’Thewayofdeclininganoun。’
’Then，inthecivilestwayimaginable，Ideclinethenoun。Isthatadeclension？’
’Youshouldneverplayonwords；todosoislow，vulgar，smellingofthepothouse，theworkhouse。Belle，IinsistonyourdeclininganArmeniannoun。’
’Ihavedonesoalready，’saidBelle。
’Ifyougooninthisway，’saidI，’Ishalldeclinetakinganymoreteawithyou。WillyoudeclineanArmeniannoun？’
’Idon’tlikethelanguage，’saidBelle。’Ifyoumustteachmelanguages，whynotteachmeFrenchorChinese？’
’IknownothingofChinese；andasforFrench，nonebutaFrenchmaniscleverenoughtospeakit-tosaynothingofteaching；no，wewillsticktoArmenian，unless，indeed，youwouldpreferWelsh!’
’Welsh，Ihaveheard，isvulgar，’saidBelle；’so，ifImustlearnoneofthetwo，IwillpreferArmenian，whichIneverheardoftillyoumentionedittome；though，ofthetwo，IreallythinkWelshsoundsbest。’
’TheArmeniannoun，’saidI，’whichIproposeforyourdeclensionthisnight，is-，whichsignifiethMaster。’
’Ineitherlikethewordnorthesound，’saidBelle。
’Ican’thelpthat，’saidI；’itisthewordIchoose：Master，withallitsvariations，beingthefirstnounthesoundofwhichI
wouldhaveyoulearnfrommylips。Come，letusbegin-
’Amaster。Ofamaster，etc。Repeat-’
’Iamnotmuchusedtosaytheword，’saidBelle，’buttoobligeyouIwilldeclineitasyouwish’；andthereuponBelledeclinedMasterinArmenian。
’Youhavedeclinedthenounverywell，’saidI；’thatisinthesingularnumber；wewillnowgototheplural。’
’Whatistheplural？’saidBelle。
’Thatwhichimpliesmorethanone，forexample，Masters；youshallnowgothroughmastersinArmenian。’
’Never，’saidBelle，’never；itisbadtohaveonemaster，butmoreIwouldneverbear，whetherinArmenianorEnglish。’
’Youdonotunderstand，’saidI；’ImerelywantyoutodeclineMastersinArmenian。’
’Idodeclinethem；Iwillhavenothingtodowiththem，norwithmastereither；Iwaswrongto-Whatsoundisthat？’
’Ididnothearit，butIdaresayitisthunder；inArmenian-’
’NevermindwhatitisinArmenian；butwhydoyouthinkitisthunder？’
’EreIreturnedfrommystroll，Ilookedupintotheheavens，andbytheirappearanceIjudgedthatastormwasnighathand。’
’Andwhydidyounottellmeso？’
’Youneveraskedmeaboutthestateoftheatmosphere，andIamnotinthehabitofgivingmyopiniontopeopleonanysubject，unlessquestioned。But，settingthataside，canyoublamemefornottroublingyouwithforebodingsaboutstormandtempest，whichmighthavepreventedthepleasureyoupromisedyourselfindrinkingtea，orperhapsalessoninArmenian，thoughyoupretendtodislikethelatter？’
’Mydislikeisnotpretended，’saidBelle；’Ihatethesoundofit，butIlovemytea，anditwaskindofyounottowishtocastacloudovermylittlepleasures；thethundercamequitetimeenoughtointerruptitwithoutbeinganticipated-thereisanotherpeal-
Iwillclearaway，andseethatmytentisinaconditiontoresistthestorm；andIthinkyouhadbetterbestiryourself。’
Isopeldeparted，andIremainedseatedonmystone，asnothingbelongingtomyselfrequiredanyparticularattention；inaboutaquarterofanhourshereturned，andseatedherselfuponherstool。
’HowdarktheplaceisbecomesinceIleftyou，’saidshe；’justasifnightwerejustathand。’
’Lookupatthesky，’saidI；’andyouwillnotwonder；itisallofadeepolive。Thewindisbeginningtorise；harkhowitmoansamongthebranches，andseehowtheirtopsarebending；itbringsdustonitswings-Ifeltsomefallonmyface；andwhatisthis，adropofrain？’
’Weshallhaveplentyanon，’saidBelle；’doyouhear？italreadybeginstohissupontheembers；thatfireofourswillsoonbeextinguished。’
’Itisnotprobablethatweshallwantit，’saidI，’butwehadbetterseekshelter：letusgointomytent。’
’Goin，’saidBelle，’butyougoinalone；asforme，Iwillseekmyown。’
’Youareright，’saidI，’tobeafraidofme；IhavetaughtyoutodeclinemasterinArmenian。’
’Youalmosttemptme，’saidBelle，’tomakeyoudeclinemistressinEnglish。’
’Tomakemattersshort，’saidI，’Ideclineamistress。’
’Whatdoyoumean？’saidBelle，angrily。
’Ihavemerelydonewhatyouwishedme，’saidI，’andinyourownstyle；thereisnootherwayofdeclininganythinginEnglish，forinEnglishtherearenodeclensions。’
’Therainisincreasing，’saidBelle。
’Itisso，’saidI；’Ishallgotomytent；youmaycomeifyouplease；IdoassureyouIamnotafraidofyou。’
’NorIofyou，’saidBelle；’soIwillcome。WhyshouldIbeafraid？Icantakemyownpart；thatis-’
Wewentintothetentandsatdown，andnowtherainbegantopourwithvehemence。’Ihopeweshallnotbefloodedinthishollow，’
saidItoBelle。’Thereisnofearofthat，’saidBelle；’thewanderingpeople，amongstothernames，callitthedryhollow。I
believethereisapassagesomewhereorotherbywhichthewetiscarriedoff。Theremustbeacloudrightaboveus，itissodark。
Oh!whataflash!’
’Andwhatapeal!’saidI；’thatiswhattheHebrewscallKoulAdonai-thevoiceoftheLord。Areyouafraid？’
’No，’saidBelle，’Iratherliketohearit。’
’Youareright，’saidI，’Iamfondofthesoundofthundermyself。
Thereisnothinglikeit；KoulAdonaibehadar：thevoiceoftheLordisagloriousvoice，astheprayer-bookversionhathit。’
’Thereissomethingawfulinit，’saidBelle；’andthenthelightning-thewholedingleisnowinablaze。’
’“ThevoiceoftheLordmakeththehindstocalve，anddiscovereththethickbushes。“Asyousay，thereissomethingawfulinthunder。’
’Thereareallkindsofnoisesaboveus，’saidBelle；’surelyI
heardthecrashingofatree？’
’“ThevoiceoftheLordbreakeththecedartrees，“’saidI，’butwhatyouheariscausedbyaconvulsionoftheair；duringathunder-stormthereareoccasionallyallkindsofaerialnoises。
AbGwilym，who，nexttoKingDavid，hasbestdescribedathunderstorm，speaksoftheseaerialnoisesinthefollowingmanner：-
’AstoniednowIstandatstrains，Asoftenthousandclankingchains；
Andonce，methoughtthat，overthrown，Thewelkin’soakscamewhelmingdown；
Uponmyheadupstartsmyhair：
Whyhuntabroadthehoundsofair？
Whatcursedhagisscreechinghigh，Whilstcrashgoesallhercrockery？’
Youwouldhardlybelieve，Belle，thatthoughIofferedatleasttenthousandlinesnearlyasgoodasthosetothebooksellersinLondon，thesimpletonsweresoblindtotheirinterest，astorefusepurchasingthem!’
’Idon’twonderatit，’saidBelle，’especiallyifsuchdreadfulexpressionsfrequentlyoccurasthattowardstheend；-surelythatwasthecrashofatree？’
’Ah!’saidI，’therefallsthecedartree-Imeanthesallow；oneofthetalltreesontheoutsideofthedinglehasbeensnappedshort。’
’Whatapity，’saidBelle，’thatthefineoldoak，whichyousawthepeasantscuttingup，gavewaytheothernight，whenscarcelyabreathofairwasstirring；howmuchbettertohavefalleninastormlikethis，thefiercestIremember。’
’Idon’tthinkso，’saidI；’afterbravingathousandtempests，itwasmeeterforittofallofitselfthantobevanquishedatlast。
ButtoreturntoAbGwilym’spoetry：hewasabovecullingdaintywords，andspokeboldlyhismindonallsubjects。EnragedwiththethunderforpartinghimandMorfydd，hesays，attheconclusionofhisode，’Mycurse，OThunder，clingtothee，Forpartingmydearpearlandme!’
’YouandIshallpart，thatis，Ishallgotomytent，ifyoupersistinrepeatingfromhim。Themanmusthavebeenasavage。A
poorwood-pigeonhasfallendead。’
’Yes，’saidI，’therehelies，justoutsidethetent；oftenhaveI
listenedtohisnotewhenaloneinthiswilderness。SoyoudonotlikeAbGwilym；whatsayyoutooldGothe？-
’Mistshroudsthenight，andrack；
Hear，inthewoods，whatanawfulcrack!
Wildlytheowlsareflitting，HarktothepillarssplittingOfpalacesverdantever，Thebranchesquiverandsever，Themightystemsarecreaking，Thepoorrootsbreakingandshrieking，Inwildmixtruindowndashing，O’eroneanotherthey’recrashing；
Whilst’midsttherockssohoaryWhirlwindshurryandworry。
Hear’stnot，sister-’
’Hark!’saidBelle，’hark!’
’Hear’stnot，sister，achorusOfvoices-？’
’No，’saidBelle，’butIhearavoice。’
CHAPTERXCVI