第85章

’DidyouneverhearofthegreatWelshpreacher，PeterWilliams？’

’Never，’saidI。

’Well，’saidthegirl，’thisishe，andWinifredishiswife，andanicepersonsheis。Somepeoplesay，indeed，thatsheisasgoodapreacherasherhusband，thoughofthatmatterIcansaynothing，havingneverheardherpreach。SothesetwowanderoverallWalesandthegreaterpartofEngland，comfortingtheheartsofthepeoplewiththeirdoctrine，anddoingallthegoodtheycan。Theyfrequentlycomehere，forthemistressisaWelshwoman，andanoldfriendofboth，andthentheytakeuptheirabodeinthecartbeneaththeoldoaksdowntherebythestream。’

’Andwhatistheirreasonfordoingso？’saidI；’woulditnotbemorecomfortabletosleepbeneatharoof？’

’Iknownottheirreasons，’saidthegirl，’butsoitis；theyneversleepbeneatharoofunlesstheweatherisverysevere。I

onceheardthemistresssaythatPeterhadsomethingheavyuponhismind；perhapsthatisthecause。Ifheisunhappy，allIcansayis，thatIwishhimotherwise，forheisagoodmanandakind-’

’Thankyou，’saidI，’Iwillnowdepart。’

’Hem!’saidthegirl，’Iwaswishing-’

’What？toaskmeaquestion？’

’Notexactly；butyouseemtoknoweverything；youmentioned，I

think，fortune-telling。’

’Doyouwishmetotellyourfortune？’

’Bynomeans；butIhaveafriendatadistanceatsea，andI

shouldwishtoknow-’

’Whenhewillcomeback？IhavetoldyoualreadytherearetwoorthreethingswhichIdonotknow-thisisanotherofthem。

However，Ishouldnotbesurprisedifheweretocomebacksomeofthesedays；IwouldifIwereinhisplace。Inthemeantimebepatient，attendtothedairy，andreadtheDAIRYMAN’SDAUGHTERwhenyouhavenothingbettertodo。’

Itwaslateintheeveningwhenthepartyofthemorningreturned。

Thefarmerandhisfamilyrepairedatoncetotheirabode，andmytwofriendsjoinedmebeneaththetree。Petersatdownatthefootoftheoak，andsaidnothing。Supperwasbroughtbyaservant，notthedamseloftheporch。Wesatroundthetray，Petersaidgrace，butscarcelyanythingelse；heappearedsadanddejected，hiswifelookedanxiouslyuponhim。Iwasassilentasmyfriends；afteralittletimeweretiredtoourseparateplacesofrest。

AboutmidnightIwasawakenedbyanoise；Istartedupandlistened；itappearedtomethatIheardvoicesandgroans。InamomentIhadissuedfrommytent-allwassilent-butthenextmomentIagainheardgroansandvoices；theyproceededfromthetiltedcartwherePeterandhiswifelay；Idrewnear，againtherewasapause，andthenIheardthevoiceofPeter，inanaccentofextremeanguish，exclaim，’PechodYspryddGlan-OpechodYspryddGlan!’andthenheutteredadeepgroan。Anon，IheardthevoiceofWinifred，andnevershallIforgetthesweetnessandgentlenessofthetonesofhervoiceinthestillnessofthatnight。Ididnotunderstandallshesaid-shespokeinhernativelanguage，andIwassomewayapart；sheappearedtoendeavourtoconsoleherhusband，butheseemedtorefuseallcomfort，and，withmanygroans，repeated-’PechodYspryddGlan-OpechodYspryddGlan!’

IfeltIhadnorighttopryintotheirafflictions，andretired。

Now’pechodYspryddGlan，’interpreted，isthesinagainsttheHolyGhost。

CHAPTERLXXIV

Thefollowingday-Pride-Thrivingtrade-TylwythTeg-EllisWyn-Sleepinghard-Incalculablegood-Fearfulagony-Thetale。

PETERandhiswifedidnotproceedonanyexpedit