Page:My people stories of the peasantry of West Wales.djvu/88



Ben rose from his chair and said: “Eben bach, an old atheist he is.”

“Were he not the ruler,” said Noah, “pray for him I would this one night.”

“Listen you to me now,” said Eben. “I have not preached to you at all the real religion. I offered you the White Palace or the Fiery Pool. Men, men, that is not right. If you don’t live in Heaven here you won’t live in Heaven when you perish. Look you at Roberts of the Shop Grocer. Did he not make his servant Mari very full barely a year after he stood up in the Seiet and said that he prayed each night to be taken to Mistress Roberts? Did he not cry ‘Halelujah!’ and ‘Amen’?”

“Man, man, wrong you are to speak so about Roberts of the Shop Grocer,” said Ben. “Poor Roberts bach was sorely tempted, and he is forgiven. And has he not sent the bad bitch about her business? Now think you over these things, and do