wild wales-第28节

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village；　seeing　a　woman　standing　at　the　door　of　one　of　the　ruinous　
cottages；　I　asked　her　the　name　of　the　brook；　or　torrent；　which　came　
down　the　valley。　　〃The　Tarw；〃　said　she；　〃and　this　village　is　called　
Pandy　Teirw。〃

〃Why　is　the　streamlet　called　the　bull？〃　said　I。　　〃Is　it　because　it　
comes　in　winter　weather　roaring　down　the　glen　and　butting　at　the　
Ceiriog？〃

The　woman　laughed；　and　replied　that　perhaps　it　was。　　The　valley　was　
wild　and　solitary　to　an　extraordinary　degree；　the　brook　or　torrent　
running　in　the　middle　of　it　covered　with　alder　trees。　　After　we　had　
proceeded　about　a　furlong　we　reached　the　house　of　the　old　fashion　…　
it　was　a　rude　stone　cottage　standing　a　little　above　the　road　on　a　
kind　of　platform　on　the　right…hand　side　of　the　glen；　there　was　a　
paling　before　it　with　a　gate；　at　which　a　pig　was　screaming；　as　if　
anxious　to　get　in。　　〃It　wants　its　dinner；〃　said　John　Jones；　and　
opened　the　gate　for　me　to　pass；　taking　precautions　that　the　
screamer　did　not　enter　at　the　same　time。　　We　entered　the　cottage；　
very　glad　to　get　into　it；　a　storm　of　wind　and　rain　having　just　come　
on。　　Nobody　was　in　the　kitchen　when　we　entered；　it　looked　
comfortable　enough；　however；　there　was　an　excellent　fire　of　wood　
and　coals；　and　a　very　snug　chimney　corner。　　John　Jones　called　
aloud；　but　for　some　time　no　one　answered；　at　last　a　rather　good…
looking　woman；　seemingly　about　thirty；　made　her　appearance　at　a　
door　at　the　farther　end　of　the　kitchen。　　〃Is　the　mistress　at　home；〃　
said　Jones；　〃or　the　master？〃

〃They　are　neither　at　home；〃　said　the　woman；　〃the　master　is　abroad　
at　his　work；　and　the　mistress　is　at　the　farm…house　of　…　three　miles　
off　to　pick　feathers　（trwsio　plu）。〃　　She　asked　us　to　sit　down。

〃And　who　are　you？〃　said　I。

〃I　am　only　a　lodger；〃　said　she；　〃I　lodge　here　with　my　husband　who　
is　a　clog…maker。〃

〃Can　you　speak　English？〃　said　I。

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　she；　〃I　lived　eleven　years　in　England；　at　a　place　
called　Bolton；　where　I　married　my　husband；　who　is　an　Englishman。〃

〃Can　he　speak　Welsh？〃　said　I。

〃Not　a　word；〃　said　she。　　〃We　always　speak　English　together。〃

John　Jones　sat　down；　and　I　looked　about　the　room。　　It　exhibited　no　
appearance　of　poverty；　there　was　plenty　of　rude　but　good　furniture　
in　it；　several　pewter　plates　and　trenchers　in　a　rack；　two　or　three　
prints　in　frames　against　the　wall；　one　of　which　was　the　likeness　of　
no　less　a　person　than　the　Rev。　Joseph　Sanders；　on　the　table　was　a　
newspaper。　　〃Is　that　in　Welsh？〃　said　I。

〃No；〃　replied　the　woman；　〃it　is　the　BOLTON　CHRONICLE；　my　husband　
reads　it。〃

I　sat　down　in　the　chimney…corner。　　The　wind　was　now　howling　abroad；　
and　the　rain　was　beating　against　the　cottage　panes　…　presently　a　
gust　of　wind　came　down　the　chimney；　scattering　sparks　all　about。　　
〃A　cataract　of　sparks！〃　said　I；　using　the　word　Rhaiadr。

〃What　is　Rhaiadr？〃　said　the　woman；　〃I　never　heard　the　word　before。〃

〃Rhaiadr　means　water　tumbling　over　a　rock；〃　said　John　Jones　…　〃did　
you　never　see　water　tumble　over　the　top　of　a　rock？〃

〃Frequently；〃　said　she。

〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃even　as　the　water　with　its　froth　tumbles　over　the　
rock；　so　did　sparks　and　fire　tumble　over　the　front　of　that　grate　
when　the　wind　blew　down　the　chimney。　　It　was　a　happy　comparison　of　
the　Gwr　Boneddig；　and　with　respect　to　Rhaiadr　it　is　a　good　old　
word；　though　not　a　common　one；　some　of　the　Saxons　who　have　read　the　
old　writings；　though　they　cannot　speak　the　language　as　fast　as　we；　
understand　many　words　and　things　which　we　do　not。〃

〃I　forgot　much　of　my　Welsh　in　the　land　of　the　Saxons；〃　said　the　
woman；　〃and　so　have　many　others；　there　are　plenty　of　Welsh　at　
Bolton；　but　their　Welsh　is　sadly　corrupted。〃

She　then　went　out　and　presently　returned　with　an　infant　in　her　arms　
and　sat　down。　　〃Was　that　child　born　in　Wales？〃　I　demanded。

〃No；〃　said　she；　〃he　was　born　at　Bolton；　about　eighteen　months　ago　…　
we　have　been　here　only　a　year。〃

〃Do　many　English；〃　said　I；　〃marry　Welsh　wives？〃

〃A　great　many；〃　said　she。　　〃Plenty　of　Welsh　girls　are　married　to　
Englishmen　at　Bolton。〃

〃Do　the　Englishmen　make　good　husbands？〃　said　I。

The　woman　smiled　and　presently　sighed。

〃Her　husband；〃　said　Jones；　〃is　fond　of　a　glass　of　ale　and　is　often　
at　the　public…house。〃

〃I　make　no　complaint；〃　said　the　woman；　looking　somewhat　angrily　at　
John　Jones。

〃Is　your　husband　a　tall　bulky　man？〃　said　I。

〃Just　so；〃　said　the　woman。

〃The　largest　of　the　two　men　we　saw　the　other　night　at　the　public…
house　at　Llansanfraid；〃　said　I　to　John　Jones。

〃I　don't　know　him；〃　said　Jones；　〃though　I　have　heard　of　him；　but　I　
have　no　doubt　that　was　he。〃

I　asked　the　woman　how　her　husband　could　carry　on　the　trade　of　a　
clog…maker　in　such　a　remote　place　…　and　also　whether　he　hawked　his　
clogs　about　the　country。

〃We　call　him　a　clog…maker；〃　said　the　woman；　〃but　the　truth　is　that　
he　merely　cuts　down　the　wood　and　fashions　it　into　squares；　these　
are　taken　by　an　under…master　who　sends　them　to　the　manufacturer　at　
Bolton；　who　employs　hands；　who　make　them　into　clogs。〃

〃Some　of　the　English；〃　said　Jones；　〃are　so　poor　that　they　cannot　
afford　to　buy　shoes；　a　pair　of　shoes　cost　ten　or　twelve　shillings；　
whereas　a　pair　of　clogs　only　cost　two。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃that　what　you　call　clogs　are　wooden　shoes。〃

〃Just　so；〃　said　Jones　…　〃they　are　principally　used　in　the　
neighbourhood　of　Manchester。〃

〃I　have　seen　them　at　Huddersfield；〃　said　I；　〃when　I　was　a　boy　at　
school　there；　of　what　wood　are　they　made？〃

〃Of　the　gwern；　or　alder　tree；〃　said　the　woman；　〃of　which　there　is　
plenty　on　both　sides　of　the　brook。〃

John　Jones　now　asked　her　if　she　could　give　him　a　tamaid　of　bread；　
she　said　she　could；　〃and　some　butter　with　it。〃

She　then　went　out　and　presently　returned　with　a　loaf　and　some　
butter。

〃Had　you　not　better　wait；〃　said　I；　〃till　we　get　to　the　inn　at　
Llansanfraid？〃

The　woman；　however；　begged　him　to　eat　some　bread　and　butter　where　
he　was；　and　cutting　a　plateful；　placed　it　before　him；　having　first　
offered　me　some　which　I　declined。

〃But　you　have　nothing　to　drink　with　it；〃　said　I　to　him。

〃If　you　please；〃　said　the　woman；　〃I　will　go　for　a　pint　of　ale　to　
the　public…house　at　the　Pandy；　there　is　better　ale　there　than　at　
the　inn　at　Llansanfraid。　　When　my　husband　goes　to　Llansanfraid　he　
goes　less　for　the　ale　than　for　the　conversation；　because　there　is　
little　English　spoken　at　the　Pandy　however　good　the　ale。〃

John　Jones　said　he　wanted　no　ale　…　and　attacking　the　bread　and　
butter　speedily　made　an　end　of　it；　by　the　time　he　had　done　the　
storm　was　over；　and　getting　up　I　gave　the　child　twopence；　and　left　
the　cottage　with　Jones。　　We　proceeded　some　way　farther　up　the　
valley；　till　we　came　to　a　place　where　the　ground　descended　a　
little。　　Here　Jones　touching　me　on　the　shoulder　pointed　across　the　
stream。　　Following　with　my　eye　the　direction　of　his　finger；　I　saw　
two　or　three　small　sheds　with　a　number　of　small　reddish　blocks　in　
regular　piles　beneath　them。　　Several　trees　felled　from　the　side　of　
the　torrent　were　lying　near；　some　of　them　stripped　of　their　arms　
and　bark。　　A　small　tree　formed　a　bridge　across　the　brook　to　the　
sheds。

〃It　is　there；〃　said　John　Jones；　〃that　the　husband　of　the　woman　with　
whom　we　have　been　speaking　works；　felling　trees　from　the　alder　
swamp　and　cutting　them　up　into　blocks。　　I　see　there　is　no　work　
going　on　at　present　or　we　would　go　over　…　the　woman　told　me　that　
her　husband　was　at　Llangollen。〃

〃What　a　strange　place　to　come　to　work　at；〃　said　I；　〃out　of　crowded　
England。　　Here　is　nothing　to　be　heard　but　the　murmuring　of　waters　
and　the　rushing　of　wind　down　the　gulleys。　　If　the　man's　head　is　not　
full　of　poetical　fancies；　which　I　suppose　it　is　not；　as　in　that　
case　he　would　be　unfit　for　any　useful　employment；　I　don't　wonder　at　
his　occasionally　going　to　the　public…house。〃

After　going　a　little　further　up　the　glen　and　observing　nothing　more　
remarkable　than　we　had　seen　already；　we　turned　back。　　Being　
overtaken　by　another　violent　shower　just　as　we　reached　the　Pandy　I　
thought　that　we　could　do　no　better　than　shelter　ourselves　within　
the　public…house；　and　taste　the　ale；　which　the　wife　of　the　clog…
maker　had　praised。　　We　entered　the　little　hostelry　which　was　one　of　
two　or　three　shabby…looking　houses；　standing　in　contact；　close　by　
the　Ceiriog。　　In　a　kind　of　little　back　room；　lighted　by　a　good　fire　
and　a　window　which　looked　up　the　Ceiriog　valley；　we　found　the　
landlady；　a　gentlewoman　with　a　wooden　leg；　who　on　perceiving　me　got　
up　from　a　chair；　and　made　me　the　best　curtsey　that　I　ever　saw　made　
by　a　female　with　such　a　substitute　for　a　leg　of　flesh　and　bone。　　
There　were　three　men；　sitting　with　jugs　of　ale　near　them　on　a　table　
by　the　fire；　two　were　seated　on　a　bench　by　the　wall；　and　the　other　
on　a　settle　with　a　high　back；　which　ran　from　the　wall　just　by　the　
door；　and　shielded　those　by　the　fire　from　the　draughts　of　the　
doorway。　　He　of　the　settle　no　sooner　beheld　me　than　he　sprang　up；　
and　placing　a　chair　for　me　by　the　fire　bade　me　in　English　be　
seated；　and　then　resumed　his　own　seat。　　John　Jones　soon　finding　a　
chair　came　and　sat　down　by　me；　when　I　forthwith　called　for　a　quart　
of　cwrw　da。　　The　landl