By Berwen Banks

A day or two later on, the weather changed, the wind blew up in angry

soughs from the south-west, and, meeting the strong flow of the spring

tide, curled the green wave-tops into those small feathers of foam,

always the fore-runners of rough weather. The sea-gulls let themselves

go before the wind calling to each other excitedly, the little

sea-crows stayed quietly at home in the safe crannies of the cliff.

Old Dan Griffiths the fisherman hauled his boat further up the strand,

and everything betokened the brewing of a storm, nevertheless Valmai

was out early. Her small household duties had been attended to. She

had skimmed the cream in the dairy, and fed the new calf; she had

scattered the grain before the flocks of fowls and pigeons in the

farm-yard; had brushed her uncle's coat, and, while helping him to

shuffle into it, had asked him: "Are you going from home to-day, uncle?"

"Yes, merch i, didn't I tell you? I am going to a meeting at Pen

Morien, and won't be back to-night."

"Are you going to walk?"

"Why, no! ride, of course. Where's Malen?"

"I think Shoni was just putting her into the cart."

"Oh! I forgot to tell him," said the absent-minded man. "Tell him to

saddle her, and bring her here at once."

Valmai ran out, and picking her way daintily through the stubble of the

farm-yard, caught sight of Shoni fastening the last buckle of Malen's

cart harness.

"Wants her saddled?" he said, looking hot and flustered. "Dear, dear!

there never was such a man! Wasn't I settle with him yesterday to take

the two pigs to the fair to be sell? There's what it is to live in the

clouds!" and, grumbling, he unfastened the buckles, and soon led Malen

saddled and bridled to the door.

"Didn't you tell me we was to sell the pigs to-day?" he said sulkily,

as soon as his master was seated safely on the saddle.

Essec Powell, who had for some time been hopping about on one leg,

finding it difficult to mount the spirited Malen, now looked

thoughtfully at Shoni.

"Pigs," he said, "pigs? Oh, of course; yes, Shoni, quite right, you

shall take them to market tomorrow."

"To-day is the fair; you had forgotten that, I suppose."

"Well, well! next week will do," and he trotted away, Shoni looking

after him with undisguised contempt.

"There's a man, now," he said in English, for he was proud of his

proficiency in that language. "Wass you ever see such a man? I tell

you, Valmai, he would be ruined and put in gaol for debt long ago if I

wasn't keep him out of it."

"Yes, I think--indeed, Shoni, I am sure of it; but where is the fair

to-day?"