wild wales-第14节

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own　valley；　where　you　will　buy　a　property；　and　settle　down；　and　try　
to　recover　your　language；　sir；　and　your　health；　sir；　for　you　are　
not　the　person　you　pretend　to　be；　sir：　　I　know　you　very　well；　and　
shall　be　happy　to　work　for　you。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃if　I　ever　settle　down　here；　I　shall　be　happy　to　
employ　you。　　Farewell。〃

I　went　back　the　way　I　had　come；　till　I　reached　the　little　hamlet。　　
Seeing　a　small　public…house；　I　entered　it。　　A　good…looking　woman；　
who　met　me　in　the　passage；　ushered　me　into　a　neat　sanded　kitchen；　
handed　me　a　chair　and　inquired　my　commands；　I　sat　down；　and　told　
her　to　bring　me　some　ale；　she　brought　it；　and　then　seated　herself　
by　a　bench　close　by　the　door。

〃Rather　a　quiet　place　this；〃　said　I；　〃I　have　seen　but　two　faces　
since　I　came　over　the　hill；　and　yours　is　one。〃

〃Rather　too　quiet；　sir；〃　said　the　good　woman；　〃one　would　wish　to　
have　more　visitors。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃people　from　Llangollen　occasionally　come　to　
visit　you。〃

〃Sometimes；　sir；　for　curiosity's　sake；　but　very　rarely　…　the　way　is　
very　steep。〃

〃Do　the　Tylwyth　Teg　ever　pay　you　visits？〃

〃The　Tylwyth　Teg；　sir？〃

〃Yes；　the　fairies。　　Do　they　never　come　to　have　a　dance　on　the　green　
sward　in　this　neighbourhood？〃

〃Very　rarely；　sir；　indeed；　I　do　not　know　how　long　it　is　since　they　
have　been　seen。〃

〃You　have　never　seen　them？〃

〃I　have　not；　sir；　but　I　believe　there　are　people　living　who　have。〃

〃Are　corpse　candles　ever　seen　on　the　bank　of　that　river？〃

〃I　have　never　heard　of　more　than　one　being　seen；　sir；　and　that　was　
at　a　place　where　a　tinker　was　drowned　a　few　nights　after　…　there　
came　down　a　flood；　and　the　tinker　in　trying　to　cross　by　the　usual　
ford　was　drowned。〃

〃And　did　the　candle　prognosticate；　I　mean　foreshow　his　death？〃

〃It　did；　sir。　　When　a　person　is　to　die　his　candle　is　seen　a　few　
nights　before　the　time　of　his　death。〃

〃Have　you　ever　seen　a　corpse　candle？〃

〃I　have；　sir；　and　as　you　seem　to　be　a　respectable　gentleman；　I　will　
tell　you　all　about　it。　　When　I　was　a　girl　I　lived　with　my　parents　a　
little　way　from　here。　　I　had　a　cousin；　a　very　good　young　man；　who　
lived　with　his　parents　in　the　neighbourhood　of　our　house。　　He　was　
an　exemplary　young　man；　sir；　and　having　a　considerable　gift　of　
prayer；　was　intended　for　the　ministry；　but　he　fell　sick；　and　
shortly　became　very　ill　indeed。　　One　evening　when　he　was　lying　in　
this　state；　as　I　was　returning　home　from　milking；　I　saw　a　candle　
proceeding　from　my　cousin's　house。　　I　stood　still　and　looked　at　it。　　
It　moved　slowly　forward　for　a　little　way；　and　then　mounted　high　in　
the　air　above　the　wood；　which　stood　not　far　in　front　of　the　house；　
and　disappeared。　　Just　three　nights　after　that　my　cousin　died。〃

〃And　you　think　that　what　you　saw　was　his　corpse　candle？〃

〃I　do；　sir！　what　else　should　it　be？〃

〃Are　deaths　prognosticated　by　any　other　means　than　corpse　candles？〃

〃They　are；　sir；　by　the　knockers；　and　by　a　supernatural　voice　heard　
at　night。〃

〃Have　you　ever　heard　the　knockers；　or　the　supernatural　voice？〃

〃I　have　not；　sir；　but　my　father　and　mother；　who　are　now　dead；　heard　
once　a　supernatural　voice；　and　knocking。　　My　mother　had　a　sister　
who　was　married　like　herself；　and　expected　to　be　confined。　　Day　
after　day；　however；　passed　away；　without　her　confinement　taking　
place。　　My　mother　expected　every　moment　to　be　summoned　to　her　
assistance；　and　was　so　anxious　about　her　that　she　could　not　rest　at　
night。　　One　night；　as　she　lay　in　bed；　by　the　side　of　her　husband；　
between　sleeping　and　waking；　she　heard　of　a　sudden　a　horse　coming　
stump；　stump；　up　to　the　door。　　Then　there　was　a　pause　…　she　
expected　every　moment　to　hear　some　one　cry　out；　and　tell　her　to　
come　to　her　sister；　but　she　heard　no　farther　sound；　neither　voice　
nor　stump　of　horse。　　She　thought　she　had　been　deceived；　so；　without　
awakening　her　husband；　she　tried　to　go　to　sleep；　but　sleep　she　
could　not。　　The　next　night；　at　about　the　same　time；　she　again　heard　
a　horse's　feet　come　stump；　stump；　up　to　the　door。　　She　now　waked　
her　husband　and　told　him　to　listen。　　He　did　so；　and　both　heard　the　
stumping。　　Presently；　the　stumping　ceased；　and　then　there　was　a　
loud　〃Hey！〃　as　if　somebody　wished　to　wake　them。　　〃Hey！〃　said　my　
father；　and　they　both　lay　for　a　minute　expecting　to　hear　something　
more；　but　they　heard　nothing。　　My　father　then　sprang　out　of　bed；　
and　looked　out　of　the　window；　it　was　bright　moonlight；　but　he　saw　
nothing。　　The　next　night；　as　they　lay　in　bed　both　asleep；　they　were　
suddenly　aroused　by　a　loud　and　terrible　knocking。　　Out　sprang　my　
father　from　the　bed；　flung　open　the　window；　and　looked　out；　but　
there　was　no　one　at　the　door。　　The　next　morning；　however；　a　
messenger　arrived　with　the　intelligence　that　my　aunt　had　had　a　
dreadful　confinement　with　twins　in　the　night；　and　that　both　she　and　
the　babes　were　dead。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　I；　and　paying　for　my　ale；　I　returned　to　
Llangollen。



CHAPTER　XII



A　Calvinistic…Methodist　…　Turn　for　Saxon　…　Our　Congregation　…　Pont　
y　Cyssyltau　…　Catherine　Lingo。


I　HAD　inquired　of　the　good　woman　of　the　house；　in　which　we　lived；　
whether　she　could　not　procure　a　person　to　accompany　me　occasionally　
in　my　walks；　who　was　well　acquainted　with　the　strange　nooks　and　
corners　of　the　country；　and　who　could　speak　no　language　but　Welsh；　
as　I　wished　to　increase　my　knowledge　of　colloquial　Welsh　by　having　
a　companion　who　would　be　obliged；　in　all　he　had　to　say　to　me；　to　
address　me　in　Welsh；　and　to　whom　I　should　perforce　have　to　reply　in　
that　tongue。　　The　good　lady　had　told　me　that　there　was　a　tenant　of　
hers　who　lived　in　one　of　the　cottages；　which　looked　into　the　
perllan；　who；　she　believed；　would　be　glad　to　go　with　me；　and　was　
just　the　kind　of　man　I　was　in　quest　of。　　The　day　after　I　had　met　
with　the　adventures；　which　I　have　related　in　the　preceding　chapter；　
she　informed　me　that　the　person　in　question　was　awaiting　my　orders　
in　the　kitchen。　　I　told　her　to　let　me　see　him。　　He　presently　made　
his　appearance。　　He　was　about　forty…five　years　of　age；　of　middle　
stature；　and　had　a　good…natured　open　countenance。　　His　dress　was　
poor；　but　clean。

〃Well；〃　said　I　to　him　in　Welsh；　〃are　you　the　Cumro　who　can　speak　no　
Saxon？〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　am。〃

〃Are　you　sure　that　you　know　no　Saxon？〃

〃Sir！　　I　may　know　a　few　words；　but　I　cannot　converse　in　Saxon；　nor　
understand　a　conversation　in　that　tongue。〃

〃Can　you　read　Cumraeg？〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　can。〃

〃What　have　you　read　in　it？〃

〃I　have　read；　sir；　the　Ysgrythyr…lan；　till　I　have　it　nearly　at　the　
ends　of　my　fingers。〃

〃Have　you　read　anything　else　besides　the　holy　Scripture？〃

〃I　read　the　newspaper；　sir；　when　kind　friends　lend　it　to　me。〃

〃In　Cumraeg？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　in　Cumraeg。　　I　can　read　Saxon　a　little　but　not　
sufficient　to　understand　a　Saxon　newspaper。〃

〃What　newspaper　do　you　read？〃

〃I　read；　sir；　Yr　Amserau。〃

〃Is　that　a　good　newspaper？〃

〃Very　good；　sir；　it　is　written　by　good　men。〃

〃Who　are　they？〃

〃They　are　our　ministers；　sir。〃

〃Of　what　religion　are　you？〃

〃A　Calvinistic　Methodist；　sir。〃

〃Why　are　you　of　the　Methodist　religion？〃

〃Because　it　is　the　true　religion；　sir。〃

〃You　should　not　be　bigoted。　　If　I　had　more　Cumraeg　than　I　have；　I　
would　prove　to　you　that　the　only　true　religion　is　that　of　the　
Lloegrian　Church。〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　you　could　not　do　that；　had　you　all　the　Cumraeg　in　
Cumru　you　could　not　do　that。〃

〃What　are　you　by　trade？〃

〃I　am　a　gwehydd；　sir。〃

〃What　do　you　earn　by　weaving？〃

〃About　five　shillings　a　week；　sir。〃

〃Have　you　a　wife？

〃I　have；　sir。〃

〃Does　she　earn　anything？〃

〃Very　seldom；　sir；　she　is　a　good　wife；　but　is　generally　sick。〃

〃Have　you　children？〃

〃I　have　three；　sir。〃

〃Do　they　earn　anything？〃

〃My　eldest　son；　sir；　sometimes　earns　a　few　pence；　the　others　are　
very　small。〃

〃Will　you　sometimes　walk　with　me；　if　I　pay　you？〃

〃I　shall　be　always　glad　to　walk　with　you；　sir；　whether　you　pay　me　
or　not。〃

〃Do　you　think　it　lawful　to　walk　with　one　of　the　Lloegrian　Church？〃

〃Perhaps；　sir；　I　ought　to　ask　the　gentleman　of　the　Lloegrian　Church　
whether　he　thinks　it　lawful　to　walk　with　the　poor　Methodist　
weaver。〃

〃Well；　I　think　we　may　venture　to　walk　with　one　another。　　What　is　
your　name？〃

〃John　Jones；　sir。〃

〃Jones！　Jones！　　I　was　walking　with　a　man　of　that　name　the　other　
night。〃


〃The　man　with　whom　you　walked　the　other　night　is　my　brother；　sir；　
and　what　he　said　to　me　about　you　made　me　wish　to　walk　with　you　
also。〃

〃But　he　spoke　very　good　English。〃

〃My　brother　had　a　turn　for　Saxon；　sir；　I　had　not。　　Some　people　have　
a　turn　for　the　Saxon；　others　have　not。　　I　have　no　Saxon；　sir；　my　
wife　has　digon　iawn　…　my　two　youngest　children　speak　good　Saxon；　
sir；　my　eldest　son　not　a　word。〃

〃Well；　shall　we　set　out？〃

〃If　you　please；　sir。〃

〃To　what　place　shall　we　go？〃

〃Shall　we　go　to　the　Pont　y　Cyssylltau；　sir？〃

〃What　is　that？〃

〃A　mighty　bridge；　sir；　which　carries　the　Camlas　over　a　valley　on　
its　back。〃

〃Good！　let　us　go　and　see　the　bridge　of　the　junction；　for　that　I　
think　is　the　meaning　in　Saxon　of　Pont　y　Cyssylltau。〃

We　set　out；　my　guide　conducted　me　along　the　bank　of　the　Camlas　in