and was fully alive to the superior station of her new admirer, and
quite prepared to slight all her old sweethearts on his account. But
then she had something more of feeling in her reckoning; she had not
been insensible to the earnest yet comparatively refined homage which
Owen paid her; she had noticed his expressive and occasionally
handsome countenance with admiration, and was flattered by his so
immediately singling her out from her companions. As to the hint
which Martha Thomas had thrown out, it is enough to say that Nest was
very giddy, and that she was motherless. She had high spirits and a
great love of admiration, or, to use a softer term, she loved to
please; men, women, and children, all, she delighted to gladden with
her smile and voice. She coquetted, and flirted, and went to the
extreme lengths of Welsh courtship, till the seniors of the village
shook their heads, and cautioned their daughters against her
acquaintance. If not absolutely guilty, she had too frequently been
on the verge of guilt.

Even at the time, Martha Thomas's hint made but little impression on
Owen, for his senses were otherwise occupied; but in a few days the
recollection thereof had wholly died away, and one warm glorious
summer's day, he bent his steps toward Ellis Pritchard's with a
beating heart; for, except some very slight flirtations at Oxford,
Owen had never been touched; his thoughts, his fancy, had been
otherwise engaged.

Ty Glas was built against one of the lower rocks of Moel Gest, which,
indeed, formed a side to the low, lengthy house. The materials of
the cottage were the shingly stones which had fallen from above,
plastered rudely together, with deep recesses for the small oblong
windows. Altogether, the exterior was much ruder than Owen had