wild wales-第76章

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speak　very　much　my　own　opinion。　　However；　as　I　am　an　unprejudiced　
person；　like　yourself；　I　wish　to　do　justice　to　other　countries　…　
the　States　are　fine　countries　…　but　there　are　other　fine　countries　
in　the　world。　　I　say　nothing　of　England；　catch　me　saying　anything　
good　of　England；　but　I　call　Wales　a　fine　country；　gainsay　it　who　
may；　I　call　Wales　a　fine　country。〃

〃So　it　is；　Mr。〃

〃I'll　go　farther；〃　said　I；　〃I　wish　to　do　justice　to　everything：　　I　
call　the　Welsh　a　fine　language。〃

〃So　it　is；　Mr。　　Ah；　I　see　you　are　an　unprejudiced　man。　　You　don't　
understand　Welsh；　I　guess。〃

〃I　don't　understand　Welsh；〃　said　I；　〃I　don't　understand　Welsh。　　
That's　what　I　call　a　good　one。〃

〃Medrwch　siarad　Cumraeg？〃　said　the　short　figure　spitting　on　the　
carpet。

〃Medraf；〃　said　I。

〃You　can；　Mr！　　Well；　if　that　don't　whip　the　Union。　　But　I　see：　　you　
were　born　in　the　States　of　Welsh　parents。〃

〃No　harm　in　being　born　in　the　States　of　Welsh　parents；〃　said　I。

〃None　at　all；　Mr；　I　was　myself；　and　the　first　language　I　learnt　to　
speak　was　Welsh。　　Did　your　people　come　from　Bala；　Mr？〃

〃Why　no！　　Did　yourn？〃

〃Why　yaas　…　at　least　from　the　neighbourhood。　　What　State　do　you　
come　from？　　Virginny？〃

〃Why　no！〃

〃Perhaps　Pensilvany　country？〃

〃Pensilvany　is　a　fine　State；〃　said　I。

〃So　it　is；　Mr。　Oh；　that　is　your　State；　is　it？　　I　come　from　
Varmont。〃

〃You　do；　do　you？　　Well；　Varmont　is　not　a　bad　state；　but　not　equal　
to　Pensilvany；　and　I'll　tell　you　two　reasons　why；　first　it　has　not　
been　so　long　settled；　and　second　there　is　not　so　much　Welsh　blood　
in　it　as　there　is　in　Pensilvany。〃

〃Is　there　much　Welsh　blood　in　Pensilvany　then？〃

〃Plenty；　Mr；　plenty。　　Welsh　flocked　over　to　Pensilvany　even　as　far　
back　as　the　time　of　William　Pen；　who　as　you　know；　Mr；　was　the　first　
founder　of　the　Pensilvany　State。　　And　that　puts　me　in　mind　that　
there　is　a　curious　account　extant　of　the　adventures　of　one　of　the　
old　Welsh　settlers　in　Pensilvania。　　It　is　to　be　found　in　a　letter　
in　an　old　Welsh　book。　　The　letter　is　dated　1705；　and　is　from　one　
Huw　Jones；　born　of　Welsh　parents　in　Pensilvany　country；　to　a　cousin　
of　his　of　the　same　name　residing　in　the　neighbourhood　of　this　very　
town　of　Bala　in　Merionethshire；　where　you　and　I；　Mr；　now　are。　　It　
is　in　answer　to　certain　inquiries　made　by　the　cousin；　and　is　
written　in　pure　old　Welsh　language。　　It　gives　an　account　of　how　the　
writer's　father　left　this　neighbourhood　to　go　to　Pensilvania；　how　
he　embarked　on　board　the　ship　WILLIAM　PEN；　how　he　was　thirty　weeks　
on　the　voyage　from　the　Thames　to　the　Delaware。　　Only　think；　Mr；　of　
a　ship　now…a…days　being　thirty　weeks　on　the　passage　from　the　Thames　
to　the　Delaware　river；　how　he　learnt　the　English　language　on　the　
voyage；　how　he　and　his　companions　nearly　perished　with　hunger　in　
the　wild　wood　after　they　landed；　how　Pensilvania　city　was　built；　
how　he　became　a　farmer　and　married　a　Welsh　woman；　the　widow　of　a　
Welshman　from　shire　Denbigh；　by　whom　he　had　the　writer　and　several　
other　children；　how　the　father　used　to　talk　to　his　children　about　
his　native　region　and　the　places　round　about　Bala；　and　fill　their　
breasts　with　longing　for　the　land　of　their　fathers；　and　finally　how　
the　old　man　died　leaving　his　children　and　their　mother　in　
prosperous　circumstances。　　It　is　a　wonderful　letter；　Mr；　all　
written　in　the　pure　old　Welsh　language。〃

〃I　say；　Mr；　you　are　a　cute　one　and　know　a　thing　or　two。　　I　suppose　
Welsh　was　the　first　language　you　learnt；　like　myself？〃

〃No；　it　wasn't　…　I　like　to　speak　the　truth　…　never　took　to　either　
speaking　or　reading　the　Welsh　language　till　I　was　past　sixteen。〃

〃'Stonishing！　but　see　the　force　of　blood　at　last。　　In　any　line　of　
business？〃

〃No；　Mr；　can't　say　I　am。〃

〃Have　money　in　your　pocket；　and　travel　for　pleasure。　　Come　to　see　
father's　land。〃

〃Come　to　see　old　Wales。　　And　what　brings　you　here；　Hiraeth？〃

〃That's　longing。　　No；　not　exactly。　　Came　over　to　England　to　see　
what　I　could　do。　　Got　in　with　house　at　Liverpool　in　the　drapery　
business。　　Travel　for　it　hereabouts；　having　connections　and　
speaking　the　language。　　Do　branch　business　here　for　a　banking…house　
besides。　　Manage　to　get　on　smartly。〃

〃You　look　a　smart　'un。　　But　don't　you　find　it　sometimes　hard　to　
compete　with　English　travellers　in　the　drapery　line？〃

〃I　guess　not。　　English　travellers！　set　of　nat'rals。　　Don't　know　the　
language　and　nothing　else。　　Could　whip　a　dozen　any　day。　　Regularly　
flummox　them。〃

〃You　do；　Mr？　　Ah；　I　see　you're　a　cute　'un。　　Glad　to　have　met　you。〃

〃I　say；　Mr；　you　have　not　told　me　from　what　county　your　forefathers　
were。〃

〃From　Norfolk　and　Cornwall　counties。〃

〃Didn't　know　there　were　such　counties　in　Wales。〃

〃But　there　are　in　England。〃

〃Why；　you　told　me　you　were　of　Welsh　parents。〃

〃No；　I　didn't。　　You　told　yourself　so。〃

〃But　how　did　you　come　to　know　Welsh？〃

〃Why；　that's　my　bit　of　a　secret。〃

〃But　you　are　of　the　United　States？〃

〃Never　knew　that　before。〃

〃Mr；　you　flummox　me。〃

〃Just　as　you　do　the　English　drapery　travellers。　　Ah；　you're　a　cute　
'un　…　but　do　you　think　it　altogether　a　cute　trick　to　stow　all　those　
sovereigns　in　that　drawer？〃

〃Who　should　take　them　out；　Mr？〃

〃Who　should　take　them　out？　　Why；　any　of　the　swell　mob　that　should　
chance　to　be　in　the　house　might　unlock　the　drawer　with　their　flash　
keys　as　soon　as　your　back　is　turned；　and　take　out　all　the　coin。〃

〃But　there　are　none　of　the　swell　mob　here。〃

〃How　do　you　know；　that？〃　said　I；　〃the　swell　mob　travel　wide　about　…　
how　do　you　know　that　I　am　not　one　of　them？〃

〃The　swell　mob　don't　speak　Welsh；　I　guess。〃

〃Don't　be　too　sure　of　that；〃　said　I　…　〃the　swell　coves　spare　no　
expense　for　their　education　…　so　that　they　may　be　able　to　play　
parts　according　to　circumstances。　　I　strongly　advise　you；　Mr；　to　
put　that　bag　somewhere　else　lest　something　should　happen　to　it。〃

〃Well；　Mr；　I'll　take　your　advice。　　These　are　my　quarters；　and　I　was　
merely　going　to　keep　the　money　here　for　convenience'　sake。　　The　
money　belongs　to　the　bank；　so　it　is　but　right　to　stow　it　away　in　
the　bank　safe。　　I　certainly　should　be　loth　to　leave　it　here　with　
you　in　the　room；　after　what　you　have　said。〃　　He　then　got　up；　
unlocked　the　drawer；　took　out　the　bag；　and　with　a　〃Goodnight；　Mr；〃　
left　the　room。

I　〃trifled〃　over　my　brandy　and　water　till　I　finished　it；　and　then　
walked　forth　to　look　at　the　town。　　I　turned　up　a　street；　which　led　
to　the　east；　and　soon　found　myself　beside　the　lake　at　the　north…
west　extremity　of　which　Bala　stands。　　It　appeared　a　very　noble　
sheet　of　water　stretching　from　north　to　south　for　several　miles。　　
As；　however；　night　was　fast　coming　on　I　did　not　see　it　to　its　full　
advantage。　　After　gazing　upon　it　for　a　few　minutes　I　sauntered　back　
to　the　square；　or　marketplace；　and　leaning　my　back　against　a　wall；　
listened　to　the　conversation　of　two　or　three　groups　of　people　who　
were　standing　near；　my　motive　for　doing　so　being　a　desire　to　know　
what　kind　of　Welsh　they　spoke。　　Their　language　as　far　as　I　heard　it　
differed　in　scarcely　any　respect　from　that　of　Llangollen。　　I；　
however；　heard　very　little　of　it；　for　I　had　scarcely　kept　my　
station　a　minute　when　the　good　folks　became　uneasy；　cast　side…
glances　at　me；　first　dropped　their　conversation　to　whispers；　next　
held　their　tongues　altogether；　and　finally　moved　off；　some　going　to　
their　homes；　others　moving　to　a　distance　and　then　grouping　together　
…　even　certain　ragged　boys　who　were　playing　and　chattering　near　me　
became　uneasy；　first　stood　still；　then　stared　at　me；　and　then　took　
themselves　off　and　played　and　chattered　at　a　distance。　　Now　what　
was　the　cause　of　all　this？　　Why；　suspicion　of　the　Saxon。　　The　Welsh　
are　afraid　lest　an　Englishman　should　understand　their　language；　
and；　by　hearing　their　conversation；　become　acquainted　with　their　
private　affairs；　or　by　listening　to　it；　pick　up　their　language　
which　they　have　no　mind　that　he　should　know　…　and　their　very　
children　sympathise　with　them。　　All　conquered　people　are　suspicious　
of　their　conquerors；　The　English　have　forgot　that　they　ever　
conquered　the　Welsh；　but　some　ages　will　elapse　before　the　Welsh　
forget　that　the　English　have　conquered　them。