te of existence which above all others would have galled
him beyond measure.

"I called up at the farm, Gwenda, and saw our young friend with the
lion locks. He was crossing the farmyard with a book under his arm,
which was still in a sling, but when I asked him about it he only
laughed (splendid teeth all those Garthowens have, old Ebben's even are
perfect)! He said his arm was quite well and he didn't know why Dr.
Hughes insisted upon keeping it in a sling. If he could only be sure,
he said, that the young lady's foot was not giving her more pain than
he felt he would be glad. I told him your foot was painful, but would
soon be all right. Well-spoken young man. By the by, all the men on
the field asked after you, and most of them said that was a brave
fellow who sprang at the bull. I told them it was one of Ebben Owens's
sons. Everybody knows him, you know. Very old family. At one time, I
am told, the Garthowen estate was a large one. Griffiths Plasdu's
grandfather bought a great deal of it, all that wooded land lying this
side of the moor. By the by, Captain Scott is coming round this way to
dine with us to-morrow and to stay the night. Pommy word, child, I
think he has taken a fancy to you. He seemed quite anxious about you.
Good-bye, my dear, I must go."

Gwenda turned her face to the window. The black elm branches swayed
against the evening sky, a brilliant star glittered through them, a
rising wind sighed mournfully and the girl sighed too.

"Yes, Captain Scott no doubt was interested in her, probably he would
propose to her, and if he did, probably she would accept him, with all
his money, his starting eyes, and his red nose! How dull and
uninteresting life is," she said. "I wonder what we are born for?"

* * * * * *

At Garthowen the stream of life was flowing on smoothly just then.
Will was happy and content. He had read the lessons on Sunday to Mr.
Price's entire satisfaction, clearly and with an evident understanding
of their meaning. Sometimes the roll of the "r's" and the lengthening
of the "o's" showed the Welshman's difficulty in pronouncing the
English tongue, but upon the whole, the accent was wonderfully good.
Above all things Will had taken pains to acquire the English tone of
speech, for he was sufficiently acute to know that however learned a
Welshman may be, his chances of success are seriously minimised by a
Welsh accent, therefore he had pai