ort to you," said I to her.

"Very great," said she. "I know not what we should do without it in the
long winter evenings."

"Of what faith are you?" said I.

"We are Methodists," she replied.

"Then you are of the same faith as my friend here," said I.

"Yes, yes," said she, "we are aware of that. We all know honest John
Jones."

After we had left the gate I asked John Jones whether he had ever heard
of Rebecca of the toll-gates.

"Oh, yes," said he; "I have heard of that chieftainess."

"And who was she?" said I.

"I cannot say, sir; I never saw her, nor any one who had seen her. Some
say that there were a hundred Rebeccas, and all of them men dressed in
women's clothes, who went about at night, at the head of bands to break
the gates. Ah, sir, something of the kind was almost necessary at that
time. I am a friend of peace, sir, no head-breaker, house-breaker, nor
gate-breaker, but I can hardly blame what was done at that time, under
the name of Rebecca. You have no idea how the poor Welsh were oppressed
by those gates, aye, and the rich too. The little people and farmers
could not carry their produce to market owing to the exactions at the
gates, which devoured all the profit and sometimes more. So that the
markets were not half supplied, and people with money could frequently
not get what they wanted. Complaints were made to government, which not
being attended to, Rebecca and her byddinion made their appearance at
night, and broke the gates to pieces with sledge-hammers, and everybody
said it was gallant work, everybody save the keepers of the gates and the
proprietors. Not only the poor but the rich, said so. Aye, and I have
heard that many a fine young gentleman had a hand in the work, and went
about at night at the head of a band dressed as Rebecca. Well, sir,
those breakings were acts of violence, I don't deny, but they did good,
for the system is altered; such impositions are no longer practised at
gates as were before the time of Rebecca."

"Were any people ever taken up and punished for those nocturnal
breakings?" said I.

"No, sir; and I have heard say that nobody's being taken up was a proof
that the rich approved of the work and had a hand in it."

Night had come on by the time we reached the foot of the huge hills we
had crossed in the morning. We toiled up the ascent, and after crossing
the level ground on the top, plunged down the bwlch between walking and
running, occasiona