下载辰思小说免费APP
dustysurlycountenance。IaskedhiminWelshifIwasintherightdirectionforWrexham，heansweredinasurlymannerinEnglish，thatIwas。IagainspoketohiminWelsh，makingsomeindifferentobservationontheweather，andheansweredinEnglishyetmoregrufflythanbefore。ForthethirdtimeIspoketohiminWelsh，whereuponlookingatmewithagrinofsavagecontempt，andshowingasetofteethlikethoseofamastiff，hesaid，"How’sthis？whyyouhaven’tawordofEnglish？Aprettyfellowyou，withalongcoatonyourbackandnoEnglishonyourtongue，an’tyouashamedofyourself？Why，hereamIinashortcoat，yetI’dhaveyoutoknowthatIcanspeakEnglishaswellasWelsh，ayeandagooddealbetter。""Allpeoplearenotequallyclebber，"saidI，stillspeakingWelsh。"Clebber，"saidhe，"clebber！whatisclebber？whycan’tyousayclever！Why，Ineversawsuchalow，illiteratefellowinmylife；"andwiththesewordsheturnedawaywitheverymarkofdisdain，andenteredacottagenearathand。
"HereIhavehad，"saidItomyself，asIproceededonmyway，"topayfortheover—praisewhichIlatelyreceived。Thefarmerontheothersideofthemountaincalledmeapersonofgreatintelligence，whichIneverpretendedtobe，andnowthiscolliercallsmealow，illiteratefellow，whichIreallydon’tthinkIam。
ThereiscertainlyaNemesismixedupwiththeaffairsofthisworld；everygoodthingwhichyouget，beyondwhatisstrictlyyourdue，issuretoberequiredfromyouwithavengeance。Alittleover—praisebyagreatdealofunderrating—agleamofgoodfortunebyanightofmisery。"
InowsawWrexhamChurchataboutthedistanceofthreemiles，andpresentlyenteredalanewhichledgentlydownfromthehills，whichwerethesameheightsIhadseenonmyrighthand，somemonthspreviously，onmywayfromWrexhamtoRhiwabon。Thescenerynowbecameverypretty—hedge—rowswereoneitherside，aluxurianceoftreesandplentyofgreenfields。Ireachedthebottomofthelane，beyondwhichIsawastrange—lookinghouseuponaslopeontherighthand。Itwasverylarge，ruinous，andseeminglydeserted。Alittlebeyonditwasafarm—house，connectedwithwhichwasalongrowoffarmingbuildingsalongtheroad—side。
Seeingawomanseatedknittingatthedoorofalittlecottage，I
askedherinEnglishthenameoftheold，ruinoushouse？
"CadoganHall，sir，"shereplied。
"Andwhomdoesitbelongto？"saidI。
"Idon’tknowexactly，"repliedthewoman，"butMrMorrisatthefarmholdsit，andstowshisthingsinit。"
"Canyoutellmeanythingaboutit？"saidI。
"Nothingfarther，"saidthewoman，"thanthatitissaidtobehaunted，andtohavebeenabarrackmanyyearsago。"
"CanyouspeakWelsh？"saidI。
"No，"saidthewoman，"IareWelshbuthavenoWelshlanguage。"
LeavingthewomanIputonmybestspeedandinabouthalfanhourreachedWrexham。
ThefirstthingIdidonmyarrivalwastogotothebookshopandpurchasetheWelshMethodisticbook。Itcostmesevenshillings，andwasathick，bulkyoctavowithacut—and—come—againexpressionaboutit，whichwasanythingbutdisagreeabletome，forIhateyourflimsypublications。Theeveningwasnowbeginningtosetin，andfeelingsomewhathungryIhurriedofftotheWynstayArmsthroughstreetscrowdedwithmarketpeople。OnarrivingattheinnIenteredthegrandroomandordereddinner。Thewaiters，observingmesplashedwithmudfromheadtofoot，lookedatmedubiously；seeing，however，therespectable—lookingvolumewhichI
boreinmyhand—noneofyourrailroadstuff—theybecamemoreassured，andIpresentlyheardonesaytotheother，"It’sallright—that’sMrSo—and—So，thegreatBaptistpreacher。Hehasbeenpreachingamongstthehills—don’tyouseehisBible？"
SeatingmyselfatatableIinspectedthevolume。AndhereperhapsthereaderexpectsthatIshallregalehimwithananalysisoftheMethodisticalvolumeatleastaslongasthatofthelifeofTomO’
theDingle。Inthatcase，however，hewillbedisappointed；allthatIshallatpresentsayofitis，thatitcontainedahistoryofMethodisminWales，withthelivesoftheprincipalWelshMethodists。Thatitwasfraughtwithcuriousandoriginalmatter，waswritteninastraightforward，Methodicalstyle，andthatIhavenodoubtitwillsomedayorotherbeextensivelyknownandhighlyprized。
AfterdinnerIcalledforhalfapintofwine。WhilstIwastriflingoverit，acommercialtravellerenteredintoconversationwithme。AftersometimeheaskedmeifIwasgoingfurtherthatnight。
"ToLlangollen，"saidI。
"Bytheteno’clocktrain？"saidhe。
"No，"Ireplied，"I’mgoingonfoot。"
"Onfoot！"saidhe；"Iwouldnotgoonfoottherethisnightforfiftypounds。"
"Whynot？"saidI。
"Forfearofbeingknockeddownbythecolliers，whowillbealloutanddrunk。"
"Ifnotmorethantwoattackme，"saidI，"Ishan’tmuchmind。
WiththisbookIamsureIcanknockdownone，andIthinkIcanfindplayfortheotherwithmyfists。"
Thecommercialtravellerlookedatme。"AstrangekindofBaptistminister，"IthoughtIheardhimsay。
CHAPTERLXII
RhiwabonRoad—ThePublic—houseKeeper—NoWelsh—TheWrongRoad—TheGoodWife。
IPAIDmyreckoningandstarted。Thenightwasnowrapidlyclosingin。Ipassedthetoll—gateandhurriedalongtheRhiwabonroad，overtakingcompaniesofWelshgoinghome，amongstwhomweremanyindividuals，whom，fromtheirthickandconfusedspeech，aswellasfromtheirstaggeringgait，Ijudgedtobeintoxicated。AsI
passedaredpublic—houseonmyrighthand，atthedoorofwhichstoodseveralcarts，ascreamofWelshissuedfromit。
"LetanySaxon，"saidI，"whoisfondoffightingandwishesforabloodynosegointhere。"
ComingtothesmallvillageaboutamilefromRhiwabon，Ifeltthirsty，andseeingapublic—house，inwhichallseemedtobequiet，Iwentin。Athick—setmanwithapipeinhismouthsatinthetap—room，andalsoawoman。
"Whereisthelandlord？"saidI。
"Iamthelandlord，"saidtheman，huskily。"Whatdoyouwant？"
"Apintofale，"saidI。
Themangotupandwithhispipeinhismouthwentstaggeringoutoftheroom。Inaboutaminutehereturnedholdingamuginhishand，whichheputdownonatablebeforeme，spillingnoslightquantityoftheliquorashedidso。Iputdownthree—penceonthetable。Hetookthemoneyupslowlypiecebypiece，lookedatitandappearedtoconsider，thentakingthepipeoutofhismouthhedashedittosevenpiecesagainstthetable，thenstaggeredoutoftheroomintothepassage，andfromthenceapparentlyoutofthehouse。Itastedthealewhichwasverygood，thenturningtothewomanwhoseemedaboutthree—and—twentyandwasrathergood—
looking，IspoketoherinWelsh。
"IhavenoWelsh，sir，"saidshe。
"Howisthat？"saidI；"thisvillageisIthinkintheWelshery。"
"Itis，"saidshe，"butIamfromShropshire。"
"Areyouthemistressofthehouse？"saidI。
"No，"saidshe，"Iammarriedtoacollier；"thengettingupshesaid，"Imustgoandseeaftermyhusband。"
"Won’tyoutakeaglassofalefirst？"saidI，offeringtofillaglasswhichstoodonthetable。
"No，"saidshe；"Iamtheworstintheworldforaglassofale；"
andwithoutsayinganythingmoreshedeparted。
"Iwonderwhetheryourhusbandisanythinglikeyouwithrespecttoaglassofale，"saidItomyself；thenfinishingmyaleIgotupandleftthehouse，whichwhenIdepartedappearedtobeentirelydeserted。
Itwasnowquitenight，anditwouldhavebeenpitchy—darkbutfortheglareofforges。Therewasanimmenseglaretothesouth—west，whichIconceivedproceededfromthoseofCefnMawr。Itlightedupthesouth—westernsky；thenthereweretwootherglaresnearertome，seeminglydividedbyalumpofsomething，perhapsagroveoftrees。
WalkingveryfastIsoonovertookaman。Iknewhimatoncebyhisstaggeringgait。
"Ah，landlord！"saidI；"whitherbound？"
"ToRhiwabon，"saidhe，huskily，"forapint。"
"IsthealesogoodatRhiwabon，"saidI，"thatyouleavehomeforit？"
"No，"saidhe，rathershortly，"there’snotaglassofgoodaleinRhiwabon。"
"Thenwhydoyougothither？"saidI。
"Becauseapintofbadliquorabroadisbetterthanaquartofgoodathome，"saidthelandlord，reelingagainstthehedge。
"Therearemanyinahigherstationthanyouwhoactuponthatprinciple，"thoughtItomyselfasIpassedon。
IsoonreachedRhiwabon。Therewasaprodigiousnoiseinthepublic—housesasIpassedthroughit。"Collierscarousing，"saidI。"Well，Ishallnotgoamongstthemtopreachtemperance，thoughperhapsinstrictdutyIought。"Attheendofthetown，insteadoftakingtheroadontheleftsideofthechurch，Itookthatontheright。ItwasnottillIhadproceedednearlyamilethatI
begantobeapprehensivethatIhadmistakentheway。HearingsomepeoplecomingtowardsmeontheroadIwaitedtilltheycameup；
theyprovedtobeamanandawoman。OnmyinquiringwhetherIwasrightforLlangollen，theformertoldmethatIwasnot，andinordertogetthereitwasnecessarythatIshouldreturntoRhiwabon。Iinstantlyturnedround。Abouthalf—waybackImetamanwhoaskedmeinEnglishwhereIwashurryingto。IsaidtoRhiwabon，inordertogettoLlangollen。"Well，then，"saidhe，"youneednotreturntoRhiwabon—yonderisashortcutacrossthefields，"
