ulty
arose; our hero had exhausted his purse, and had not a
shilling left to enable him to complete his journey; his
good genius, however, had not deserted him, and, with that
effrontery for which he is distinguished, he called the
landlord into a private room, told him he was on his way to
Gretna Green with an heiress, again described himself to be
the son of a baronet, and finally requested him to give cash
for a cheque which he proposed drawing on a respectable
banking-house in town, (where, by the bye, he happened to
have no account.) The cause he assigned for his distress was
the suddenness of his flight from town. His appeal
proved successful, and he was furnished with the means of
completing his journey. Again the trio resumed their course,
and in the end reached the quarters of the celebrated
Blacksmith, who was immediately summoned to their presence.
Here another impediment threw them into fresh alarm; the
Blacksmith seeing the style in which they had arrived, and
judging from that circumstance that they were persons of no
mean consequence, refused to rivet their chains under a
douceur of One hundred pounds. This sum it was impossible,
at so short a notice, they could raise; and their hopes
would have been altogether frustrated, had not the eloquence
of our hero once more proved successful. He explained to the
venerable priest that their finances were but slender; and
having assured him of that fact, he induced him to accept of
Five pounds down, and a note of hand for Fifty pounds more.
The Gordian knot was then tied, and Mr. and Mrs.----
having received the congratulations of their friend, who
witnessed the ceremony, returned to Gretna Bridge; where
they agreed to wait a few days, until a remittance for which
the lady, under some plausible excuse, was induced to draw,
had arrived. The necessary sum at length reached their
hands; the bill was dis-charged; the cheque upon which the
cash had been previously advanced, redeemed; and the party
pursued their journey back to the metropolis.

On reaching London, the marriage ceremony was repeated in a
more formal manner, and thus all question of the validity of
the union was set at rest. Our hero had now to render
available the funds of his Lady; and in a morning _tete-