caught him; but his legs being lengthy, he gave them fair
sport as far as St. James's Palace, where the officers on guard rushed
out to save their pet, and drove off the myrmidons of the law at the
point of the sword.

But debts do not pay themselves, nor die, and Orlando with all his
strength and prowess could not long keep off the constable. Evil days
gloomed at no very great distance before him, and the fear of a
sponging-house and debtors' prison compelled him to turn his handsome
person to account. Had he not broken a hundred hearts already? had he
not charmed a thousand pairs of beaming eyes? was there not one owner of
one pair who was also possessed of a pretty fortune? Who should have the
honour of being the wife of such an Adonis? who, indeed, but she who
could pay highest for it; and who could pay with a handsome income but a
well-dowered widow? A widow it must be--a widow it should be. Noble
indeed was the sentiment which inspired this great man to sacrifice
himself on the altar of Hymen for the good of his creditors. Ye young
men in the Guards, who do this kind of thing every day--that is,
every day that you can meet with a widow with the proper
qualifications--take warning by the lamentable history of Mr. Robert
Fielding, and never trust to 'third parties.'

[Illustration: BEAU FIELDING AND THE SHAM WIDOW.]

A widow was found, fat, fair, and forty--and oh!--charm greater far than
all the rest--with a fortune of sixty thousand pounds; this was a Mrs.
Deleau, who lived at Whaddon in Surrey, and at Copthall-court in London.
Nothing could be more charming; and the only obstacle was the absence of
all acquaintance between the parties--for, of course, it was impossible
for any widow, whatever her attractions, to be insensible to those of
Robert Fielding. Under these circumstances, the Beau looked about for an
agent, and found one in the person of a Mrs. Villars, hairdresser to the
widow. He offered this person a handsome douceur in case of success, and
she was to undertake that the lady should meet the gentleman in the most
unpremeditated manner. Various schemes were resorted to: with the
_alias_, for he was not above an _alias_, of Major-General Villars, the
Beau called at the widow's country house, and was permitted to see the
gardens. At a window he espied a lady, whom he took to be the object of
his pursuit--bowed to her majestically, and went away, persuaded he must
have made an impression. But, whether th