下载辰思小说免费APP
"Heddycholddyffryntlws，"
Peaceful，prettyvale，andcontainsmanylinesbreathingaspiritofgenuinepoetry。
ThenextdayIdidnotgetuptillnine，havingnojourneybeforeme，asIintendedtopassthatdayatMachynlleth。WhenIwentdowntotheparlourIfoundanotherguestthere，breakfasting。Hewasatall，burly，andclever—lookingmanofaboutthirty—five。Aswebreakfastedtogetheratthesametableweenteredintoconversation。Ilearnedfromhimthathewasanattorneyfromatownatsomedistance，andwascomeovertoMachynllethtothepettysessions，tobeheldthatday，inordertodefendapersonaccusedofspearingasalmonintheriver。Iaskedhimwhohisclientwas。
"Afarmer，"saidhe，"atenantofLordV—，whowillprobablypresideoverthebenchwhichwilltrytheaffair。"
"Oh，"saidI，"atenantspearinghislandlord’sfish—that’sbad。"
"No，"saidhe，"thefishwhichhespeared，thatis，whichheisaccusedofspearing，didnotbelongtohislandlordbuttoanotherperson；hehireslandofLordV—，butthefishingoftheriverwhichrunsthroughthatlandbelongstoSirWatkin。"
"Oh，then，"saidI，"supposinghedidspearthesalmonIshan’tbreakmyheartifyougethimoff：doyouthinkyoushall？"
"Idon’tknow，"saidhe。"There’stheevidenceoftwokeepersagainsthim；oneofwhomIhope，however，tomakeappearascoundrel，inwhoseoaththeslightestconfidenceisnottobeplaced。Ishouldn’twonderifImakemyclientappearapersecutedlamb。Theworstis，thathehasthecharacterofbeingratherfondoffish，indeedofhavingspearedmoresalmonthananyothersixindividualsintheneighbourhood。"
"Ireallyshouldliketoseehim，"saidI；"whatkindofpersonishe？—somefine，desperate—lookingfellow，Isuppose？"
"Youwillseehimpresently，"saidthelawyer；"heisinthepassagewaitingtillIcallhimintotakesomeinstructionsfromhim；andIthinkIhadbetterdosonow，forIhavebreakfasted，andtimeiswearingaway。"
Hethengotup，tooksomepapersoutofacarpetbag，satdown，andafterglancingatthemforaminuteortwo，wenttothedoorandcalledtosomebodyinWelshtocomein。Forthwithincameasmall，mean，wizzened—facedmanofaboutsixty，dressedinablackcoatandhat，drabbreechesandgaiters，andlookingmorelikeadecayedMethodistpreacherthanaspearerofimperialsalmon。
"Well，"saidtheattorney，"Thisismyclient，whatdoyouthinkofhim？"
"HeisratheradifferentpersonfromwhatIhadexpectedtosee，"
saidI；"butletusmindwhatwesayorweshalloffendhim。"
"Notwe，"saidtheattorney；"thatis，unlesswespeakWelsh，forheunderstandsnotawordofanyotherlanguage。"
ThensittingdownatthefurthertablehesaidtohisclientinWelsh："Now，MrSo—and—so，haveyoulearntanythingmoreaboutthatfirstkeeper？"
Theclientbentdown，andplacingbothhishandsuponthetablebegantowhisperinWelshtohisprofessionaladviser。NotwishingtohearanyoftheirconversationIfinishedmybreakfastassoonaspossibleandlefttheroom。Goingintotheinn—yardIhadagreatdealoflearneddiscoursewithanoldostlerabouttheglandersinhorses。Fromtheinn—yardIwenttomyownprivateroomandmadesomedottingsinmynote—book，andthenwentdownagaintotheparlour，whichIfoundunoccupied。AftersittingsometimebeforethefireIgotup，andstrollingout，presentlycametoakindofmarketplace，inthemiddleofwhichstoodanold—
fashioned—lookingedificesupportedonpillars。SeeingacrowdstandingrounditIaskedwhatwasthematter，andwastoldthatthemagistratesweresittinginthetown—hallabove，andthatagrandpoachingcasewasabouttobetried。"Imayaswellgoandhearit，"saidI。
AscendingaflightofstepsIfoundmyselfinthehallofjustice，inthepresenceofthemagistratesandamidstagreatmanypeople，amongstwhomIobservedmyfriendtheattorneyandhisclient。Themagistrates，uponthewhole，wereratherafinebodyofmen。LordV—wasinthechair，ahighlyintelligent—lookingperson，withfreshcomplexion，hookednose，anddarkhair。Apolicemanverycivillyprocuredmeacommodiousseat。Ihadscarcelytakenpossessionofitwhenthepoachingcasewasbroughtforward。Thefirstwitnessagainsttheaccusedwasafellowdressedinadirtysnuff—colouredsuit，withadebauchedlook，andhavingmuchtheappearanceofatownshack。Hedeposedthathewasahiredkeeper，andwentwithanothertowatchtheriverataboutfouro’clockinthemorning；thattheyplacedthemselvesbehindabush，andthatalittlebeforeday—lighttheysawthefarmerdrivesomecattleacrosstheriver。Hewasattendedbyadog。Suddenlytheysawhimputaspearuponastickwhichhehadinhishand，runbacktotheriver，andplungingthespearin，afterastruggle，pulloutasalmon；thattheythenranforward，andhehimselfaskedthefarmerwhathewasdoing，whereuponthefarmerflungthesalmonandspearintotheriverandsaidthatifhedidnottakehimselfoffhewouldflinghimintoo。Theattorneythengotupandbegantocross—questionhim。"Howlonghaveyoubeenakeeper？"
"Aboutafortnight。"
"Whatdoyougetaweek？"
"Tenshillings。"
"HaveyounotlatelybeeninLondon？"
"Ihave。"
"WhatinducedyoutogotoLondon？"
"Thehopeofbetteringmycondition。"
"WereyounotdrivenoutofMachynlleth？"
"Iwasnot。"
"WhydidyouleaveLondon？"
"BecauseIcouldgetnowork，andmywifedidnotliketheplace。"
"Didyouobtainpossessionofthesalmonandthespear？"
"Ididnot。"
"Whydidn’tyou？"
"Thepoolwasdeepwherethesalmonwasstruck，andIwasnotgoingtolosemylifebygoingintoit。"
"Howdeepwasit？"
"Overthetopsofthehouses，"saidthefellow，liftinguphishands。
Theotherkeeperthencameforward；hewasbrothertotheformer，buthadmuchmoretheappearanceofakeeper，beingratherafinefellow，anddressedinawholesome，well—wornsuitofvelveteen。
HehadnoEnglish，andwhathesaidwastranslatedbyasworninterpreter。Hegavethesameevidenceashisbrotheraboutwatchingbehindthebush，andseeingthefarmerstrikeasalmon。
Whencross—questioned，however，hesaidthatnowordspassedbetweenthefarmerandhisbrother，atleast，thatheheard。Theevidencefortheprosecutionbeinggiven，myfriendtheattorneyentereduponthedefence。Hesaidthathehopedthecourtwerenotgoingtoconvicthisclient，oneofthemostrespectablefarmersinthecounty，ontheevidenceoftwosuchfellowsasthekeepers，oneofwhomwasawell—knownbadone，whoforhisevildeedshadbeendrivenfromMachynllethtoLondon，andfromLondonbackagaintoMachynlleth，andtheother，whowashisbrother，afellownotmuchbetter，andwho，moreover，couldnotspeakawordofEnglish—thehonestlawyerforgettingnodoubtthathisownclienthadjustaslittleEnglishasthekeeper。Herepeatedthathehopedthecourtwouldnotconvicthisrespectableclientontheevidenceofthesefellows，moreespeciallyastheyflatlycontradictedeachotherinonematerialpoint，onesayingthatwordshadpassedbetweenthefarmerandhimself，andtheotherthatnowordsatallhadpassed，andwereunabletocorroboratetheirtestimonybyanythingvisibleortangible。Ifhisclientspearedthesalmonandthenflungthesalmonwiththespearstickinginitsbodyintothepool，whydidn’ttheygointothepoolandrecoverthespearandsalmon？
Theymighthavedonesowithperfectsafety，therebeinganoldproverb—heneednotrepeatit—whichwouldhavesecuredthemfromdrowninghadthepoolbeennotmerelyoverthetopsofthehousesbutoverthetopsofthesteeples。Buthewouldwaivealltheadvantagewhichhisclientderivedfromtheevilcharacterofthewitnesses，thediscrepancyoftheirevidence，andtheirnotproducingthespearandsalmonincourt。Hewouldresttheissueoftheaffairwithconfidence，ononeargument，ononequestion；itwasthis。Wouldanymaninhissenses—anditwaswellknownthathisclientwasaverysensibleman—spearasalmonnothisownwhenhesawtwokeeperscloseathandwatchinghim—staringathim？Herethechairmanobservedthattherewasnoproofthathesawthem—thattheywerebehindabush。Butmyfriendtheattorneyveryproperly，ha
