Welsh Journals

persuaded her father to lend the money, so that Timotheus' father could buy a second-hand van and three cows. But at that time Timo- theus hadn't joined the Army as a regular for a term of five years. Flexing her foot, she admired the chain of events that had brought her to the farm this afternoon: the loan, the van and cows, the crippling debt, and now the death of this valuable cow. 'Timotheus,' she cut into the flow of woe at last, taking her smile up to the photograph again, 'was home on leave a fortnight ago ? He didn't come up to the Lion for a drink.' 'Only for the week-end he was here,' his mother said, defensively; 'and had a bad cold-yes, indeed, I had to rub goose-fat on his chest.' Mair good-humouredly tittered at the lie. 'He looks strong as one of our beer barrels.' she said. Mrs Watkins stirred into a cautious alertness. 'But he asked about you,' she pursued. Mair leaned forward in sudden woman-to-woman confederacy. 'Look,' she said, 'I want to marry Timotheus. The Lion needs a young man.' Mrs Watkins, a true old countrywoman, betrayed no surprise. She only nodded, slowly and cautiously, and her visitor knew that she wasn't thinking of the difference in ages; she had become aware of a bargaining offer, and she kept silent, only her round eye alert. Mair began to giggle again. 'I want a wedding,' she said, easing it all into gaiety, 'a proper tip-top church wedding. I want to wear white veiling with a train, and orange blossoms, and have four bridesmaids behind me, perhaps six My father,' she said, more seriously, 'isn't going to live for ever, and an inn must have a man in it.' 'A lucky man he'll be, no doubt,' Mrs Watkins observed, detached, though a note of parleying challenge had come into her voice. Without further beating about the bush, Mair said: 'My father would give you a present: those deeds of your farm, and all the rest of your debt wiped out.' Mrs Watkins hooked the iron kettle on to its chain above the peat fire. 'You will take a cup of tea?' she said ceremoniously. In her turn, she admired the workings of Providence: a costly cow had been lost but a rich daughter-in-law had arrived with extraordinarily good com- pensation. 'Indeed,' she said readily, 'more than once Timotheus had mentioned you in his letters, asking about the Lion.' As well he might. For two or three years, after he began to swell