下载辰思小说免费APP
Marthaforthwithhurriedaway，attendedbyamuchyoungerfemale。
"Tillyourroomisprepared，sir，"saidhe，"perhapsyouwillhavenoobjectiontositdownbeforeourfire？"
"Nottheleast，"saidI；"nothinggivesmegreaterpleasurethantositbeforeakitchenfire。Firstofall，however，Imustsettlewithmyguide，andlikewiseseethathehassomethingtoeatanddrink。"
"ShallIinterpretforyou？"saidthelandlord；"theladhasnotawordofEnglish；Iknowhimwell。"
"Ihavenotbeenunderhisguidanceforthelastthreehours，"saidI，"withoutknowingthathecannotspeakEnglish；butIwantnointerpreter。"
"Youdonotmeantosay，sir，"saidthelandlord，withasurprisedanddissatisfiedair，"thatyouunderstandWelsh？"
Imadenoanswer，butturningtotheguidethankedhimforhiskindness，andgivinghimsomemoneyaskedhimifitwasenough。
"Morethanenough，sir，"saidthelad；"Ididnotexpecthalfasmuch。Farewell！"
Hewasthenabouttodepart，butIpreventedhimsaying：
"Youmustnotgotillyouhaveeatenanddrunk。Whatwillyouhave？"
"Merelyacupofale，sir，"saidthelad。
"Thatwon’tdo，"saidI；"youshallhavebreadandcheeseandasmuchaleasyoucandrink。Pray，"saidItothelandlord，"letthisyoungmanhavesomebreadandcheeseandalargequartofale。"
Thelandlordlookedatmeforamoment，thenturningtotheladhesaid：
"Whatdoyouthinkofthat，Shon？Itissometimesinceyouhadaquartofaletoyourowncheek。"
"Cheek，"saidI—"cheek！IsthataWelshword？SurelyitisanimportationfromtheEnglish，andnotaverygenteelone。"
"Ohcome，sir！"saidthelandlord，"wecandispensewithyourcriticisms。Aprettythingindeedforyou，onthestrengthofknowinghalf—a—dozenwordsofWelsh，tosetupforaWelshcriticinthehouseofapersonwhoknowstheancientBritishlanguageperfectly。"
"Dearme！"saidI，"howfortunateIam！apersonthoroughlyversedintheancientBritishlanguageiswhatIhavelongwishedtosee。
PraywhatisthemeaningofDarfelGatherel？"
"Ohsir！"saidthelandlord，"youmustanswerthatquestionyourself；Idon’tpretendtounderstandgibberish！"
"DarfelGatherel，"saidI，"isnotgibberish；itwasthenameofthegreatwoodenimageatTyDewi，orSaintDavid’s，inPembrokeshire，towhichthousandsofpilgrimsinthedaysofpoperyusedtorepairforthepurposeofadoringit，andwhichatthetimeoftheReformationwassentuptoLondonasacuriosity，whereiteventuallyservedasfirewoodtoburnthemonkForrestupon，whowassentencedtothestakebyHenrytheEighthfordenyinghissupremacy。WhatIwanttoknowis，themeaningofthename，whichIcouldnevergetexplained，butwhichyouwhoknowtheancientBritishlanguageperfectlycandoubtlessinterpret。"
"Oh，sir，"saidthelandlord，"whenIsaidIknewtheBritishlanguageperfectly，Iperhapswenttoofarthereare，ofcourse，someobsoletetermsintheBritishtongue，whichIdon’tunderstand。Dar，Dar—whatisit？DarmodCotterelamongsttherest；buttoageneralknowledgeoftheWelshlanguageIthinkI
maylaysomepretensions；wereInotwellacquaintedwithit，I
shouldnothavecarriedofftheprizeatvariouseisteddfodau，asI
havedone。Iamapoet，sir—aprydydd。"
"Itissingularenough，"saidI，"thattheonlytwoWelshpoetsI
haveseenhavebeeninnkeepers—oneisyourself，theotherapersonImetinAnglesey。IsupposetheMuseisfondofcwrwda。"
"Youwouldfainbepleasant，sir，"saidthelandlord；"butIbegleavetoinformyouthatIamnotfondofpleasantries；andnow，asmywifeandtheservantarereturned，Iwillhavethepleasureofconductingyoutotheparlour。"
"BeforeIgo，"saidI，"IshouldliketoseemyguideprovidedwithwhatIordered。"Istayedtilltheladwasaccommodatedwithbreadandcheeseandafoamingtankardofale，andthenbiddinghimfarewell，Ifollowedthelandlordintotheparlour，whereIfoundafirekindled，which，however，smokedexceedingly。IaskedmyhostwhatIcouldhaveforsupper，andwastoldthathedidnotknow，butthatifIwouldleavethemattertohimhewouldsendthebesthecould。Ashewasgoingaway，Isaid："Soyouareapoet？
Well，Iamverygladtohearit，forIhavebeenfondofWelshpoetryfrommyboyhood。Whatkindofversedoyouemployingeneral？Didyoueverwriteanawdlinthefour—and—twentymeasures？Whatarethethemesofyoursongs？ThedeedsoftheancientheroesofSouthWales，Isuppose，andthehospitalityofthegreatmenoftheneighbourhoodwhoreceiveyouasanhonouredguestattheirtables。I’llbetaguineathathowevercleverafellowyoumaybeyouneversanganythinginpraiseofyourlandlord’shousekeepingequaltowhatDafyddNanmorsanginpraiseofthatofRyceofTwynfourhundredyearsago：
’ForRyceifhundredthousandsplough’dThelandsaroundhisfairabode；
Didvinesofthousandvineyardsbleed，StillcornandwinegreatRycewouldneed；
Ifalltheearthhadbread’ssweetsavour，Andwaterallhadcyder’sflavour，ThreeroaringfeastsinRyce’shallWouldswallowearthandoceanall。’
Hey？"
"Really，sir，"saidthelandlord，"Idon’tknowhowtoreplytoyou，forthegreaterpartofyourdiscourseisutterlyunintelligibletome。PerhapsyouareabetterWelshmanthanmyself；buthoweverthatmaybe，Ishalltakethelibertyofretiringinordertogiveordersaboutyoursupper。"
Inabouthalf—an—hourthesuppermadeitsappearanceintheshapeofsomebaconandeggs。OntastingthemIfoundthemverygood，andcallingforsomealeImadeaverytolerablesupper。AfterthethingshadbeenremovedIdrewneartothefire，butasitstillsmoked，Isoonbetookmyselftothekitchen。Myguidehadtakenhisdeparture，buttheotherswhomIhadleftwerestillthere。
ThelandlordwastalkinginWelshtoamaninaroughgreat—coat，aboutsheep。SettinghimselfdownnearthefireIcalledforaglassofwhiskeyandwater，andthenobservingthatthelandlordandhisfriendhadsuddenlybecomesilent，Isaid："Praygoonwithyourdiscourse；don’tletmebeanyhindrancetoyou。"
"Yes，sir！"saidthelandlordsnappishly，"goonwithourdiscourseforyouredification，Isuppose？"
"Well，"saidI，"supposeitisformyedification；surelyyoudon’tgrudgeastrangeralittleedificationwhichwillcostyounothing？"
"Idon’tknowthat，sir，"saidthelandlord；"Idon’tknowthat。
Really，sir，thekitchenisnottheplaceforagentleman。"
"Yes，itis，"saidI，"providedtheparloursmokes。Come，come，I
amgoingtohaveaglassofwhiskeyandwater；perhapsyouwilltakeonewithme。"
"Well，sir！"saidthelandlord，inratherasoftenedtone，"Ihavenoobjectiontotakeaglasswithyou。"
Twoglassesofwhiskeyandwaterwerepresentlybrought，andthelandlordandIdranktoeachother’shealth。
"Isthisasheepdistrict？"saidI，afterapauseofaminuteortwo。
"Yes，sir，"saidthelandlord；"itmaytoacertainextentbecalledasheepdistrict。"
"IsupposetheSouthdownandNorfolkbreedswouldnotdoforthesehereparts，"saidI，witharegularNorfolkwhine。
"No，sir，Idon’tthinktheywouldexactly，"saidthelandlord，staringatme。"Doyouknowanythingaboutsheep？"
"Plenty，plenty，"saidI；"quiteasmuchindeedasaboutWelshwordsandpoetry。"Theninayetmorewhiningtonethanbefore，I
said："Doyouthinkthatabodywithmoneyinhispocketcouldhireanicecomfortablesheepfarmhereabouts？"
"Oh，sir！"saidthelandlordinafurioustone，"youhavecometolookoutforafarm，Isee，andtooutbiduspoorWelshmen：itisonthataccountyouhavestudiedWelsh；but，sir，Iwouldhaveyouknow—"
"Come！"saidI，"don’tbeafraid；Iwouldn’thaveallthefarmsinyourcountry，providedyouwouldtietheminastringandofferthemtome。IfItalkedaboutafarm，itwasbecauseIaminthehabitoftalkingabouteverything，beingversedinallmatters，doyousee，oraffectingtobeso，whichcomesmuchtothesamething。
MyrealbusinessinthisneighbourhoodistoseetheDevil’sBridgeandthesceneryaboutit。"
"Verygood，sir，"saidthelandlord；"Ithoughtsoatfirst。A
greatmanyEnglishgotoseetheDevil’sBridgeandthescenerynearit，thoughIreallydon’tknowwhy，forthereisnothingsoveryparticularineither。Wehaveabridgeheretoo，quiteasgoodastheDevil’sBri
