Welsh Journals

As part of that gradual amelioration by which failure is translated in the minds of the vanquished into moral victory, their attitude to her had somewhat softened. Already they regarded her defection indulgently as a piece of inexplicable, feminine folly for which she could hardly be held responsible. Mr. Thomas was pleased to be philosophical in the matter. It is strange," he said. I approached the girl she said no. You approached the girl: still she said no. A third (of whom the less said the better) approaches her and she consents Now what, Mr. Davies, what indeed can a woman's no mean ? Why," replied Mr. Davies with unusual promptitude, I think it must mean Ask me nicely.' Mr. Thomas was vastly pleased with this answer. I believe you are right he cried delightedly. Why, yes, that is so, Ask me nicely.' Then with jocular gravity he said, Mr. Davies, we must learn to ask nicely." Yes, by heavens we must," replied Mr. Davies fervently, or we shall never get on." Mr. Thomas who had all the time been observing the couple now became very agitated. They are going onto the foreshore," he said. Mr. Davies sighed and looked glum. He knew what that meant:. the old sea-wall; the stone slabs, boisterous but dry underneath the pier or those clumps of bushes by nature designed for hiding-places which Mr. Thomas, who said he had been there, called cwtches.' How nicely," said Mr. Davies, how nicely he must have asked." The subdued gentlemen sat there until darkness came. Darkness is a licence for many things. Now all were merry and blithesome, matched and mated on the promenade, save these two. They were at the focal point of things, since Mr. Thomas with his usual cunning had chosen a strategically situated seat. With the darkness people became bolder, and bolder their games. Coloured lights, red, blue, green and yellow that were festooned between the trees gave the carnival light to the occasion, illumined but did not illumine too much. Piercing female shrieks indicated that some new liberty had been taken, some new indecency perpetrated or fresh bawdiness devised to gladden their "hearts. Sometimes a gentleman, for sport, would seize a girl and twirl her round his finger. A fainthearted girl, fleeing from a too-importunate pursuer would flash with piteous screams past the