like not greatly even now the prospect of my lonesome winter hearth. I fear me, Primrose, in foreign lands you will forget the language of Wales, and esteem it but a barbarous tongue on your return; yet I pride myself the king himself can find no fault with your English! And for that I must needs thank our good vicar, and rejoice that we have had among us so apt a scholar, and one so well versed in the English tongue and customs, at whose feet you have learned what a well-born maiden should. It is well that our youths should as now boast themselves of their training in the noble schools and universities of England, and I pray this may ever be their ambition, since there is much need of good learning among our Welsh clergy in these sad days, when heresy and schism are creeping all unawares into our principality, and subtle whispers reviling us for our national loyalty to our church and our king may be heard going from ear to ear in this our once peaceful valley. Ah me! it was an evil day when Master Jones set foot among us, bringing his false doctrines and his hatred of princes to be sown like pestilent seed amongst us! Our good rector has told me it was at Cardiff he picked up such ill notions from one who is even now preaching there scurrilous teachings against what he and his party are pleased to call the 'wickedness of popery and prelacy.' I thank God I have ever loyally striven to keep you from such teachings, dear heart, and that I may truly say that I can send you forth into the presence of the king and the archbishop themselves with no feeling of shame or disloyalty to my king and country! You love both right well; is it not so, my darling?" "As well as any English maiden I am like to see," answered Primrose stoutly, "and maybe even better, since you tell me there is already much disloyalty in England, whereas our little Wales has yet a right loyal heart, in spite of some few such mischief-makers as Master Jones! And should I have the honour of speech with his Majesty," she added with a laugh, "I will tell him that he has no braver subject in his United Kingdom than my dear foster-father, Jack the boatman, and will e'en assure him that Wales had nought to do with that most wicked and treacherous Gunpowder Plot made against his royal father, of which you and our vicar have told me so many tales. I can scarce believe, dear dad, that ere long I shall see for myself those grand Houses of Parliament, and perchance even be permitted to look into the very cellar where the wicked Guy Fawkes lay hid! And I cannot forbear hoping that the Lady Bryn Afon may some day let fall some tale about the castle here, and its curse, of which I fain would know the cause! It is surely strange that no one in all the country-side should have knowledge of so curious a history?" "There are many tales thereupon," said Jack, "but none may say if any one among them has any truth whatever. There is a tale of treachery on the part of