下载辰思小说免费APP
Godblesshim！IthinkIseehimnowwithhisbald，shiningpate，andhisfingeronanopenpageof’Preston’sConveyancing。’"
"Sureyouarenotalimbofthelaw？"saidMrR—。
"No，"saidI，"butImightbe，forIservedanapprenticeshiptoit。"
"Iamgladtohearit，"saidMrR—，shakingmebythehand。"Takemyadvice，comeandsettleatLlangollenandbemypartner。"
"IfIdid，"saidI，"Iamafraidthatourpartnershipwouldbeofshortduration；youwouldfindmetooeccentricandflightyforthelaw。Haveyouagoodpractice？"Idemandedafterapause。
"Ihavenoreasontocomplainofit，"saidhe，withacontentedair。
"Isupposeyouaremarried？"saidI。
"Ohyes，"saidhe，"Ihavebothawifeandfamily。"
"AnativeofLlangollen？"saidI。
"No，"saidhe："IwasbornatLlanSilin，aplacesomewayoffacrosstheBerwyn。"
"LlanSilin？"saidI，"Ihaveagreatdesiretovisititsomedayorother。"
"Whyso？"saidhe，"itoffersnothinginteresting。"
"Ibegyourpardon，"saidI；"unlessIammuchmistaken，thetombofthegreatpoetHuwMorrisisinLlanSilinchurchyard。"
"IsitpossiblethatyouhaveeverheardofHuwMorris？"
"Ohyes，"saidI；"andIhavenotonlyheardofhimbutamacquaintedwithhiswritings；Ireadthemwhenaboy。"
"Howveryextraordinary，"saidhe；"well，youarequiterightabouthistomb；whenaboyIhaveplayeddozensoftimesontheflatstonewithmyschoolfellows。"
WetalkedofWelshpoetry；hesaidhehadnotdippedmuchintoit，owingtoitsdifficulty；thathewasmasterofthecolloquiallanguageofWales，butunderstoodverylittleofthelanguageofWelshpoetry，whichwasawidelydifferentthing。IaskedhimwhetherhehadseenOwenPugh’stranslationofParadiseLost。Hesaidhehad，butcouldonlypartiallyunderstandit，adding，however，thatthosepartswhichhecouldmakeoutappearedtohimtobeadmirablyexecuted，thatamongstthesetherewasonewhichhadparticularlystruckhimnamely：
"AreucolorygnucrochDaranau。"
TherenderingofMilton’s"AndontheirhingesgrateHarshthunder。"
which，grandasitwas，wascertainlyequalledbytheWelshversion，andperhapssurpassed，forthathewasdisposedtothinkthattherewassomethingmoreterriblein"crochdaranau，"thanin"harshthunder。"
"Iamdisposedtothinksotoo，"saidI。"NowcanyoutellmewhereOwenPughisburied？"
"Icannot，"saidhe；"butIsupposeyoucantellme；you，whoknowtheburying—placeofHuwMorrisareprobablyacquaintedwiththeburying—placeofOwenPugh。"
"No，"saidI，"Iamnot。UnlikeHuwMorris，OwenPughhasneverhadhishistorywritten，thoughperhapsquiteasinterestingahistorymightbemadeoutofthelifeofthequietstudentasoutofthatofthepopularpoet。AssoonaseverIlearnwherehisgraveisIshallassuredlymakeapilgrimagetoit。"MrR—thenaskedmeagoodmanyquestionsaboutSpain，andacertainsingularraceofpeopleaboutwhomIhavewrittenagooddeal。Beforegoingawayhetoldmethatafriendofhis，ofthenameofJ—，wouldcalluponme，providedhethoughtIshouldnotconsiderhisdoingsoanintrusion。"Lethimcomebyallmeans，"saidI；"Ishallneverlookuponavisitfromafriendofyoursinthelightofanintrusion。"
Inafewdayscamehisfriend，afinetallathleticmanofaboutforty。"YouarenoWelshman，"saidI，asIlookedathim。
"No，"saidhe，"IamanativeofLincolnshire，butIhaveresidedinLlangollenforthirteenyears。"
"Inwhatcapacity？"saidI。
"Inthewine—trade，"saidhe。
"InsteadofcomingtoLlangollen，"saidI，"andenteringintothewine—trade，youshouldhavegonetoLondon，andenlistedintotheLifeGuards。"
"Well，"saidhe，withasmile，"Ihadonceortwicethoughtofdoingso。However，fatebroughtmetoLlangollen，andIamnotsorrythatshedid，forIhavedoneverywellhere。"
Isoonfoundoutthathewasawell—readandindeedhighlyaccomplishedman。LikehisfriendR—，MrJ—askedmeagreatmanyquestionsaboutSpain。BydegreeswegotonthesubjectofSpanishliterature。IsaidthattheliteratureofSpainwasafirst—rateliterature，butthatitwasnotveryextensive。HeaskedmewhetherIdidnotthinkthatLopedeVegawasmuchoverrated。
"Notabit，"saidI；"LopedeVegawasoneofthegreatestgeniusesthateverlived。Hewasnotonlyagreatdramatistandlyricpoet，butaprosewriterofmarvellousability，asheprovedbyseveraladmirabletales，amongstwhichisthebestghoststoryintheworld。"
AnotherremarkablepersonwhomIgotacquaintedwithaboutthistimewasA—，theinnkeeper，wholivedalittlewaydowntheroad，ofwhomJohnJoneshadspokensohighly，saying，amongstotherthings，thathewastheclebberestmaninLlangollen。OnedayasI
waslookinginathisgate，hecameforth，tookoffhishat，andaskedmetodohimthehonourtocomeinandlookathisgrounds。
Icomplied，andasheshowedmeabouthetoldmehishistoryinnearlythefollowingwords：—
"IamaDevonianbybirth。FormanyyearsIservedatravellinggentleman，whomIaccompaniedinallhiswanderings。IhavebeenfivetimesacrosstheAlps，andineverycapitalofEurope。Mymasteratlengthdyingleftmeinhiswillsomethinghandsome，whereuponIdeterminedtobeaservantnolonger，butmarried，andcametoLlangollen，whichIhadvisitedlongbeforewithmymaster，andhadbeenmuchpleasedwith。Afteralittletimethesepremisesbecomingvacant，Itookthem，andsetupinthepublicline，moretohavesomethingtodo，thanforthesakeofgain，aboutwhich，indeed，Ineednottroublemyselfmuch，mypoor，dearmaster，asI
saidbefore，havingdoneveryhandsomelybymeathisdeath。HereIhavelivedforseveralyears，receivingstrangers，andimprovingmyhouseandgrounds。Iamtolerablycomfortable，butconfessI
sometimeslookbacktomyformerrovingliferatherwistfully，forthereisnolifesomerryasthetraveller’s。"
Hewasaboutthemiddleageandsomewhatunderthemiddlesize。I
hadagooddealofconversationwithhim，andwasmuchstruckwithhisfrank，straightforwardmanner。HeenjoyedahighcharacteratLlangollenforprobityandlikewiseforcleverness，beingreckonedanexcellentgardener，andanalmostunequalledcook。Hismaster，thetravellinggentleman，mightwellleavehimahandsomeremembranceinhiswill，forhehadnotonlybeenanexcellentandtrustyservanttohim，buthadoncesavedhislifeatthehazardofhisown，amongstthefrightfulprecipicesoftheAlps。Suchretiredgentlemen’sservants，orsuchpublicanseither，ashonestA—，arenoteverydaytobefound。Hisgrounds，principallylaidoutbyhisownhands，exhibitedaninfinityoftaste，andhishouse，intowhichIlooked，wasaperfectpictureofneatness。AnytouristvisitingLlangollenforashortperiodcoulddonobetterthantakeuphisabodeatthehostelryofhonestA—。
CHAPTERLVI
RingingofBells—BattleofAlma—TheBrownJug—AleofLlangollen—Reverses。
ONthethirdofOctober—Ithinkthatwasthedate—asmyfamilyandmyself，attendedbytrustyJohnJones，werereturningonfootfromvisitingaparknotfarfromRhiwabonweheard，whenaboutamilefromLlangollen，asuddenringingofthebellsoftheplace，andaloudshouting。Presentlyweobservedapostmanhurryinginacartfromthedirectionofthetown。"Pethywymatter？"saidJohnJones。"Ymatter，ymatter！"saidthepostmaninatoneofexultation，"Sebastopolwedicymmeryd。Hurrah！"
"Whatdoeshesay？"saidmywifeanxiouslytome。
"Why，thatSebastopolistaken，"saidI。
"Thenyouhavebeenmistaken，"saidmywifesmiling，"foryoualwayssaidthattheplacewouldeithernotbetakenatallorwouldcostthealliestotakeitadealoftimeandanimmensequantityofbloodandtreasure，andhereitistakenatonce，forthealliesonlylandedtheotherday。Well，thankGod，youhavebeenmistaken！"
"ThankGod，indeed，"saidI，"alwayssupposingthatIhavebeenmistaken—butIhardlythinkfromwhatIhaveknownoftheRussiansthattheywouldlettheirtown—however，letushopethattheyhaveletitbetaken。Hurrah！"
Wereachedourdwelling。Mywifeanddaughterwentin。JohnJonesbetookhimselftohiscottage，andIwentintothetown，inwhi
