small
market-place, on the right-hand side of which stood an ancient looking
church. The place upon the whole put me very much in mind of an
Andalusian village overhung by its sierra. "Where is the inn?" said I to
my companion.

"Yonder it be;" said he pointing to a large house at the farther end of
the market-place. "Very good inn that--Talbot Arms--where they are
always glad to see English gentlemans." Then touching his hat, and
politely waving his hand, he turned on one side, and I saw him no more.

CHAPTER XCIII

Tregaron Church--The Minister--Good Morning--Tom Shone's Disguises--Tom
and the Lady--Klim and Catti.

I experienced very good entertainment at the Tregaron Inn, had an
excellent supper and a very comfortable bed. I arose at about eight in
the morning. The day was dull and misty. After breakfast, according to
my usual fashion, I took a stroll to see about. The town, which is very
small, stands in a valley, near some wild hills called the Berwyn, like
the range to the south of Llangollen. The stream, which runs through it
and which falls into the Teivi at a little distance from the town, is
called the Brennig, probably because it descends from the Berwyn hills.
These southern Berwyns form a very extensive mountain region, extending
into Brecon and Carmarthenshire, and contain within them, as I long
subsequently found, some of the wildest solitudes and most romantic
scenery in Wales. High up amidst them, at about five miles from
Tregaron, is a deep, broad lake which constitutes the source of the Towy,
a very beautiful stream, which after many turnings and receiving the
waters of numerous small streams discharges itself into Carmarthen Bay.

I did not fail to pay a visit to Tregaron church. It is an antique
building with a stone tower. The door being open, as the door of a
church always should be, I entered, and was kindly shown by the clerk,
whom I met in the aisle, all about the sacred edifice. There was not
much to be seen. Amongst the monuments was a stone tablet to John
Herbert, who died 1690. The clerk told me that the name of the clergyman
of Tregaron was Hughes; he said that he was an excellent, charitable man,
who preached the Gospel, and gave himself great trouble in educating the
children of the poor. He certainly seemed to have succeeded in teaching
them good manners: as I was leaving the church, I met a number of little
boys belonging to the church school: no sooner di