78 ME. SPONGE'S SEOETING TOUE. 



"A Uiree-staWd. stable!" observedMr. Sponge, with an emphasis. 



" A three-stall'd stable," repeated Mr. Watson. 



" Confound him, but he said he'd take in a hack at all events," 

 observed Sponge, with a sideway shake of the head; "and a 

 hack he shall take in, too," he added. " Are your stables full at 

 Jawleyford Court ? " he asked. 



" 'Ord bless you, no, sir," replied Watson with a leer ; " there's 

 nothin' in them but a couple of weedy hacks and a pair of old 

 worn-out carriage-horses." 



" Then I can get this hack taken in, at all events," observed 

 Sponge, laying his hand on the neck of the piebald as he spoke. 



" Why, as to that," replied Mr. Watson, with a shake of the 

 head, " I can't say nothin'." 



" I must, though,' 1 '' rejoined Sponge, tartly ; "he said he'd take 

 pi my hack, or I wouldn't have come." 



" Well, sir," observed the keeper, " you know best, sir." 



" Confounded screw ! " muttered Sponge, turning away to give 

 his orders to Leather. "I'll work him for it," he added. "He 

 sha'n't get rid of me in a hurry — at least not unless I can get a 

 better billet elsewhere." 



Having arranged the parting with Leather, and got a cart to 

 carry his things, Mr. Sponge mounted the piebald, and put 

 himself under the guidance of Watson to be conducted to his 

 destination. The first part of the journey was performed in 

 silence, Mr. Sponge not being particularly well pleased at the 

 reception his request to have his horses taken in had met with. 

 This silence he might perhaps have preserved throughout had it 

 not occurred to him, that he might pump something out of the 

 servant about the family he was going to visit. 



" That's not a bad-like old cob of yours," he observed, drawing 

 rein so as to let the shaggy white come alongside of him. 



" He belies his looks, then," replied Watson, with a grin of his 

 cadaverous face, "for he's just as bad a beast as ever looked 

 through a bridle. It's a parfect disgrace to a gentleman to put a 

 man on such a beast." 



Sponge saw the sort of man he had got to deal with, and 

 proceeded accordingly. 



" Have you lived long with Mr. Jawleyford ? " he asked. 



" No, nor will I, if I can help it," replied Watson, with another 

 grin and another touch of the old hat. Touching his hat was 

 about the only piece of propriety he was up to. 



" What, he's not a brick then ? " asked Sponge. 



" Mean man" replied Watson with a shake of the head ; 

 " mean man" he repeated. "You're nowise connected with the 

 fam'ly, I s'pose ?" he asked with a look of suspicion lest he might 

 be committing himself. 



