By Berwen Banks

terests, it is still, in the opinion of its inhabitants, next to London, the most important place in the United Kingdom. It has its church and three chapels, its mayor and corporatio

itself contentedly to its

disreputable after its few hours of dissipation, the dusty High Street being littered with scraps of paper, orange-peel, and such like déb

o, the ostler, and Roberts, the farrier, agreed in their verdict for a wonder; and Caradoc Wynne

he said. "Well, I'll leave him under your care, Rob

," said Roberts, "for

hat will give him one d

im up gently

trouble," and, with a pat on Captain's flank and a douceur in Deio's ready palm, he turned to leave the yard. Looking back from under t

owever, I shall soon have left it behind me," and he stepped out briskly towar

led Captain back to his stall. "See the old 'Vicare du' hunting between his coppers f

n enough, but just; always pays his bills regular

say the devil isn't

e person in question w

l, broad-shouldered man, with health and youthful energy expressed in every limb and feature, with jet black hair and sparkling eyes to match. His dark, almost swarthy face, was l

in the open market hall as he passed, and a

will. I don't suppose my father would notice my absence, so long as I was h

een the home also of his ancestors for generations, which, to a Welshman, means a great deal, for the ties of home are in the

very rarely, for his father never spoke of her, and old Betto, the head servant, but seldom, and then with such evident sadness and reticence, that an undefined, though none the less crushing fear, had haunted him from childhood upwards. As he stepped out so bravely this soft spring even

ft, the sea lay soft and grey in the twilight, and the moon rose full and bright on his right. The evening air was very still, but an occasional

banks my love

day in su

e carols lou

birds fly d

banks the sto

en river

waves my lov

anks my love

dred yards in front of him. "Who's that, I wonder?" he though

forget that

orget that w

o more she

banks are

going to run after an old woman who evidently does not want my company." And he tramped steadily on under the fast darkening sky. For quite three miles he had followed the vanishing form, and as he reached the top of the moor, he began to feel irritated by the persistent manner in which his fellow-traveller refused to shorten the distance between them. It roused within him the spirit of resistance, and he could be very dogged sometimes in spite of his easy manner. Having once determi

ope I have not frightened you by s

because I am not used to be out in the night. The rabbits hav

y brave of you to walk

c al

t is not so far,

ive at Ab

d the edge of the cliff

d Cardo; "the mil

e, and up to the top of

en? That is

, ind

c Wynne, and I li

heard plenty about you, and abo

have not heard much good of him;

he is not very kind to you; that he is making you t

better than any other work; it is my own free choice. Besides, can I not be a farmer and a gentle

aid the girl;

eat-grandfather, and all t

g tone, as though making sure of the fresh information; "I do not know

h they were nearing, and which they must compass before reaching the valley of the Berwen. "H

urse. You can hea

t know anyone at Traeth Berwen cou

golden hair; he saw her dress was grey and her hood was red. So much the moonlight revealed, but further than this he coul

the niece of Essec

e escaped from the

ve!" h

was unconscious of it, however, and strode on in silence, until they reached a rough-built, moss-grown bridge, and here they both stopped as if by mutual conse

here," said Valmai. "But why do you say a

ut I could not help thinking how shocked my father

d spreading its contents on the low wall. "See!" she said, in alm

d down at her, that it

eet they call 'The Mwntroyd.' Here is a silver ship, and he

r," said Cardo. "I will have the lassie,

y basket." And she proceeded to spread them out and divide them;

were standing on the same bridge and looki

same gingerbread

There woul

ng thoughtfully up in her com

could feel towards y

sometimes with me,

I suppose?

girl; "that is true, w

meeting he is praying

k that the Vicare is p

y even

aid Cardo. "Then I'm afraid we can

the girl's rippling ton

ith the gurgle

d-night here, because it is down by the side of the river is my way to D

reparing to help his companion over the sto

her hands; "it will be a mil

hing on such a

nks of the stream. The path was but little defined, and evidently seldom trodden; the stream gurgled and lisped under the brushwood; the moon looked down upon

alley broadened out somewhat, until there was room for a grassy, velvet meadow, at the further corner of which stood

ns look in that co

dow?" said Valmai, in a frightened whisper, a

e she comes sailing ou

n hear the sea, and at the beginning of

t turn in the opposi

. "Well, I have never

Will they be waiting f

in

e, indeed, since my mother is dead. Perhaps to-morrow my uncle might say, 'Where is Valmai? She has never brought me my book.' Here

d Flemings, who settled

bout that! Will you tell me

will that be? I have been wondering all the e

Berwen, after its chequered career, subsided qu

uldn't see me much before, because only six weeks it is since I am here. Before that I was living far, far away. Have you ever heard of Patagonia? Well then, my fath

o wonder you dropped upon me so suddenly

laughed

y friends, and my nurse was Spanish, so I learnt to speak Welsh and Spanish; but English, only what I learnt from my father and from books. I don't know it quite easy yet, but I am coming better every day I think. My father and mother are dead, both of them-only a few days between them. Another kind missionary's wif

described my father and my home! I think we

where the sea-horses were tossing up their white manes in the

red hand in a firm, warm grasp. "Will we meet

lmai, as she began the

after her, and as she turne

, I

, and disappeared

tramped off in the opposite dir

an." A favourite e

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