Page:My people stories of the peasantry of West Wales.djvu/134



at her window at nights she did not give herself to anyone.

Her brother Joshua looked very keenly after her interests. He was anxious that she should marry a godly, humble man, and from the tales he told her, godly, humble men were scarce in the land. Even the character of Rhys Shop was shown in a bad light when he got to know how the white-faced, big-paunched shopkeeper one night tried to climb up the wall to the room wherein Betti slept. Joshua was married himself, and did not find much pleasure, he said, in it, and he wished to keep his sister as free and happy and pure as the Big Man had ordained she should remain. For he managed the selling of most of the produce of Lancoch and paid himself, one way or another, for his trouble.

Betti answered only too well to her brother's skilful guiding. She did not open the window of her room to any man in