ore, were glad to see Paul, and were hoping he would spend some
days with them. Both of them were Scotch people, although they had lived
for many years on the English side of the border.

"Have you kept this inn long?" asked Paul after supper.

"For more than thirty years," replied the man. "When we came here first
it was very lonely, and there were few people who came. Just a stopping
place it was for wagoners and that sort of people. But now, both English
and Scotch people are realising that there's no lovelier part in the
whole of the British Isles. That's why they come. You see, there's many
associations around this neighbourhood too. Tammy Carlisle was born and
reared not many miles from here. And then, as you know, Gretna Green is
not very far away."

"But the days of Gretna Green are over?" suggested Paul.

"Ay," he replied. "But not altogether. We've had many a couple come to
us directly after their marriage, and I believe that lots of them have
just gone over the border for a Scotch marriage."

"By the way," asked Paul, "do you remember twenty-five years ago this
very month that a young man brought his wife here? It was on the
twenty-ninth of August. Think, now; do you remember it?"

"Ay, I think I do, but my wife has a better memory than I. Meg! Will
you come here?"

The old lady was keenly interested in Paul's questions. "Why, of course,
Angus. I've thought about them many a time since. He was fair and she
was dark."

"That's it," said Paul eagerly. "That's it."

"She had black een, I remember," said the woman. "Een as black as sloes,
and her hair was like the sheen of a raven's wing. And they did love
each other, too, I could see that."

"And did they sign any register or anything of that sort?" said Paul.
"Do you keep a register of your visitors?"

"Nay," said the woman. "We kept no register then, but we do now. People
came and went then, and we thought not so much of it. All the same, they
did write something."

"Both of them?" asked Paul.

"Ay, both of them. You see, I wasna so sure about them, and I wondered
whether it was a runaway match. The lad introduced the lass as his wife,
but they seemed mighty nervous, and the lad had been here a few weeks
previously with some others, and I am sure he had nae thought of marrying
then."

"Did you say he wrote his name and she wrote hers?" asked Paul eagerly.

"You seem mighty interested," said the woman. "One might thin