"I will come too," said Ann, "and take little Gwil to have a new cap.
He wants one shocking."

She chatted volubly as they drove under the leafy ash branches which
bordered the road, her father answering only in monosyllables.

When the pigs had been carried shrieking, in the usual unceremonious
ear-and-tail fashion into their pens, and Bowler had been led into the
"Lamb" yard, the old man looked rather forlorn and desolate as he gazed
after Ann, who was making her way with little Gwil down the busy street.

"'Twill be hard to bear to-day," he thought. "They are all talking
about me; but 'tis not so hard as I deserve."

Suddenly a hand was laid on his arm, and a kindly greeting reached his
ears. Mr. Price the vicar, standing at his window, had observed the
Garthowen car pass into the market, and had startled his housekeeper by
turning round suddenly with the question.

"Didn't you say we wanted a pig, Jinny?"

"That I did about six months ago, sare, but you never got one. We
wanted one then because we had so much milk to spare, but now Corwen is
drying up very much, and Beauty is not so good as she was."

Mr. Price took snuff vigorously.

"I think a little pig would look well in that stye, and he would be
company for you, Jinny and we could buy a little bran or mash or
something for him," he added, hunting for his stick and hat, and