has no blessing to give."
"Surely if you are able to ask people to give you alms for the glory of
God, you are able to give a blessing."
"Bodderation! are ye going to give me sixpence?"
"No! here's a shilling for you! Take it and go in peace."
"There's no pace for me," said Johanna Colgan, taking the money. "What
did the monstrous female say to me? 'Biaidh an taifrionn gan sholas duit
a bhean shalach.' {23} This is my pace--hoorah! hoorah!" then giving two
or three grotesque topples she hurried away in the direction of Merthyr
Tydvil.
CHAPTER CVI
Pen y Glas--Salt of the Earth--The Quakers' Yard--The Rhugylgroen.
As I proceeded on my way the scenery to the south on the farther side of
the river became surprisingly beautiful. On that side noble mountains
met the view, green fields and majestic woods, the latter brown it is
true, for their leaves were gone, but not the less majestic for being
brown. Here and there were white farm-houses: one of them, which I was
told was called Pen y Glas, was a truly lovely little place. It stood on
the side of a green hill with a noble forest above it, and put me
wonderfully in mind of the hunting lodge, which Ifor Hael allotted as a
retreat to Ab Gwilym and Morfydd, when they fled to him from Cardigan to
avoid the rage of the Bow Bach, and whose charming appearance made him
say to his love:--
"More bliss for us our fate propounds
On Taf's green banks than Teivy's bounds."
On I wandered. After some time the valley assumed the form of an immense
basin, enormous mountains composed its sides. In the middle rose hills
of some altitude, but completely overcrowned by the mountains around.
These hills exhibited pleasant inclosures, and were beautifully dotted
with white farm-houses. Down below meandered the Taf, its reaches
shining with a silver-like splendour. The whole together formed an
exquisite picture, in which there was much sublimity, much still quiet
life, and not a little of fantastic fairy loveliness.
The sun was hastening towards the west as I passed a little cascade on
the left, the waters of which, after running under the road, tumbled down
a gully into the river. Shortly afterwards meeting a man I asked him how
far it was to Caerfili.
"When you come to the Quakers' Yard, which is a little way further on,
you will be seven miles from Caerfili."
"What is the Quakers' Yard?"
"A place where the people called Quakers bury their
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