’Thewayofdeclininganoun。’
　　’Then，inthecivilestwayimaginable，Ideclinethenoun。Isthatadeclension？’
　　’Youshouldneverplayonwords；todosoislow，vulgar，smellingofthepothouse，theworkhouse。Belle，IinsistonyourdeclininganArmeniannoun。’
　　’Ihavedonesoalready，’saidBelle。
　　’Ifyougooninthisway，’saidI，’Ishalldeclinetakinganymoreteawithyou。WillyoudeclineanArmeniannoun？’
　　’Idon’tlikethelanguage，’saidBelle。’Ifyoumustteachmelanguages，whynotteachmeFrenchorChinese？’
　　’IknownothingofChinese；andasforFrench，nonebutaFrenchmaniscleverenoughtospeakit-tosaynothingofteaching；no，wewillsticktoArmenian，unless，indeed，youwouldpreferWelsh!’
　　’Welsh，Ihaveheard，isvulgar，’saidBelle；’so，ifImustlearnoneofthetwo，IwillpreferArmenian，whichIneverheardoftillyoumentionedittome；though，ofthetwo，IreallythinkWelshsoundsbest。’
　　’TheArmeniannoun，’saidI，’whichIproposeforyourdeclensionthisnight，is-，whichsignifiethMaster。’
　　’Ineitherlikethewordnorthesound，’saidBelle。
　　’Ican’thelpthat，’saidI；’itisthewordIchoose：Master，withallitsvariations，beingthefirstnounthesoundofwhichI
　　wouldhaveyoulearnfrommylips。Come，letusbegin-
　　’Amaster。Ofamaster，etc。Repeat-’
　　’Iamnotmuchusedtosaytheword，’saidBelle，’buttoobligeyouIwilldeclineitasyouwish’；andthereuponBelledeclinedMasterinArmenian。
　　’Youhavedeclinedthenounverywell，’saidI；’thatisinthesingularnumber；wewillnowgototheplural。’
　　’Whatistheplural？’saidBelle。
　　’Thatwhichimpliesmorethanone，forexample，Masters；youshallnowgothroughmastersinArmenian。’
　　’Never，’saidBelle，’never；itisbadtohaveonemaster，butmoreIwouldneverbear，whetherinArmenianorEnglish。’
　　’Youdonotunderstand，’saidI；’ImerelywantyoutodeclineMastersinArmenian。’
　　’Idodeclinethem；Iwillhavenothingtodowiththem，norwithmastereither；Iwaswrongto-Whatsoundisthat？’
　　’Ididnothearit，butIdaresayitisthunder；inArmenian-’
　　’NevermindwhatitisinArmenian；butwhydoyouthinkitisthunder？’
　　’EreIreturnedfrommystroll，Ilookedupintotheheavens，andbytheirappearanceIjudgedthatastormwasnighathand。’
　　’Andwhydidyounottellmeso？’
　　’Youneveraskedmeaboutthestateoftheatmosphere，andIamnotinthehabitofgivingmyopiniontopeopleonanysubject，unlessquestioned。But，settingthataside，canyoublamemefornottroublingyouwithforebodingsaboutstormandtempest，whichmighthavepreventedthepleasureyoupromisedyourselfindrinkingtea，orperhapsalessoninArmenian，thoughyoupretendtodislikethelatter？’
　　’Mydislikeisnotpretended，’saidBelle；’Ihatethesoundofit，butIlovemytea，anditwaskindofyounottowishtocastacloudovermylittlepleasures；thethundercamequitetimeenoughtointerruptitwithoutbeinganticipated-thereisanotherpeal-
　　Iwillclearaway，andseethatmytentisinaconditiontoresistthestorm；andIthinkyouhadbetterbestiryourself。’
　　Isopeldeparted，andIremainedseatedonmystone，asnothingbelongingtomyselfrequiredanyparticularattention；inaboutaquarterofanhourshereturned，andseatedherselfuponherstool。
　　’HowdarktheplaceisbecomesinceIleftyou，’saidshe；’justasifnightwerejustathand。’
　　’Lookupatthesky，’saidI；’andyouwillnotwonder；itisallofadeepolive。Thewindisbeginningtorise；harkhowitmoansamongthebranches，andseehowtheirtopsarebending；itbringsdustonitswings-Ifeltsomefallonmyface；andwhatisthis，adropofrain？’
　　’Weshallhaveplentyanon，’saidBelle；’doyouhear？italreadybeginstohissupontheembers；thatfireofourswillsoonbeextinguished。’
　　’Itisnotprobablethatweshallwantit，’saidI，’butwehadbetterseekshelter：letusgointomytent。’
　　’Goin，’saidBelle，’butyougoinalone；asforme，Iwillseekmyown。’
　　’Youareright，’saidI，’tobeafraidofme；IhavetaughtyoutodeclinemasterinArmenian。’
　　’Youalmosttemptme，’saidBelle，’tomakeyoudeclinemistressinEnglish。’
　　’Tomakemattersshort，’saidI，’Ideclineamistress。’
　　’Whatdoyoumean？’saidBelle，angrily。
　　’Ihavemerelydonewhatyouwishedme，’saidI，’andinyourownstyle；thereisnootherwayofdeclininganythinginEnglish，forinEnglishtherearenodeclensions。’
　　’Therainisincreasing，’saidBelle。
　　’Itisso，’saidI；’Ishallgotomytent；youmaycomeifyouplease；IdoassureyouIamnotafraidofyou。’
　　’NorIofyou，’saidBelle；’soIwillcome。WhyshouldIbeafraid？Icantakemyownpart；thatis-’
　　Wewentintothetentandsatdown，andnowtherainbegantopourwithvehemence。’Ihopeweshallnotbefloodedinthishollow，’
　　saidItoBelle。’Thereisnofearofthat，’saidBelle；’thewanderingpeople，amongstothernames，callitthedryhollow。I
　　believethereisapassagesomewhereorotherbywhichthewetiscarriedoff。Theremustbeacloudrightaboveus，itissodark。
　　Oh!whataflash!’
　　’Andwhatapeal!’saidI；’thatiswhattheHebrewscallKoulAdonai-thevoiceoftheLord。Areyouafraid？’
　　’No，’saidBelle，’Iratherliketohearit。’
　　’Youareright，’saidI，’Iamfondofthesoundofthundermyself。
　　Thereisnothinglikeit；KoulAdonaibehadar：thevoiceoftheLordisagloriousvoice，astheprayer-bookversionhathit。’
　　’Thereissomethingawfulinit，’saidBelle；’andthenthelightning-thewholedingleisnowinablaze。’
　　’“ThevoiceoftheLordmakeththehindstocalve，anddiscovereththethickbushes。“Asyousay，thereissomethingawfulinthunder。’
　　’Thereareallkindsofnoisesaboveus，’saidBelle；’surelyI
　　heardthecrashingofatree？’
　　’“ThevoiceoftheLordbreakeththecedartrees，“’saidI，’butwhatyouheariscausedbyaconvulsionoftheair；duringathunder-stormthereareoccasionallyallkindsofaerialnoises。
　　AbGwilym，who，nexttoKingDavid，hasbestdescribedathunderstorm，speaksoftheseaerialnoisesinthefollowingmanner：-
　　’AstoniednowIstandatstrains，Asoftenthousandclankingchains；
　　Andonce，methoughtthat，overthrown，Thewelkin’soakscamewhelmingdown；
　　Uponmyheadupstartsmyhair：
　　Whyhuntabroadthehoundsofair？
　　Whatcursedhagisscreechinghigh，Whilstcrashgoesallhercrockery？’
　　Youwouldhardlybelieve，Belle，thatthoughIofferedatleasttenthousandlinesnearlyasgoodasthosetothebooksellersinLondon，thesimpletonsweresoblindtotheirinterest，astorefusepurchasingthem!’
　　’Idon’twonderatit，’saidBelle，’especiallyifsuchdreadfulexpressionsfrequentlyoccurasthattowardstheend；-surelythatwasthecrashofatree？’
　　’Ah!’saidI，’therefallsthecedartree-Imeanthesallow；oneofthetalltreesontheoutsideofthedinglehasbeensnappedshort。’
　　’Whatapity，’saidBelle，’thatthefineoldoak，whichyousawthepeasantscuttingup，gavewaytheothernight，whenscarcelyabreathofairwasstirring；howmuchbettertohavefalleninastormlikethis，thefiercestIremember。’
　　’Idon’tthinkso，’saidI；’afterbravingathousandtempests，itwasmeeterforittofallofitselfthantobevanquishedatlast。
　　ButtoreturntoAbGwilym’spoetry：hewasabovecullingdaintywords，andspokeboldlyhismindonallsubjects。EnragedwiththethunderforpartinghimandMorfydd，hesays，attheconclusionofhisode，’Mycurse，OThunder，clingtothee，Forpartingmydearpearlandme!’
　　’YouandIshallpart，thatis，Ishallgotomytent，ifyoupersistinrepeatingfromhim。Themanmusthavebeenasavage。A
　　poorwood-pigeonhasfallendead。’
　　’Yes，’saidI，’therehelies，justoutsidethetent；oftenhaveI
　　listenedtohisnotewhenaloneinthiswilderness。SoyoudonotlikeAbGwilym；whatsayyoutooldGothe？-
　　’Mistshroudsthenight，andrack；
　　Hear，inthewoods，whatanawfulcrack!
　　Wildlytheowlsareflitting，HarktothepillarssplittingOfpalacesverdantever，Thebranchesquiverandsever，Themightystemsarecreaking，Thepoorrootsbreakingandshrieking，Inwildmixtruindowndashing，O’eroneanotherthey’recrashing；
　　Whilst’midsttherockssohoaryWhirlwindshurryandworry。
　　Hear’stnot，sister-’
　　’Hark!’saidBelle，’hark!’
　　’Hear’stnot，sister，achorusOfvoices-？’
　　’No，’saidBelle，’butIhearavoice。’
　　CHAPTERXCVI