ally failed. Even Uncle and Aunt Jonathan had their turn, and drove
over on purpose to canvass the matter; but as the elders disagreed upon
the various points at issue, it was no wonder that all remained much as
it was before the unfortunate meeting we have mentioned.

'For my part,' said Mrs Jonathan Prothero, when all were assembled,
except Netta, in family conclave, 'I cannot see so much against the
young man after all. Such a fortune as his is not to be met with every
day, and I must say he is very handsome and clever.'

Here we must remark that this lady's sentiments had undergone a change,
since it had been rumoured that Howel was worth more than a hundred
thousand pounds.

'I tell you what it is, ma'am,' roared the farmer, 'if he were worth his
weight in gold, he 'ouldn't be a good match for any prudent 'ooman. To
my certain knowledge he drinks and gambles, and he shall never have my
consent to marry Netta so long as I live, and you may tell him so.'

'I do not know enough of him, sir, to have any communication of the kind
with him,' said Mrs Jonathan, stiffly.

'My dear,' interposed mild Mrs Prothero, 'if he gets steady, and settles
down, it might be better to let them marry, than to make them miserable
for life.'

'_Study_! miserable! mother, you're a--I beg your pardon, but when
Howel's study, I'll turn to smoking cigars. Why, the very night of his
father's funeral he was half drunk, instead of being decent for once.'

'He couldn't care much for his father, my dear; you must make
allowances.'

'An odd man, that Griff, brother David,' said Mr Jonathan Prothero, as
if just awaking from a dream. 'Do you remember when we were lads
together, and used to go up to Garn Goch looking for treasures? I knew,
even then, that it was an old British encampment, and began to speculate
upon its date, and so on; you used to hunt rabbits, and provoke me by
overturning the walls, but Griff got it into his head that there was
money buried somewhere, and never ceased digging for it. At last he
found an old coin of very ancient date, and seeing that I wished to have
it, he bargained with me, until he got all the money I had for it. Of
course the coin was worth any money, and satisfactorily proves that Garn
Goch was an old British encampment at the time of the invasion of the
Romans.'

'Well, brother, you _are_ by the head! That old coin is nothing but a
well-used sixpence.'

'I have every reason to believe, and I am supp