re; and again I can only beg a hundred pardons."

"One is enough," said Shoni sulkily. "What you want?"

The painting paraphernalia strapped on Gwynne Ellis's back had not made
a favourable impression upon Shoni. He took him for one of the
"walking tramps" who infested the neighbourhood, and made an easy
living out of the hospitable Welsh farmers.

Valmai saw Shoni's mistake, and rebuked him in Welsh.

"There is nothing to pardon," she said, turning to Mr. Ellis, "and if
there is anything here that you would like to paint, I am sure my uncle
would be quite willing. Will I go and ask him?"

"Thank you very much; but if you go, the picture will be spoiled!"

But Valmai, taking no notice of the implied compliment, began her way
to the big door.

"This lovely white cow! do you think your uncle would allow me to paint
her?"

"Oh! yes, I am sure, indeed!" said Valmai, turning round; "but not
to-day, she has been ill--to-morrow she will be out in the field, and
then I will make a daisy chain for her, and she will look lovely in a
picture." And she passed out into the sunshine.

Gwynne Ellis heard a long-drawn "Oh!" of pleased surprise as she
discovered Cardo hovering about the door, and he considerately entered
into conversation with Shoni, endeavouring to express himself in his
mother-tongue, but with that hesitation and indistinctness common to
the dwellers in the counties bordering upon England, and to the
"would-be genteel" of too many other parts of Wales, who, perfectly
unconscious of the beauty of their own language, and ignorant of its
literature, affect English manners and customs, and often pretend that
English is more familiar to them than Welsh, a fatuous course of
conduct which brings upon them only the sarcasm of the lower classes,
and the contempt of the more educated.

"What you is clabbering about, man?" said Shoni indignantly. "Keep to
the English if that is your language, 'coss me is spoke English as well
as Welsh."

"Yes, I see you do," said Ellis, "and I am thankful to meet with a man
so learned. To know two languages means to look at everything from two
points of view--from two sides, I mean. A man who knows two languages
knows half as much again of everything as a man who can only speak one."

Shoni scratched his head; he was mollified by the stranger's evident
appreciation of his learning, but thought it necessary to keep his wits
about him.

"With these foreigns, you know, you ne