d, who still remained in the
posture I have described. He made no answer; whereupon, laying her hand
gently on his shoulder, she said, in the peculiar soft and tender tone
which I had heard her use on a former occasion, "Take comfort, Peter;
what has happened now to afflict thee?" Peter removed his hands from his
face. "The old pain, the old pain," said he; "I was talking with this
young man, and he would fain know what brought me here, he would fain
hear my tale, Winifred--my sin: O pechod Ysprydd Glan! O pechod Ysprydd
Glan!" and the poor man fell into a more fearful agony than before. Tears
trickled down Winifred's face, I saw them trickling by the moonlight, as
she gazed upon the writhing form of her afflicted husband. I arose from
my seat; "I am the cause of all this," said I, "by my folly and
imprudence, and it is thus I have returned your kindness and hospitality;
I will depart from you and wander my way." I was retiring, but Peter
sprang up and detained me. "Go not," said he, "you were not in fault; if
there be any fault in the case it was mine; if I suffer, I am but paying
the penalty of my own iniquity;" he then paused, and appeared to be
considering: at length he said, "Many things which thou hast seen and
heard connected with me require explanation; thou wishest to know my
tale, I will tell it thee, but not now, not to-night; I am too much
shaken."

Two evenings later, when we were again seated beneath the oak, Peter took
the hand of his wife in his own, and then, in tones broken and almost
inarticulate, commenced telling me his tale--the tale of the Pechod
Ysprydd Glan.

CHAPTER LXXV

Taking a Cup--Getting to Heaven--After Breakfast--Wooden
Gallery--Mechanical Habit--Reserved and Gloomy--Last Words--A Long
Time--From the Clouds--Ray of Hope--Momentary Chill--Pleasing
Anticipation.

"I was born in the heart of North Wales, the son of a respectable farmer,
and am the youngest of seven brothers.

"My father was a member of the Church of England, and was what is
generally called a serious man. He went to church regularly, and read
the Bible every Sunday evening; in his moments of leisure he was fond of
holding religious discourse both with his family and his neighbours.

"One autumn afternoon, on a week day, my father sat with one of his
neighbours taking a cup of ale by the oak table in our stone kitchen. I
sat near them, and listened to their discourse. I was at that time seven
year