werful
attraction to Bertram,--he resolved to go forward in the track pointed
out. After advancing a couple of miles, he bent his steps through the
valley which opened on his left; and soon reached a humble ale-house
into which he turned for the sake of obtaining at the same time
refreshments and further directions for his route.

"How far do you call it, landlord, to the Abbey of Griffith ap Gauvon."

"To Ap Gauvon? Why let me see--it'll be a matter of eight miles; or
better than seven any way. But you'll never be thinking of going so far
to-night."

"Why,--is there any danger, then?"

"Nay, I don't know for that: we've now and then odd sort of folks come
up this way from the sea-side: but I reckon they wouldn't meddle of
_you_: for you'll never sure be going into the Abbey?"

"But, suppose I did, is there nobody at the Abbey or near it that could
give me a night's lodging?" The landlord stared with a keen expression
of wonder,--and answered, with some reserve, "Why who should there be
but the owls, and in summer time may be a few bats?"

"Well, perhaps I shall find a lodging somewhere in the neighbourhood:
meantime I would thank you to put me into the nearest road."

"Why, that's sooner said than done: its a d---d awkward cross-country
road, and there's few in this country can hit it. But the best way for
_you_ will be to keep right over the shoulder of yonder hill, and then
bear away under the hills to your right, till you come to the old
gallows of Pont-ar-Diawl: and there you must look about for somebody
able to put you in the way."

"An old gallows! Surely you can't have much need of a standing gallows
in a country so thinly peopled as this?"

"Why no, master; we don't make much use of it: not but there has been
some fine lads in my time that have taken their last look of day-light
on that gallows; and here and there you'll meet with an old body
amongst these hills that has the heart-ache when she looks that way.
But the gallows is partly built of stone: they say King Edward I. built
it, to hang the Welsh harpers on; by the dozen at once, I have heard
say. Well, all's one to you and me: by the score if it pleased him.

"But now-a-days I suppose it will not have many customers from the
harpers: what little business it has will lie chiefly among those 'odd
sort of folks from the sea-side,'--eh, landlord?"

"Why master, as to that, as long as folks do _me_ no harm, it's never
my way to say any thing ill