chosen for himself. Will controlled this feeling, not allowing it to
carry him to that degree of excitement to which some Welsh preachers
abandon themselves; on the contrary, when he felt most, he lowered his
voice, and kept a firm rein upon his eloquence. His command of
English, too, surprised his hearers, and Dr. Owen, himself a popular
preacher, confessed he had never possessed such an easy flow of that
language. As for Ebben Owens himself, as the sermon proceeded,
although he understood but little English, not a word, nor a phrase,
nor an inflection of the beloved voice escaped his attention; and as he
bent his head at the benediction tears of thankfulness, pride, and joy
filled his eyes. But he dried them hastily with his bran new silk
handkerchief, and followed Ann out of the church with the first of the
congregation.

"We'll wait with the car," he said, "at the top of the lane. We won't
push ourselves on to him at the church door when all the gentry are
speaking to him."

And Ann sat in the car with the reins in her hand, while the
congregation filed past, many of them turning aside to congratulate
warmly the father and sister of such a preacher. One by one the people
passed on, two or three carriages rolled by, and still Will had not
appeared.

"Here he is, I think," said Ebben Owens, as two gentlemen walked slowly
up the lane, and watching them, he scarcely caught sight of a carriage
that drove quickly by. But a glance was enough as it turned round the
corner into the street. In it sat Will, accompanied by Dr. Owen,
Colonel Vaughan, and his niece.