rescent
moon rising behind the hill! Come, Ellis, you have given us a dose
this time!"

"Dose of what?" said Ellis, putting on his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Why! of romance--of poetry--of imagination of course!"

"Give you my word, my dear fellow, that's how it appears to me. You
are blind, dead to the beauties which surround you. Now, what would
that scene appear like to you?"

Cardo laughed. "Why, exactly what it appeared to you, Ellis, only I
like to tease you. I see all these beauties, old chap, though I lack
the power to pourtray them as you do."

"I believe you, Cardo, though I doubt if you realise the blessing you
enjoy in living amongst such picturesque scenes. To me, coming from a
flat, uninteresting country, it seems a privilege to thank God for on
your knees."

"Perhaps I feel it as much as you do, Ellis, though I couldn't put it
into words, all I know is, I had rather live here on five shillings a
week than I would on five pounds elsewhere."

"You are a matter-of-fact fellow. Five shillings a week indeed! and
five pounds--worse! If you were not so much bigger and stronger than
me I'd knock you down, Cardo. Come, let us have a stroll in the
moonlight."

And they went out, the one to rhapsodise and to quote poetry; the other
to shock his friend with his plain, unvarnished remarks, while his eyes
and thoughts crossed the valley, and followed the moonlight which
lightened up the old grey house looking down from the opposite hill.

"Where was Valmai?" He had caught a glimpse of her in the afternoon as
he returned from Abersethin, the path to which led him through Essec
Powell's fields. Caught a glimpse of her only, for as ill luck would
have it, as he crossed one corner of the field she was reaching the
gate at the further corner. Other maidens wore white frocks and straw
hats, but his heart told him that this was no other than Valmai. He
could hear her singing as she went, a long wreath of ox-eyed daisies
trailing behind her, the gate open and she was gone; but surely here
were signs of her recent presence, for round the horns of Corwen, the
queen of the herd of cows, was wreathed the rest of the daisy chain.
She was a beautiful white heifer, with curly forehead and velvet ears.
As Cardo approached and patted her neck, she looked softly at him out
of her liquid brown eyes shaded with long black lashes.

"She is a beauty!" said Cardo, looking at her with the critical eye of
a farmer, "and w