she, "your
wife, your daughter, and one who may be your son?" "Aye, aye," said
he, "they are very well matched; 'tis pity they should ever be
asunder." On which, Mr. Cranstoun took hold of my father's hand, and
cried out, "God grant they never may; don't you say Amen, papa." At
this my father smiled, and said, "Make her these fine speeches seven
years hence." He then took his leave of them, saying, "He had so much
business upon his hands, that he could not stand idling there";
bidding the coachman to drive on, and crying out, "God bless you, I
wish you merry." Mrs. Pocock then asked him, "If he could not contrive
to come to them?" To which he made answer, alluding to the distance of
her house, "God bless you, do you think I can come down now to
Henley?" Then our coachman drove on to St. James's Square; and soon
after my father left the town, in order to return home.

Whilst I was now in London, Mr. Cranstoun proposed a private marriage
to me, saying, "It might help us with regard to the affair in
Scotland; since a real marriage, according to the usage of the Church
of England, if matters went hard, might possibly invalidate a contract
that arose only from cohabitation." In order to understand which, it
must be observed, that Mr. Cranstoun had before cohabitated with one
Miss Murray, by whom he had had a child then living; and was
consequently considered, by the Laws of Scotland, as her husband.
This, he said, was the only thing that intituled her to him, as he
never was married by any priest. To Mr. Cranstoun's proposal I
answered, "I won't, Cranstoun, do you so much injury, as well as
myself; for my father never will forgive it, nor give me a farthing."
To which he replied, "There will be no occasion to discover it, but
upon such an interesting event; and then surely, if you love me, you
will suffer anything rather than part with me. What would I not suffer
for you!" To this I made answer, "I would do nothing in the affair
without he could procure the advice of the best council, and be
certainly informed by this that such a marriage would be valid.
Consider with Yourself," said I, "Cranstoun, what a condition I should
be in, if I should lose my character, my friends, and yourself?--And
you I must lose, if your former supposed marriage should be declared
valid, and in honour we must never see each other more." He then said,
"He would go and lay the case immediately before the best council,
particularly Mr. Murray, the