rious articles of
female attire lying about. The spirit of knight-errantry within me was
not, however, sufficiently strong to prevent me taking possession of the
female dormitory; so, forthwith divesting myself of every portion of my
habiliments, which were steaming like a boiling tea-kettle, I got into
bed between the blankets, and in a minute was fast in the arms of
Morpheus.

CHAPTER C

Morning--A Cheerless Scene--The Carter--Ode to Glamorgan--Startling
Halloo--One-sided Liberty--Clerical Profession--De Courcy--Love of the
Drop--Independent Spirit--Another People.

I slept soundly through the night. At about eight o'clock on the
following morning I got up and looked out of the window of my room, which
fronted the north. A strange scene presented itself: a roaring brook was
foaming along towards the west, just under the window. Immediately
beyond it was a bank, not of green turf, grey rock, or brown mould, but
of coal rubbish, coke and cinders; on the top of this bank was a fellow
performing some dirty office or other, with a spade and barrow; beyond
him, on the side of a hill, was a tramway, up which a horse was
straining, drawing a load of something towards the north-west. Beyond
the tramway was a grove of yellow-looking firs; beyond the grove a range
of white houses with blue roofs, occupied, I suppose, by miners and their
families; and beyond these I caught a sight of the mountain on the top of
which I had been the night before--only a partial one, however, as large
masses of mist were still hanging about it. The morning was moist and
dripping, and nothing could look more cheerless and uncomfortable than
the entire scene.

I put on my things, which were still not half dry, and went down into the
little parlour, where I found an excellent fire awaiting me, and a table
spread for breakfast. The breakfast was delicious, consisting of
excellent tea, buttered toast, and Glamorgan sausages, which I really
think are not a whit inferior to those of Epping. After breakfast I went
into the kitchen, which was now only occupied by two or three people.
Seeing a large brush on a dresser, I took it up, and was about to brush
my nether habiliments, which were terribly bespattered with half-dried
mire. Before, however, I could begin, up started one of the men, a wild,
shock-headed fellow dressed like a carter, in rough blue frieze coat,
yellow, broad corduroy trowsers, grey woollen stockings and highlows, and