salute in the way of his present—calling that
he hadn't found it yet.

Well, sir! Boots left the Elmses when his
time was up, and Master Harry he went
down to the old lady's at York, which old
lady would have given that child the teeth out
of her head (if she had had any), she was so
wrapt up in him. What does that Infant do
—for Infant you may call him and be within
the mark—but cut away from that old lady's
with his Norah, on a expedition to go to
Gretna Green and be married!

Sir, Boots was at this identical Holly-Tree
Inn (having left it several times since to
better himself, but always come back through
one thing or another), when, one summer
afternoon, the coach drives up, and out of
the coach gets them two children. The
Guard says to our Governor, " I don't quite
make out these little passengers, but the
young gentleman's words was, that they was
to be brought here." The young gentleman
gets out; hands his lady out; gives the
Guard something for himself; says to our
Governor, " We're to stop here to-night,
please. Sitting-room and two bed-rooms will
be required. Chops and cherry-pudding for
two! " and tucks her, in her little sky-blue
mantle, under his arm, and walks into the
house much bolder than Brass.

Boots leaves me to judge what the
amazement of that establishment was, when
those two tiny creatures all alone by
themselves was marched into the Angel;—much
more so, when he, who had seen them without
their seeing him, give the Governor his
views of the expedition they was upon.
"Cobbs," says the Governor, " if this is so, I
must set off myself to York and quiet their
friends' minds. In which case you must
keep your eye upon 'em, and humour 'em,
till I come back. But, before I take these
measures, Cobbs, I should wish you to
find from themselves whether your opinions
is correct." " Sir to you," says Cobbs,
"that shall be done directly."

So, Boots goes upstairs to the Angel, and
there he finds Master Harry on a e-normous
sofa—immense at any time, but looking like
the Great Bed of Ware, compared with him
—a drying the eyes of Miss Norah with
his pocket hankecher. Their little legs was
entirely off the ground, of course, and it
really is not possible for Boots to express
to me how small them children looked.

"It's Cobbs! It's Cobbs!" cries Master
Harry, and comes running to him and catching
hold of his hand. Miss Norah comes
running to him on t'other side and catching
hold of his t'other hand, and they both jump
for joy.

"I see you a getting out, sir," says Cobbs.
"I thought it was you. I thought I couldn't
be mistaken in your height and figure.
What's the object of your journey, sir?—
Matrimonial?

"We are going to be married, Cobbs, at
Gretna Green," returned the boy. "We
have run away on purpose. Norah has been
in rather low spirits, Cobbs; but she'll be
happy, now we have found you to be our
friend."

"Thank you, sir, and thank you, miss,"
says Cobbs, " for your good opinion. Did
you bring any luggage with you, sir?"

If I will believe Boots when he gives me
his word and honour upon it, the lady had
got a parasol, a smelling-bottle, a round and a
half of cold buttered toast, eight peppermint
drops, and a hair-brush—seemingly, a doll's.
The gentleman had got about half-a-dozen
yards of string, a knife, three or four sheets
of writing-paper folded up surprising small,
a orange, and a Chaney mug with his name
upon it.

"What may be the exact natur of your
plans, sir? " says Cobbs.

"To go on," replied the boy—which the
courage of that boy was something wonder-
ful!—" in the morning, and be married
to-morrow."

"Just so, sir," says Cobbs. " Would it
meet your views, sir, if I was to accompany
you?"

When Cobbs said this, they both jumped
for joy again, and cried out, " O yes, yes,
Cobbs! Yes!"

"Well, sir," say a Cobbs. " If you will
excuse my having the freedom to give an
opinion, what I should recommend would be
this. I'm acquainted with a pony, sir, which,
put in a pheayton that I could borrow,
would take you and Mrs. Harry
Walmers Junior (myself driving, if you approved),
to the end of your journey in a very short
space of time. I am not altogether sure, sir,
that this pony will be at liberty to-morrow,
but even if you had to wait over to-morrow
for him, it might be worth your while. As
to the small account here, sir, in case you
was to find yourself running at all short,
that don't signify; because I'm a part
proprietor of this inn, and it could stand over."

Boots assures me that when they clapped
their hands, and jumped for joy again, and
called him "Good Cobbs!" and "Dear
Cobbs! " and bent across him to kiss one
another in the delight of their confiding
hearts, he felt himself the meanest rascal for
deceiving 'em, that ever was born.

"Is there anything you want just at
present, sir? " says Cobbs, mortally ashamed
of himself.

"We should like some cakes after dinner,"
answered Master Harry, folding his arms,
putting out one leg, and looking straight at
him, " and two apples—and jam. With dinner
we should like to have toast-and-water. But,
Norah has always been accustomed to haIf a,
glass of currant wine at dessert. And so
have I."

"It shall be ordered at the bar, sir," says
Cobbs; and away he went.

Boots has the feeling as fresh upon him at