A day or two later on, the weather changed, the wind blew up in angry
soughs from the south-west, and, meeting the strong flow of the spring
tide, curled the green wave-tops into those small feathers of foam,
always the fore-runners of rough weather. The sea-gulls let themselves
go before the wind calling to each other excitedly, the little
sea-crows stayed quietly at home in the safe crannies of the cliff.
Old Dan Griffiths the fisherman hauled his boat further up the strand,
and everything betokened the brewing of a storm, nevertheless Valmai
was out early. Her small household duties had been attended to. She
had skimmed the cream in the dairy, and fed the new calf; she had
scattered the grain before the flocks of fowls and pigeons in the
farm-yard; had brushed her uncle's coat, and, while helping him to
shuffle into it, had asked him: "Are you going from home to-day, uncle?"
"Yes, merch i, didn't I tell you? I am going to a meeting at Pen
Morien, and won't be back to-night."
"Are you going to walk?"
"Why, no! ride, of course. Where's Malen?"
"I think Shoni was just putting her into the cart."
"Oh! I forgot to tell him," said the absent-minded man. "Tell him to
saddle her, and bring her here at once."
Valmai ran out, and picking her way daintily through the stubble of the
farm-yard, caught sight of Shoni fastening the last buckle of Malen's
cart harness.
"Wants her saddled?" he said, looking hot and flustered. "Dear, dear!
there never was such a man! Wasn't I settle with him yesterday to take
the two pigs to the fair to be sell? There's what it is to live in the
clouds!" and, grumbling, he unfastened the buckles, and soon led Malen
saddled and bridled to the door.
"Didn't you tell me we was to sell the pigs to-day?" he said sulkily,
as soon as his master was seated safely on the saddle.
Essec Powell, who had for some time been hopping about on one leg,
finding it difficult to mount the spirited Malen, now looked
thoughtfully at Shoni.
"Pigs," he said, "pigs? Oh, of course; yes, Shoni, quite right, you
shall take them to market tomorrow."
"To-day is the fair; you had forgotten that, I suppose."
"Well, well! next week will do," and he trotted away, Shoni looking
after him with undisguised contempt.
"There's a man, now," he said in English, for he was proud of his
proficiency in that language. "Wass you ever see such a man? I tell
you, Valmai, he would be ruined and put in gaol for debt long ago if I
wasn't keep him out of it."
"Yes, I think--indeed, Shoni, I am sure of it; but where is the fair
to-day?"