wild wales-第107节

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have　been　out　of　the　county　myself。　　I　suppose　your　honour　can't　
remember　much　about　the　county。〃

〃Oh　yes；　I　can！　　I　remember　a　good　deal。〃

〃Please；　your　honour；　tell　me　what　you　remember　about　the　county。　　
It　would　do　me　good　to　hear　it。〃

〃Well；　I　remember　it　was　a　very　fine　county　in　more　respects　than　
one。　　One　part　of　it　was　full　of　big　hills　and　mountains；　where　
there　were　mines　of　coal　and　lead；　with　mighty　works　with　tall　
chimneys　spouting　out　black　smoke；　and　engines　roaring；　and　big　
wheels　going　round；　some　turned　by　steam；　and　others　by　what　they　
call　forces；　that　is；　brooks　of　water　dashing　down　steep　channels。　　
Another　part　was　a　more　level　country；　with　beautiful　woods；　happy…
looking　farm…houses　well…filled　fields　and　rich；　glorious　meadows；　
in　which　stood　stately；　with　brown　sides　and　short　horns；　the　
Durham　ox。〃

〃Oh　dear；　oh　dear！〃　said　my　companion。　　〃Ah！　　I　see　your　honour　
knows　everything　about　Durham　county。　　Forces？　none　but　one　who　had　
been　in　Durham　county　would　have　used　that　word。　　I　haven't　heard　
it　for　five…and…thirty　years。　　Forces！　there　was　a　force　close　to　
my　village。　　I　wonder　if　your　honour　has　ever　been　in　Durham　city？〃

〃Oh　yes！　　I　have　been　there。〃

〃Does　your　honour　remember　anything　about　Durham　city？〃

〃Oh　yes！　　I　remember　a　good　deal　about　it。〃

〃Then；　your　honour；　pray　tell　us　what　you　remember　about　it　…　pray　
do　I　perhaps　it　will　do　me　good。〃

〃Well　then；　I　remember　that　it　was　a　fine　old　city　standing　on　a　
hill　with　a　river　running　under　it；　and　that　it　had　a　fine　old　
church；　one　of　the　finest　in　the　of　Britain；　likewise　a　fine　old　
castle；　and　last；　not　least；　a　capital　old　inn；　where　I　got　a　
capital　dinner　off　roast　Durham　beef；　and　a　capital　glass　of　ale；　
which　I　believe　was　the　cause；　of　my　being　ever　after　fond　of　ale。〃

　〃Dear　me！　　Ah；　I　see　your　honour　knows　all　about　Durham　city。　　And　
now　let　me　ask　one　question。　　How　came　your　honour　to　Durham；　city　
and　county？　　I　don't　think　your　honour　is　a　Durham　man　either　of　
town　or　field。〃

〃I　am　not；　but　when　I　was　a　little　boy　I　passed　through　Durham　
county　with　my　mother　and　brother　to　a　place　called　Scotland。〃

〃Scotland！　a　queer　country　that；　your　honour！〃

〃So　it　is；〃　said　I；　〃a　queerer　country　I　never　saw　in　all　my　life。〃

〃And　a　queer　set　of　people；　your　honour。〃

〃So　they　are；〃　said　I；　〃a　queerer　set　of　people　than　the　Scotch　you　
would　scarcely　see　in　a　summer's　day。〃

〃The　Durham　folks；　neither　of　town　or　field；　have　much　reason　to　
speak　well　of　the　Scotch；　your　honour。〃

〃I　dare　say　not；〃　said　I；　〃very　few　people　have。〃

〃And　yet　the　Durham　folks；　your　honour；　generally　contrived　to　give　
them　as　good　as　they　brought。〃

〃That　they　did；〃　said　I；　〃a　pretty　licking　the　Durham　folks　once　
gave　the　Scots　under　the　walls　of　Durham　city；　after　the　scamps　had　
been　plundering　the　country　for　three　weeks　…　a　precious　licking　
they　gave　them；　slaying　I　don't　know　how　many　thousands；　and　taking　
their　king　prisoner。〃

〃So　they　did；　your　honour；　and　under　the　command　of　a　woman　too。〃

〃Very　true；〃　said　I；　〃Queen　Philippa。〃

〃Just　so；　your　honour！　　The　idea　that　your　honour　should　know　so　
much　about　Durham；　both　field　and　town！〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃since　I　have　told　you　so　much　about　Durham；　
perhaps　you　will　tell　me　something　about　yourself。　　How　did　you　
come　here？〃

〃I　had　better　begin　from　the　beginning；　your　honour。　　I　was　born　in　
Durham　county　close　beside　the　Great　Force；　which　no　doubt　your　
honour　has　seen。　　My　father　was　a　farmer；　and　had　a　bit　of　a　share　
in　a　mining　concern。　　I　was　brought　up　from　my　childhood　both　to　
farming　and　mining　work；　but　most　to　mining；　because；　do　you　see；　I　
took　most　pleasure　in　it；　being　the　more　noble　business　of　the　two。　　
Shortly　after　I　had　come　to　man's　estate　my　father　died；　leaving　me　
a　decent　little　property；　whereupon　I　forsook　farming　altogether　
and　gave　myself　up；　body；　soul；　and　capital；　to　mining；　which　at　
last　I　thoroughly　understand　in　all　its　branches。　　Well；　your　
honour；　about　five…and…thirty　years　ago　…　that　was　when　I　was　about　
twenty…eight　…　a　cry　went　through　the　north　country　that　a　great　
deal　of　money　might　be　made　by　opening　Wales；　that　is；　by　mining　in　
Wales　in　the　proper　fashion；　which　means　the　north　country　fashion；　
for　there　is　no　other　fashion　of　mining　good　for　much。　　There　had　
long　been　mines　in　Wales；　but　they　had　always　been　worked　in　a　
poor；　weak；　languid　manner；　very　different　from　that　of　the　north　
country。　　So　a　company　was　formed；　at　the　head　of　which　were　the　
Aldens；　George　and　Thomas；　for　opening　Wales；　and　they　purchased　
certain　mines　in　these　districts　which　they　knew　to　be　productive；　
and　which　might　be　made　yet　more　so；　and　settling　down　here　called　
themselves　the　Rheidol　United。　　Well；　after　they　had　been　here　a　
little　time　they　found　themselves　in　want　of　a　man　to　superintend　
their　concerns；　above　all　in　the　smelting　department。　　So　they　
thought　of　me；　who　was　known　to　most　of　the　mining　gentry　in　the　
north　country；　and　they　made　a　proposal　to　me　through　George　Alden；　
afterwards　Sir　George；　to　come　here　and　superintend。　　I　said　no　at　
first；　for　I　didn't　like　the　idea　of　leaving　Durham　county　to　come　
to　such　an　outlandish　place　as　Wales；　howsomeover；　I　at　last　
allowed　myself　to　be　overpersuaded　by　George　Alden；　afterwards　Sir　
George；　and　here　I　came　with　my　wife　and　family　…　for　I　must　tell　
your　honour　I　had　married　a　respectable　young　woman　of　Durham　
county；　by　whom　I　had　two　little　ones　…　here　I　came　and　did　my　best　
for　the　service　of　the　Rheidol　United。　　The　company　was　terribly　
set　to　it　for　a　long　time；　spending　a　mint　of　money　and　getting　
very　poor　returns。　　To　my　certain　knowledge；　the　two　Aldens；　George　
and　Tom；　spent　between　them　thirty　thousand　pounds。　　The　company；　
however；　persevered；　chiefly　at　the　instigation　of　the　Aldens；　who　
were　in　the　habit　of　saying；　'Never　say　die！'　and　at　last　got　the　
better　of　all　their　difficulties　and　rolled　in　riches；　and　had　the　
credit　of　being　the　first　company　that　ever　opened　Wales；　which　
they　richly　deserved；　for　I　will　uphold　it　that　the　Rheidol　United；　
particularly　the　Aldens；　George　and　Thomas；　were　the　first　people　
who　really　opened　Wales。　　In　their　service　I　have　been　for　five…
and…thirty　years；　and　daresay　shall　continue　so　till　I　die。　　I　have　
been　tolerably　comfortable；　your　honour；　though　I　have　had　my　
griefs；　the　bitterest　of　which　was　the　death　of　my　wife；　which　
happened　about　eight　years　after　I　came　to　this　country。　　I　thought　
I　should　have　gone　wild　at　first；　your　honour；　having；　however；　
always　plenty　to　do；　I　at　last　got　the　better　of　my　affliction。　　I　
continued　single　till　my　English　family　grew　up　and　left　me；　when；　
feeling　myself　rather　lonely；　I　married　a　decent　young　Welshwoman；　
by　whom　I　had　one　son；　the　lad　John　who　is　following　behind　with　
his　dog　Joe。　　And　now　your　honour　knows　the　whole　story　of　John　
Greaves；　miner　from　the　county　of　Durham。〃

〃And　a　most　entertaining　and　instructive　history　it　is；〃　said　I。　　
〃You　have　not　told　me；　however；　how　you　contrived　to　pick　up　Welsh：　　
I　heard　you　speaking　it　last　night　with　the　postman。〃

〃Why；　through　my　Welsh　wife；　your　honour！　　Without　her　I　don't　
think　I　should　ever　have　picked　up　the　Welsh　manner　of　discoursing　
…　she　is　a　good　kind　of　woman；　my　Welsh　wife；　though　…　〃

〃The　loss　of　your　Durham　wife　must　have　been　a　great　grief　to　you；〃　
said　I。

〃It　was　the　bitterest　grief；　your　honour；　as　I　said　before；　that　I　
ever　had；　my　next　worst　I　think　was　the　death　of　a　dear　friend。〃

〃Who　was　that？〃　said　I

〃Who　was　it；　your　honour？　why；　the　Duke　of　Newcastle。〃

〃Dear　me！〃　said　I；　〃how　came　you　to　know　him？〃

〃Why；　your　honour；　he　lived　at　a　place　not　far　from　here；　called　
Hafod；　and　so　…　〃

〃Hafod？〃　said　I；　〃I　have　often　heard　of　Hafod　and　its　library；　but　
I　thought　it　belonged　to　an　old　Welsh　family　called　Johnes。〃

〃Well；　so　it　did；　your　honour；　but　the　family　died　away；　and　the　
estate　was　put　up　for　sale；　and　purchased　by　the　Duke；　who　built　a　
fine　house　upon　it；　which　he　made　his　chief　place　of　residence　…　
the　old　family　house；　I　must　tell　your　honour；　in　which　the　library　
was；　had　been　destroyed　by　fire。　　Well；　he　hadn't　been　long　settled　
there　before　he　found　me　out　and　took　wonderfully　to　me；　
discoursing　with　me　and　consulting　me　about　his　farming　and　
improvements。　　Many　is　the　pleasant　chat　and　discourse　I　have　had　
with　his　Grace　for　hours　and　hours　together；　for　his　Grace　had　not　
a　bit　of　pride；　at　least　he　never　showed　any　to　me；　though　perhaps　
the　reason　of　that　was　that　we　were　both　north　country　people。　　
Lord！　　I　would　have　laid　down　my　life　for　his　Grace　and　have　done　
anything　but　one　which　he　once　asked　me　to　do。　　'Greaves；'　said　the　
Duke　to　me　one　day；　'I　wish　you　would　give　up　mining　and　become　my　
steward。'　　'Sorry　I　can't　oblige　your　Grace；'　said　I；　'but　give　up　
mining　I　cannot。　　I　will　at　any　time　give　your　Grace　all　the　advice　
I　can　about　farming　and　such　like；　but　give　up　mining　I　cannot；　
because　why？　…　I　conceive　mining　to　be　the　noblest　business　in　the