, my pretty dear, although you've not had much of it in the past. I think you've to learn never to be afraid, and I do not think you will find that difficult now. Good luck to you!"

David stood up and stretched.

"What's happening to the weather? Is it going to snow? I think we ought to be getting on, for we're to be at Craven Arms just after three."

"No snow yet," the gipsy said. "'Tis too cold for that. Too cold for you to sit about here, I reckon, so you'd all best be getting on your way."

Then Fenella came down the steps of the caravan with a bunch of white heather and Miranda gave them each a sprig.

But to David she gave two.

"One for you," she smiled, "and the other for Petronella, which you shall give to her for us. Tell her that we never forget her, and tell her never to forget to use the Romany whistle when she needs help."

Then Macbeth was lifted into his basket and with many good-byes the Lone Piners started off again. The wind was very strong and David noticed that the twins were not proceeding with quite the same enthusiasm as they had showed in the morning. They were not talking as much either, but Jenny was making up for their silence.

It was a good half-hour later that they reached the outskirts of Craven Arms and rode into the station yard, twenty minutes before the train from Shrewsbury was due.