MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



and if Mr. Worthington interfered in any way he would 

 throw up the case. 



It turned out as the lawyer expected. The other side 

 had deeds showing the same boundary as that which Mr. 

 Worthington had concealed. Our evidence as to possession 

 was weak. Our counsel appealed to the jury for a poor man 

 struggling for his rights against the power of wealth. But 

 the judge summed up against us on the evidence, and the 

 other side won. Mr. Worthington had insisted upon hearing 

 his counsel's speech, which evidently gave him hopes, and 

 when the verdict was given he was overwhelmed, looked 

 altogether dazed, and I thought he would have a fit. But we 

 got him at once out of court, went back to the inn, and as 

 soon as possible drove home together. As soon as he 

 recovered himself somewhat, he exclaimed, " My counsel was 

 a noble fellow, he upheld the right ; but we had an unjust 

 judge, Mr. Wallace." I forgot to mention that Mr. Worthing- 

 ton wore a brown curly wig, which I had at first taken for 

 his natural hair, and when he was much excited he would 

 suddenly snatch it off his head, when he looked rather ludi- 

 crous. The costs which he had to pay were very heavy, and 

 he had to sell Gelli to pay them, and soon afterwards left 

 the district to return to Devonshire. I fancy he had before 

 lost a good deal of property, and this last misfortune was 

 almost ruin. After they left I do not think we ever heard of 

 them again, though my brother may have done so. 



After living about a year at Bryn-coch we moved a little 

 nearer the town to the other side of the Clydach river, and 

 lodged with an old colliery surveyor, Samuel Osgood, in the 

 employment of Mr. Price, of the Neath Abbey Iron Works. 

 The house was an old but roomy cottage, and we had a large 

 bedroom and a room downstairs for an office and living room, 

 while Mr. Osgood had another, and there was also a roomy 

 kitchen. A tramway from some collieries to the works ran in 

 front of the house at a little distance, and we had a good view 

 of the town and up the vale of Neath. Behind us rose the 

 Drymau Mountain, nearly seven hundred feet above us, the 



