After a little time John Jones came in, called for a glass of ale, and at my invitation seated himself between me and the stout personage.

The latter addressed him roughly in English, but receiving no answer said, "Ah, you no understand.

You have no English and I no Welsh." "You have not mastered Welsh yet Mr -- -" said one of the men to him.
"No!" said he: "I have been doing business with the Welsh forty years, but can't speak a word of their language.

I sometimes guess at a word, spoken in the course of business, but am never sure." Presently John Jones began talking to me, saying that he had been to the river, that the water was very low, and that there was little but stones in the bed of the stream.
I told him if its name was Ceiriog no wonder there were plenty of stones in it, Ceiriog being derived from Cerrig, a rock.

The men stared to hear me speak Welsh.
"Is the gentleman a Welshman ?" said one of the men, near the door, to his companion; "he seems to speak Welsh very well." "How should I know ?" said the other, who appeared to be a low working man.
"Who are those people ?" said I to John Jones.
"The smaller man is a workman at a flannel manufactory," said Jones.
"The other I do not exactly know." "And who is the man on the other side of you ?" said I.
"I believe he is an English dealer in gigs and horses," replied Jones, "and that he is come here either to buy or sell." The man, however, soon put me out of all doubt with respect to his profession.
"I was at Chirk," said he; "and Mr So-and-so asked me to have a look at his new gig and horse, and have a ride.