Cheerful Fire - Immense Man - Doctor Jones - Recognition - A Fast Young Man - Excellent Remarks - Disappointment.
I WAS conducted into the coffee-room of the White Lion by a little freckled maid whom I saw at the bar, and whom I told that I was come to pass the night at the inn. The room presented an agreeable contrast to the gloomy, desolate places through which I had lately come. A good fire blazed in the grate, and there were four lights on the table. Lolling in a chair by one side of the fire was an individual at the sight of whom I almost started. He was an immense man, weighing I should say at least eighteen stone, with brown hair, thinnish whiskers, half-ruddy, half-tallowy complexion, and dressed in a brown sporting coat, drab breeches, and yellow-topped boots - in every respect the exact image of the Wolverhampton gent or hog-merchant who had appeared to me in my dream at Llangollen, whilst asleep before the fire. Yes, the very counterpart of that same gent looked this enormous fellow, save and except that he did not appear to be more than seven or eight and twenty, whereas the hog-merchant looked at least fifty. Laying my satchel down I took a seat and ordered the maid to get some dinner for me, and then asked what had become of the waiter, Tom Jenkins.
"He is not here at present, sir," said the freckled maid; "he is at his own house.""And why is he not here?" said I.
"Because he is not wanted, sir; he only comes in summer when the house is full of people."And having said this the little freckled damsel left the room.
"Reither a cool night, sir!" said the enormous man after we had been alone together a few minutes.
I again almost started, for he spoke with the same kind of half-piping, half-wheezing voice, with which methought the Wolverhampton gent had spoken to me in my dream.
"Yes," said I; "it is rather cold out abroad, but I don't care as Iam not going any farther to-night."
"That's not my case," said the stout man, "I have got to go ten miles, as far as Cerrig Drudion, from which place I came this afternoon in a wehicle.""Do you reside at Cerrig Drudion?" said I.
"No," said the stout man, whose dialect I shall not attempt further to imitate, "but I have been staying there some time; for happening to go there a month or two ago I was tempted to take up my quarters at the inn. A very nice inn it is, and the landlady a very agreeable woman, and her daughters very agreeable young ladies.""Is this the first time you have been at Bala?""Yes, the first time. I had heard a good deal about it, and wished to see it. So to-day, having the offer of a vehicle at a cheap rate, I came over with two or three other gents, amongst whom is Doctor Jones.""Dear me" said I, "is Doctor Jones in Bala?""Yes," said the stout man. "Do you know him?""Oh yes," said I, "and have a great respect for him; his like for politeness and general learning is scarcely to be found in Britain.""Only think," said the stout man. "Well, I never heard that of him before."Wishing to see my sleeping room before I got my dinner, I now rose and was ****** for the door, when it opened, and in came Doctor Jones. He had a muffler round his neck, and walked rather slowly and disconsolately, leaning upon a cane. He passed without appearing to recognise me, and I, thinking it would be as well to defer claiming acquaintance with him till I had put myself a little to rights, went out without saying anything to him. I was shown by the freckled maid to a nice sleeping apartment, where I stayed some time adjusting myself. On my return to the coffee-room I found the doctor sitting near the fire-place. The stout man had left the room. I had no doubt that he had told Doctor Jones that I had claimed acquaintance with him, and that the doctor, not having recollected me, had denied that he knew anything of me, for Iobserved that he looked at me very suspiciously.