snatching the brush out of my hand, fell to brushing me most vigorously,
puffing and blowing all the time in a most tremendous manner. I did not
refuse his services, but let him go on, and to reward him as I thought,
spoke kindly to him, asking him various questions. "Are you a carter?"
said I. No answer. "One of Twm O'r Nant's people?" No answer. "Famous
fellow that Twm O'r Nant, wasn't he? Did you ever hear how he got the
great tree in at Carmarthen Gate? What is wood per foot at present?
Whom do you cart for? Or are you your own master? If so, how many
horses do you keep?"

To not one of these questions, nor to a dozen others which I put, both in
English and Welsh, did my friend with the brush return any verbal answer,
though I could occasionally hear a kind of stifled giggle proceeding from
him. Having at length thoroughly brushed not only my clothes, but my
boots and my hat, which last article he took from my head, and placed it
on again very dexterously, after brushing it, he put the brush down on
the dresser, and then advancing to me made me a bow, and waving his
forefinger backwards and forwards before my face, he said, with a broad
grin: "Nice gentleman--will do anything for him but answer questions, and
let him hear my discourse. Love to listen to his pleasant stories of
foreign lands, ghosts and tylwith teg; but before him, deem it wise to be
mum, quite mum. Know what he comes about. Wants to hear discourse of
poor man, that he may learn from it poor man's little ways and
infirmities, and mark them down in one small, little book to serve for
fun to Lord Palmerston and the other great gentlefolks in London. Nice
man, civil man, I don't deny; and clebber man too, for he knows Welsh,
and has been everywhere--but fox--old fox--lives at Plas y Cadno." {18}

Having been informed that there was a considerable iron foundry close by,
I thought it would be worth my while to go and see it. I entered the
premises, and was standing and looking round, when a man with the
appearance of a respectable mechanic came up and offered to show me over
the place. I gladly accepted his offer, and he showed me all about the
iron foundry. I saw a large steam-engine at full play, terrible
furnaces, and immense heaps of burning, crackling cinders, and a fiery
stream of molten metal rolling along. After seeing what there was to be
seen, I offered a piece of silver to my kind conductor, which he at once
refused. On my