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"Idon’tunderstandWelsh，"saidI；"Idon’tunderstandWelsh。
That’swhatIcallagoodone。"
"MedrwchsiaradCumraeg？"saidtheshortfigurespittingonthecarpet。
"Medraf，"saidI。
"Youcan，Mr！Well，ifthatdon’twhiptheUnion。ButIsee：youwerebornintheStatesofWelshparents。"
"NoharminbeingbornintheStatesofWelshparents，"saidI。
"Noneatall，Mr；Iwasmyself，andthefirstlanguageIlearnttospeakwasWelsh。DidyourpeoplecomefromBala，Mr？"
"Whyno！Didyourn？"
"Whyyaas—atleastfromtheneighbourhood。WhatStatedoyoucomefrom？Virginny？"
"Whyno！"
"PerhapsPensilvanycountry？"
"PensilvanyisafineState，"saidI。
"Soitis，Mr。Oh，thatisyourState，isit？IcomefromVarmont。"
"Youdo，doyou？Well，Varmontisnotabadstate，butnotequaltoPensilvany，andI’lltellyoutworeasonswhy；firstithasnotbeensolongsettled，andsecondthereisnotsomuchWelshbloodinitasthereisinPensilvany。"
"IstheremuchWelshbloodinPensilvanythen？"
"Plenty，Mr，plenty。WelshflockedovertoPensilvanyevenasfarbackasthetimeofWilliamPen，whoasyouknow，Mr，wasthefirstfounderofthePensilvanyState。AndthatputsmeinmindthatthereisacuriousaccountextantoftheadventuresofoneoftheoldWelshsettlersinPensilvania。ItistobefoundinaletterinanoldWelshbook。Theletterisdated1705，andisfromoneHuwJones，bornofWelshparentsinPensilvanycountry，toacousinofhisofthesamenameresidingintheneighbourhoodofthisverytownofBalainMerionethshire，whereyouandI，Mr，noware。Itisinanswertocertaininquiriesmadebythecousin，andiswritteninpureoldWelshlanguage。Itgivesanaccountofhowthewriter’sfatherleftthisneighbourhoodtogotoPensilvania；howheembarkedonboardtheshipWILLIAMPEN；howhewasthirtyweeksonthevoyagefromtheThamestotheDelaware。Onlythink，Mr，ofashipnow—a—daysbeingthirtyweeksonthepassagefromtheThamestotheDelawareriver；howhelearnttheEnglishlanguageonthevoyage；howheandhiscompanionsnearlyperishedwithhungerinthewildwoodaftertheylanded；howPensilvaniacitywasbuilt；
howhebecameafarmerandmarriedaWelshwoman，thewidowofaWelshmanfromshireDenbigh，bywhomhehadthewriterandseveralotherchildren；howthefatherusedtotalktohischildrenabouthisnativeregionandtheplacesroundaboutBala，andfilltheirbreastswithlongingforthelandoftheirfathers；andfinallyhowtheoldmandiedleavinghischildrenandtheirmotherinprosperouscircumstances。Itisawonderfulletter，Mr，allwritteninthepureoldWelshlanguage。"
"Isay，Mr，youareacuteoneandknowathingortwo。IsupposeWelshwasthefirstlanguageyoulearnt，likemyself？"
"No，itwasn’t—Iliketospeakthetruth—nevertooktoeitherspeakingorreadingtheWelshlanguagetillIwaspastsixteen。"
"’Stonishing！butseetheforceofbloodatlast。Inanylineofbusiness？"
"No，Mr，can’tsayIam。"
"Havemoneyinyourpocket，andtravelforpleasure。Cometoseefather’sland。"
"CometoseeoldWales。Andwhatbringsyouhere，Hiraeth？"
"That’slonging。No，notexactly。CameovertoEnglandtoseewhatIcoulddo。GotinwithhouseatLiverpoolinthedraperybusiness。Travelforithereabouts，havingconnectionsandspeakingthelanguage。Dobranchbusinesshereforabanking—housebesides。Managetogetonsmartly。"
"Youlookasmart’un。Butdon’tyoufinditsometimeshardtocompetewithEnglishtravellersinthedraperyline？"
"Iguessnot。Englishtravellers！setofnat’rals。Don’tknowthelanguageandnothingelse。Couldwhipadozenanyday。Regularlyflummoxthem。"
"Youdo，Mr？Ah，Iseeyou’reacute’un。Gladtohavemetyou。"
"Isay，Mr，youhavenottoldmefromwhatcountyyourforefatherswere。"
"FromNorfolkandCornwallcounties。"
"Didn’tknowthereweresuchcountiesinWales。"
"ButthereareinEngland。"
"Why，youtoldmeyouwereofWelshparents。"
"No，Ididn’t。Youtoldyourselfso。"
"ButhowdidyoucometoknowWelsh？"
"Why，that’smybitofasecret。"
"ButyouareoftheUnitedStates？"
"Neverknewthatbefore。"
"Mr，youflummoxme。"
"JustasyoudotheEnglishdraperytravellers。Ah，you’reacute’un—butdoyouthinkitaltogetheracutetricktostowallthosesovereignsinthatdrawer？"
"Whoshouldtakethemout，Mr？"
"Whoshouldtakethemout？Why，anyoftheswellmobthatshouldchancetobeinthehousemightunlockthedrawerwiththeirflashkeysassoonasyourbackisturned，andtakeoutallthecoin。"
"Buttherearenoneoftheswellmobhere。"
"Howdoyouknow，that？"saidI，"theswellmobtravelwideabout—
howdoyouknowthatIamnotoneofthem？"
"Theswellmobdon’tspeakWelsh，Iguess。"
"Don’tbetoosureofthat，"saidI—"theswellcovessparenoexpensefortheireducation—sothattheymaybeabletoplaypartsaccordingtocircumstances。Istronglyadviseyou，Mr，toputthatbagsomewhereelselestsomethingshouldhappentoit。"
"Well，Mr，I’lltakeyouradvice。Thesearemyquarters，andIwasmerelygoingtokeepthemoneyhereforconvenience’sake。Themoneybelongstothebank，soitisbutrighttostowitawayinthebanksafe。Icertainlyshouldbelothtoleaveitherewithyouintheroom，afterwhatyouhavesaid。"Hethengotup，unlockedthedrawer，tookoutthebag，andwitha"Goodnight，Mr，"
lefttheroom。
I"trifled"overmybrandyandwatertillIfinishedit，andthenwalkedforthtolookatthetown。Iturnedupastreet，whichledtotheeast，andsoonfoundmyselfbesidethelakeatthenorth—
westextremityofwhichBalastands。Itappearedaverynoblesheetofwaterstretchingfromnorthtosouthforseveralmiles。
As，however，nightwasfastcomingonIdidnotseeittoitsfulladvantage。AftergazinguponitforafewminutesIsaunteredbacktothesquare，ormarketplace，andleaningmybackagainstawall，listenedtotheconversationoftwoorthreegroupsofpeoplewhowerestandingnear，mymotivefordoingsobeingadesiretoknowwhatkindofWelshtheyspoke。TheirlanguageasfarasIhearditdifferedinscarcelyanyrespectfromthatofLlangollen。I，however，heardverylittleofit，forIhadscarcelykeptmystationaminutewhenthegoodfolksbecameuneasy，castside—
glancesatme，firstdroppedtheirconversationtowhispers，nextheldtheirtonguesaltogether，andfinallymovedoff，somegoingtotheirhomes，othersmovingtoadistanceandthengroupingtogether—evencertainraggedboyswhowereplayingandchatteringnearmebecameuneasy，firststoodstill，thenstaredatme，andthentookthemselvesoffandplayedandchatteredatadistance。Nowwhatwasthecauseofallthis？Why，suspicionoftheSaxon。TheWelshareafraidlestanEnglishmanshouldunderstandtheirlanguage，and，byhearingtheirconversation，becomeacquaintedwiththeirprivateaffairs，orbylisteningtoit，pickuptheirlanguagewhichtheyhavenomindthatheshouldknow—andtheirverychildrensympathisewiththem。Allconqueredpeoplearesuspiciousoftheirconquerors，TheEnglishhaveforgotthattheyeverconqueredtheWelsh，butsomeageswillelapsebeforetheWelshforgetthattheEnglishhaveconqueredthem。
CHAPTERL
TheBreakfast—TheTomenBala—ElPuntodelaVana。
ISLEPTsoundlythatnight，aswellImight，mybedbeinggoodandmybodyweary。Iaroseaboutnine，dressedandwentdowntotheparlourwhichwasvacant。Irangthebell，andonTomJenkinsmakinghisappearanceIorderedbreakfast，andthenaskedfortheWelshAmerican，andlearnedthathehadbreakfastedveryearlyandhadsetoutinagigonajourneytosomedistance。InabouttwentyminutesafterIhadordereditmybreakfastmadeitsappearance。Anoblebreakfastitwas；suchindeedasImighthavereadof，buthadneverbeforeseen。Therewasteaandcoffee，agoodlywhiteloafandbutter；therewereacoupleofeggsandtwomuttonchops。Therewasbroiledandpickledsalmon—therewasfriedtrout—therewerealsopottedtroutandpottedshrimps。
Mercyuponme！Ihadneverpreviouslyseensuchabreakfastsetbeforeme，norindeedhaveIsubsequently。Yes，Ihavesubsequently，andatthatveryhousewhenIvisiteditsomemonthsafter。
AfterbreakfastIcalledforthebill。Iforgettheexactamountofthebill，butrememberthatitwasverymoderate。IpaiditandgavethenobleThomasashilling，whichhereceivedwithabowandtrulyFrenchsmile，thatisagrimace。WhenIdepartedthelandlordandlandlady，highlyrespectable—lookingelderlypeople，werestandingatthedoor，oneoneachside，anddismissedmewithsuitablehonour，hewithalowbow，shewithaprofoundcurtsey。
Havingseenlittleofthetownontheprecedingevening，I
determinedbeforesettingoutforLlangollentobecomebetteracquaintedwithit，andaccordinglytookanotherstrollaboutit。
Balaisatowncontainingthreeorfourthousandinhabitants，situatednearthenorthernendofanoblongvalley，atl
