noon
But , master , if you 're ever to get safe away you must do as I tell you , you must . '' This was all the comfort poor Duke could get . In the meantime there was nothing to do but try to go to sleep and forget his troubles . There was not very much time to do so in , for long before it was really dawn the gipsies were up and astir , and by noon the little brother and sister were farther from `` home '' than they had ever been since the day when their poor young mother arrived at Arbitt Lodge with her two starved-looking fledglings , now nearly six years ago . For some miles from where they had spent the night Mick and his party joined a travelling caravan of their friends , all bound for the great fair of which Tim had spoken to Duke . And now it would have been difficult for even Grandpapa or Grandmamma to recognise their dear children . Their own clothes were taken from them , their white skin , like that of the princesses in the old fairy tales , was washed with something which , if not walnut juice , had the same effect , and they were dressed in coarse rough garments belonging to some of the gipsy children of the caravan .