e; 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
years of age. They were talking of religious matters. "It is a hard
matter to get to heaven," said my father. "Exceedingly so," said the
other. "However, I don't despond; none need despair of getting to
heaven, save those who have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost."

'"Ah!" said my father, "thank God I never committed that--how awful must
be the state of a person who has committed the sin against the Holy
Ghost. I can scarcely think of it without my hair standing on end"; and
then my father and his friend began talking of the nature of the sin
against the Holy Ghost, and I heard them say what it was, as I sat with
greedy ears listening to their discourse.

'I lay awake the greater part of the night musing upon what I had heard.
I kept wondering to myself what must be the state of a person who had
committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, and how he must feel. Once or
twice I felt a strong inclination to commit it, a strange kind of fear,
however, prevented me; at last I determined not to commit it, and, having
said my prayers, I fell asleep.

'W