CHAP. VII. (JHOWTII ()F MANCHESTER. 397 



Hradshaw, "the party w;is unusually dull and silent. 

 The Duke's funds were exhausted ; the canal was by 

 n<> means nearly finished; his Grace's credit was at 

 the lowest ehh; and lie was at a loss what step to take 

 next. There they sat, in the small parlour of the little 

 public-house, smoking their pipes, with a pitcher of ale 

 before them, melancholy and silent. At last the Duke 

 broke the silence by asking, in a querulous tone, ' Well, 

 Brindley, what's to be done now ? How are we to get 

 at the money for finishing this canal?' Brindley, after 

 a few long puffs, answered through the smoke, 'Well, 

 Duke, I can't tell ; I only know that if the money can 

 be got, I can finish the canal, and that it will pay well.' 

 ' Ay,' rejoined the Duke, ' but where are we to get the 

 money ? ' Brindley could only repeat what he had 

 a heady said; and thus the little party remained in 

 moody silence for some time longer, when Brindley sud- 

 denly started up and said, ' Don't mind, Duke ; don't be 

 cast down ; we are sure to succeed after all ! ' The party 

 shortly after separated, the Duke going over to Worsley 

 to bed, to revolve in his mind the best mode of raising 

 money to complete his all-absorbing project." 



Still undaunted by the difficulties that beset them, the 

 Duke and his agents exerted themselves to the utmost to 

 find the requisite means for completing the works. Gil- 

 bert was employed to ride round among the tenantry 

 of the neighbouring districts, and raise five pounds here 

 and ten pounds there, until he had gathered together 

 enough to pay the week's wages. Whilst travelling 

 about among the farmers on one of such occasions, Gil- 

 bert was joined by a stranger horseman, who entered 

 into conversation with him ; and it very shortly turned 

 upon the merits of their respective horses. The stranger 

 offered to swap with Gilbert, who, thinking the other's 

 horse better than his own, agreed to the exchange. On 

 afterwards alighting at a lonely village inn, which he 

 had not before frequented, Gilbert was surprised to be 



