By Berwen Banks

"No, no, no! Caton pawb! man, I'll show you a prettier picture than

that. She's a lovely creature! with brown velvet eyes, her forehead

all covered with little round curls."

"What! a friz?"

"Well, if you like to call it so. Lovely ears and a little soft nose,

the whole surmounted by a pair of short brown horns."

"Good heavens! the woman?"

"Why, no! the cow, of course!"

"Oh, I see; the friz and the brown eyes belong to a cow then,--but what

of her mistress? My dear fellow, don't waste all your poetry on the

cow."

"As I haven't much to spare, you think. Well, her mistress

is--Valmai!" and Cardo lifted his hat as he spoke.

Gwynne Ellis took two or three long puffs at his pipe, and looked

curiously at Cardo, who stood looking over at the glimmering light in

one of the windows at Dinas.

"Cardo Wynne, I am beginning to understand you; I have mistaken the

whole situation. Here have I been thinking myself the only man in the

place capable of appreciating its beauties properly--the only poetic

and artistic temperament amongst you all--and I gradually awake to find

myself but a humdrum, commonplace man of the world, who has dropped

into a nest of sweet things: earth, sea, and sky combining to form

pictures of beauty; picturesque rural life; an interesting and

mysterious host; an idyllic cow; a friend who, though unable, or

perhaps unwilling, to express his enthusiasm, yet thoroughly feels the

poetry of life; and, better than all, I find myself in close touch with

a real romantic love affair! Now, don't deny it, my dear fellow; I see

it all--I read it in your eyes--I know all about it. The pretty cow's

lovely mistress; and her name is--Valmai! How tender! My Welsh is

rather rusty, but I know that means 'sweet as May.' Oh, Cardo Wynne,

what a lucky dog you are!"

Cardo was still silent, and his friend continued, pointing to Dinas: "And there she dwells (haven't I seen your eyes attracted there

continually? Of course, there's the glimmer of her lamp!) high on the

breezy cliff, with the pure sea wind blowing around her, the light and

joy of her father's home, and soon to fly across the valley and lighten

up another home."

"Oh, stop, stop, for mercy's sake!" said Cardo. "Your Pegasus is

flying away with you to-night, Ellis. Your imagination is weaving a

picture which is far beside the truth. You have not guessed badly. I

do love Valmai, Corwen's mistress, and I wish to God the rest of the

picture were true."

"Pooh! my dear fellow, 'the course of true love,' you know, etc., etc.

It will all come right in time, of course; these things always do.

I'll manage it all for you. I delight in a love affair, especially one

that's got a little entangled, you know."