le are not Welsh; a man is not a horse
because he happens to be born in a stable."

"Is that young woman your wife?" said I.

"Yes;" said he, "after a fashion"--and then he leered at the lass, and
she leered at him.

"Do you attend any place of worship?" said I.

"A great many, master!"

"What place do you chiefly attend?" said I.

"The Chequers, master!"

"Do they preach the best sermons there?" said I.

"No, master! but they sell the best ale there."

"Do you worship ale?" said I.

"Yes, master, I worships ale."

"Anything else?" said I.

"Yes, master! I and my mort worships something besides good ale; don't
we, Sue?" and then he leered at the mort, who leered at him, and both
made odd motions backwards and forwards, causing the baskets which hung
round them to creak and rustle, and uttering loud shouts of laughter,
which roused the echoes of the neighbouring hills.

"Genuine descendants, no doubt," said I to myself as I walked briskly on,
"of certain of the old heathen Saxons who followed Rag into Wales and
settled down about the house which he built. Really, if these two are a
fair specimen of the Wrexham population, my friend the Scotch policeman
was not much out when he said that the people of Wrexham were the worst
people in Wales."

CHAPTER LXVI

Sycharth--The Kindly Welcome--Happy Couple--Sycharth--Recalling the
Dead--Ode to Sycharth.

I was now at the northern extremity of the valley near a great house past
which the road led in the direction of the north-east. Seeing a man
employed in breaking stones I inquired the way to Sychnant.

"You must turn to the left," said he, "before you come to yon great
house, follow the path which you will find behind it, and you will soon
be in Sychnant."

"And to whom does the great house belong?"

"To whom? why, to Sir Watkin."

"Does he reside there?"

"Not often. He has plenty of other houses, but he sometimes comes there
to hunt."

"What is the place's name?"

"Llan Gedwin."

I turned to the left, as the labourer had directed me. The path led
upward behind the great house round a hill thickly planted with trees.
Following it I at length found myself on a broad road on the top
extending east and west, and having on the north and south beautiful
wooded hills. I followed the road which presently began to descend. On
reaching level ground I overtook a man in a waggoner's frock, of whom I
inquired the way to Sycharth. He pointed