I40 BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK. 



of a mountain gleamed black as ink, checkered 

 with angular scars, carved and sliced into precipi- 

 tous terraces, ridden of blaspheming steam-engines 

 that vaunted over its defeat with their white 

 plumes of vapour. Occasionally a darkly glitter- 

 ing avalanche of slate -rubbish shot downwards 

 into the lake below, the mountain groaned as its 

 dead went hurtling to their burial, and the sullen 

 protest shook the air. Llanberis seems indifferent 

 to the fact that the principal feature in its scenery 

 is being transferred in slices to the roofs of other 

 people's houses, and in helter-skelter tons to the 

 bottom of its lake : perhaps it is helpless, and if so 

 we offer it sympathy. 



As has been insinuated, it was a wet day, and 

 for some time I feared that my influence over Miss 

 O'Flannigan was not sufficient to dissuade her 

 from purchasing a species of pall, made of black 

 painted canvas, and worn as a cape by "the com- 

 mon quarrymen," as she was coldly told by the 

 lady behind the coimter. The further information, 

 however, that its price was seven and elevenpence, 



