Inn at Gutter Vawr - The Hurly-burly - Bara y Caws - Change of Manner - Welsh Mistrust - Wonders of Russia - The Emperor - The Grand Ghost Story.
THE old woman who confronted me in the passage of the inn turned out to be the landlady. On learning that I intended to pass the night at her house, she conducted me into a small room on the right-hand side of the passage, which proved to be the parlour. It was cold and comfortless, for there was no fire in the grate. She told me, however, that one should be lighted, and going out, presently returned with a couple of buxom wenches, who I soon found were her daughters. The good lady had little or no English; the girls, however, had plenty, and of a good kind too. They soon lighted a fire, and then the mother inquired if I wished for any supper.
"Certainly," said I, "for I have not eaten anything since I left Llandovery. What can I have?""We have veal and bacon," said she.
"That will do," said I; "fry me some veal and bacon, and I shan't complain. But pray tell what prodigious noise is that which I hear on the other side of the passage?""It is only the miners and the carters in the kitchen ****** merry," said one of the girls.
"Is there a good fire there?" said I.
"Oh yes," said the girl, "we have always a good fire in the kitchen.""Well then," said I, "I shall go there till supper is ready, for Iam wet to the skin, and this fire casts very little heat.""You will find them a rough set in the kitchen," said the girl.
"I don't care if I do" said I; "when people are rough I am civil, and I have always found that civility beats roughness in the long run." Then going out I crossed the passage and entered the kitchen.
It was nearly filled with rough unkempt fellows, smoking, drinking, whistling, singing, shouting or jabbering, some in a standing, some in a sitting, posture. My entrance seemed at once to bring everything to a dead stop; the smokers ceased to smoke, the hand that was conveying the glass or the mug to the mouth was arrested in air, the hurly-burly ceased and every eye was turned upon me with a strange inquiring stare. Without allowing myself to be disconcerted I advanced to the fire, spread out my hands before it for a minute, gave two or three deep "ahs" of comfort, and then turning round said: "Rather a damp night, gentlemen - fire cheering to one who has come the whole way from Llandovery - Taking a bit of a walk in Wales, to see the scenery and to observe the manners and customs of the inhabitants - Fine country, gentlemen, noble prospects, hill and dale - Fine people too - open-hearted and generous; no wonder! descendants of the Ancient Britons - Hope Idon't intrude - other room rather cold and smoking - If I do, will retire at once - don't wish to interrupt any gentleman in their avocations or deliberations - scorn to do anything ungenteel or calculated to give offence - hope I know how to behave myself -ought to do so - learnt grammar at the High School at Edinburgh.""Offence, intrusion!" cried twenty voices. "God bless your honour!
no intrusion and no offence at all; sit down - sit here - won't you drink?""Please to sit here, sir," said an old grimy-looking man, getting up from a seat in the chimney-corner - "this is no seat for me whilst you are here, it belongs to you - sit down in it," and laying hold of me he compelled me to sit down in the chair of dignity, whilst half-a-dozen hands pushed mugs of beer towards my face; these, however, I declined to partake of on the very satisfactory ground that I had not taken supper, and that it was a bad thing to drink before eating, more especially after coming out of a mist.
"Have you any news to tell of the war, sir?" said a large tough fellow, who was smoking a pipe.
"The last news that I heard of the war," said I, "was that the snow was two feet deep at Sebastopol.""I heard three," said the man; "however, if there be but two it must be bad work for the poor soldiers. I suppose you think that we shall beat the Russians in the end.""No, I don't," said I; "the Russians are a young nation and we are an old; they are coming on and we are going off; every dog has its day.""That's true," said the man, "but I am sorry that you think we shall not beat the Russians, for the Russians are a bad set.""Can you speak Welsh?" said a darkish man with black, bristly hair and a small inquisitive eye.
"Oh, I know two words in Welsh," said I; "bara y caws.""That's bread and cheese," said the man, then turning to a neighbour of his he said in Welsh: "He knows nothing of Cumraeg, only two words; we may say anything we please; he can't understand us. What a long nose he has!""Mind that he an't nosing us," said his neighbour. "I should be loth to wager that he doesn't understand Welsh; and, after all, he didn't say that he did not, but got off by saying he understood those two words.""No, he doesn't understand Welsh," said the other; "no Sais understands Welsh, and this is a Sais. Now with regard to that piece of job-work which you and I undertook." And forthwith he and the other entered into a disquisition about the job-work.
The company soon got into its old train, drinking and smoking and ****** a most terrific hullabaloo. Nobody took any farther notice of me. I sat snug in the chimney-corner, trying to dry my wet things, and as the heat was very great, partially succeeded. In about half-an-hour one of the girls came to tell me that my supper was ready, whereupon I got up and said:
"Gentlemen, I thank you for your civility; I am now going to supper; perhaps before I turn in for the night I may look in upon you again." Then without waiting for an answer I left the kitchen and went into the other room, where I found a large dish of veal cutlets and fried bacon awaiting me, and also a smoking bowl of potatoes. Ordering a jug of ale I sat down, and what with hunger and the goodness of the fare, for everything was first-rate, made one of the best suppers I ever made in my life.