THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
the Caerleon people had got used to Griffith, and no longer took the trouble to laugh at him; indeed a gentleman who had a large garden tried to profit by his little infirmity, and caused it to be conveyed to the Mole that this garden aforesaid certainly contained gold and silver in abundance to be had for the digging. By which device he hoped to have his soil turned over very cheaply, but the fish, as the saying goes, would not bite; Griffith having certain fixed notions of his own capable of no amendment or alteration. So for forty years and more he persisted in this folly, for the twelve rays of the twelve diamonds still blinded him, and the great golden bell within the Castle Mound rung all through the night in a deep mellow voice, and to him the painted images in the windows of the Quire were rubies and sapphires beyond all price. And in these fantastic imaginations he would doubtless have died peacefully enough, had it not been for the coming of a stranger to Caerleon, a merry young gentleman, who was fond of folly and always encouraged it to the best of his ability, who seeing Griffith mooning about the place and driving his spade into the earth, enquired as to the reason of these proceedings, and was observed when his understanding had been enlightened, to grow suddenly grave and thoughtful, as he was accustomed when a joke came into his head. And henceforth the wag watched the Delver at his work, and noted how he often came back to one place, namely the bottom of the Round Table; for the great dish neither gold nor silver but better than either, had
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